Recent National Events
Listed below are details of National events organised in the last 12 months.
YORK 2 - 3 March 2011
Footprints are going to the ancient walled city of York, making a 4 night break possible by linking it to the Harrogate trip on nights of 4th and 5th March 2011. We are staying for 2 nights in York Youth Hostel, an attractive Victorian building in spacious grounds, with a riverside walk into the centre of York. Countryside walking is available at nearby Kirkham or Pocklington. Alternatively, for those who are interested, there is much to see and do in York including a walk of the City walls, so there's lots of choice available on this Footprints trip.
Cost for this trip is £54 bed and breakfast for 2 nights. If you wish to book an evening meal on the evening of Wednesday 2nd, please indicate so on the booking form. Money for this will be requested later. Since there are many places to purchase our Thursday evening meal and both day's packed lunches in York, we can decide where and what we purchase on the trip.
PLEASE BOOK IMMEDIATELY! Later bookings will be accepted, but I intend to book the accommodation in the 1st week of February. NB This Hostel tends to book up quickly.
Organiser: Ian
HARROGATE 4 - 6 March 2011
We have booked 40 places at the Cairn Hotel in Harrogate. This 3 star Hotel is ½ mile from the town on Rippon Road and is part of the same hotel group that runs the Cumbria hotel in Grange. The Hotel is well situated for walks from the Hotel or taking a bus from outside the hotel. Walks can be done in Nidderdale to Brimham Rocks and Ripon as well as Knaresborough and around Harrogate itself.
Accommodation: 2 nights Dinner Bed and Breakfast plus packed lunches.
If you would like to extend your weekend, Ian has offered to organise a 2 day visit to York YHA on the Wednesday and Thursday nights preceding the Harrogate weekend.
BALLYCASTLE NORTHERN IRELAND 23 - 30 April 2011
I've booked 2 cottages with Ballycastle holiday homes with an option for 2 more (www.ballycastleholidayhomes.com). The cost (depending on bookings and how many people want single rooms) is likely to be around £100 for the week.
Ballycastle is located on the North Antrim coast and is in an area of outstanding beauty. To the west is Kinbane castle, Carrick-a-rede rope bridge, Ballintoy, Dunseverick, Portbraddon, the Giants causeway and Bushmills distillery. To the east the Glens of Antrim and the villages of Cushendun, Cushendall and Carnlough as well as the Glenarriffe waterfalls. To the north by sea the Mull of Kintyre, Sanda Island and Rathlin Island. And to the south there is lots of WALKING!!
There is public transport to these various places, although obviously it would be easier if people had cars. (There's also lots of cheap flights to Belfast and then its fairly easy to get to Ballycastle by bus).
Organiser: Debbie
GREAT HUCKLOW DERBYSHIRE PEAK DISTRICT - LATE MAY BANK HOLIDAY 27 - 30 May 2011
We will be staying 3 nights at the Nightingale Centre in the heart of the Derbyshire Dales, on the border of the White and Dark Peaks. Possible walk destinations will be Eyam (the plague village) via Bretton Clough and along Hucklow Edge or over towards Tideswell (where the church is known as the Cathedral of the Peak) and possibly into Millers and Cressbrook Dales (fabulous limestone gorges). On the last day we will walk as one party and possibly do the short drive to Monsal Head for the iconic view of the viaduct and to walk in the lovely Wye valley. Saturdays walks will finish about 4.30pm to allow the AGM to take place followed by dinner.
Getting there. By train from Manchester and Stockport there is a regular service to Buxton. From the east the connection is via Chesterfield or Sheffield (15 miles) or Hope (4 miles). A bus service run by TM Travel (No.65) operates throughout the year between Sheffield and Buxton. Postcode for Sat Nav. SK17 8RH.
Accommodation costs per person:
Single (only 2 available at present) - £173
Single occupancy of twin\double if available - £188
Single occupancy of twin\double ensuite if available - £211
Twin ensuite - £196
Double ensuite - £196
Twin - £173
If booking a single please note they go fast & only twins may be available, please indicate an alternative twin room choice on the booking form.
Saturday night dinner only (booked in advance) - £13
Organiser: Colin
Walks co-ordinator: Barbara
CAMPING WEEKEND - SIXPENNY HANDLEY, DORSET 17 - 19 June 2011
Come and enjoy the simple delights of country living in rural Dorset with a camping weekend that should prove to be memorable! Quite a few people have expressed an interest in joining us for the weekend and so there should be a nice group of people if all attend - the more the merrier so please feel brave and give camping a go!
