MILLERS DALE, PEAK FOREST, DAM DALE, HAY DALE, MONKS DALE

Distance: 10 miles

Difficulty: Moderate

Weather: Sunny

Walkers: Colin Davison, Alan Hart, George Dearsley, George Whaites, Lawrie Fairman,

Apologies: Peter Beal (on his boat), Jock Rooney(in Panama)

B walkers Ken Sparrow and Geoff  Spurrell

Non-walking drinkers: Frank Dudley, John Eckersley and Tony Job.

Leader: Davison  Diarist: Dearsley Driver: Hart

Starting Point: The car park opposite the church in Litton Mill

Starting Time: 9.57am. Finishing Time: 3.10pm

Millers Dale

We enjoyed perfect walking conditions for our visit to Millers Dale. Congregating at Litton Mill, with Mr Davison leading, we set off by crossing the road from the small car park and turning right so that the church was on out left.

We began by climbing a hill and after 75 yards we took a path to the left up a further incline signposted to the “Limestone Way”. At the top we turned left through a farm.

Let the records show that we had only been walking for 18 minutes before our leader was obliged to consult his map.

Suitably reassured, we continued on, crossing a road to find ourselves on the “Pennine Bridleway”.

Conversation turned to the derivation of the phrase “to pull someone’s leg”

It would appear the term has rather sinister connotations. Despite its humorous associations the origin of the expression has its roots in the criminal world of 18th and 19th century London. In those days street robbers often worked in gangs of two. One would trip up the unsuspecting victim and the other would remove his money and other valuables while he was lying on the ground. The robber didn’t literally pull the victim’s leg but caused him to stumble and fall and then lose his valuables.

An alternative, but equally dark theory, is that it comes from a Scottish rhyme in which "draw" is used in the sense of "pull" rather than the word itself. It goes:

He preached, and at last drew the auld body's leg,

Sae the Kirk got the gatherins o' our Aunty Meg.

The suggestion in the rhyme is that Aunty Meg was hung for a crime and, at the end, the preacher pulled on her legs to ensure that she was dead.

We continued on our way, crossing a road and turning left.

We followed a sign to Peak Forest and at 11.03am stopped for Pie Time.

Resuming at 11.15am, we entered a field opposite where we had stopped, via a five bar gate, and crossed the field diagonally. At the far side we mounted a dry stone wall and proceeded to climb two further, similar stiles before emerging with the road to Chesterfield on our right and a dry stone wall to our left.

We hugged the wall and about 100 yards down the incline found a rather forlorn and under used stile over the wall which led us eventually to the road through the village of Peak Forest, emerging about 75 yards from the Devonshire Arms pub.

It was 11.55am and the pub appeared closed. But just as Mr Fairman inspected a graveyard opposite the equally dead hostelry burst into life in the shape of a landlady putting out an A-frame sign.

The group duly entered and ordered five pints of Black Sheep at £2.90 apiece. But the ale was very cloudy and it was soon obvious we had been served the dregs of the barrel. The apologetic landlady tried to blame a scheme in which the pub was obliged on a regular basis to buy two casks of real ale, which they clearly struggled to sell.

The beer was changed to a more palatable Worthington at no additional charge.

We set off again at 12.51pm and the post pit stop walk was probably the longest (more than two hours) your diarist has ever done with the Wanderers.

We crossed the road from the pub and went down the side of the church with the building to our right. After a farm we turned left. We negotiated a stile, circumventing the farm and passing a second much bigger farm called Dam Dale Farm.

We were now in Dam Dale and were immediately struck by the number of wild flowers. Mr Davison captured a beautiful purple orchid (below).

From Dam Dale we entered Hay Dale stopping for lunch at 1.30pm to be entertained by a woodpecker.

We set off at 1.45pm and notwithstanding any tiredness, this part of the walk was the most difficult of the day, having to negotiate very rocky terrain. It would not have been easy in icy conditions.

At 1.57pm we turned right following a further sign to the “Limestone Way”.After 20 yards we turned left, crossed a road and eventually entered Monks Dale at 2.20pm.The route back brought us to a hill overlooking the church where we had started our walk.

