Bamford

HOPE VALLEY CIRCULAR

April 29th, 2026

BAMFORD EDGE, LADYBOWER DAM, WIN HILL PIKE, BAMFORD STEPPING STONES, ANGLERS REST.

Distance: 7.4 miles Ascent/descent: 1312 ft

Difiiculty: Moderate. One long climb

Weather: Sunny and Fine but windy

Walkers: Steven Brearley, Mark Enwright, Chris Owen, Russell Spencer, Cliff Worthington, Simon Williams.

Alternative walkers: Jock Rooney with Milly

Leader: Russell, Diarist: Russell

Starting point: Anglers Rest Car Park, Bamford. S33 0DY

Starting time: 9.40am (10.00am when Chris finally arrived) Finishing time: 1.30pm

This Weeks Route:

https://explore.osmaps.com/route/31718298/wednesday-wanderers--hope-valley-anglers-rest-

bamford-circular?lat=53.36018&lon=-1.71712&zoom=13.089&overlays=os-obstacles-

layer&style=TopoAuto&type=2d

I have saved this walk for public consumption. Anyone can follow the route using the OS app,

providing you have a registered account (Free) in future.

It was a lovely sunny day but with a chill easterly wind still hammering away, we managed to avoid the wind for 50% of the walk but on the tops it was blowy. This walk has some stunning views of the surrounding area and with climbing 2 peaks you get to see it from different angles. 

This was a slightly shorter walk than the one last year (almost a year ago to the day), starting and finishing from the anglers rest.

Next week’s walk will be a stroll around Etherow Country Park and surroundings, led by Russell,

Start time 9.40am at the Andrew Arms in Compstall, SK6 5JD, there is a car park over the road we should be able to use. This will be a fairly easy walk with some hills but nothing too strenuous.

Unfortunately it was only after plotting the route I realised the pub didn’t open till 4.30pm on a Wednesday, so we can jump in a car after the walk and retire to the Norfolk Arms in Marple Bridge hopefully for approximately 1.30-2.00pm.

Happy Wandering!

 

Combs

Combs Moss Circular

April 22, 2026

COMBS, COWLOW LANE, CASTLE NAZE, COMBS EDGE, BLACK EDGE, SOUTH TOP, COMBS HEAD,

BEEHIVE PUB.

Distance: 7.61 miles Ascent/descent: 1604/1439 ft

Difficulty: Moderate. One steep climb

Weather: Fine, Dry and Very Windy

Walkers: Andy Blease, Mike Cassini, Steve Brearley, Mark Enright, Russell Spencer, Keith Welsh.

Alternative walkers: Jock Rooney with Milly

Leader: Russell, Diarist: Russell

Starting point: The Beehive, Combs. SK23 9UT

Starting time: 9.40am Finishing time: 1.15pm

This Weeks Route:

https://explore.osmaps.com/route/28846645/wednesday-wanderers-combs-moss-circular?

lat=53.29091&lon=-1.94042&zoom=13.3636&style=Standard&type=2d

I have saved this walk for public consumption. Anyone can follow the route using the OS app,

providing you have a registered account (Free) in future.

It was a glorious day for the walk and the 6 intrepid explorers set off to follow the route walked last August. The walk was pretty uneventful apart from the biting wind once approached Black Edge.

And, as last time, there is a steep drop down from the Moss which tests the knees. Once down a quick walk back on the road and we were back at the pub to be joined by Jock, Kieran and Milly.

Next week’s walk will be led by Russell, Start time 9.40am at the Anglers Rest in Bamford, S33 0DY.

There is parking in the pub car park were allowed to use. We just need to let them know. The route

is similar to one walked in April last year. https://wwanderers.blogspot.com/2025/04/blogpost.html

Hopefully returning to the pub for approximately 1.30-2.00pm.

Happy Wandering!

 

Hayfield

 

April 15th 2026

Hayfield, Snake Path, Twenty Trees, Shooting Cabin, White Brow, Kinder Reservoir, Sportsman Pub.

 

Distance: 6.3miles possibly slightly more Ascent/descent: 1,291ft

Difficulty: Moderate difficult in parts without ropes, occasionally boggy

Weather: Dry and Overcast

Walkers: Andy Blease, Steve Brearley, Mike Cassini, Mark Enright, Russell Spencer, Keith Welsh

Alternative Walkers: Jock and Keiran Rooney with Millie.

