PARKHALL COUNTRY PARK was the destination of the Clubs Walk
We met on the Kidsgrove car park and departed at 09:30 as usual. The journey there is very easy, by using the A500 and A50 leaving on the slip road just before Meir tunnel, take the first exit off Meir roundabout and continue through Weston Coyney traffic lights, the Bolton Gate Car Park is on the left in about 500 yds. in all 25 minutes max. from Kidsgrove.
In total there were 13 of us who enjoyed the many different pathways that crisscross the 300 acres of the country park with it’s landscape of forest, canyons, lakes, scrubland and moors.
On the highest part of the park and on a clear day views all round stretch for 50 miles, on this occasion,unlike in March 18 months ago, we did have a clear day, it was dry and warm with plenty of sunshine.
After 2 hours of walking it was time for lunch and back to an old favourite, The Red House in that delightful village Caverswall. As some of the group had not been to the area before we concluded our journey with a walk around the village.
Historical Note
At 815 feet the hills of the park are the highest in Stoke on Trent and this no doubt was one reason that in February 1942 a Spitfire crashed and in January 1943 a Wellington Bomber crashed both into fields adjacent to the park.
However, it has come to light that the flat field on top of the hills was a secret ”QL site, which was a pseudo air field complete with search lights but built to confuse enemy bombers and steer them away from the airport at Meir and its aircraft factory.
Were the crashes pilot/navigator error or did the QL site also confuse our lads? As both pilots were killed I guess we will never know.
During WW2 a total of 40 allied aircraft crashed in the greater Leek area.
For those who want to know more google caverswall.
Graham Tunnicliff