Cheshire walks.

Recently we drove out towards the old Cheshire farming village of Goostrey to take a walk along some of the quiet back roads in that area. After parking up and leaving our car fairly close to the Jodrell Bank Observatory we almost immediately came across some decent photo opportunities of the grouse in fields alongside the road we were walking along.

Fabulous structure.

After snapping a few pictures of the grouse we headed off towards Goostrey village which was to be a walk of about three miles or so from where we had left our car.

Along the way to Goostrey we were able to take in some fantastic views of the radio telescope.  I go out the way a lot when I am headed out to Staffordshire or North Wales on one of my motorbikes and no matter how many times I see the telescope, I am always struck by how impressive a structure it is.

It seems especially impressive when you realize the structure, and it’s bowl were built around 50 or so years ago.  And to give you a sense of scale the bowl has a diameter of 76 metres.

As recently as 2019 the observatory was awarded UNESCO World Heritage Site Status.   Apparently The World Heritage Site inscription acknowledges Jodrell Bank’s  scientific endeavors and the role it played in developing the understanding of the Universe.

There’s a live webcam at the site and if you want to see the radio telescope in ‘real time’ then click this link.

Finished off with a pint.

Our walk took us down the back roads past the observatory and onto the village of Goostrey. Once there we doubled back for part of the route back to our car and enjoyed an altogether decent walk of around six miles, including coming across a small fishing pond with an elderly couple looking totally content as they passed their time there.

We finished off with a beer in a pub called The Dog in a place called Peover and less than two miles from the observatory.

Clicking on one of the pictures below will open a scrolable gallery.