Natter In Nature | canal and country walks
Do you enjoy a good old natter? Well, how about a ‘Natter In Nature’?
A phrase coined by our Advocate Linda, it’s an apt name for our social walks (and talks) in nature. These walks are kindly sponsored by ‘Forest of Hearts’ under their ‘Walkie-Talkie’ programme (yet another great name!).
We’re part way through a series of 10 canal and country walks now, in various parts of Staffordshire – focusing on the locations that our ‘Friends with Human-Nature‘ group have enjoyed over the past 18 months or so.
Take a look at our Photo Storyboard below to see what where we’ve visited and what we’ve spotted (and nattered about) on our walks so far.
Walks Completed | photo storyboard
1. The Upper House, Barlaston (to Downs Bank) – Country Walk – 23rd Feb
Highlights:
- Be Active – Making it up the hill to Millenium Point to admire the view.
- Keep Learning – Spotting a Lama, a Little Egret (small white heron), and a Woodpecker.
- Connect – Linda finding her ‘happy stone’!
2. Red Bull Wharf, Kidsgrove (to Broughton Arms) – Canal Walk – 9th Mar
Highlights:
- Connect – Finding a pub that’s open (non-alcoholic drinks of course)!
- Connect – Having a laugh with the narrowboat folk and (not) helping with the lock.
- Take Notice – Green and brown water and Snowdrops.
3. Deep Hayes Country Park (to Cheddleton Flint Mill) – Canal Walk – 16th Mar (Photo/Poetry Walk)
Highlights:
- Take Notice – Finding some ‘alternative therapy’ and a boat specially for R too!
- Connect – J & A finding there way there at all – getting lost down a very narrow lane!
- Keep Learning – Wondering where the flint came from (still don’t know).
4. Great Haywood (to Shugborough Hall) via Tixall Wide – Country Walk – 23rd Mar
Highlights:
- Connect – A couple of swans walking with us.
- Care/Give – Great effort litter picking (2 bags collected) and worrying that we’d never get around in time.
- Keep Learning – Jake spotting a Kingfisher (too quick for everyone else).
- Be Active – A 5 mile walk this week (then time to refuel – a bacon butty at the Canalside Farm Cafe)
Testimonial: “Thoroughly enjoyed today’s walk (at Shugborough), as too did J.” – RR
5. Trentham Gardens (to Hanchurch Hills) – Country Walk – 6th Apr
Highlights:
- Take Notice – Signs of spring with Pussy Willow.
- Give – Never seen so much enthusiasm for litter picking (from the extra walkers on Easter Break).
- Connect – Meeting other people initiating community litter picking – and asking for our help!
- Be Active – A 4.9 mile walk – getting over obstacles in ‘stile’ (style).
6. Froghall Wharf (to Consall) – Canal Walk – 13th Apr (Mindful Walk)
Highlights:
- Keep Learning – Learning mindful photography and Steph’s beautiful raindrop refraction macro shots.
- Take Notice – Smell of wild garlic (smell noticed by Jake), patterns in water flows (sight noticed by Alan), woodpecker tapping (sound noticed by group)
- Be Active – Not so active this week (around 2.5 miles estimated) – raining and we got bogged down in mud, never making it to Consall. Really needed the wellies! Retreated to Hetty’s Tea Shop where R got his ‘5 a day’ – fresh fruits (topping the cream for his muffin) – with ‘lemon’ curd – does that make 6?
Future walks:
7. Middleport Pottery (to Westport Lake) – Canal Walk – 20th Apr (Photo/Poetry Walk)
8. Little Morton Hall (to Macclesfield Canal) – Country Walk – 27th Apr
9. Rudyard Lake – Country Walk – 4th May
10. Burston Village (to Aston Marina) – Canal Walk – 11th May
(Walk locations and precise meeting points are subject to confirmation).