Purple orchid

At the end of the walk your diarist departed. However, after de-booting and Mr Hart drove Mr Whaites and Mr Davison to The Wheatsheaf at Doveholes, arriving at 3.30pm. B walkers Ken Sparrow and Geoff Spurrell were already in the company of non-walking drinkers Frank Dudley, John Eckersley and Tony Job. We had been expected at 2.30pm, and the remaining Wanderers had no hesitation in blaming our curly-haired leader for the late arrival. Robbies' mild and bitter were in good form at £5-40 for a pint of each (I suspect £2-80 and £2-60).

Next week, because of a range of prior commitments, there will be no A walk. There is, however, a plan by the B walkers to meet for a stroll from Bollington, finishing at either The Poachers or The Dog and Partridge. Details will be available on Tuesday night from Tony.

The following week, June 13th, it was decided to start our walk from the car park of The Cock, Whaley Bridge, at 9.30am, with a stop around 12.30pm at The Shady Oak, Fernilee, returning to The Cock around 2.15pm.

Whaley Bridge

WHALEY BRIDGE, CROMFORD AND HIGH PEAK RAILWAY LINE (DISUSED), SHALLCROSS INCLINE GREENWAY, HILLSIDE FARM, COOMBS RESERVOIR, CHAPEL-EN-LE-FRITH GOLF COURSE, BRADSHAW HALL, LYDGATE HOUSE, HIGHER CROSSING, THE OLD HALL AT WHITEHOUGH, PEAK FOREST TRAMWAY, BLACK BROOK, BUGSWORTH CANAL BASIN, PEAK FOREST CANAL AND THE COCK AT WHALEY BRIDGE

Distance: 8-9 Miles.

Difficulty: Easy.

Weather: Blue Skies and warm sunshine.

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

Non-Walking Drinkers: Frank Dudley and Tony Job.

Apologies: Peter Beal (narrow-boating), George Dearsley (working), John Eckersley (recuperating), Jock Rooney (Panama), Ken Sparrow (Probus duties) and Geoff Spurrell (Cornwall hols).

Leaders: Fairman and Davison. Driver: Whaites. Diarist: Hart.

Starting Point: Car park of The Cock at Whaley Bridge.

Starting Time: 9.29am. Finishing Time: 2.09pm.

The unseasonably cold weather in May finally changed on the 21st and by the time of this walk we had begun to enjoy some warm, dry sunny spells. Two pairs of shorts were in evidence to confirm the previous week’s sighting of a pair of swallows. It is now official. Summer has arrived.

After applying sun-tan lotion we departed in high spirits and were further uplifted by a kaleidoscope of colours in the hedgerows and meadows.  There were the vivid yellows of buttercups, dandelions and Welsh poppies, the contrasting blues of pastel-shade forget-me-nots and lurid bluelbells, and the whites of daisies and Queen Anne’s lace mixed with the delicate pinks of ragged Robin.

From the car park we passed The Cock on our left and 20 yards later turned left across a stream to head uphill for the former route of the Cromford and High Peak railway line. We turned right and followed the path past Alpha Mews until we reached the recently-opened Shallcross Incline Greenway (9mins).

At the end of the incline we turned left and soon headed right into Elnor Lane (17mins). We soon turned left at a lane to the left of a walled sundial (20mins), heading uphill past Elnor Stables (24mins). We went left up a rocky path (26mins) and were soon levelling off with Coombs Reservoir below us on our left.

We bore to the right at a cul-de-sac sign (43mins) and passed Hillside Farm on our left and then headed down a concrete track (51mins). After passing Hayley Farm (55mins) we turned immediately left to the bottom of the field, where, after much map consultation and head-scratching, we turned left (64mins).

After going through one gate, the discovery of a gap stile by a second gate (69mins) was deemed to have vindicated Lawrie’s decision to take such a route. After crossing a cattlegrid to reach a lane, we turned right (71mins).

We passed Collin Acre on our right and reached The Beehive Inn at Coombs (76mins) where we stopped at two facing benches for pies and port. Resuming, we followed the sign for Chapel, walking under the Manchester-Buxton railway bridge, passing a full Coombs Reservoir on the left of the road and later Chapel Golf Course on our right (88mins).

