Wildboarclough

WILDBOARCLOUGH and environs
Distance: 8.5 Miles.

Difficulty: Easy.

Weather: Glorious sunshine

Walkers: Peter Beal, Colin Davison, George Dearsley, Jock Rooney plus Tips and George Whaites.

B Walkers: Tony Job and Ken Sparrow

Non-Walking Drinkers: Laurie Fairman.

Apologies: Alan Hart (Sri Lanka), Laurie Fairman (injured), Phil Critchley (domestic duties)

Leader: Beal. Diarist: Dearsley

Starting Point: Car park at Clough House, Wildboarclough

Starting Time: 9.50am. Finishing Time: 2.05pm.

Today’s departure was delayed by the late arrival of your diarist who had foolishly not allotted more than 30 minutes to travel from Little Hayfield.

Fortunately the Wanderers had only just set off when your scribe arrived and a shrill whistle temporarily halted their climb up the hill from the car park at Clough House.

We soon found ourselves on the road some had already driven leading to Wildboarclough. Legend has it that the village was the place where the last wild boar in England was killed, although that seems rather fanciful. At the first junction we followed the left fork, with a sign to Buxton, turning left onto moorland at a sign which read Three Shires Head.

Our route afforded an excellent view of Shutlingsloe, (first picture) sometimes described as the 'Matterhorn of Cheshire', and the third highest peak in the county (Shining Tor being the highest and Whetstone Ridge second highest) with an elevation of 506 m (1,660 ft), and commanding excellent views over Cheshire.

Shutlingsloe

Stony path

We soon crossed the A54 (22 minutes) and negotiated a gate which eventually led onto a metalled road past Cut Thorn House, at which point we turned left onto a long and rather stony path (picture two).

Pie Time

Soon the River Dane could be seen on our right. It was now clear that the spine of our walk was to be part of the Dane Valley Way. The DVW proper extends from the River Wye and Pavilion Gardens in Buxton to the confluence of the River Dane with the River Wheelock at Middlewich - a measured distance 40.6 miles. We traveled only a fraction of that. But it provided some breathtaking scenery.

We stopped for an early snack at 10.20 am (30 minutes) on a picturesque stone bridge above water splashed rocks, Panniers Pool, an ideal picnic area, where Mr Davison proceeded (picture three) to do his rendition of Mario Balotelli’s famous argument with his football bib. This indeed was Three Shires Head, a point where four packhorse routes meet. Back in the 19th century, Three Shires Head was a place where lawbreakers or coiners evaded capture by crossing into a neighbouring county as in those times it was only possible for police to act within their own county limits. The local settlement of Flash takes its name from the trading in counterfeit money by these coiners, the word flash being associated as dishonest or not of genuine quality i.e. flash men (thieves), flash money (counterfeit currency) or flashy (not as good as it looks.) This was also said to be the setting for illegal prize fights and cock fighting as the perpetrators of such crimes could escape and soon disappear in this wild and rocky scenery.

We set off again at 10.55am, following the route of the stream.

A party of teenagers was on a field trip and apparently sketching the landscape as we passed by, turning left to climb up a very steep hill to a stone chimney and beyond to cross the A54 once again, picking up a path directly opposite which sported a sign to the Cat and Fiddle, which we reached at 11.52am (122 minutes).

We turned left at the pub and within a few hundred yards picked up a path to the right at a large sign marked “Woodlands For Sale”. We passed Torgate Farm on the left and what looked like a herd of llamas on the right but which may have been deer. Talking of dear, the Marston’s Pedigree at the Stanley Arms which we reached at 12.25pm was £3, although the bitter was £2.80 as was the Jennings.

Already in situ were B Wallkers Tony, Laurie and Ken who had walked from Clough House car park, via Clough Brook to Broughsplace and eventually to Tolgate Farm and Brook House Farm.

We left the pub at 1.18pm, had a brief lunch stop at 1.35pm and were back at the car park at 2.05. The outing ended with a visit to the Old Kings Head at Gurnett where Banks was £2.70, Bombardier £2.80 and Old Speckled Hen £2.90.

Next week’s walk will begin in the Market Place at Longnor at 10am

Whaley Bridge

WHALEY BRIDGE, TAXAL EDGE, FERNILEE

Distance: Eight Miles.

Difficulty: Easy.

Weather: Dry but Misty

Walkers: Peter Beal, Colin Davison, George Dearsley, Jock Rooney plus Tips and George Whaites.

B Walkers: Tony Job and Geoff Spurrell.

Non-Walking Drinkers: Laurie Fairman.