Church Farm Camping and Caravan Park at Sixpenny Handley is a well tended campsite located a couple of minutes walk from the village (see the website for full campsite details: www.churchfarmcandcpark.co.uk). One of our members has stayed at the site and speaks highly of its facilities (although be aware that this is not a hotel break!). If you prefer not to do the whole camping thing of cooking over a camping stove there is a restaurant on site that serves breakfasts (approx £5) and evening meals (approx £8). Occasionally the restaurant is closed in the evening if it has been hired out for a private function, in which case we can head to the local village pub for food. We should be able to pre-order pack lunches for the Saturday and Sunday so long as people requiring this inform me at least a week in advance.
The campsite charges approximately £8 per person (not per tent) per night.. Footprints will reserve a camping area at the site but each member will be left to book directly with the campsite (saying you are with Footprints if you wish to camp with us). Please let me know when you have booked and pay the campsite directly for your overnight stay and food (if restaurant meals/packed lunches are required). We will arrive on Friday evening to set up camp and will pack away Sunday morning before heading off on our Sunday walk.
If you intend to join us for the weekend and have a space in your tent, that you would be happy for a Footprints member without a tent to use, please give me a call. Likewise, if you would like to come along but need a space in someone else's tent also give me a call or e-mail. This way, I can hopefully ensure that everyone who wishes to come along has a place to sleep! For people without a tent, it is also always worth asking work colleagues etc as lots of people are happy to loan out their camping equipment.
Organiser: Anthea
ABERGAVENNY - THE BLACK MOUNTAINS 6 - 10 July 2011
Abergavenny is a super base for our summer break to see beautiful Gwent and the Brecon Beacons National Park. Accommodation will be in the Youth Hostel there, but it's almost entirely equipped with single or twin rooms. Come just for the weekend, beginning Friday 8th, or why not come on the evening of Wednesday 6th July, to make it a worthwhile 4 night break?
We can walk from the accommodation up the Skirrid, the Sugar Loaf or the Blorenge and the Black Mountains are next door. There are also attractive, easier walks in the valleys and foothills by the River Usk or the main Beacons peaks are half an hour away by car. So plenty of good A or B walking with your Footprints friends.
** Interesting fact no.1. Blorenge is the only word in the English language which rhymes with orange! (if you forget Gorringe and sporange that is - webmaster) **
There are direct railway services from Manchester to Abergavenny. From London, you change at Newport and it's 40 minutes from there. Google Maps says it's 3 hours from both Stockport and London (net). Dual carriageway or Motorway all the way.
Cost - 2 nights £88. 4 nights £176. Accommodation is on a full board basis. This trip was first advertised in October as being in the planning stage, but now the Hostel is booked, it's time to part with your 'hard earned' !
Organiser: Martyn.
HAWARDEN 29 - 31 July 2011
Did you do your history homework about Mr Gladstone (Prime Minister in 1868-74, 1880-85, 1886, and 1892-94), or did it send you into a peaceful sleep in a library? Well, now’s the chance to catch up with either. We will be staying at St Deiniol’s Library in Hawarden, with the Offa’s Dyke path (rising above 1800 feet) about 15 miles to the west, and Chester about 5 miles to the east. This grand stone building, with internal timber vaulting and panelling, was planned by Gladstone to make his books available in a centre for divine learning and the fellowship of scholars committed to solid serious work for the benefit of mankind. Instead, we will use it as a base for walks (on the Saturday and Sunday), but you are free to use the library (choosing which of the 250,000 books to take to your room), the drawing room with its wooden floors, leather armchairs and Gladstone memorabilia, and the TV room, and you can stroll in the grounds.
The address is St Deiniol’s Library, Hawarden, Flintshire CH5 3DF. There is parking for residents. The club has made, for the nights of Friday 29th and Saturday 30th July 2011, a provisional booking for all 12 single rooms (9 en suite, 3 non-en suite), all 3 twin rooms (2 en suite, 1 non-en suite), and 3 of the double rooms (2 en suite, 1 en suite), for bed and breakfast, dinner, and packed lunch (i.e. packed lunch on the Saturday and the Sunday).
