Ashford in the Water

ASHFORD IN THE WATER, MONSAL HEAD, MONSAL DALE, DEEP DALE, SHELDON (COCK AND PULLET), ASHFORD IN THE WATER (BULL’S HEAD)

Distance: 7.32 miles, Average Walking Speed 2.49 mph, Max. Elevation 1177.88ft, Elevation Gain 1302.09ft.

Difficulty: Easy except for one very uppy bit found by Laurie.

Weather: Dry with warm sun, little cloud later.

A Walkers: Nigel Crank, Tom Cunliffe, Laurie Fairman, John Laverick, Jock Rooney with Tips, Chris Corps and Fergus, and George Whaites, Colin Davison.

B walkers: See report included in this diary.

Apologies: Mickey Barrett, Peter Beal, George Dearsley (w*#king), Julian Ross (decorating which is like w*#king), Alan hart (Cruise to Madeira)

Leader: Corps with a challenge from Fairman. Diarist: Laverick.

Starting point: Ashford in the Water at Sheepwash Bridge, White Peak, Derbyshire.

Starting time: 09.59hrs. Finishing time: 14.14hrs.

Congratulations go to Jock who forgot his jacket and joined the long list of Wanderers who over a period of time have managed to forget essentials like walking boots, walking sticks, rucksacks, lunches, the walk route etc. etc. So despite Jock living the closest to the starting point he was the last to arrive as he returned home for his jacket delaying the 09:45hrs start. The Wanderers of course forgave him due to the fact that most of them have been late and forgotten things.

The first part of this walk and many others are available on the following web site http://derbyshire-peakdistrict-co-uk.leia.parcomweb.net/

Ashford in the Water

Famous for its well dressing which has persisted since ancient times. About 150 years ago the present dressings were introduced by pressing petals and berries into a clay base. Up to 5 wells are dressed for Trinity Sunday and left for a week for all to see.  The name Ashford comes from the Saxon ‘Aescforda’ where the Old Portway forded the river, and is mentioned in the Doomsday Book with a reference to ‘plumbariae’ or places where lead was mined.

Sheepwash Bridge is a medieval packhorse bridge; sheep wash refers to the practice of washing the sheep by making them swim across the river.

I digress…….

In bright sunshine the group set out heading away from the shelter at Sheep Wash Bridge heading up Fennel street until the roundabout signed for ‘Wardlow and Monsal Head’. proceeding straight on up Vicarage Lane.

The meeting point, tree in full Autumn colour.

Within a few yards take the footpath on your left up a short flight of steps. Follow the path to the right behind a row houses to a stile.

Walk across the field guided by the marker post to the far right hand corner and go over a stile onto a farm track.

Go to the left up the track until it enters a field, when you immediately turn left up a slope, keeping close to the wall on your left.

After crossing the stile in the top corner of the field, turn sharp right keeping close to the stone wall and go through the next stile onto another farm track.

Continue along the well signed track, shortly to follow the edge of the steeply sided valley round to the right, to climb a short flight of steps to Monsal Head Hotel car park where seats were available for Pie Time at 10:53hrs after 2.25 miles. For 10 whole minutes we were able to eat and admire the views of the Monsal Viaduct down the dales before Tom’s eternal cry of “Right come on lads you’ve had long enough” broke our relaxed mood at 11:03hrs.

Autumn colours

Pie Time

The Wanderer’s Pie Time. Could this be the first Wanderer’s picture Mr Davidson has not managed to get in?

Library picture of Monsal Dale Viaduct

Monsal Viaduct

Built in 1867 by the Midland Railway it was used up to 1968. It has now been declared of architectural and historic interest. However John Ruskin the 19^th century English author and art critic was less pleased about the railway and declared “ You enterprised a railroad through the valley; you blasted its rocks away, heaped thousands of tons of shale into its lovely stream. The valley is gone and the Gods with it, and now every fool in Buxton can be at Bakewell in half an hour and every fool in Bakewell at Buxton; which you think a lucrative process of exchange – you Fools everywhere”.

 Library picture of Monsal Dale Viaduct.

Sorry I Digressed again…………

It appears there are another set of magic pants apart from Harty’s; Chris Corps put his on during Pie Time declaring it was going to rain at 13:00hrs…… he was wrong not a drop fell during the whole duration of the walk. Between the two of them we should be able to throw away our waterproofs.

On leaving the car park seating go back through the gate turning left to a fork on the right, take this path down a flight of steps to Monsal Dale and the viaduct, turning left at a gate by the end of some farm buildings, coming out at a weir on the river Wye in Monsal Dale.

Turn left downstream for a short distance to cross a footbridge and turn left to follow the path close to the River Wye for just over a mile passing a signpost signing White Lodge to to reach the A6.

Fergus helping Chris across the watery path to the stile.

Across the road to White Lodge Car Park, enter the car park about 20 yards into the car park turn right up a path leading to Deep Dale.

Follow the well defined path up passing a sign post signing Taddington to the right, stay left on the main path.

Continue climbing up to a point where the path splits, one path to the left which will take you through Great Shacklow Wood and one to the right which heads up through Deep Dale.

It was at this point Mr Fairman made a bid to try and wrestle back his Walk Leader position by deciding to turn left towards the wood rather than follow the planned route through Deep Dale. Obediently we all followed, except Jock who had the good sense to take the Deep Dale route, steeper and steeper the path became until we reached a gate into Great Shacklow Wood. At this point we turned sharp right to be faced with an almost vertical climbing path (the diarist may be exaggerating a little at this point) which was very difficult to climb due to the recent rains and leaf fall which made the path very slippy.

