High Lane

HIGH LANE, CARR BROW, DISLEY GOLF COURSE, PEAK FOREST CANAL, CRUX BARN, THE GOYT VALLEY, ROMAN LAKES, MELLOR GOLF COURSE, LILLY BANK FARM COTTAGE, THE FOX AT BROOK BOTTOM, STRINES STATION, STRINES HALL, LEA COTE FARM AND THE DOG AND PARTRIDGE AT HIGH LANE

Distance: Seven Miles.

Difficulty: Easy.

Weather: Overcast with Early Drizzle: Dry Later.

Walkers: Peter Beal, Colin Davison, Lawrie Fairman, Alan Hart and George Whaites.

B Walkers: Jock Rooney, Ken Sparrow and Geoff Spurrell.

Lone Walker: Tony Job.

Non-Walking Drinker: John Eckersley.

Apologies: George Dearsley (Working in Dubai), Frank Dudley (Hospitalised), Ivor Jones (Receiving dialysis) and Peter Miles (Still recovering from knee op).

Leader: Davison. Diarist: Hart.

Starting Point: Colin’s home at 11, Carr Brow, High Lane, Stockport.

Starting Time: 10.08am. Finishing Time: 2.22pm.

              

Our pre-Christmas walk began, as has become traditional, with a veritable feast at Carr Brow. In his role as 

Lady Bountiful, Colin excelled himself with a splendid display of bacon, sausages, balm cakes accompanied 

by mulled wine, the former served on a chafier to keep the food warm for late-comers.  It was augmented 

by a home-made parkin cake supplied by your diarist.

Upon learning that the promised topless go-go dancers had been postponed for yet another year, the A team set off in light drizzle and grey skies by turning left uphill, and then left over a step to enter Disley Golf Course (7mins). We crossed the course, where we empathised with a trio of soggy golfers and exited via a stile (17mins).

As we entered a field with a gate ahead, we swung right, keeping a chimney on our left and what appeared to be a derelict mill on our right. We swung left through a gate and followed a public footpath sign on our right (23mins).

After a five-minute delay while Peter B produced a blister plaster for Lawrie, whose new boots were rubbing, we turned left (31mins) to reach the right bank of the Peak Forest Canal. We proceeded with the waterway on our left until we turned right at a public footpath signed marked Cown Edge Way via Mellor (37mins).

We crossed a wooden stile to enter a field and left it by another stile at Crux Barn. This brought us to a road (44mins) which we crossed and turned left. We turned right at a broken track (45mins) on our right. This led us to the left bank of the fast-flowing River Goyt (50mins).

On our right we crossed the packhorse bridge, which was later to prove to be Ken’s downfall. (He revealed he had skidded on the slippery surface, sustaining bruised knees, hip and pride). After crossing the ancient bridge (52mins) we turned left towards Roman Lakes.

We forked right at a public footpath sign for Mellor and Cobden Edge (56mins) and turned left across a bridge over the Manchester-Sheffield railway line. We entered Mellor Golf Course (61mins) and exited it, passing Lilly Bank Farm Cottage on our left (84mins) as we descended towards Brook Bottom.

The absence of Pietime, in light of our earlier meal, resulted in a miscalculation which found us sitting outside The Fox at 11.50am (99mins) awaiting its noon opening. The landlord was nearly knocked over as he drew back the bolts and we ordered pints of excellent Robbies’ bitter at £2-60.

We were soon joined by Tony, who had walked from the Dog and Partridge, and by the trio of B walkers who had followed a similar route to our own.

Departing, we turned right through the pub car park and down a rocky path leading to Strines Station (113mins). We walked under the railway bridge, passing Strines Hall on our left. To its right was a mill pond with a dovecote.

We were indebted to Peter B for the information that the dovecote was designed by a famous architect, whose name he could not remember, but who was more famous for designing some other construction which he could not remember either. (Peter, you may recall, was awarded the MBE for his services to journalism).

After crossing a road bridge over the Goyt (118mins) we reached the end of Station Road, crossed Strines Road and headed uphill along a wide track (122mins). We crossed a wooden stile to reach a lane opposite Greenhills and turned right (130mins).

At a T-junction (135mins) we went across Wybersley Road to the left of Lea Cote Farm, heading straight on to follow a yellow arrow (137mins). This brought us through two fields reminiscent of the Somme battlefield, circa 1916, where some dainty footwork was employed to avoid the worst of the mud.

We emerged to the left of a farm (148mins), passing an impressive hall on our right. At a wooden public footpath sign (154mins), instead of heading right towards the canal, we kept straight on towards High Lane.

At a road we turned left (158mins), passing High Lane Primary School on our right (162mins). We dropped down to the A6 (165mins) and turned right. We reached the Dog and Partridge on our left (170mins) and de-booted.

We ordered pints of English Pale Ale for £2-30 and a carvery lunch for £3-69. A toast was drunk to absent friends, including our most senior member, Frank Dudley, who was detained in Leighton Hospital, Crewe, having treatment for his ongoing eye problem. We wish him a speedy return to the Guinness.

Our enjoyment of the low prices was tempered by the behaviour of a rather officious young barmaid, whose wearing of a jolly Santa hat seemed somewhat incongruous. She complained about our joining of tables together to seat the ten of us and told Jock he was a fire hazard.

Next week’s walk will start from outside the Vale pub at Bollington at 9.35am and finish there around 2.15pm. At the time of going to press, no midway pub had been chosen and we are still open to suggestions.

On Sunday, January 1, the annual New Year’s Day walk will start from St George’s Church, Poynton, heading up Prince’s Incline to the Macclesfield Canal and right to The Miners Arms at Woods Lane. We hope to time our arrival to coincide with 12 o’clocl opening time. We will return to The Farmer’s Arms, Poynton, around 2pm. Wives and girlfriends are most welcome – but don’t invite both !!