A calamtous afternoon.

No nothing to do with the Public sector strike.

I was particularly looking forward to our Wednesday afternoon walk today to get away from the mayhem at home (especially as Chris was going under the floorboards!)

We are testing out some new local walks written by our friends. They are just a little further afield perhaps requiring a short car journey to the start, though many of the features are part of walks we do regularly. Today's Was 'Viaduct Views' centred around Hewenden Viaduct which has often featured in my blips and also Wendles56. It is now part of the Great North Railway Trail but we weren't crossing it today. We parked at Harecroft Station (no longer in existence) and set off across the fields below the viaduct.

Our path took us on a familiar route to Goit Stock and Hallas Bridge. This picture is taken from there. The old mill is now apartments and this was the mill pond. You can see the path and steps leading up to what was Hallas Farm (in the trees) which was my childhood home.

Crossing from the farm we traversed several fields and stiles. Many of these are perfectly good stone stiles which have been there from times way past but sometimes the  land owner sees fit to add a wooden structure to climb too. One such one seemed a bit rickety so I avoided the top step and went straight over to the bottom one. The whole lot and myself then just collapsed onto the floor. No real harm done. We completed our first loop then back to the foot of the viaduct.
The road here is steep (known as Hewenden Brow) and as we crossed it the first time we noticed a lorry stuck quite near the bottom. Here he was still having reversed back down and was taking another run at it. He got stuck in the same place again.  We  now walked under the viaduct and watched some men in ornage suits dangling from it!

Dangling men in orange!
Rather them than me!

From here we climbed to a farm and had to pass through the yard to a path beyond. Cattle had obviously been coralled here and that with multi tractor movements had churned the ground into a quagmire. No way round we ploughed through - well up our boots and at one point Corinne announced she was stuck and as I turned to look she tried to move forward and fell on her hands and knees!!

Well we had to carry on but when we eventually got back to the car I had to 'put her in a black bin bag' as she was smelling slightly of farmyard.

When I dropped her off she said she was going to walk up her drive with 'dignity'! She said 'I've never been brought home in a bin bag before!'
She chose this walk as she thought it would be one of the drier ones!

I think we will all need a drink tonight!