HIGH
LANE, LYME PARK, BOW STONES, DISLEY
Distance:
9.95 miles; Avg. Walking Speed 2.68mph; Max Elevation 1419.18ft; Walking Time 3
hrs 43.56mins.
Difficulty:
Moderate
Weather:
Overcast with clear views but absolutely
no rain.
A Walkers, Lawrie Fairman, Julian Ross, John
Laverick, Peter Morrall, George Whaites.
Apologies:
Jock Rooney (working abroad), Colin Davison (holiday), Alan Hart (wimped out),
Peter Beal (cruising in sunny Norway), George Dearsley (working abroad), Tom
Cunliffe (????), Malcom Halley (recovering from dentist?) Mikey Barrett (on
holiday)
B
Walkers: Geoff Spurrell, Tony Job, Mike Walton, Ken Sparrow
Non-walking
drinkers: Alan Hart (See special report)
Walking-non drinkers : Pete Morrell
Leader:
Fairman
Diarist:
Laverick with contributions from Hart and Job
Starting
Point: Car Park, Horse Shoe Inn, High Lane
Starting
Time: 9.20am. Finishing Time: 2.20pm
First
a word of apology for the delay in the receipt of this diary and if it is not
to the usual high standard of my mentors Hart and Dearsley, I was foolish
enough to volunteer to write and then remembered that English is my second language
(been born in the north east) and I was finding more excuses than a virgin on
her wedding night why I had no time to do it.
However
I digress and to the diary……………………
The
group gave Pete Morrell the usual warm welcome for new members to the group.
It
started strangely with Pete M and myself turning up at Mr Hart`s in DRY with
the sun trying to break through weather to be told he was not coming out to
play because it was raining and would be raining really heavily that morning.
George however had not heard the rain warning of the second coming of a
biblical flood and turned up at the appointed hour in a car rather than an ark.
The
walk started for five of the intrepid A Team ready to take on the elements from
the car park of the Horse Shoe Inn, High Lane at 09:30 Hrs. crossing the A6
following the public footpath just above the Middlewood Road that leads onto
the Middlewood Way which was followed along until the Boars Head in Higher
Poynton. It was a wrench to pass the Boars Head without popping in
unfortunately it was closed.
At
the Boars head we turned off the Middlewood Way and turned right over the
bridge on to Lyme Road following it up to the canal, over the canal by the
marina and bearing right onward past Elm Wood on towards Haresteads Farm
where we came across giant rabbits.
Where`s
Alice ??
Wonderland....or Blunderland?
The
walk continued uphill winding our way up past Windgather and through the West
Gate in to Lyme Park and onward towards toward the big house. Picking up the
Gritstone Trail up through Knights Low Wood where we passed a whole host of
small children who were making more noise than their size allowed and they
appeared to be building wood camps with not a sign of Elf and Safety in site.
Pie Break was taken in the shelter of the wood,
at this point Tom would have had something to say, not only did we have Pie
Break early but we also had a full ten minutes!
The
Bowstones are a pair of Anglian cross shafts in Cheshire, England. Situated
beside the old ridgeway between Disley and Macclesfield overlooking Lyme Park,
the Cheshire Plain, the city of Manchester and the hills of the Peak District,
they are a scheduled monument.
The western shaft is 1.22 metres high and tapers
from circumference of 1.25m at the base to 0.86m at the top. The eastern shaft
is 0.98m high and has a circumference of 1.27m. Both are decorated with
interlaced carvings in a style that indicates a date of the 10th century or earlier.
There is some later lettering engraved. Their round cross section and their
erection as a pair is unusual for crosses of this era.
They may have been moved
their current location in the 16th century by Sir Piers Legh of Lyme Hall. Two stone cross heads on display at the hall may have originally surmounted the
shafts.Local legend states that the name is derived from their use by Robin
Hood and his men to re-string their bows.
Despite
the rain that we had been promised, the views from the summit were magnificent
and the mountains of Wales were clearly visible, even Manchester was a site to
behold as we scoured the horizon for a rain cloud.
