Thursday 11 June 2015

Day 11 Walk up a Hill

This evening for my random act of wildness I took a drive out to Crank, parked up in front of some houses near the Red Cat Pub and walked from there up to the top of Billinge Hill and back.  It was a nice sunny evening for walking and tonight I was joined by my eldest daughter.

Billinge Hill is the highest point in the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens in North West England at 179 metres (587 feet).  It is also the highest point of Merseyside.  

It's always been a favourite hill of mine and when I was a child I used to day dream about one day driving up the hill in my own car with Jean-Michel Jarre playing on the radio.  I've since drove up it countless times and yes I did listen to Jean-Michel Jarre on my first trip.

A few years ago whilst training for a marathon, I did a 22 mile run from my house to the top of the hill and back.  It was hot that day and I remember asking a guy who was watering his lawn to hose me down.

Billinge Hill from the start of our walk

Billinge Hill

Billinge Hill from Red Cat Lane

My compay for this evenings walk

Wildflowers

Billinge Hill in the evening sun

Flowers on the roadside

The junction leading to
Crank Road and Billinge Hill

Billinge Hill from the junction

Looking towards Billinge Hill

The line of trees going up the left
hand side of hill is the route up to the top

Buttercups

Flowers on a stone wall

A barn in a field
(we'll look for this later from the top of the hill)

The hill beyond the trees

The beacon tower is just
visible at the top of the hill

Purple Wildflowers

Crank Road
(Looking back)

The road up the hill

A beehive surrounded by wildflowers
in a garden we passed on the way up

Steep hill climb

The climb begins

Crossing the road to investigate
something in the tree

Very strange blobs
on the side of the tree

Ivy twisting up a tree

Almost at the top

Gorse Bush at the top

The view from the road
at the top of the hill

Looking back towards 
where we started the walk
(row of houses near top right of photo)

Beacon Tower comes into sight again

Runcorn and Widnes Bridge
in the distance

A closer view of the bridge

Fiddlers Ferry Powerstation

Passing the telecommunications masts
on our way towards the Beacon Tower

Getting closer to the summit

Some people sat off enjoying
the evening sun and the view

The path to the tower

Almost there

Running up to the tower

Wildflowers growing near the summit

One of many pathways near the summit

Looking back to the houses
where we started our walk

A Royal Observation Corps
monitoring post
(now cemented over)

These are underground structures which can be found all over the United Kingdom, constructed as a result of the Corps' nuclear reporting role and operated by volunteers during the Cold War between 1955 and 1991. Most of the  posts were built to a standard design consisting of a 14-foot-deep access shaft, a toilet, store and  monitoring room.  You can find out more about these by visiting HERE

Farmers field

On our way back down

The Irish Sea twinkles on the horizon

Smoke from a plastic blaze over 
on the Wirral can be seen in the distance

Remember that barn in the field
we passed earlier on

Looking for the singing bird

Back down the way we came up

Watch out for ducks
on that steep descent

Making our way back down the hill

A Log Pile in a garden
perfect for bugs that!

Note to self, 
next time remember some money.
A lemonade would have
 been lovely after that walk.


At the end of walk just before 
getting back into the car I 
managed to get a few shots of setting sun.

7 comments:

  1. That was a great walk and you did well to tackle it in the heat of yesterday evening. I particularly enjoyed your reminiscing at the beginning - Jean-Michel Jarre, LOL!

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  2. looks like a lovely place for a walk!

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  3. Your photos are wonderful, looks like a super walk with lots of interest along the way - and back, a lemonade after that would have been good:)

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Rosie, glad you liked the photos. Yes a lemonade would have been a great finish to a wonderful walk.

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  4. What a beautiful walk! I couldn't have done it in the heat yesterday so well done!

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