Prices for the whole package will be about, per person:
Single room en suite - £105
Single room non-en suite - £85
Sharing double or twin room en suite - £95
Sharing double or twin room non-en suite - £80
Organiser: Chris
PORTLAND (NEAR WEYMOUTH), DORSET 26 - 29 August 2011
For this year's August Bank Holiday Weekend we will be returning to the Jurassic Coast for the 3rd year in a row. Portland YH is located in the village of Fortuneswell on the Isle of Portland, 5 miles south of Weymouth.
Accommodation: During the heyday of the Royal Navy's presence in Portland, this early Edwardian building belonged to the First Admiral and was later used as the headquarters for the MOD police. It benefits from extensive views over Lyme Bay and is a good base to explore the island's heritage, including Portland Castle and Portland Lighthouse.
The group has reserved spaces at the Youth Hostel for this 3-day walking break. The weekend will start with dinner on Friday evening (access to the hostel is from 5pm). All meals are included in the price which also covers the cost of arranging the break. Individual YHA membership is not required because the Club has Group Membership.
Public Transport: From Weymouth Railway Station catch the First Group Bus no. 1 to Portland (runs every 10 minutes).
Walks: Walks will be offered on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. The provisional programme is as follows:
Saturday - there will be 2 walks (13 and 9 miles). The long walk will follow the South West Coast Path north west of Weymouth behind Chesil Beach and The Fleet Nature Reserve. The short walk will be in the Abbotsbury area and include the Hardy Monument.
Sunday - there will be 2 linear walks (13 and 9 miles). Both parties catch the train to Dorchester and walk to Maiden Castle. The longer walk will then follow the South Dorset Ridgeway via Osmington White Horse to the coast. It will then return to Weymouth along the South West Coast Path. The shorter walk will continue from Maiden Castle via Friar Waddon Hill, Notttington and Radipole Lake Nature Reserve to Weymouth.
Monday - there will be 1 walk of 8 miles following the South West Coast Path around the Isle of Portland, including Portland Bill.
Organiser: Greg
BORROWDALE, LAKE DISTRICT 23 - 25 September 2011
Back once more due to popular demand! Another chance to visit the excellent Glaramara Outdoor Centre at Borrowdale for a weekend's walking. All 25 places were filled last time, so book early!
Acommodation: Glaramara is a purpose-built walking centre formerly owned by the CHA. The centre offeres excellent food and comfortable accommodation in a mixture of twin and single rooms. (Single rooms will be allocated on a first come first served basis). We have booked a full board package which includes 2 evening meals, breakfasts and packed lunches.
Meals: All meals are included in the price, which also covers the cost of arranging the break.
Walks: There is plenty of good walking available directly from the Centre, although we may use local buses or cars to cover some new areas. It is intended to offer a choice of 2 full-day led walks on both days. Given that this is the Lake District, expect the walking to be more difficult than in other locations.
Organisers: Julian and Sonia
MIDDLETON-IN-TEESDALE 28 - 30 October 2011
We are staying at the award winning Teesdale Hotel in Middleton-in-Tessdale.
There is a choice of single, double and twin rooms. There are only 3 single rooms which will be allocated on a first come basis.
On Saturday we walk from the Hotel & Sunday we visit High Force and low Force Waterfalls. There are also a number of other options as well.
Cost £104, 2 nights half board (No packed lunch).
Organiser: Dave
NORTH ISLAND, NEW ZEALAND 5 - 27 November 2011
Please note this is a Member's Holiday open to club members. The trip is not run by the club.
This 'trip of a lifetime' has slipped to November to avoid the Rugby World Cup, which takes place in Auckland between 9 September and 23 October. I have announced details now to give you plenty of time to decide and to allow you to save both time and money for the trip.
Outline Itinerary
Our holiday will include some of best sights in the North Island of New Zealand. After the long flight, we will spend a couple of days in and around Auckland to acclimatise before heading south to Rotorua geothermal area. During our 3 days here we will see some of the geysers, mud pools and thermal springs which have been attracting visitors to Rotorua since the 1800s. We will also take a 4 wheel drive trip to the top of Mt Tarawera, which last erupted in 1886.
Our next destination is Tongariro National Park, the volcanic plateau in the centre of the North Island. We look forward to 2 days walking here, including the Tongariro Crossing with its dramatic volcanic landscape and views of the 3 main peaks - Mts. Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe and Tongariro.