Dry
as a desert.
On
leaving the Bow Stones picked up the track, the Gritstone Trail, past Handley
Barn, Dissop Head to the junction of Higher Lane and Mudhurst Lane where we
turned left at Cock Knoll following the Gritstone Trail towards the East Gate
of Lyme Park.
It
was at this point our so far flawless Leader made a small mistake taking us
past a lady on her knees bending over then taking us back past her again
claiming he had made a mistake with his map reading, we should have turned
right not left!
Onward
we went following the Gritstone Trail along Green Lane with Higher Disley to
our right.
One
has to admire the farmer who has preserved the stile for the footpath passing
through his field when the fence seems to have disappeared many years ago.
Mind
the fence Pete.
Past
Superman`s changing room on the left with the path to the Hanging Gate on the
right onward we forged until the St Andrew`s Church was in sight and the smell
of Unicorn from the Dandycock spurred us on.
We
arrived at 12:20 Hrs have completed 7.61 miles.
Pete
left us at this time to sort out a small problem at home, hence he became our
first non drinking walker.
The
Unicorn as usual was on fine form see prices in our special non walking
drinker`s reporter.
After
a suitable intake of ale to strengthen our resolve we set of once more to
complete the walk and set off back towards the North Gate of Lyme Park
retracing some of our steps along Red Lane ending back at the entrance kiosk
(Park Gate) of Lyme Park.
Following
the Bollinhurst Brook crossing the North Cheshire Way, crossed over the Hazel
Grove to Disley railway line on to the LVI Trail joined on Coppice Lane to re-cross
the railway further down the line turning right onto Chatsworth Road.
Keeping
left behind the row of houses on Ashbourne Road, following the footpath, round
the back of Haddon Close, turning left on to Hartington Road, right on to
Alderdale Drive, then turning left on to the A6 and onwards to the end
objective of a good pint in the Horse Shoe Inn after 2.64 miles and arriving as
planned at 14:20 Hrs.
SPECIAL
REPORTER ALAN HART
After
wimping out of the A walk because of inaccurate weather forecasts, Alan arrived
at The Dandy Cock at 12.20pm after catching a train from Hazel Grove to
Disley.
As
the rest of the group sallied forth on a route which ran parallel with the A6
to the south, Harty announced he would carry out a survey of pubs on the main
road. His report made sad reading, following the excellent Robbies' cask bitter
at The Dandy Cock at £2-70 a pint, with mild at £2-60.
At
the Ram's Head in Disley, our intrepid reporter sampled a pint of Adnams
Kristal White wheat beer at £3-39. He said the overpriced beer was tasty but
the pub suffered from delusions of grandeur as a posh restaurant which sold
beer.
The
same was true of the Red Lion at High Lane, although the Robbies' 1892
mild was in good form and reasonably priced at £2-65.
At
the Dog and Partridge he found six choices of lager, which he was happy to
refuse, and both barrels of cask bitters had run out the previous day. He
declined the offer of a "smooth" alternative (as in chemical keg
beer).
The
Bull's Head, which was advertised as "a business opportunity", was
shut. The Horseshoe offered a warm welcome and Unicorn cask bitter at £2-80 a
pint.
SPECIAL
REPORTER TONY JOB
Route:
High Lane, Macc Canal, Romper, Roman Bridge, Goyt Way, Lower Cliff, Brook
Bottom (Fox), New Mills bus stn., Newtown, and then 199 bus to High Lane. Path
from Goyt Way up to Lower Cliff involved crossing barbed wire, not recommended.
Bus connections from New Mills to Newtown not good, so we will not repeat the
route from Fox onward.
Beer
at The Fox was in fine condition.
Final
word from Laverick
Next
week's walk will start at 9.30am from The Cock at Whaley Bridge, calling at The
Old Hall in Whitehough, Chinley, around 12.15pm and finishing back at The Cock
around 2.20pm.
No comments:
Post a Comment