07/04/2012 - Training Walk #13 - Spoiling a Good Walk

With Lee and Polly in Scotland it was left to Mark and Martin for this week's training. The schedule demanded a 4.5 hour walk this week so a 23km route using another part of the Sandstone Trail was planned to get some distance in rather than elevation for a change.

Beeston Castle on its rocky perch

After an 8.30am meet up in the car park of the Shady Oak we set off to round Beeston Hill and upon closer examination were glad it was off-limits as the impressively steep cliffs that surround it would have had Lee attempting to ascend it had he been with us.

Leaving Beeston we headed across country where it was relatively soft underfoot from the heavy rainfall the night before, towards the town of Tarporley. It was market day in Tarporley so we looked a little out of place as we yomped up the main street with walking poles in hand before veering off down a side street to head back out into the countryside and into Portal Golf Club.

Tarporley High Street

Portal Golf Club is probably best described as fairly 'exclusive' and known to be frequented by many a footballer past and present. It seemed a little odd to have a public right of way across several fairways and much like Tarporley High Street, the golf course was busy with many a golfer on the tee, fairway and green as we cut through their play taking a direct line and trying to keep an eye for the odd mis-hit shot and trying not to upset too many of them.




Relieved we managed to survive the Golf Course we left the those spoiling a good walk and headed to the little village of Eaton to the sound of the drone of cars running round the nearby Oulton Park Race Circuit. Thankfully there are no public rights of way across Oulton Park and the thought of playing Frogger with racing cars didn't appeal in any case so we were left to admire the thatched properties in Eaton as we strolled through.

Portal Golf Club - Fore!

As we left Eaton and climbed upwards along Lighfoot Lane, the by now unmistakeable 'thwack' of a golf ball being struck nearby was a little startling as we then broke out once again into Portal Golf Club and ran the gauntlet of what turned out surprisingly to be a second course (apparently there are three!). 

Relieved to once again escape the 'Plus-fours' brigade we crossed the busy A49 and headed to Utkinton and once through the village soon picked up the Sandstone Trail to take us  back to Beeston.

The Sandstone Trail with Beeston in the background

By comparison to the public footpaths we had been on, the Sandstone Trail is more trafficked, the trail much better marked and stiles/gates are few  - much as we expect the South Downs Way to be. 

As we entered the fifth hour we began to contemplate our strategy for when we attempt the full 55km of the trail later in June as a pre-Trailwalker training walk. We agreed that 4hrs is probably the limit point where we would need a break, some food and probably change socks or boots or both so it's likely we'll divide it into 4 with 3 stops.



We returned to the Shady Oak for a quick pint completing the 23.35km walk in 4hrs 37minutes at an average pace of 5.1km/h which was to plan (for a change!). The stats are here.

Next weekend's walk will be Mark and Lee (assuming he's not cut-off by snow in Scotland) and the plan is to tackle the route we did in Training Walk #6 but this time in reverse, tackling the 200m ascent to The Cloud and then the gruelling 280m ascent to Croker Hill. We're hoping to shave an hour off our previous time so hopefully we'll have earned our pie and pint in the Knot Inn afterwards.