New Mills

NEW MILLS, THE TORRS, SETT VALLEY TRAIL, THORNSETT, BATE MILL, GOLDEN SPRINGS, CARR NOOK FARM, THE MOORFIELD ARMS, SPRINGBANK FARM, UPPER BRADSHAW FARM. CHATTERTON END FARM, THE ODDFELLOWS ARMS AND THE DEVONSHIRE ARMS AT MELLOR, LINNET CLOUGH, TARDEN FARM STABLES, MELLOR AND TOWNCLIFFE GOLF CLUB, NEW MILLS GOLF CLUB, AND PRIDE OF THE PEAKS AT NEW MILLS

Distance: Ten miles.

Difficulty: Easy.

Weather: Warm, dry and sunny.

Walkers: Nigel Crank, Colin Davison, Lawrie Fairman, Alan Hart, John Jones and George Whaites.

B walkers: B walkers were Geoff Spurrell, Tony Job, Ken Sparrow, Mike Walton and Pete Morrall

Apologies: Mickey Barrett (hols), Peter Beal (narrow-boating), George Dearsley (Turkish hols), John Laverick (visiting Shrewsbury), Jock Rooney (Isle of Man hols) and Julian Ross (hols).

Leader: Davison. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Car park of Pride of the Peaks pub, New Mills.

Starting time: 9.38am. Finishing time: 2.45pm.

There’s many a slip twixt cup and lip, as our leader found to his embarrassment during this splendid rural walk through the farmyards and fields of north Derbyshire. The route had been impeccable from New Mills to Mellor. It would seem churlish to even mention the fact that Colin had set off with the wrong map in his rucksack – or indeed to point out that he had changed the starting point without informing us.

We had reached pietime without faltering and it was possible to detect a smile of smug satisfaction on our leader’s face as we walked the last few yards to The Oddfellows Arms at Mellor two minutes ahead of schedule. 

Alas and alack. The pub was closed and the smugness evaporated before our eyes.

Happily The Devonshire Arms was only a quarter of a mile away and the Wednesday Wanderers are nothing if not flexible and forgiving. The alternative pub proved a worthy substitute, as did the Pride of the Peaks, which had replaced The Royal Oak as our final watering hole.

So let us not quibble. It was a thoroughly enjoyable walk, containing an entertaining interlude when George was both hounded and badgered by a pony.

From the car park we turned right across the front of the pub and right down Rock Street towards The Torrs. With the viaduct to our right, we turned left along the Sett Valley Trail (4mins) which we followed until we reached the road on the edge of Thornsett (16mins). 

We walked past the sign for Thornsett and Thornsett Cemetery on our right, crossing the River Sett and turning left at a T-junction into Batemill Road towards New Mills. We crossed the road and walked to the left of Bate Mill Trade Centre (26mins) and followed a footpath. When the path ended we turned left into a field and right through a gate marked with a yellow arrow (31mins).

The unmarked path was through a garden which we exited via a wooden stile on our left (34mins). The route lay straight ahead through fields and over stiles until we reached a wide mown path. We turned left uphill to the left of a farm cottage (42mins).

Reaching a lane we turned first right down to the cottage called Golden Springs and then left at a wooden public footpath sign (46mins). A stone step stile brought us out opposite a farmhouse commanding magnificent views across the hillside. It is for sale and an inquiry by your diarist elicited further details. It has four bedrooms, three reception rooms and two bathrooms. 

With more than an acre of garden it is on the market for £699,950, or you can take it with 17 acres of land for £760,000.

We turned left uphill (51mins) then right at a wooden public footpath sign (53mins), following the right of two alternative paths. Aftercrossing a particularly awkward stone step stile, we crossed a ladder stile and a footbridge (63mins). At a wooden public footpath sign we turned left over a wooden stile (69mins) and headed uphill.

To our right a pair of wooden sleepers provided adequate seats for pietime (72mins). Our picnic was interrupted by the arrival of a pony which wanted to share George’s sandwich.

George and the pony

The animal’s persistence and George’s increasing irritation were the source of general amusement. Eventually Nigel managed to distract the pony by allowing it to nibble his nuts (Is this legal? Ed.)

We also have Nigel to thank for producing a map of the area which he had found during last week’s walk. The introduction of a flappy thing served initially to delay us while Colin and Lawrie consulted the oracle rather than continuing to rely on the instinct which had served so well thus far.

Resuming, we headed downhill diagonally right and crossed a wooden stile (79mins) then a stone step stile with a wire mesh gate which led into a garden (81mins). We passed a farmhouse and turned left into a field heading uphill. We emerged at The Moorfield Arms, near Rowarth (87mins), and turned right.

On reaching Springbank Farm we turned left (92mins) at a public footpath sign which took us through Upper Bradshaw Farm (94mins). We exited via a stone step stile by the side of a gate and turned right (96mins). After crossing a wooden stile (98mins) we headed diagonally left through a field to the left of a group of farm buildings. We crossed a stile marked with a yellow arrow between an electrified fence and went to the left of a renovated farm.

