Monday 20th January 2014
Forecast for thick fog for much of the day, it was a lovely surprise to wake to a hard frost & a clear blue sky! In fairness, I wandered in & out of dense patches for much of the day... though Ipstones stayed above it!
Walking quite close to home, around the quarrying areas on the route to Stoke, but also taking in another Heritage Railway, the Foxfield Steam Railway, at Dilhorne
Parked at Sheepwash, after having driven through an over-confident ford, & began my exploration of the intriguingly-named Cresswell's Piece - failed to find out anything about this woodland other than, beyond it, Staffordshire County Council have closed the footpaths 'cos they're dangerous! Have to have a look next time!
Lovely here but, over the river, the so-called 'green lane' was a quagmire! Found a drier route to the small village of Caverswall, noting 'The Red Lion' was not open for business!
Only came this way to pass the station-base of the Foxfield Railway where, or so I've read, there's a Real Ale Bar when trains are running - obviously, not today!
The railway was a Branch Line to Foxfield Colliery at Dilhorne: it closed in 1965 but the trains, all industrial engines, were kept running by local volunteers
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Spent the afternoon exploring fields & woodland beside the railway & around Dilhorne
The frost was gone & most areas were ankle-deep in mud & water!
The tree, here, appears to be taking evasive action & is heading for higher ground!
The name 'Dilhorne' comes from the old English 'Delverne', or 'place of digging' - it was noted in the Domesday Book, almost a thousand years ago, for its coal-mining!
Pub closed in Dilhorne, too, by the time I finished - my fault, could have called in earlier!
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