 Upon reaching The Hanging Gate pub, near Tunstead Milton, we crossed straight over the Whaley Bridge to Chapel main road (91mins). This brought us to Bradshaw Hall on our left (102mins).

This was the home of one of the men who signed the death warrant of King Charles 1. It is an interesting fact that at 5ft 2ins tall, the merry monarch was the same height as Frank Dudley – although he was ten inches shorter than Dud after the execution !

It was at this point that Colin seized the initiative of leading the walk, turning right over a stone step stile (103mins) and, ignoring a wooden stile on our left, headed diagnonally across a field on our right (106mins). We went over a stone step stile (108mins) and left through a field, going through a gap into another field on our left (110mins).

Keeping a fence on our right we exited the field by a wooden stile and turned left over a cattlegrid into Lydgate House, where we turned immediately right (114mins). This took us through the hamlet of Higher Crossing and left at a footpath sign by a gap stile (118mins) towards, but not up, Eccles Pike.

A wooden gate led us into a field (122mins), where we kept a hedge on our right before going over a wooden stile and through a gap stile. In the middle distance ahead to our right we could see Chinley. We went over a wooden stile (127mins) and exited the field by a gate, walking left for 25 yards before turning right at a wooden public footpath sign (130mins).

We crossed another stone step stile, crossed a road and then another stone step stile to emerge in a group of cottages. We turned right to reach a road and then turned left downhill (132mins). This took us over the A6 dual carriageway and the re-named Paper Mill pub on our right. To our left was The Old Hall (137mins).

Our quartet sat outside to drink excellent pints of Marstons’ cask bitter at £2-60. Resuming, we headed right downhill and turned left at the old Peak Forest tramway (141mins). This took us past a mill lodge where two rare black swans were in residence.

The tramway took us to the left bank of Black Brook, where we stopped at a bridge for lunch (153mins). We were joined by a collie, whose attempt to catch the bubbles in the splashing water was reminiscent of Tips.

Continuing, we took the left fork for Bugsworth Canal Basin (158mins), soon passing The Navigation Inn on our right as we reached the Peak Forest Canal. We followed its right bank until a metal footbridge took us to the left bank (171mins).

We followed the towpath to the marina, through the car park and over the former rail bridge across the River Goyt (181mins). We crossed Bingwood Road and continued along the disused Cromford and High Peak railway line.

This led us past the back of our old haunt, The Shepherd’s Arms (185mins), before we turned right to drop down to the main road by the railway bridge. We turned left to reach The Cock car park where we de-booted (189mins). Pints of Robbies were consumed for £2-70.

Next week’s walk will start from Miller’s Dale, near Tideswell. Drivers should take the B6049 road and follow the sign for Litton Mill along a minor road, stopping as soon as possible before reaching the mill. The walk will start around 9.50am, with a break for refreshment at The Devonshire Arms, Peak Forest, about 12.15pm. From Miller’s Dale we will drive back to The Wheatsheaf at Doveholes, arriving around 2.30pm

Lamaload

LAMALOAD RESERVOIR, THURSBITCH, KETTLESHULME, JENKIN CHAPEL

Distance: 9.3 miles

Difficulty: Moderate

Weather: Sunshine and Showers

Walkers: Colin Davison, Alan Hart, George Dearsley, George Whaites, Lawrie Fairman,

Apologies: Peter Beal (on his boat), Jock Rooney (in Panama), Ken Sparrow (in Falmouth)

B Walker: Geoff Spurrell

Non-walking drinkers: Frank Dudley and Tony Job

Hors de combat: John Eckerley (see below)

Leader: Fairman  Diarist: Dearsley

Starting Point: The car park at Lamaload Reservoir

Starting Time: 9.37am. Finishing Time: 2.20pm

Looking back to Lamaload

From the car park we turned right and after a few yards headed left through a gate and up an incline at the side of a copse.

The hill got progressively steeper and it was only then your diarist realised this was a challenging climb towards Shining Tor.

