Eighteen Stramblers took the train to Eastham Rake Station and (after we found our way out of the station) made our way to Lowfields Avenue. The avenue led us past a wood until we reached a footpath. A fallen tree blocked our way but we managed to get round it and duck under another one before the path took us through a tunnel under the M53. The path was quite muddy with planks easing the way at one point. A kissing gate at the end of the path led on to Dale Hey – a cul de sac with a mixture of old and modern, expensive looking houses. At its end we turned on to Hooton Road and crossed the railway at Hooton Station. Here, we joined the Wirral Circular Trail parallelling the railway line. As the path veered away from the railway, it widened out to allow more social walking. We passed under a bridge with Heath Lane above and eventually came to Hadlow Road Railway Station. Hadlow Road Railway Station is a Grade II listed heritage railway station and museum. It has been restored to have the look and feel of the day the station was permanently closed to passengers in 1956. It has an authentic ticket office, waiting room and telephone box. Formerly the museum was a working railway station on the single track Hooton to West Kirby branch of the Birkenhead Railway. Friends of Hadlow Road Station (FHRS) help to maintain and develop the station as a community resource. We left the station and took Hadlow Road to Willaston Village where we had a lunch stop. Refreshed, we carried on along Hooton Road and took some “easy to miss” stone steps up to a narrow footpath behind a row of houses. After we passed through a kissing gate, the path widened and turned into a lane which led us out to Mill Lane. The lane swung left and soon we reached a windmill. Normally a good photo opportunity, but it was not looking its best, being surrounded by scaffolding. A footpath through trees led us to fields. We had some light rain here and followed the edge of the fields to Benty Heath Lane. With no pavement, we kept to single file on the lane and met a couple of horses and riders coming towards us. Even though we were most considerate to the horses, keeping well away from them, one rider admonished a strambler whose brolly was “spooking” her horse! After a mile and half we reached Eastham Rake which took us under the M53 and into Eastham Rake Station where we caught the train home.
Thanks to Anne and Bob for organising, recce-ing and leading the walk. See you all next time.