Lyme Park

Another revisit of somewhere we haven't been for a few years. This time around Lyme Park and the surrounding countryside.

Lyme Park Elevation

Lyme Park route

 Nothing much of interest along the early part of the walk (once we'd found it), then we happened across a small collection of caterpillars near Higher Poynton.

Large White Caterpillar

Small White Caterpillar

Large White Caterpillars surrounding a Small White

Closely followed by some cold, slimy carryings-on in the undergrowth...

Mating Large Red Slugs

Spider

Noon-Fly

Lunch on a grassy knoll by a small stream in Lyme Park, surrounded by grasshoppers and "leggy things". This is the only hopper that came close, even then it backed almost completely into the grass. If it didn't move it would be almost impossible to see.

Common Field Grasshopper

Unexpected chicken

The Cage and Red Deer

Red Deer

Llangollen

A return to Llangollen after 3 years. Starting early we took in a walk past the old Abbey, and round the Panorama Walk to Castell Dinas Bran. As we finished this just after lunch we decided to do another short walk, just up the road past the Horseshoe Falls and along the Velvet Hill.
Very sunny, very humid and we were very tired by the end of it all.

Llangollen Routes

Llangollen elevation

Llangollen Canal

Weeds in the crystal clear canal (how often are those words heard together?)

View from the Castell toward Panorama Walk and Eglywseg Rocks

Looking west through the ruined walls

Gill in an archway

Spot the Gill competition

Castell Dinas Bran

Crow statue on the gate to the "Castle of the City of Crows"

Horseshoe Falls

View of the west side of Velvet Hill

Small Copper

Gatekeeper

View from the centre of Velvet Hill facing north

Panorama from the southern end of Velvet Hill facing west (click for bigger)

Moel Famau

A walk around (and over) Moel Famau.

Elevation

Route

We were greeted by a wooden frog at the start by the river Alyn, and there were more sculptures dotted about the old lead mining area.

Frog sculpture

Bat sculpture

John and a tall tree

Trail to summit of Moel Famau

The heather is looking particularly colourful at the moment.

Gill and heather

Gorse and Heather

Jubilee Monument on Moel Famau summit

Heather patterns on Moel Famau

Panoramic view facing west from Moel Famau (click for bigger)

Gill on the route past Foel Fenlli

Marbury Country Park

A revisit to Marbury Country Park, after many years. Quite a lot of woodland and wildflowers, although it does get very busy by midday.

Never seen so many harvestmen, legs everywhere!

Emerging acorn

Harvestman with legs akimbo

Harvestman

Spider

Bumblebee

Bumblebee

Green Shieldbug

Fly

Cranefly

Cranefly

The waterside near our lunchstop benches were hopping with small frogs and toads. Not as cooperative this time, I ended up with muddy knees and elbows but the only good shots were from one climbing up Gill's arm.

Common Toad

Common Toad

Hoverfly

Greenbottle

Hoverfly

Hoverfly

Ladybird and aphid "lunch"