Beyond the farm we went left downhill and at the end of the paved farm lane we turned right downhill (112mins). After passing Chatterton End Farm on our right we turned left up some steps (117mins). The route was straight ahead through a gate keeping a drystone wall on our right. We crossed a stone step stile marked with a yellow arrow (122mins) and entered a farmyards, turning right and then left following a public footpath sign towards Mellor (124mins).

Mellor from the air

After crossing a stone step stile we followed a stony track and turned right through a wooden gate uphill (128mins). With Mellor Church in view 150 yards ahead, we crossed a stile on our left and went downhill through a field, squeezing through a tiny gap stile and right through a gate marked with a yellow arrow (145mins). We turned right down a cobbled street with Hillside Cottage on our left and reached the main road, turned left and after 50 yards arrived at The Oddfellows Arms (150mins).

Our leader was bemused, protesting that the pub had always been open at lunchtimes on several visits earlier this year. Rebellion was quickly averted with the news that The Devonshire Arms was a quarter of a mile away. 

Retracing our footsteps we continued downhill to reach the pub on our right (162mins) and sample the delights of mild at £2-90 a pint with Robbies’ Unicorn cask bitter at £3. The beer garden provided an idyllic setting in the summer sunshine. All we lacked was the sound of a cuckoo.

Leaving with some reluctance, we crossed into Gibb Lane and forked right towards Linnet Clough Scout Camp (167mins). We passed Primrose and Rose Cottages on our right and reached Tarden Farm Stables on our right (174mins). At this point two familiar figures came into view on bicycles. 

Our former walking companion Phil Welsh and his son Xander were on a cycle ride so they stopped to chat. Continuing, we reached Mellor and Towncliffe Golf Club and turned left to stop for lunch on a convenient wall (179mins). Resuming, we passed The Banks on our left (187mins) and took the left fork uphill, passing Lily Bank Farm Cottage on our left (191mins). At a T-junction we turned left uphill (197mins).

At a public footpath sign we turned left and headed uphill and diagonally right to reach a stone step stile (207mins). We turned right, crossed a footbridge (211mins) and turned right again. We squeezed through a gap stile to cross a field (212mins), crossed a wooden stile and turned left (213mins). At a public footpath sign we turned right into New Mills Golf Club (218mins).

After crossing a fairway we left the golf course by a stone step stile (222mins). We reached a road and turned right downhill (225mins). After 40 yards we turned left at a public footpath sign (226mins). This was the start of a series of footpaths leading downhill through a post-war housing estate.

We eventually emerged into a road with a school on our left and and a building firm on our right. We reached the main road at the end of Meadow Street and turned right, passing New Mills Town Hall on our right (233mins) and arriving at the Pride of the Peaks (236mins).

For the B Walkers this was more a bus trip than a walk, but both offered a share of the delights of the White Peak on a glorious day. We got the 10 am TP (Trans Peak) bus from the Rising Sun, which took us via Buxton, Chelmorton and Taddington to Ashford-in-the-Water. 

After a pause on the sheepwash bridge, we returned to the cricket ground, and took a path along the Wye to Bakewell. This led us across fields, before hitting the busy A6 again. After passing the Riverside business centre, we crossed the river, and followed a path into the centre of Bakewell. The first pub we encountered was the Castle Inn, with a pleasant beer garden, and bitter at about £2.75 a pint. 

We crossed the river again, and strolled South through the Show ground as far as the A6 again, but found a path back to the centre through allotments and a park adjoining the cricket ground. The TP buses run hourly at this time as far as Buxton. so we got the first bus to Buxton market place, and settled down outside the Eagle for pints of Hydes' Original at £2 a pint, Carling £2.25. Then it was time to get the 4.05 pm 199 bus back to Hazel Grove.

TP bus service from Manchester to Nottingham is mainly July and August only.

*The phrase “There’s many a slip twixt cup and lip is believed to have its roots in Greek mythology. When one of the Argonauts ventured on their epic voyage, he was warned by a soothsayer that he would never again enjoy a glass of his home-made wine. After returning many years later from a series of perilous adventures, the Argonaut poured wine into his goblet and scoffed at the soothsayer’s pessimism. But before he could drink the wine, he heard that a boar had been spotted in his vineyard. The doughty Argonaut put down the goblet, went out to hunt the boar, fell off his horse and died. Colin would be well-advised to stay clear of bores in future !

Next week’s walk will start at 9.45am from the car park of The Rose and Crown at Allgreave, on the A54 Congleton to Buxton road. Lawrie has promised to direct us round a route which will take us to The Ship at Wincle for a livener around 12.20pm. We will return to The Rose and Crown around 2.15pm. As this diary goes to press it is not clear whether The Rose and Crown has yet reopened with our Estonian landlady Ludmilla behind the pumps. Should it be closed, we will drive from its car park to The Old King’s Head at Gurnett, Macclesfield, for further refreshment.