It’s was 10am and with boots on we were ready to go.  This was a very unusual day, no rain, not windy, and the sun was shining.  Though the visitor centre was closed the toilets were open so after a short delay we were off.  Passing the entrance of the visitor centre was a board advertising a bicycle ride alone the Trans Pennine Trail which reminded us that the trail ran through the Mersey Valley.  After a few zigzags we reached the banks of the River Mersey which gave us good views with the river on our right and a view over the park towards the M60 motorway on our left.  There were very few birds to be seen so we dropped down from the banks and walked along the path to Broad Ees Dole Nature Reserve. Apart from the normal Teal, Mallard, Coot, Moorhen and Herons the birdlife was very quiet so after only a few minutes there it was off again to where the Mersey flows under the Metro Tram Lines and then under the A56 road.  As we crossed the bridge to the far side of the Mersey a tram approached and sticking the camera through the netting I clicked the camera release button when the tram was about 50 yards away.  As the picture shows my digital camera can be very slow to fire at times and on this occasion the delay resulted in a nice picture of the back of the tram.  After crossing the Mersey we walked back along the far bank towards Chorlton and about 300 yards along the bank we reached the site of an old weir.  Peering down the face of the weir we saw writing on a large slab but it was upside down.  Being lichen encrusted it was impossible to read from where we stood on top of the weir but one of our group managed to work his way down and read out the full inscription which included the date it was built in 1841.  Why it was built was a little puzzling as  the top of the weir was about 20 foot above the present river level (a flood overflow weir?).  Off again until we reached a point where a stream flowed into the Mersey.  Leaving the Mersey behind we walked along the stream and then down an old road with the surface covered in sets (cobbles with a flat surface).  Leaving this road we turned down a path and came across a pumping station covered in barb wire and daubed with good quality graffiti.  If this was a pumping station what was its purpose as the old sewage farm is now closed?  No obvious answer so off again down the path until we reached the Mersey banks again at Jackson’s Boat Bridge.  Here we turned left and made our way towards Chorlton Water Park.  Only a 100 yards or so along the bank and we came to a spot where there used to be a Sand Martin’s colony built into the bank on the far side.  Seeing the far bank had been canalised we thought the site had been destroyed but as the picture shows some new artificial deluxe accommodation had been built for the Sand Martins.  We had read that Sand Martins do take to these artificial nesting sites and a return visit in April could be interesting.  On reaching Chorlton Water Park we walked round it in an anticlockwise direction.  Nothing special on the water with the most numerous bird being the Pochard.  Halfway round we came upon one of the  new signposts which seem to have sprouted in the valley along the route of the Trans Pennine Trail.  On leaving the Water Park we crossed over the Mersey on a Bailey Bridge and walked along the road on the far side towards Northenden.  After a few hundred yards we left the road and turned right onto a footpath which lead us to Fairy Lane.  Our first site on Fairy Lane was the electricity substation which though not a pretty site can hardly be seen from the Mersey banks.  Further along the lane we passed many small businesses including dog kennels, plant nurseries and riding stables but with the M60 motorway sometimes less than a 100 yards away it was not particularly quiet.  Turning right from Fairy Lane into another small lane lead us past Sale Golf Club and then degenerated into a muddy track leading to the Mersey banks.  On the Mersey bank we turned left and walked the few hundred yards past the golf course to each Jackson’s Boat Inn.  It was now 1pm and we were now only about 300 yards from the cars parked at the visitor centre.  Time for lunch but the sign on the door said no food was being served so it was back to the cars and a short drive to The Sale Hotel where Steak Pie, Chips and Peas was only £3.95.  Our walk of 6 miles had involved no hill climbing but we were still tired and the pub stop was  most enjoyable.

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