Bollington

BOLLINGTON, WHITE NANCY, RAINOW RIDGE, GRITSTONE TRAIL, DEAN VALLEY, THE ROBIN HOOD AT RAINOW, THE VIRGINS’ PATH, INGERSLEY VALE WATERFALL AND THE VALE INN AT BOLLINGTON

Distance: Nine Miles.

Difficulty: Easy after Initial Steep Climb.

Weather: Cold but Dry and Sunny.

Walkers: Colin Davison, Lawrie Fairman, Alan Hart, Jock Rooney with Tips, and George Whaites.

B Walker: Geoff Spurrell.

Non-Walking Drinkers: John Eckersley and Tony Job.

Apologies: Peter Beal (walking in Lakes), George Dearsley (working) and Ken Sparrow (domestic duties).

Leader: Fairman. Driver: Davison. Diarist: Hart.

Starting Point: Free car park opposite The Spinners Arms at Bollington, Macclesfield.

Starting Time: 9.30am. Finishing Time: 2.10pm.

The month started in glorious fashion with a bright crisp morning after overnight frost. There was a chilly wind in exposed areas, but by mid-morning weak wintry sunshine shone down on us and we enjoyed excellent visibility from our vantage points on the hills and ridges around Bolly.

We celebrated a return to one of our favourite pubs, The Robin Hood at Rainow, which had been closed at lunchtimes on a previous visit. There was much weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth (amongst those of us who had teeth) on that occasion towards the end of August.

During this visit we discovered it had only been closed for two weeks and had been open at lunchtimes since September. If only we had known.

But as one door opens, another slams in your face. After enjoying our pints of Robbies in The Dog and Partridge in Bolly at the beginning of January, we decided to pay it another visit in preference to The Spinners. We found it closed.

The unreliability of pubs regarding their hours of opening, and in some cases their very existence, is causing huge problems for our planning. It is fortunate that our motto – Firm of Purpose but Flexible in Action – has enabled us to rearrange our schedules at short notice when faced with these crises. (The loose Latin translation is “Nili Illegitimi Carborundum”)

After a prompt start we turned left uphill, loaded up with a variety of orgasmic pies from the Smith bakery on our right and sallied forth from the shop (10mins). At a mini-roundabout we turned right into Church Street and left after The Crown at the T-junction.

This took us past a former millpond on our right and the Tullis Russell bowling green on our left. Soon after passing the bowls hut, we turned sharp right, went through a gate and took the direct steep route up to White Nancy (30mins). The origins of this landmark have been mentioned in previous jottings.

We walked along the ridge, reaching the village of Rainow via a gate (62mins) and turning left at the main road. Our group turned right off Hawkins Lane at a road sign and went through a gate marked with a yellow arrow. This led us into a field (67mins) and another sharp climb.

Despite taking different angles uphill at one stage, we discovered that all paths led to the Gritstone Trail, where we turned right (84mins). As a chilly wind was blowing on the hilltop, we stopped for pies and port under the shelter of a drystone wall (90mins).

During this break we fell into conversation with a group of five passing men of a slightly younger vintage. They informed us they were not attached to any official groups, but liked to go walking in the hills on Wednesdays, ending their fun in the fresh air with pints of beer. Spooky.

Resuming, we crossed a stone step stile on our left and continued with a drystone wall on our right. We continued to follow the markings of the Gritstone Trail as it led us over stiles and through fields until we emerged on to Bull Hill Lane on the edge of Rainow (112mins).

We turned left along the main road, and left again at a public footpath sign towards Hordern Farm (116mins). After passing through the farm, we took a lane right uphill (124mins). Initially we ignored a public footpath sign (126mins) on our left to enter New Buildings Farm, where the owner politely pointed out the error of our ways.

Returning to the aforementioned footpath sign (130mins), now on our right, we crossed a stile and headed diagonally right through a field. We crossed a ladder stile and turned left (134mins) down the valley over a series of stiles.

After crossing a road (139mins) we went through a field and turned left at a row of cottages before going right over a wooden stile (140mins). This brought us to a wooden footbridge over the River Dean (143mins).

We crossed a ladder stile and a wooden stile before heading right uphill (145mins). We turned left over a cattle grid and sharp left again towards farm buildings, following a footpath sign to the right of them (150mins). Crossing a stone step stile on our left, we walked through a field containing three black sheep.

We headed towards Andrew’s Knob, which a month earlier had been shrouded in mist (and not, as one wag suggested, “by Fergie’s arse”). On this occasion the hill was clearly visible. After passing a church on our left, we swung left and crossed a stone step stile (164mins) just before reaching a chapel on our left.

Walking left downhill, we went through a gate, crossed the road and entered The Robin Hood at Rainow (166mins). Geoff, who had walked directly to Rainow from Bolly, soon joined us for pints of Black Sheep cask bitter at £2-85. Spooky again.

Continuing, we walked along Stocks Lane at the rear of the pub, and turned right into Chapel Lane. We turned right again into Sugar Lane (169mins). We followed a wooden public footpath sign (172mins) which guided us round the back of Flagg Cottage and on to The Virgins’ Path.

For the uninitiated, this was so named from the times when the village of Rainow did not have a parish church. Brides-to-be were obliged to walk two miles across sometimes muddy fields to reach the nearest church in Bollington for their nuptials. A considerate farmer supervised the laying of flat stones across his fields so the bridal dresses would remain pure white like their wearers.

Although some of these stones have become overgrown, many remain to this day to keep hikers out of the mud. After pausing for lunch (181mins) we continued along the path to Ingersley Vale waterfall (184mins). In its day Ingersley Mill housed the second largest waterwheel in the British Isles, with a diameter of 56 feet.

We continued past the Tullis Russell bowling green (193mins), now on our right, and retraced our footsteps back to the cars to de-boot. Having been misinformed by your diarist as to the distance from the Dog and Partridge, three of us walked what proved to be about 500 yards, only to find the pub closed.

We then walked a further 200 yards to The Vale, where we found John and Tony, who had anticipated our rearranged venue. Here Jock bought a round of Bollington Best Bitter at £2-85 a pint to celebrate his 70^th birthday last month. Hard to believe that “wee Jock” as he was once known, has become a septuagenarian. Congratulations to him.

Next week’s walk will start at 9.35am from The Cock at Whaley Bridge. We expect to reach The Old Hall at Whitehough, Chinley, for a half-time pint around 12.30pm before returning to The Cock for refreshments at 2.15pm.