It was, however, worth the effort.

As my photograph (above) shows the views from this point were spectacular.

Shortly before the last section to the summit, we turned left and headed down a valley.

At 10.15am the glowering clouds dropped a shower of rain, mixed with a few hailstones.

But we were to be pleasantly surprised that the inclement weather did not last.

Walking towards Shining Tor

We reached a point where there were two stiles and two yellow arrows.

We took the right hand path which led to a place called Thursbitch.

The name of the valley was used as the title of a novel by Alan Garner. You can read more about it here.

We went through an opening with two stone posts and veered to the right. But we soon straightened out following the line of a dry stone wall to our immediate left and away in the distance to our right, a hill.

At 10.47am we stopped for Pie Time.

Resuming our walk at 10.58am we found ourselves on a path which led from an isolated farm.

Where the path met the road we turned right and then immediately left.

We walked past a farm on our left and a few minutes later reached Dunge Gardens, where Mr Davison was bawled out by the male proprietor (sporting a strange crimson coloured hairstyle, which may even have been a toupee) for not following the official path.

A customer who had parked “incorrectly” got a similar wigging. So much for “customer service”.

You can learn more about the flower emporium here.

The proprietor, I think, is number 15 on the list to the right of the home page.

By this point Mr Hart had raced into the lead like some Ethiopian marathon runner…obviously Robo-Rambler.

We crossed a road (with a sign pointing right to “Kettleshulme” ) and veered left down the road with a sign on the right to Blackhill Gate Farm.

We past Round Knoll Farm on the right.

We picked up a path which at its end informed us that it led to Old Matts Farm and found ourselves walking through a tiny hamlet.

A few strides on we descended a set of stone steps to the welcoming doors of The Swan pub at Kettleshulme.

We crossed the threshold at 12.09pm, having covered 5.8 miles.

Unicorn bitter was £2.85, as was Marston’s.

We imbibed outside in chilly but bracing air.

Mr Davison spotted a woman’s head in stone on the outside of the pub and wanted to know here identity.

A Google search proved fruitless. And so did a later telephone call to the hostelry.

One for Tony Robinson (of Baldrick fame and later history programmes) maybe.

Geoff Spurrell was in situ, having parked at the Moorside in Disley and undertaken what he described as “a circle”.

Leaving the pub at 12.50pm, we turned left, walking up the road until we took a left up Side End Lane.

After 200 yards we took a right turn and shortly afterwards stopped for lunch from 1.14pm until 1.24pm.

We went through a farm at 1.39pm and took a metalled road to the right, where we met a second path and turned left.

This brought us to Jenkin Chapel. Discover its history here.

There is disagreement about the origin of the name "Jenkin". One theory is that the junction was the site where a man called Jenkin from Ruthin, North Wales, traded.

The track-marking stone at this point was known as "Jenkin Cross". Other theories are that Jenkin was the name of a local farming family, or that it was the name of a "fiery Welsh preacher" who preached at the horse fair held here.

We turned right, following a sign to “Bollington”.

We were back at the cars at 2.20pm having covered 9.3 miles.

Your diarist had duties elsewhere, but the remaining Wanderers went to The Dog and Partridge at Bollington, a Robbies' house where a pint of Unicorn cask bitter and a pint of Hatters' mild came to £5.

 I would guess that would be £2-60 and £2-40 respectively.

I have to report that non walker John Eckersley, who has moved into a new bungalow, was KO'd when he tried to pull down the ladder leading to his loft.

He suffered a head wound and spent the night in Stepping Hill, where his scalp was glued back together.

(Shamefully, this personal tragedy was greeted with hoots of laughter by those present).

Next week's walk will start from the car park of The Cock at Whaley Bridge at 9.35am. We expect to take refreshment at The Old Hall at Whitehough, Chinley, around 12.30pm and be back at The Cock about 2.15pm.