Non Walking Drinkers: Tom and Stella  Cunliffe with Daisie 

Leader: Mark Enright  Diarist:  Mike Cassini

Starting point: Sportsman Pub

Starting time: 9.50am. Finishing time: 1.05pm

The walk starting at the Sportsman pub in Hayfeld was put together by Mark Enright and Pete Beal, as we had intended a Hayfield walk. Unfortunately, as Dean was unable to lead, it began conventionally enough on well used paths but then at the Kinder Reservoir we took a right turn leading to uneven and sodden ground and poorly marked paths. This was more in keeping with Alistair’s Arndale scrambling club as we climbed up and through a scenic rocky gorge. Nice waterfalls though.

Initially, we climbed up Snake Path towards Twenty trees and on to the former shooting lodge. In the past, we have carried on upwards and even turned left but on this occasion we followed the path to the right which took us along White Brow by the side of Kinder Reservoir. Following the path to the ford at the bottom, we headed past Hollin Head and took what we believed (or Mark hoped) was a path along the bottom of the valley.

This meant crossing over a stream a few times as the path ran into impassable embankments and occasional muddy bogs. Fortunately, as he is quite tall, Keith was never in danger of disappearing when he slipped into a deep bog. Towards the end we had to scramble up the nearly sheer face to try to reach the Pennine way at the top. After passing along a makeshift path by a dry stone wall, avoiding several potholes, we came to either a well marked path or more likely a water course, taking us down to relatively hard covered ground. We had a quick lunch to avoid the forecast rain and caught up with Jock before we retired to the Sportsman and Thwaites original bitter at £4.65 a pint, meeting Tom Stella and Daisy and catching up on the joys of knee surgery.

 

Next week we meet at 9:40an beginning at the car park for The Bee Hive at Combs SK23 9UT.

More pictures below

Curbar Gap

April 8th 2026

CURBAR GAP, BASLOW EDGE, WELLINGTON’S MONUMENT, BIG MOOR, WHITE EDGE, FROGGATT EDGE, CURBAR EDGE, BRIDGE INN.

 

Distance: 8 miles Ascent/descent: 1,080ft

Difficulty: Easy 

Weather: Bright

Walkers , Steve Brearley Mike Cassini, Mark Enright. Hughie Hardiman, Stuart Kitchen, Greg Owen, Keith Welsh Simon Williams Cliff Worthington

Alternative Walkers: Jock and Keiran Rooney with Millie,-

Leader: Mike Cassini. Diarist:  Mike Cassini

Starting point: Clodhall Lane Curbar Gap

Starting time: 9.53am. Finishing time: 1.35.pm.

 

Aficionados can follow Mark Enright’s route on Strava

https://strava.app.link/XPUlcn36b2b

 

In the past few weeks, we have had all extremes of weather and fortunately this week it was the hottest day of the year so far, with perfect walking weather on a perfect scenic walking route. Perhaps the only issue was that it was Easter week and there were particularly large numbers of walkers about.

There are a number of detailed notes from previous walks on this route Alan Hart’s and Pete Beal’s originals up to June last year, so the route was easy to follow, excepting having to ignore the Grouse pub on the way past and stopping afterwards at the bottom of the hill at the Bridge Inn , drinking in the beer garden on a glorious afternoon.

Previous notes detail the walk as 4 edges when it could really be 5 – Baslow Edge, towards the Wellington monument, although we were not at the edge, Blackstone Edge past the monument and then at right angles to this, White Edge. Between these two is Greg’s Bridge where, following a muddy path, a rudimentary bridge caused a potentially unpleasant fall. Fortunately, Greg was able to continue on the walk negotiating the hazardous path at the end of White Edge and at the end of the walk along Froggatt and Curbar Edge, when for no particular good reason I took the law into my own feet and walked over Curbar down a not well marked pathleading directly to the car park! In my defence I knew there was a path somewhere and I didn’t want to end up below the car park and have to walk a couple of hundred yards up the hill as we did last time.

We then got in the cars and met Jock and Kieran in the beer Garden with Milly and a very friendly New Zealand Huntaway (dog!)

Next week hopefully with Dean or without we will meet at the Sportsman in Hayfield to walk  probably up the Dragons’ back meet at 9:40 SK22 2LE.