We then return to Auckland for another couple of days. During this time we could visit Tiritiri Matangi Island, 20 miles north east of Auckland. We will also include a walk in the Waitakere Ranges (west of Auckland) - an area of native rainforest with breathtaking vistas.
Our final destination is the Bay of Islands, 150 miles north of Auckland. During our 3 days here we will take the dolphin cruise to the 'Hole in the Rock', and the scenic coach tour to Cape Reinga via Ninety Mile Beach. We will also visit the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, where the Treaty of Waitangi was first signed between the Maori and the British Crown.
Finally, we return to Auckland for the last couple of nights before heading home.
Further Information
For a detailed itinerary and further information regarding accommodation and costs see http://www.gregwilson.350.com/.
Organiser: Greg.
CROMFORD 2 - 4 December 2011
For our pre-Christmas 2011 break, we will be staying in Willersley Castle (built in the 18th century, and now Grade II star listed) a few hundred yards from Cromford village and about a mile south of Matlock Bath. It has an indoor swimming pool, a boules court, and is set in 60 acres of grounds. Like our Matlock Bath weekend in October 2009, this is an opportunity to enjoy the gorge of the river Derwent in the south-eastern Peak District, where the cliffs have cable cars to the "Heights of Abraham". We expect to offer a choice of two walks on the Saturday and two walks on the Sunday.
The address is Willersley Castle Hotel, Cromford, Matlock, Derbyshire DE4 5JH. The club has had to make arrangements so early in order to reserve 40 places, including all 14 single rooms which we will allocate to the first people who book them. The estimated total cost is £125 per person. The single rooms do not involve paying a supplement, but single occupancy of a twin or double room would require a supplement of 20%.
Organiser: Chris
LYNTON NORTH DEVON, NEW YEAR HOTEL BREAK 30 December - 2 January 2011
We have arranged a New Year break at the Shearings Valley of the Rocks Hotel in the heart of Exmoor National Park, where we have reserved 20 spaces in mainly twin bedded rooms.
Included in the above is:
- 3 nights comfortable accommodation
- 1 traditional full English breakfast
- 2 leisurely brunches on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day
- 3 Course evening meals
- 5 course Gala New Year's Eve dinner with drinks reception
- Bucks Fizz on arrival
- Full festive programme of entertainment
We will be offering two levels of walks on most days. At least one day we will drive to another area of the National Park with the other day doing walks from the hotel.
The hotel is centrally located in the town of Lynton on a cliff top location looking over the Bristol Channel and the village of Lynmouth below. The hotel has limited parking.
GETTING THERE
Lynton is just off the A39 Exmoor coast road which runs from Bridgewater to Ilfracombe. It is a highly scenic road but be warned it has some of the steepest hills in the country (NB the infamous Porlock Hill). The hotel is on Lee Road which is the main road through the town; post code for those using a satnav is EX35 6HS. For rail and bus users take the Barnstaple train from Exeter St Davids. There is a 2 hourly bus from Barnstaple to Lynton (Nr 309 / 310). A timetable can be found on the Devon County council website.
How to Book
Bookings will be taken on a first come first get basis – If more than 20 wish to go we will try to increase the allocation but we will advise you when you book.
LLANDUDNO 1 - 5 (or 3 - 5) February
For our February break we have booked 20 places at the Queens Hotel on the promenade at Llandudno North Wales. The hotel has been run by the same family for 25 years and has a reputation for excellent food. There 4 types of room twin, double, single hotel, and single in the lodge which is an annexe across the road from the hotel. There is the option of staying for the weekend only or by adding two days before making a 4 night break with 3 full day walks. Llandudno is beautifully situated in a large bay between the Great and Little Ormes. Apart from walking on the Ormes there are many walks on the northern fringes of Snowdonia and the Conwy Valley.
Llandudno is easily accessed via the M6 M56 and A55. The hotel has a small private car park which is often full. There is meter parking on the promenade at £4 per day. There is a direct train service to Llandudno from Manchester and Crewe. The hotel is less than 5 minutes from the railway station. Prices for dinner bed and breakfast 1st - 5th Feb (Wed to Sun 4 nights) £151 sharing twin/double, £164 single hotel, single lodge £151 3rd - 5th Feb (Fri to Sun 2 nights) £75.50 sharing twin/double £82 single hotel, lodge single £75.50 Packed lunch items can be purchased locally.
Organiser: Peter
