Introduction


When we started walking the coast of England we had no intention that this would become a major lifetime project. Having to make a last-minute arrangement for our summer holiday in 1987, we said "Let's go to the nearest piece of coast and see how far we can walk along it." It turned out well and we started adding further stretches of coast, initially once every two years, but soon annually, or even twice a year.

We had always enjoyed the coast - there is something refreshingly "edgy" about having the sea always at our side, and one of us was into marine molluscs. We also enjoyed long-distance walking and had long been involved in general natural history recording. This project enabled us to combine all three interests.

You soon discover when embarking on a project like this that you need a few rules, which evolve from the first experiences. Our main rule was that we should walk as close to the coast as possible, which meant beach-walking whenever we could (unlike the official coast paths that largely remain above shore, recognising that at high tides the beach may be inaccessible). The route should also be capable of being a continuous walk, so that when we came to an unfordable river we walked inland along its banks to the first place at which we could cross, whether a bridge or a ferry.

We only carried light packs, so that at the end of each day's walk we had the problem of getting back to our car where we started. Initially we walked back, but soon realised we would be walking the coast twice this way! We used public transport whenever this was available - buses or trains, sometimes adjusting our start and finish points to make this easier. Failing this - and it was often not possible - we would phone for a taxi (an increasingly costly option over the years). Having our car with us gave us more freedom as to where we could stay at night - and after a day walking and only light food we were usually ready for being spoiled by a good meal and a comfortable bed! Even so, we stayed on the coast itself whenever there was a decent option.

Each walk was made for enjoyment, it was not a route-march to see how quickly we could get it finished. We therefore took it gently at times when passing through pleasant scenery or where there were many plants or creatures to record.

In terms of biological recording, we systematically noted every bird, butterfly, creature or sea-shell that we came across, sometimes spending time searching for the shells. We could not record every plant in the same way - there are too many common ones - so we were more selective, noting all coastal plants and any others that were not run-of-the-mill.

In our daily posts, edited from our original diaries, we include a star-rating from no star to **** according to our subjective estimate as to how special that day was from the point of view of natural history. This score (and our daily records) will, however, have been affected by the weather - it is difficult to appreciate the environment fully, for instance, in torrential rain, and there are many more butterflies and other insects to be seen in warm sunshine!

A summary of all our natural history records on the walk can be found using this link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1LLGD55lKRHYXd1SGU1QndrcUU/edit?usp=sharing





Friday, 24 January 2014

Cheshire: West Kirby to Seacombe 8/6/2004****


 

Lilium bulbiferum West Kirby
 
Hoylake beach
 
Meol Common: reed, bulrush & great yellow-cress
In West Kirby we went straight down to the beach, where, as yesterday, the only shells were common estuary ones; there was also the tube-worm Pectinaria belgica.  The tide was well out, allowing us to walk around the rocky point (Red Rocks), but first we examined the dunes above the beach and below a golf course, with several interesting plants, including a striking patch of bright red Lilium bulbiferum.  After the point we began walking east instead of north, along the beach in front of Hoylake, which is entirely residential with no facilities.  Outcrops of New Red Sandstone headed the beach.  Scraps of saltmarsh continued, but the beach was mainly sand.  As this petered out we entered the North Wirral Country Park, where the relict dunes were even better for flowers.  A man who noticed us looking at plants, told us about the dune-slacks just inland, along with some experimental plots worked by Liverpool University.  Here we found northern marsh and bee orchids, hound’s-tongue, viper’s bugloss, cypress spurge, kidney vetch and fodder burnet. Up above on the sea wall we had lunch, entertained by a young skylark trying out its singing skills on a fence-post just in front of us and painted ladies flying close to visit the abundant lucerne.  A grey squirrel ran across the path and into the saltmarsh vegetation!  Further on a golf course occupied most of the dunes, leaving only a narrow strip of native plants.  A vole crossed the sandy track and vanished into thick grass.  There were also nature trails and conservation areas (Meol Common), mostly of patches of reed with some pools, which included one with many emerging natterjack toads and tadpoles, along with tubular water dropwort, Mackay's horsetail and great yellow-cress.  Insects included the dance-fly Empis punctata and the anthicid beetle Notoxus monoceros.  Conditions were more degraded as we approached Wallasey, although there was still the odd bee orchid.  In New Brighton, we followed a tarmac path beside a cycleway and a main road, with the sea on our left, the tide well in, pounding the sea walls below us.  This brought the fishermen out all along the wall.  We turned the corner at Perch Rock lighthouse, skirting the marine lake, to walk south alongside the Mersey, seeing a boat from Dublin arriving, and the ferry crossing in the distance.  The path proceeded all the way to the Seacombe ferry base, alongside the cycle track and a traffic-free road, with the odd cobbled street rising up to Wallasey.  We passed the large town hall just before reaching the ferry terminal, where £1.25 bought a ticket for the journey to Liverpool across the Mersey.  After a long day’s walk and the crossing on the ‘world famous’ ferry we staggered back to Simply Heathcotes again.  The staff members were friendly and not fazed by hiking boots peeping below skirts or bulky rucksacks.

 

Northern marsh orchid and kidney vetch
 
Bee orchid and kidney vetch
 
 
 
Cypress spurge
 
 
WIRRAL FLORA
 
 
Viper's bugloss and kidney vetch
Lucerne
 
Great yellow-cress

 

 

 

"Ferry 'Cross The Mersey"

(Gerry Marsden)

Life goes on day after day
Hearts torn in every way

So ferry 'cross the Mersey
'cause this land's the place I love
and here I'll stay

People they rush everywhere
Each with their own secret care

So ferry 'cross the Mersey
and always take me there
The place I love

People around every corner
They seem to smile and say
We don't care what your name is boy
We'll never turn you away

So I'll continue to say
Here I always will stay

So ferry 'cross the Mersey
'cause this land's the place I love
and here I'll stay
and here I'll stay
Here I'll stay
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