Our 2019 Activities
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2019 News
A new version of the Wellington Walking Map has been published, containing a total of 10 main routes and 3 alternatives. There is also a guide to the Makers Dozen Mural Trail
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The file is here
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Our secretary attended the annual get together
of Walkers are Welcome in Kirby Stephen.
it was an interesting weekend.
As the image shows, she was able to escape for
a bit to a local hill .
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The 2019 Walking Festival Programme has now finished.We think it went well, here is the programme and photos. A report is here.
The Shropshire Way Festival ran from 21st to 28th September.
There were 26 walks. We organised a 6-mile linear walk
on Monday 23rd, In addition, our secretary led a 17.5 mile
walk for the Friends of The Telford T50 50 Mile Trail on September 22nd.
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We held the the 2019 AGM on July 14th . The AGM Papers are here
Malcolm has been busy again helping another man who enquired via our contact page, see below
On July 21st we visited New Works, July 7th The Wrekin, June 16th saw us use the Wrekin Link and the Bowring Cafe, on June 2nd we walked to the Severn Hospice Open Garden day. The May 19th walk was a "hop" to Stirchley as part of Get Telford Walking, the T50 group were pleased with how the event went.
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Our Regular Walk on May 5th was a Bluebell Walk for Wellington Festival .
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Report from Pam on the Easter Sunday walk: There were 10 participants including myself. We took 3 cars to Little Wenlock and completed the Bench Walk in the order it was designed. There was plenty of time to ponder and take in the views. It was an added bonus that two walkers each knew personally one of the bench "owners". We were back in Wellington for 4.10. Obviously the outing benefited from the excellent weather and we were able to take in the views although it was rather hazy. People seemed to enjoy the walk and surprisingly it was new to most.
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We started the new year with walks from Cound, to Leegomery and Apley, and to the Ercall and Limekiln Woods, path maintenance and a walk in Arleston and litter picks at the Forest Glen. See the gallery and the routes page.
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The bridge into Ercall Woods has now been repaired, thanks to all who ensured this happened.
Wellington Walking Festival 2019 was held from September 9th to 15th , report is above. Links to photos from the 2019 Festival page.
Here is a report and a gallery of photos for the 2018 festival.
See our new regular walk routes page.
There are photos of recent path maintenance events in this gallery.
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Recent walks have visited Cound, Apley, Leegomery, Wrockwardine, Ketley, Admaston, Dothill. The Ercall, Limekiln Wood and The Wrekin
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Malcolm helps a visitor from Norfolk
Ain’t No Mountain High Enough ...
... were the words used by Chris Doherty from Gorleston, near Great Yarmouth, to describe his attempt to reach the summit of the Wrekin.
Chris is a severely, multiply, disabled gentleman who was put in touch with us in February asking if we could offer any advice regarding his planned attempt to ascend the Wrekin in his 4x4 all terrain electric wheelchair. To assist Chris, one of our committee members, Malcolm, walked the path to the summit several times taking photo’s of the terrain and using a GPS phone tracker app to calculate distances and gradients over multiple sections of the route – the most extreme parts of the track were going to be the short but steep section just before Halfway House, and getting either through or over Heavens Gate near to the summit.
On Tuesday 21st May, Chris arrived at Forest Glen with Julie, his carer/driver, having stayed locally overnight, and was met by family and friends, Ken from near Cannock Chase, Colyn and Simon from Hastings, Keith from Coventry, Richard from Kidderminster, and of course Malcolm who having done the groundwork wanted to join them to see Chris reach the summit.
The weather was just right, a fine clear day and the party set off at 10:00. All who know the Wrekin will appreciate it’s not a smooth path, and although Chris’s wheelchair could cope with most of the terrain, it was a slow ascent. Stopping for a refreshment break at Halfway House both on the way up and coming back down again, together with a short stay on the top to enjoy the views while some of Chris’s friends and family had a look at, but didn’t attempt, the Needles Eye, the round trip took 5.5 hours. As expected, the 2 extreme sections plus a few others needed a bit of muscle power to assist Chris in getting up them but it was all well worth it to see him fulfil his desire to reach the top.
Many thanks also to Jenny and her son for opening up Halfway House especially for Chris on the day.
Malcolm helps a visitor from Canada
We had a contact from Terry (from Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada) via our website. Last Wednesday, Malcolm, one of our committee took him on the walk he'd requested, to and around the Steeraway area where he believes his grandfather, Henry Frost, born in 1871, worked as a limestone miner from the age of 12. From information supplied by Allan Frost, they worked out that his grandfather lived in a house that was sited in what is now the entrance to Telford Road, off the Holyhead Road, just along from the Red Lion. After looking at old maps from 1888, they identified and walked the likely path they would have taken to get from their home to Steeraway, the majority of which still exists today, taking you into Christine Avenue, then alongside what is now the Wrekin Golf Club.
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At Steeraway, they looked at the base of the old limekilns, and then went via some of the old tramways to one of the original mine entrances before returning along the path across the top of the limekilns where the tramways led to, to supply the top of the kilns with the raw material (limestone and coal) that was being used to produce quicklime. It is possible that he and Malcolm are related as Malcolm has Frosts in his family tree.
He was very grateful that we had been able to help him by showing him the area. We readily agreed as being open to unusual requests can only be good for our reputation, for Wellington and for Walkers are Welcome nationally.
2019 Wellington Walking Festival
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Thankyou to all the leaders and walkers who took
part in our 2019 walking festival .
Here is a brief report.
There is a photo gallery for the 2019 festival here
and for the 2018 festival here .
Malcolm’s 2019 photos
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/t3xsaarw73keqlr/AAANiwVk_GS6wnWC7D3s2l_5a?dl=0
Alan’s 2019 photos https://www.dropbox.com/sh/5mycuccgkjbvaf0/AACVwQsebCP_1NJxQYqt2268a?dl=0
There are a few more on our Facebook page
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For reference here is the 2019 programme