Dean Row

DEAN ROW, LEES LANE, BOLLIN WAY, LUMB FARM, RIVER DEAN, WOODFORD AIRPORT, AVRO GOLF CLUB, ADLINGTON BORE HOLE, NORTH CHESHIRE WAY, TOP O’ TH’ HILL FARM, BOLLIN VALLEY, PRESTBURY SEWAGE WORKS, THE ADMIRAL RODNEY AT PRESTBURY, RETURNING BY SAME ROUTE TO THE UNICORN AT DEAN ROW

Distance: 12 miles.

Difficulty: Easy.

Weather: Dry and Sunny in Morning; Wet in Afternoon.

Walkers: Colin Davison, Lawrie Fairman and Alan Hart.

B Walkers: Ken Sparrow and Geoff Spurrell.

Non-Walking Drinkers: Frank Dudley, Ivor Jones and Tony Job.

Apologies: George Dearsley (Working) and Jock Rooney (Visiting son diving in Panama).

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

Starting Point: Car park of The Unicorn at Dean Row, Handforth.

Starting Time: 9.25am. Finishing Time: 3.05pm.

One of the great joys of hiking without a map is that the walk turns into a journey of discovery. So it proved when Lawrie, under pressure from his wife Wendy (who must therefore take the blame), forgot to bring both his map and his anorak.

The former presented no problems in the morning as we wandered in the general direction of Prestbury and found ourselves on the trail of aviation history. The latter turned into punishment in the afternoon as light drizzle turned into a prolonged heavy shower.

En route, apart from the now normal sight of ewes and lambs, cows and calves, various horses, dogs and rabbits, we also encountered three Shetland ponies and a pair of llamas. Among our feathered friends we sighted two swallows (so summer is now officially with us), lapwings and a sandmartin.

From the car park we walked back to the main road and turned right with the Unicorn on our left. At the roundabout we turned right into Lees Lane (3mins) and right again at a footpath sign (5mins). This brought us to a farm where we were later supplied with duck eggs at £3 a dozen.

On the far side of the farm we crossed a wooden stile and entered a field containing of host of golden dandelions. We followed a wooden public footpath sign marked Bollin Way, passing a pond on our left and going through a kissing gate (18mins).

We exited the field on the left through another kissing gate (24mins). This took us past an impressive cottage and through a metal gate. Instead of carrying on along a track ahead, Lawrie opted to turn left between some derelict farm buildings which were on the verge of renovation. We retreated back to the track two minutes later (26mins) and turned left. We reached a road (32mins), crossed it and turned left at a public footpath sign towards Pitt Lane Farm.

This, it proudly announced, was the home of herds of Danareo Friesians and Riverdean Brown Swiss cattle. We turned left to cross a stile before the farm buildings (37mins). We crossed another wooden stile and turned left again along a farm track, where we were approached by three Shetland ponies which did everything but wag their tails in greeting.

A further left turn too us back, inevitably, to the point where we had turned left into Pitt Lane Farm (44mins). It had been an interesting diversion.

This time we carried straight on following a footpath sign to the left of Lumb Farm (48mins). On the far side of the farm we passed a pair of llamas in a field on our left. At the end of the track we went through a gate into a neatly-ploughed field, skirting it by following signs marked with yellow arrows. This brought us to a bridge which we crossed over the River Dean (56mins).

After crossing a wooden stile we turned right along a narrow lane (62mins) with the fenced-in Woodford Airport soon appearing on our left. A lone Vulcan bomber, which had helped us to win the Falklands War 30 years ago, was a reminder of the great tradition of the building of military aircraft here by A.V. Roe, the British Aircraft Corporation and British Aerospace.

We turned right along a public footpath (65mins) with Avro Golf Course on our left. We entered the nine-hole course which was still being enjoyed by ex-employees who had created rain shelters out of aircraft nose cones.

We exited the course by a path in the left corner on the left of a stream (75mins). We crossed a wooden stile which led us into a field (80mins) and then negotiated a series of stiles and gates marked with yellow arrows before reaching a path with Adlington Bore Hole pumping station on our right (89mins). Further along we found some metal covers which served as seats for pie-and-port time (90mins).

Resuming, we reached a road and turned right. We passed a sign for Prestbury (94mins), crossed to the left side of the road and turned left at a yellow arrow marked for NCW (North Cheshire Way) through a seven-barred metal gate. A kissing gate led us into a field (98mins) and we followed further yellow arrows to a road, which we crossed and went over a wooden stile to the left of Top o’th’ Hill Farm (111mins).

