Walking around Papa Westray.

Whilst visiting the Orkneys on holiday we looked at using Loganair's excellent air service over the islands and see if we could take a flight to one of the smaller islands, do a walk and fly back to the Mainland the same day.

After a bit of research we settled on the island of Papa Westray and booked a flight on the Tuesday 0930 departure from Kirkwall, arriving at Papa Westray at around 10, the return flight would be the 1654 flight from Papa Westray, giving us a good 6 hours to do some walking on the Island.

Looking at the guide books highlighted some interesting places to visit in Papay, both historical and Natural.

Departing from Kirkwall airport a little surprise was the flight would land at Westray before Papa Westray and give us the opportunity to travel on the shortest commercial flight from Westray to Papa Westray (1.7 miles). The short stop at Westray allowed 2 of the 8 passengers to get off and be replaced by 2 more passengers.

Arriving at the small Papa Westray Airfield, we departed the flight and the airfield, took a short look around and started on the walk.

Heading south from the airfield on the main island road we headed, past the war memorial to Holland's Farm, which occupies the main crossroads on the island and includes some old buildings. The road turns right then left through the farm and there is a signpost for the Knap of Howar which we follow passing through some gates and onto a track leading towards the coast. The track ends at a field, diagonally across which there is a fenced off area with well cut grass signs identify this as our first stop, the Knap of Howar, which is one of the oldest still standing buildings, probably pre-dating the more famous settlement of Skara Brae.

After viewing the remains we exited the fenced off area and turned north along the coast with the distant St Boniface Kirk as our next stop pausing on the way to drink some of the coffee from our flask. The ground was rough pasture, lumpy but not too hard although the wind was a fairly brisk northly.

The coast field narrows as the surrounding wall approaches the coast, but we continued on until a stile and a gate just before the Kirk. We took a look at some of the gravestones before entering the restored church and reading about the history from the small board inside.

Leaving the Kirk we headed up the track to rejoin the main island road and turned left to head north. The road runs mostly straight and uphill towards North Hill RSPB reserve, the entrance is just as the road bends to the right.

Opening the gate we headed followed the stone wall to the coast crossing a couple of demolished walls and again turned northwards towards the tip of the island. The reserve itself is fairly barren heather with the occasional flower, which we imagine would be busy with breeding birds earlier in the year.

Along the coast the headland is lined by large formations of slab like rock sloping out of the sea. The occasional cairn marks the edge of the cliffs and the inland slopes up to small hills with a small lookout hut perched atop. Gulls and other seabirds soar the edge of the rocks and swoop low overhead.

Following the coastal path up to the very north of the island looking behind us I could not see anyone following and as we rounded the north tip of the islands and looked at the rock formations I commented we could be over a mile from the next nearest person. As we started south we found a sheltered spot and stopped for lunch watching the seals bobbing just out to sea. Off in the distance we could see the only other person out for a walk, coming north towards us but then turning back to stay ahead of us. Whereas the west coast sloped down into the sea, the east coast is more cliff like, although it doesn't rise more than 200' above the sea.

Before exiting the reserve we passed over a style and the arrived at a monument to the last Great Auk living in the UK.

Exiting the reserve we descended back down to the coastal path and passed through some long derelict buildings, using these to shelter whilst we finished off the coffee before arriving at the tidal Loch of the Taing an area of water separated from the sea by low lying rocks at the northern end of a sandy bay.

As the tide was out we walked along the beach and listened to the water lapping against the edge of the bay at the end of which we headed up the bank to the road heading south until, just by a seat and a cairn it becomes a track. Resting on 'Maggies Seat', which overlooks another sandy bay we rested for some time.

Continuing along the track lead us to the old pier of Papay, where the Kelp Store Heritage, Art & Craft Centre is located, unfortunately the day we visited the Kelp store was closed due to exhibition preparation.

Turning away from the coast we headed up the road, again towards Holland's Farm past the main settlement, including the school, the post office, store and hostel. Just after the school is a small public convenience.

Arriving at the cross roads in Holland's farm at 1510 we decided we had some time to walk further south and followed the road for a short 1km out and return to kill off some time before the return flight, arriving at the airfield at 1600 to rest and relax before the return flight.

Checking the GPS we discovered we had walked a total of 10 miles.

The return to Kirkwall also stopped at Westray on the return leg.

Flying and walking - Oaksey Park

Taking a Tuesday off from work we again looked to combine flying and walking, originally we had attempted to fly to Llanbedr, where there is a nature reserve between the airfield and the coast, unfortunately we could not arrange PPR at Llanbedr in time and so looked for an airfield that was in a nice location with footpaths nearby.

Having had a look around we found Oaksey Park airfield in the Cotswolds and planned both the flight and a walk in the local area.

An early departure for us saw a pleasant relaxed flight down to the west of Birmingham’s Zone and avoiding Kemble airfield, located just to the North of Oaksey Park we joined downwind for runway 04.

After arriving we booked in, paid our landing fees and changed into our walking shoes.

The walk away from the airfield follows the farm lane through an avenue of trees and well cut lawn. 

About 150 meters past the gates to Park Farm take the footpath on the right, across a field, turning slightly left in the next field to cross this at an angle, into the next field turn right and head along the fence continuing once the fence turns sharply right. Cross the next field and then turn left to follow the field boundary towards the village church.

Once past the church turn left and follow the road, just before the Post Office a lane comes off to the right and there is a small public garden/play area at this junction. Head up this lane all the way to the end and continue straight ahead along the path along a couple of field edges.

The path arrives at a large gate in a deer fence, passing through this gate into the next field, which may have deer in. Head slightly right across this field, but to the left of the manor. At the far end of the field a fence cuts the field in two, you want to be on the right side of this, and before long another large gate appears in the fence. Pass through this and continue along the signposted path.

