New Mills

NEW MILLS, SETT VALLEY TRAIL, CARR MEADOW, THORNSETT, BATE MILL TRADE CENTRE, SUNNYSIDE FARM, BROADHURST HOUSE, THE CHILDREN’S INN, SHILOH ROAD, MELLOR CHURCH, THE DEVONSHIRE ARMS AT MELLOR, LINNET CLOUGH, NEW MILLS GOLF CLUB, THE ROYAL OAK AT NEW MILLS

Distance: 9 miles.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Weather: Cloudy but dry for first half; raining throughout second half.

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

B walkers: John Laverick, Ken Sparrow, Geoff Spurrell and Mike Walton.

Apologies: George Dearsley (working), Tony Job (having cortisone injection), Jock Rooney (North Sea diving).

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

Starting point: Hyde Bank Road, New Mills.

Starting time: 9.36am. Finishing time: 2.31pm.

Just like a pilot who has survived a plane crash, Colin climbed back into the cockpit to lead this walk. He stalled on a couple of occasions but managed to keep going and reach our destinations in reasonable time.

Once again we were up to our fetlocks in mud, battling brambles, bracken and head-high nettles while trying to set new records for the numbers of stiles crossed in less than five hours. After our half-way refreshment, the rain we had managed to avoid set in and we had no respite until the end of our journey. On a dismal day on the weather front, our spirits were raised by the choice of pubs where we were accorded a warm welcome.

Last week the non-walking drinkers failed to make an appearance because they had gone to The Dog and Partridge in Bollington to await our arrival, having failed to notice our change of venue. This week their driver, Tony Job, was having a cortisone injection which might enable him to join the B walkers next Wednesday for his first outing of the year. We look forward to his return.

From Hyde Bank Road we passed Hyde Bank Mill on our left and turned right into Church Lane (1min). We turned left into The Sett Valley Improvement Scheme (2mins), crossed a road and joined The Sett Valley Trail.

After crossing a road on the outskirts of Thornsett (5mins) we continued along the trail, but turned left away from it to enter Carr Meadow (10mins). Just before the main path rejoined the SVT we turned left (11mins) down an overgrown path and took the left fork where it divided. This took us past a World War 11 air raid shelter and to the right of a millpond.

This led us into the yard of A.M.H. Precision Tools. We left the yard to cross a bridge over the River Sett and passed the Thornsett Band Institute, built in 1932, to follow Batemill Road towards New Mills (30mins).

We turned right into the Bate Mill Trade Centre and found a public footpath to the left at the back which starts with a flight of steps. This path was fenced off, illegally according to Colin’s map, and we were obliged to go left uphill through Sunnyside Farm (39mins).

We went right over a wooden stile marked with a white arrow and entered a field. By now Colin was wearing that familiar expression of frustration and bewilderment as he studied his map for inspiration. It seems that once again the gods had conspired to thwart his plans. To add to his angst, he perceived Lawrie as trying to wrest control from his grasp as Der Fuhrer led the way forward over a stone step stile (45mins).

This took us through a stableyard at Broadhurst House which we exited by turning right over a stone step stile (50mins). We turned right down the road and headed right again (56mins) at a sign marked Restricted Byway. This brought us to a road (66mins) where we turned left uphill.

At a wooden public footpath sign we turned right to enter a field by a stone step stile. We shooed away some cows which were scrutinising the work of two drystone-wallers and crossed another stone step stile. After crossing a ladder stile (76mins) we found a grassy bank where we stopped for pies (87mins).

Resuming we crossed a wooden stile (89mins) and turned left along a lane. This emerged at The Children’s Inn, sporting the theme from the nursery rhyme “The Cat and The Fiddle” above its door. You may recall the rhyme: Hey diddle diddle, the cat and the fiddle, the cow jumped over the moon. The little dog laughed to see such fun, and the dish ran away with the spoon.

This has vexed scholars for more than five centuries. There are numerous theories about its origins – a corruption of ancient Greek; connected with Hathor worship (whatever that might be); refers to various constellations; describes the flight from Egypt; depicts Lady Katherine Grey and her relationships with the Earls of Hertford and Leicester; alludes to Katherine of Aragon (Katherine la Fidele); refers to Catherine, wife of Russia’s Peter The Great; is about the game of cat (played with a cup and ball).

I prefer the version that all these scholars are talking academic bollocks and the verse is simply nonsense.

The Children’s Inn, I am informed, is a holiday home for disadvantaged children. We turned left there (91mins) and reached a T-junction (96mins) where we turned left along Shiloh Road, passing The Moorfield Arms on our right (97mins). We reached a wooden post marked with a yellow arrow (103mins) and turned right.

The route took us over a wooden and then a stone step stile. At a T-junction we took the path to the right (114mins). Where this lane swung right we carried straight ahead along a track (115mins). We walked through a gate and headed uphill through a field, following a sign for Mellor Church.

Here we learned from various notice boards that ancient relics from the end of the last Ice Age had been found. There had been an Iron Age settlement and there was evidence of a Roman camp.

After a five minute pause to study the boards and archaeological digs, we headed downhill with the cemetery on our right (134mins), passing Mellor Parish Centre and taking the path to the right of the road. We followed a footpath sign at Church Road (138mins) and emerged to the left of The Devonshire Arms (141mins).

The B walkers had arrived minutes earlier, having alighted their bus at Four Lane Ends on the road between Marple Bridge and Glossop. Their route had taken them along Cown Edge Way, also passing Mellor Church.

Robinsons’ bitter was £2-90 a pint, with its mild at £2-80. Both were in fine form, which, together with persistent rain now falling outside, caused a further delay in our departure. The B walkers set off before us and sensibly chose to take a route below the heights to the left of Linnet Clough.

We did no such thing as we departed, heading up Gibb Lane opposite the pub’s front door. We turned left up Whitmorhurst Lane (148mins) and after 20 yards turned left following a wooden public footpath sign. We went over a wooden stile and turned left, then right uphill.

The rain now falling made the ground even muddier and there was overwhelming evidence that the farmer had allowed cattle to use the field. We headed diagonally left uphill and found a stone step stile which led to the left of a farmhouse where we stopped for lunch (159mins).

Continuing, we went over a wooden stile on our right and fought our way through head-high nettles to exit by a stile (162mins). We turned right down a lane and left at a public footpath sign (164mins). This took us through a swathe of undergrowth which Colin had recently hacked clear to preserve the public right of way.  At a T-junction we turned right (179mins).

We went right over a wooden stile (182mins) and reached a public footpath sign which pointed every way but forward. We carried on forward and crossed a wooden stile to turn left down a lane (188mins). At the end of the road to Stonypiece Farm we turned right (192mins).

We passed New Mills Golf Club on our left (194mins) and followed a public footpath sign on our left (199mins). We turned right and then left through a gap stile, following a path which led to a road (204mins). Here we turned left and then right (205mins) at a public footpath sign.

This was one of a series of signs which led us through a housing estate, taking the right fork at one stage (207mins) and emerging on the main road (211mins). We turned right and found The Royal Oak on our left (215mins). Lawrie carried on to retrieve his car and was never seen or heard from again.

It was decided he had either forgotten about us or, more likely, decided to go straight home. The landlord of the pub made us most welcome, which mitigated the noise of 70s pop music which he no doubt put on to create “atmosphere.” The Robbies’ bitter was in good nick at £2-65 a pint.

Next week’s walk will start at 9.30am from the free car park opposite The Spinners Arms in Bollington. We will aim to be in The Robin Hood at Rainow around 12.15pm, with a 2.20pm finish at The Dog and Partridge in Bollington.