We walked between a farm cottage and outbuildings to a kissing gate marked with a yellow arrow (114mins).  We veered left downhill, ignoring a footbridge on our right which had been closed because of the erosion of the banks of the Bollin.

Instead we continued towards a post marked with a yellow arrow (122mins) and exited the field via a kissing gate marked with a yellow arrow (124mins). We reached the left bank of the River Bollin, passing Prestbury Sewage Works on our left (128mins) and went through a kissing gate by the side of a bridge.

We were diverted left into a field to avoid sections of the former pathway which had collapsed into the river, eventually reaching a road with a football pitch on the right (144mins). This brought us to the outskirts of Prestbury and a left turn into Pearl Street brought us to the rear entrance of the Admiral Rodney (152mins).

As we enjoyed excellent pints of Robinsons’ Unicorn cask bitter at £2-75, a plaque informed us that the rear of the pub was once the front and Pearl Street had been the old turnpike road. We were further informed that the pub had been called The Board and was built in 1730.

In 1745 the bells rang joyfully when the Duke of Cumberland rode through the village, pursuing the retreating Jacobite army of Bonnie Prince Charlie, whom he subsequently defeated at Culloden.

The pub was renamed The Admiral Rodney after George Brydges Rodney, who was born in London in 1719, joined the navy in 1732, was promoted to captain in 1742 and became governor of Newfoundland. He enjoyed an illustrious career in the West Indies leading to his promotion to admiral before his death in London in 1792.

 “His love of women and play carried him to many excesses,” read the plaque. In short, a man after our own hearts. The pub, owned  by the Legh family of Adlington Hall, was bought by Robbies in 1939.

After leaving the pub we retraced our footsteps, this time in ever increasing rain, back to The Unicorn and pints of Bombardier at £3-05, pausing for lunch and purchase of eggs en route. After de-booting (262mins) we joined B walkers Ken and Geoff.

They had arrived in the Admiral Rodney from Hare Hill as we were about to leave, and estimated the length of their walk at six miles.

Next week’s walk will start from the car park at Lamaload Reservoir at 9.40am, with a break for refreshment in The Swan at Kettleshulme around 12.30pm. When we finish the walk we will drive to The Dog and Partridge at Bollington, hopefully arriving around 2.30pm.

Wildboarclough

WILDBOARCLOUGH, THREE SHIRES HEAD, KNOTBURY, DANE BOWER HOLLOW, CAT AND FIDDLE, CUMBERLAND BROOK AND STANLEY ARMS AT BOTTOM OF THE OVEN, MACCLESFIELD FOREST

Distance: 8-9 Miles.

Difficulty: Easy.

Weather: Dry with Morning Cloud giving way to Afternoon Sunshine.

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

B Walkers: Ken Sparrow and Geoff Spurrell.

Non Walking Drinkers: Frank Dudley, John Eckersley and Tony Job.

Apology: George Dearsley (working).

Leader: Fairman (Prompter: Beal). Driver: Hart. Diarist: Hart.

Starting Point: Free public car park at Clough House, Wildboarclough.

Starting Time: 9.40am. Finishing Time: 2.12pm.

After a month of April showers, some of them heavy and including painful hailstones, our first outing in May took place in ideal walking conditions. Cloud in the morning gradually gave way to blue skies and patchy sunshine, with a cool breeze preventing anyone from overheating.

Nature lovers were also treated to the sight of some new-born lambs, a large grey heron which took off like a lazy jumbo jet, and the calls of curlew and grouse. We also enjoyed Pietime at one of the area’s most picturesque spots, Panniers Pool, which was once the haunt of rogues and vagabonds. Enough said.

After exiting the car park with Clough House Farm on our right, we swung left across a stream and reached a gate next to a public footpath sign for the Cat and Fiddle, which was our lunchtime target. As Lawrie started to lead us through the gate, Peter B approached him in the diffident manner employed by Sergeant Wilson when he addressed Captain Mainwaring in Dad’s Army.

