12/02/11 - Earl's Hill

Length - 5.5 Miles
Geocaches - 4
First Cache

Click on the everytrail link for the walk details.

Earl's Hill at EveryTrail


Can you feel it?  Winter is loosening its steely grip and today heralds the first days of spring.  I can almost taste the Stella, as once again I can use pub beer gardens.  Soon, the conservatory will no longer be out of bounds and I can escape with books & Nick Cave (ipod, not in person).  SAD syndrome is coming to an end and this walk under blue skies marked that occassion.

I am walking all significant hills within a 50 mile radius of home.  There are 83 in total and I must be getting towards the end, as this was a 44 mile drive.

Park up at a picnic area just through Pontesbury village, which we return to at the end of the walk.  This is a varied walk, moving through coppiced woods and out across farmland before we get our first view of the freestanding, 320m hill we are about to climb.

Labradoodle knows the way.

Follow some unusual markers on the way.  I am not sure who this fella is, but its given me an idea......

Its a steep but short climb onto the top.  The reward is fantastic views in all directions (and our first geocache).  I would recommend time taking in all the views.




Top, View East - Middle, View East - Bottom - route down

Drop down into the woods for a completely different descent.  This is just as steep, but at least you have trees to arrest yourself.

Drop down to fields and eventually onto a disused railway line which brings you back into the village.  There are a couple of places to get lunch and a couple of pubs (that are particulary well hidden.  Its still early, so I find Pontesbury Hill Road for the 3/4 mile route back to the car.

Feeling good that we are nearly through the winter.  The Nordic Crime thrillers can go back to the library.