 |
| At the start: Lois, Sarah, Sue and Maria |
The first thing we discovered was that this corner of South Staffordshire is further from Stafford than we thought! The lanes are very narrow and winding and Peter, Lois's husband did well to drop us in Seisdon village despite four opinionated backseat drivers! The day was fine and we admired the pretty cottages in the village as we walked to the first Staffs Way sign.
 |
| At last! the first staffs Way sign |
Luckily the directions for this stage were clear but Sarah's reading of the OS map was essential to reassure us we were on the right track. The walk took us through farmland and on this weekday we met no-one except a fox who looked put out at having to share his field with us. A highlight was the bridle path along the ridge where we stopped in a beech wood for a snack.
 |
| A lovely beech tree |
We could even see the high-rise buildings of Wolverhampton in the distance.
 |
| Descending from the ridge |
 |
| Nearly there! |
We were meeting Jeff Sim the Warden of the Staffs Wildlife Trust at Highgate Common Reserve at 7 but realised that we were some distance from the Community Centre and were not sure how to get there! We sat on a bench, ate our sandwiches and rang him. Jeff told us to keep on the Staffs Way till we reached a road where he would collect us. We followed the instructions and had the treat of a ride in a pick-up truck to the Community Centre where we met our members Trish and Jane.
 |
| Rescued by the Wildlife Trust Warden |
Jeff made us very welcome and told us about the history and development of the Highgate Common Reserve.
 |
| A chat from Jeff the Warden |
He then took us for a guided walk. Highgate Common is a small remnant of an ancient lowland heath and as such is home to rare insects and birds.
 |
| A walk around Highgate Common reserve |
Jeff was a very enthusiastic guide and showed us the holes made by the mining bees and told us about the beetles and birds that are thriving in the Reserve. We also walked by the pool which is home to crested newts.
 |
| Walking by the crested newt pond |
We had a wonderful day and would like to thank Peter, Trish and Jane for the lifts and particularly Jeff who inspired us all with his enthusiasm.
Submitted by Lois
Sounds like a good day out for the Stafford Group. Excellent to see some photos from the southern section of the Staffs Way. Delighted that you met up with the warden from Highgate Common Nature Reserve. That area looks very different from most other sections.
ReplyDelete