As you enter the field with the wood at the end head slightly right heading for the far right corner of the wood, on reaching the corner turn right and follow the field edge passing through the far hedge. Turn right here and follow the right side of the next fields, until you arrive at the road, which you can follow into Oaksey village where you turn right and head back to the Post Office, turning left into ‘The Green’ which heads back to the airfield.

This was a pleasant walk taking in a lovely Cotswold Village, and surprisingly a deer park. A number of the fields did have cattle in them, which fortunately for us did stay away from our path.

Oaksey Park is a wonderfully kept grass airfield with a fair amount of activity, runway 04 was smooth and well kept, with a £10 landing fee for a C172, and was welcoming both on the phone for PPR and following our arrival. Somewhere I would visit again.

For the return flight, we departed Oaksey Park's runway 04, with a slight turn to the right for noise abatement and then headed north towards Daventry to pass to the east of Birmingham's Zone.

Bosley Reservoir, Croker Hill and Bosley Minn

Croker Hill looking North Towards Shutlingsloe

A 6.5 walk from Bosley reservoir with some uphill is this walk over up the nearby Croker Hill onto Sutton Common and then back along the ridge between Wincle Minn and Bosley Minn.

Mostly on Tracks, some mud in wet weather, including passing around the reservoir.

Livestock may be present in some fields.

There are some good views out across the Cheshire Plain and north and East towards the Peak district.

Parking is on the roadside by the Bosley Reservoir dam.

There are no pubs on this walk.

Parking by the reservoir dam, walk past the first gate onto the dam and continue up the road to the second gate, then walk along the reservoir bank, passing onto the single track road at the fishing club car park and then back onto the reservoir path at the next gate, and continue until the path climbs up to the style onto the main road. Turn right onto the main road and walk the 100 or so metres up the road until you find the signposted track off to the left.

Follow the track up the hill, all the way past a derelict building on the right then after another couple of turns the track slopes down slightly before a right hand bend the signposted path heads across the field to the top corner and a style that leads through a small wood, a bridge and more styles, at the far side find another track and turn right on this to continue uphill following the obvious track.

With the farm above on the right the path separates from the track before a gap between fields, the style is to the right of the gap, passing over this style, the path heads right to another style and towards the farm. There is a marked diversion heading across the field to another style to avoid 'friendly but boisterous' dogs. At the next style head up the road and follow this onto the hill, good views are available from the top of the hill, continue past the radio mast until the path on the left through the farmyard.

Follow this path downhill to the main road where you turn left for a short distance before finding the track on the right heading uphill, this track becomes a road and continues along the length of the ridge.

West from the ridgeline, Bosley Cloud to the left, with Bosley Reservoir and Croker hill on the right.

 As the road descends there is a seat with a footpath sign on the right, this is the first of a few paths that head off the Minn heading for the path that heads down the hill, a couple of other paths further on the road also meet this path, choose one and then follow these downhill, through a farmyard and back onto the single track road by Bosley Reservoir, turn right and return to the car.

Muddiest part of the walk.

Bosley Reservoir - a surprising find.

We have driven past Bosley Reservoir on numerous occasions heading towards Derbyshire and Buxton, although never stopped having normally headed off to Rudyard, Tittesworth and some of the other better known reservoirs in the area.

Last year, having got bored of the local walks from the house we started looking for local walks that would be quiet and decided to have a drive round to see if we could find anywhere to park near Bosley and see if we could park and enjoy a walk.

Following the single track road that heads around the eastern side of the reservoir, near the dam is a small patch of roadside parking for around 8-10 cars. Parking hear you can either climb over a small wall and pass through a gate onto the dam and head towards the western side of the water, or walk 20 yards up the road and pass through another gate to get access to the eastern bank.

A couple of important notes:

At the northern end the reservoir goes right up to the main A54 road and to complete a full lap of the reservoir includes walking 300 metres on this road as it twists down the hill, with extremely narrow verges so take extreme care. The western entrance to the A54 is on Folds road, the eastern entrance is a style over the crash barrier at the side of the A54.

During the warmer months cows graze on the grass on the western bank, so be prepared for this, we have seen them blocking the narrower paths that are close to the A54.

From the parking area to get to the western bank you walk along the dam bank and over a small bridge across the spillway to a small kissing gate that leads to tree lined pasture. The level of the water changes dramatically throughout the year and this is more visible on the western side as the level recedes revealing extra land.

Continuing round eventually the reservoir gets closer to the edge of the public area and the path narrows to thin path on top of the bank, through a wooded area until eventually the path arrives at Fold lane and a style where you need to decide whether to continue onto the A54 or turn and retrace your steps back to the car.

The eastern bank differs from the west side as the sides of the reservoir are steeper and the path sticks closer to the side of the water and is roughly 10-15 feet above the surface, also the angling club occupies this bank with lots of fishing points below the path. The first part of the path is gravelled although later on it decays into a muddy path, which require adequate footwear for muddy paths in winter, when reaching the angler's car park you need to use the style next to the car park gate and walk a short distance up the single track road until you find a gate on the left through which you can regain the track back along the reservoir.

The trail continues through the trees until it arrives at a rise that ends at the style over the crash barrier onto the A54, again this is the point to decide whether to turn left onto the A54 and continue to do the full lap or retrace your steps back to the car. Turning right onto the A54, about 30 meters further up on the left is a track that leads up onto Croker Hill.

Bosley reservoir is a haven for bird life, whether water based or small birds within the woods.

Some of the birds we have seen here are: Blue Tits, Robins, Geese, Tufted Ducks and Grebes along with many more. The banks have many different habitats as you walk around.

The complete lap of Bosley reservoir is 2.96 miles walking an out and return on the western bank should be of the same length.