Apologies: Alan Hart (Sri Lanka), Laurie Fairman (injured), Phil Critchley (domestic duties)

Leader: Beal. Diarist: Dearsley

Starting Point: Car park at The Cock, Whaley Bridge

Starting Time: 9.40am. Finishing Time: 2.22pm.

The pre-walk banter revolved around the purchase by Mr Davison of a new pair of Burma Boots for a cut-price of £104 against the recommended retail price of £180. His new (brown) boots were bought from the Cheadle Heath branch of Go Outdoors,

http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/stockport but your diarist wishes to point out that this report has been tainted by no pecuniary advantage for product placement. Mr Davison apparently already has an extensive a range of walking footwear.

Burma boot

Having duly establish himself as the Imelda Marcos of the Wednesday Wanderers the Famous Five set off for an invigorating perambulation. Leaving the car park of the Cock at Whaley Bridge we walked past the pub and took the path to the left which leads through a housing estate (where a funeral was in progress) and eventually across the main road and up a steep path which bisects the large graveyard adjacent to Taxal Church (see picture). 

Mr Rooney informed us that he was once quizzed by police in the vicinity of some public toilets where a gruesome murder of a homosexual had taken place. Such is the integrity of his face and manner that his explanation for being in the bushes near the public convenience (“looking for pine cones” ) passed muster with the member of the constabulary and he was duly eliminated for their inquiries.

Path to Taxal Church

At the end of the steep path past the church we turned left, past Glebe Farm and a few yards further on past the Rectory we took a path to the right marked “Kettleshulme via Taxal Edge”. 

This was to prove a thorough examination of the group’s respiratory systems as we climbed higher and higher. We reached a metalled road (Taxal Moor Road) at the side of a wood and turned left. No more than 50 yards on we took an unmarked trail to the right which led through some land that looked as if it had been the subject of a fire but was possibly the aftermath of some manic Rhododendron clearing.

A further climb took us to Taxal Nick (46 minutes) and we proceeded along Taxal Edge, where the wind proved quite chilly.

Mr Davison observed: “I didn’t know it would be windy on the top”. To which, to general merriment, Mr Rooney wryly countered that an imminent landmark was not called Windgather Rocks for nothing. As every schooboy knows the crag is some 400 metres (1,300 ft) above sea level.

Windgather Rocks

Having taken the above photograph we duly stopped for a snack (70 minutes) in a shelter out of the wind which we believed to have been a sheep pen at one time.

The track took us to a road called The Street. We were in the vicinity of Pym Chair. Local legend has it that a highway man called Pym used to lay in wait to ambush those who used the packhorse route, (at Pym Chair) although another version says Pym was a preacher who gave sermons here. We turned left at a sign which read “Hoo Moor and Fernilee”. This took us on the Midshires Way and through a picturesque wood, Hoo Moor Plantation, above Fernilee Reservoir.

We came out at Oldfield Farm, turning off the Midshires Way and passing Knipe Farm, crossing the River Goyt and up through Folds Lane Farm, which is for sale if you have a spare £1,100,000.

We arrived at the Shady oak pub, (180 minutes) which is the establishment that was closed for refurbishment the last time the Wednesday Wanderers visited. This time, however, the door was open and there was a warm welcome and coldish beer at £2.80 a pint, whether your tipple was the Marston’s bitter or Jennings’ Cross Buttock beer, with a 4.5 ABV, a review of which you can read here.

http://www.jenningsbrewery.co.uk/beers/beer.aspx?cat=sea&bid=10

Almost immediately Mr Fairman appeared waving a bus ticket like Chamberlain back from meeting Hitler and initiating a conversation about the financial advantages of reaching 60.

At 1.10pm the B Walkers Tony Job and Geoff Spurrell arrived. They had vacated the bus at Goyts Road and had walked down to Errwood.

We left the pub at 1.40pm, stopped for a brief snack at 1.50pm and reached the car park at The Cock, Whaley Bridge at 2.22pm

Next week's walk will start at 0940 from the Clough House car park and picnic area 1 mile due north of Wildboarclough. Mid-walk drinks will be taken at the Stanley Arms at Bottom-of-the-Oven around 1230. We will then drive to the Olde Kings Head at Gurnett to arrive at 1415.

Marple Bridge

MARPLE BRIDGE, ETHEROW PARK, CHISWORTH, MILL BROW

Distance: 9 Miles.

Difficulty: Moderate

Weather: Dry with Blue Skies and later Sun

Walkers: Colin Davison, George Dearsley, Phil Welsh, George Whaites

B Walkers: Tony Job and Geoff Spurrell.