The camp followers looked on with amused interest to see how Lawrie would deal with this questioning of his authority. After some consideration he decided not to go through the gate but to turn right and head up the road.

After a hike of nearly a mile, we reached a public footpath sign on our left for Three Shires Head (20mins) and headed up a stony track. This took us across the Buxton-Congleton road (30mins), through a field and over a wooden stile on to a road by the side of a farmhouse (40mins).

We turned right for 20 yards then went left along a path which led through a gate. This brought us to Three Shires Head, the junction of two streams where the boundaries of three counties, Cheshire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire, abut (58mins).

We crossed the bridge on our right, leaving Cheshire for Derbyshire, but stopped short of a second bridge which marked the border with Staffordshire. Our vantage point overlooking Panniers Pool was an idyllic spot for port and pies (60mins). It also provided great excitement for Tips, who had a whale of a time chasing in and out of the water for sticks.

Our arrival in pole position at Panniers Pool was just in time to outmanoeuvre a large party of hikers from the University of the Third Age, who were obliged to take up an inferior position on the Staffordshire side of the pool.

We are indebted to Peter B for the information that two centuries ago, Three Shires Head was a notorious meeting point for the yobs of yesteryear who would swop stolen goods and thumb their noses at the sheriff’s men as they skipped from county to county in the space of a few yards.

Resuming, we took the Derbyshire route uphill away from the pool until we reached a bridge on our right (65mins). Instead of going forward towards Orchard Common, we crossed the bridge on our right following a sign for Knotbury.

This took us to a tarmac track (74mins) where we turned right with The Roaches, Ramshaw Rocks and Hen Cloud ahead to our right in the distance. We reached Knotbury Lea Cottage on our right (77mins) where the village idiot, sporting a rucksack, a trilby without a hatband and a toothless grin, bade us Good Morning.

We turned left at a wooden public footpath sign through a gate (78mins) and could soon see Shutlingsloe peeping out above the skyline on our left. At a farm on our left we plunged steeply downhill (87mins) crossing a bridge and then ascending an equally steep gradient towards some farm buildings.

The path marked with a yellow arrow took us left of the farm buildings, which included rentable cottages, and into a field where ewes had just given birth to their lambs. Many of these youngsters were still unsteady on their feet: others curiously approached us, despites their mother’s bleating, to see if we possessed any milk.

Sadly three lambs were lying dead and abandoned a few feet from our path. We went through a gate and turned left (99mins). After crossing a brook by stepping stones (111mins) we climbed up the far bank and followed the path.

This brought us, via a steep climb on our right, back to the Buxton-Congleton road we had crossed earlier (108mins). After crossing the road we continued along the path uphill, entering Dane Bower Hollow. This led us to the road opposite The Cat and Fiddle, which, at 1,690 feet above sea level, is the second highest pub in the UK.

Inside (136mins) the Hatters’ mild produced by the Robinsons’ brewery in nearby Stockport, was available for £2-90. To the consternation of some of our group, there was no bitter on offer. The only alternatives were Black Beauty stout or lager.

The pretty barmaid informed us that the landlord was leaving in two weeks and that a bad batch of bitter had not yet been replaced. There was much speculation about whether this famous, isolated pub could survive the economic climate which had brought about the demise of so many others.

Resuming we retraced our earlier footsteps before turning right (149mins) following a wooden public footpath sign for Wildboarclough via Cumberland Brook.

Lunch was taken at a valley just before a stream (159mins) and we went through the gate where we had paused at the start of our journey to reach our cars (184mins).

After de-booting we drove to The Stanley Arms at Bottom of the Oven, Macclesfield Forest, for pints of Marstons’ cask bitter at £2-90. Such was the improvement in the weather and temperature that a roaring fire brought brickbats instead of bouquets as we joined the B walkers and non-walking drinkers for refreshment.

Next week’s walk will start from the car park of The Unicorn at Dean Row, between Woodford and Handforth, at 9.25am. It is anticipated we will reach the Admiral Rodney at Prestbury around 12.30pm for a livener before returning to The Unicorn about 2.15pm.