WHALEY BRIDGE, FERNILEE, COOMBS RESERVOIR,
COOMBS, CHAPEL STATION, ECCLES PIKE.
Distance: Eleven miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Weather: Crisp and Dry, some Sunny spells
Walkers: Colin Davison, George Dearsley, George
Whaites., Lawrie Fairman, Alan Hart, Peter Beal
B Walkers: Geoff Spurrell, Ken Sparrow
Apologies: Jock Rooney (Egypt)
Leader: Fairman Diarist: Dearsley
Starting Point: The Cock, Whaley Bridge
Starting Time: 9.36 am. Finishing Time:
2.23pm
Leaving the car park of the Cock at Whaley
Bridge we walked past the pub on our left and took the path to the left which
snakes through a housing estate.
We headed for the path that leads
eventually to the Shady Oak, Fernilee, situated on the A5004, between Buxton
and Whaley Bridge.
Leader Fairman and Wanderer Davison set a
blistering pace, shoulder to shoulder, like Coe and Ovett, Denman and Kauto
Star.
We past the gable end of the Shady Oak on
our right, reaching a five ways intersection. After consulting a map it was
agreed to go straight on, opening a five bar gate and heading into the field
beyond.
Worryingly Mr Davison and Mr Fairman then
split to go in slightly different directions.
But within minutes the consensus was to
keep together and to follow the dry stone wall on our left.
Nosey Llama
We mounted a stone wall and took a dog leg
to the right, negotiating a second wall to find ourselves on the lip of a hill,
with a pleasing view below us to out left of the B5470 Whaley Bridge to Chapel
Road.
The nearest landmark was Cadster Farm.
We headed across the fields in the 11
o’clock direction to a ladder stile.
At 10.50am the sun then came out, adding to
the general feeling of well being.
Five minutes later, with Coombs Reservoir
in the distance to our left it was Pie
Time.
Pie Time
Combs Reservoir
We resumed our wanderings at 11.08am,
passing The Hayloft, a self catering cottage and turned left and then right up
a hill path towards Tunstead Farm.
Just past the reservoir on our left we
turned left down a hill towards a house with a white conservatory.
This led us to a nine foot high wall which
we had to climb with the aid of protruding steps, bringing us along the side of
an impressive house called Spire Hollins, valued on the Zoopla website at
£822,000.
We found ourselves on a metalled road and
turned left passing Carr Green Farm.
By 11.42am we had reached the Beehive pub
in Coombs village. But we soldiered on, walking directly away from the pub and
after 300 yards taking a left turn.
Reaching a barn we turned right up a hill
and over a railway bridge, following the railway line on our right until we
reached Chapel-en-le-Frith Station.
Here we followed the lower path below the
car park and turned left, eventually reaching Cromwell Avenue and Horderns Road
which led us into Chapel itself and to the welcoming sign of the Roebuck pub at
12.31pm.
Carling was £3.10, Black Sheep £2.70 and
Tetleys Bitter £2.60.
We were joined by B Walkers Geoff Spurrell,
Ken Sparrow who had taken the bus to Doveholes and looped their way to Chapel.
Concern about the finishing time allowed
for just one pint in the Roebuck, although I suspect the B Walkers (having
tried to leave but missed a bus) enjoyed a second.
We duly set off at 1.02pm leaving the pub
and turning right to retrace our steps along the main road and eventually
picking up the path to Eccles Pike where lunch was taken at 1.27pm.
I should point out that the sextet had
split into two groups of three, Messrs Fairman, Davison and Dearsley taking a
slightly shorter route to Eccles Pike, than compatriots Hart, Beal and Whaites.
However, the group stayed together
thereafter, leaving at 1.40pm and arriving at the Cock at 2.23pm.
The B Walkers had taken the bus to Tunstead
Milton and made their way from there to Whaley.
In passing may I draw your attention to the
hyperlink below which will lead the computer literate among you to an
interesting blog post which I stumbled upon from a local walker. It shows a
walk we have done but is illustrated by some good photography. If it does not
work automatically by clicking the link cut and paste it into your browser.
Next week the Wanderers celebrate the
birthdays of Messrs Davison and Sparrow who plan to lay on a post walk feast at
the Kinder Lodge, Hayfield. To that end we shall meet outside the Pack Horse in
Hayfield Village at 9.40am
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