Non-Walking Drinkers: Frank Dudley and John Eckersley.

Apologies: Pete Beal(Madeira), Alan Hart (Hawaii), Laurie Fairman(Morocco), Jock Rooney (Isle of Man)

Leader: Welsh. Diarist: Dearsley

Starting Point: Free car park just inside Brabyns Park

Starting Time: 9.31am. Finishing Time: 1.48pm.

Only four walkers but the quartet enjoyed an unexpectedly beautiful day and an interesting and at times challenging walk, marred only by the closure at lunchtime of the appointed midway pub the Hunters, Chisworth.

We left the car park in Brabyns Park promptly and made our way to what was once known as the “Pink House”, now painted cream and occupied finally after some years of neglect, at the far side of the park.

We took the path to Compstall Road, crossed and entered Etherow Park, negotiating the car park and taking the central path.

Wildlife

At the end of the track we turned left at a red brick hut, stopping momentarily to admire the mandarin ducks (see picture) and other animal life.

We turned left, following the Keg Trail but after about 400 yards we took another left past a wooden shelter and up a steep slope.

Climbing a stile we turned right and crossed a field with Coombs Edge to our right (see picture) bathed in sunlight.

Coombs Edge

We meandered through a group of cottages and past Beacom (with an “m”) House on our right (59 minutes).

It was no spelling error because a few strides on we were informed we were in Beacom Lane. Werneth Low golf course was visible to our left.

We climbed a stile near an electricity pylon and crossed a field onto another metalled road. We turned right and followed a sign for Beck Wood at an impressive converted barn, passing the building to our left. This took us down a muddy track and at 10.45am we stopped for refreshments.

Setting off 10 minutes later we descended some steps, crossed a wooden bridge and ascended some further steps, turning right past a greenhouse apparently built from a collection of coloured glass windows and doors, following signs for Hodge Fold and passing Bothams Hall Farm.

We crossed the Etherow River via a racing green metal bridge and climbed a steep slope through woodland (where we saw a woodpecker) and emerging at Far Woodseats Farm.

Here we spotted two sheep ahead of us and apparently determined to court certain death by sprinting onto the road from Marple Bridge to Glossop. Mr Whaites, showing the kind of roustabout skills made famous by Clint Eastwood in the TV show Rawhide, went into a field, raced ahead of the foolish animals and with a series of bloodcurdling cries the like of which have seldom been heard since the Battle of Culloden, managed to  reverse their charge and send them scurrying back down the path we had just travelled and hopefully to the safety of the farm.

Despite the time spent on this good deed we were still early for our  (eagerly anticipated) stop of the aforementioned Hunters, so a diversion was quickly agreed. We crossed the main road and headed up Sandy Lane opposite, passing a working farm and near the top of the hill turning left on a footpath, stopping briefly to discuss the merits of polystyrene flooring for insulation with a builder renovating a stone barn.

We duly arrived at the Hunters at 11.46am….only to discover that it did not open at lunchtime.

Mobile telephone calls to the B Walkers (Mssrs Job and Spurrell) elicited the fact that they were only a few hundred yards away on Sandy Lane and we duly set off for a rendezvous.

It was agreed that they would attempt to find liquid refreshment in the area (in the end it turned out to be the George & Dragon in Charlesworth) and take a bus to Marple Bridge.

The main walkers would re-trace their steps up Sandy Lane.

This time instead of turning left we carried on to the top of the hill, climbing an extremely steep slope.

Confabulation

At the summit our leader confirmed his position (see picture above). Yes, we were at the top of the hill. We prepared to cross four of the muddiest fields ever negotiated by the Wednesday Wanderers, producing goo-covered boots reminiscent of Gallipoli.

We made a lunch stop at 12.39pm for 13 minutes, basking in pleasant sun near a Roman tumulus (Brown Low) before picking up Sandhill Lane and turning left into Gird Lane which leads into Mill Brow. We passed the Hare and Hounds (also sadly closed) and after a brief detour to enable our leader to put on some orange stripey socks not seen since Christopher Biggins played Widow Twanky we descended into Marple Bridge, finally finding sustenance at the Royal Scot, where the bitter was £2.55.

We were soon joined by the B Walkers (who had travelled from Hazel Grove to Four Lane Ends to start their walk) and also by non-walking drinkers Frank Dudley and John Eckersley for conversation and merriment which probably went on far too long.

Next week we meet at the Wanted Inn, Sparrowpit, with an intended start time of 9.45am