Shacklow Woods

By the time the Wanderers had reached the top of the slope Mr Corps was re-instated as walk leader in case Mr Fairman got a further urges to find more climbs.

At the top of the slope go through a gate and continue up a slight slope across the field at an angle until the field wall is encountered. Turn left so that the wall is on your right side as you walk.

Go over next stile turning left walking along the edge of the field with the wall to your right. Continue to next stile straight on over field. Continue to gate/stile on to a track, signposted Sheldon, turn left along the track.

Follow the track which becomes a path negotiating the various stiles and gates encountered. The paths are well marked.

Eventually a stile is encountered that meets a track. At this track turn right, to the left is a barrier that shows private property.

Continue down this track past a T junction, go straight on, passing a small church on the left until the track meets a road running through Sheldon.

At this point a right turn should be taken if like the Wanderers your objective is the Cock and Pullet Inn.

The pub was reached at 12:25hrs after 5.29 miles. The pub was also the highest elevation of 1177.88 ft for the walk. The ale was in excellent form, Blacksheep, Taylors and Doombar all on offer between £2.70 and £2.90 per pint. Jock and Tips rejoined us at this point arriving at 13:04 hrs having been the only Wanderer to have actually completed the planned route.

After a suitable amount of time, 46 mins, having a refresher or two, plus of course time for Tom to consume his habitual large butty and chips, left the pub and turned right onto the road.

Proceed down the road until the end of the village to a path on the left just past Lower Farm also on the left. The Diarist noticed that one of the barns is guarded by a stuffed cockerel………… any guess why????

Continue down this path keeping left where the path splits to Little Shacklow Wood. Follow the path down into the wood continuing down to the site of an old quarry where lunch was partaken by those who had not already eaten all their food at pie time.

Down through Little Shacklow Wood.

After lunch continued down a slight slope along the well marked path. This is where Mr Fairman after falling on his rear end discovered that walking sticks work better if they are not in one hand rather than two and you are not eating an apple while walking down a slippy slope.

Note for the future Mr Fairman: only women can multi-task.

Follow the path until it meets the river, turn right and follow the path along the riverbank to the Sheldon Road where you turn left.

                                                              Note the level of the river, then look at the next picture!

Why would you want to bath in fast deep muddy water?

After a short distance turn right along the A6 and then left at Sheepwash Bridge into Ashford.

After de-booting most of the Wanders headed the Bull’s Head to enjoy a swift pint before heading home. Apologies but the Diarist failed to note the available ales or prices in this establishment and promises to try harder next time.

Tony Job; B walk 30/10/13:

Walkers: Ken, Geoff, Tony, Wally and Terry. No apologies.

 09.44 am  394 bus from Rising Sun to Marple Bridge.

Walked up towards Roman Lakes, stopping to view the archaeological excavations of the water wheel pit for Samuel Oldknow's mill. Continued past Roman Lakes to Roman Bridge, noting Railtrack works leading to the railway viaduct. After elevenses, crossed bridge and climbed up to the PF Canal, where we walked Southish until thirst got the better of us, and we took refreshment at The White Lion. 4.8 miles so far. Storm brewery's bitter £3.00 a pint. This pub never seems to have taken off since an expensive refurbishment - only one other drinker there, so we got the 199 outside, and continued at The Soldier Dick, where business was much better. So was the price and the beer, £2.70 a pint for Ruddles. A further 2 miles to this point.

An early finish enabled us to get the 15.09 199 bus back to Hazel Grove.

Next week’s walk will start at 09:30 hrs from the lay by at Trentabank Reservoir not far from the Leather Smithy, the walk will include Shuttlinghoe. Half way refresher at the Hanging Gate and end pint at the Leather Smithy.

Rudyard Lake

THE KNOT INN, RUDYARD LAKE, HORTON

Distance: 7.6 miles.

Difficulty: Easy.

Weather: Cloudy with light showers and later sunshine

Walkers: John Laverick, George Dearsley, Nigel Crank, Jock Rooney and Tips, Syd Marland

B walkers: To be added.

Apologies: Tom Cunliffe (w^*king), Alan Hart (dislike of the rain)

Leader: Laverick. Diarist: Dearsley

Starting point: Public car park near the Knot Inn, Rushton Spencer

Starting time: 9.47am. Finishing time: 1.13pm.

Audere-est-Facere (to dare is to do) is the motto of Tottenham Hotspur. And those Wednesday Wanderers prepared to dare to defy an abysmal weather forecast were rewarded with a very pleasant walk around Rudyard Lake in Staffordshire.

The temperature was mild and after a wet start we saw blue skies and bright sunshine.

Thanks must go to John Laverick, who, in the absence of seasoned leaders like Lawrie Fairman, stepped up to the plate with a plan and some skilful map reading, which ensured a successful day.

The prospects looked bleak at 9.30am as the rain hammered down in the car part behind the Knot Inn and the walk seemed more Frank Spencer than Rushton Spencer.

But it had eased by 9.45am and by 10.05am had virtually stopped.

We left the car park by the rear to pick up the old railway line.

Soon a rather sorry looking Rudyard Lake hove into view. The 200 year old lake gave Rudyard Kipling his name. Kipling’s parents fell in love with Rudyard so much during their courtship that they decided to name their son Rudyard.

Luckily, their love tristes were not held in Sandy Balls in the New Forest or Twatt in the Orkneys.

The lake was developed by executives of the North Staffordshire railway in the early 1900s to give days out for workers.

Rudyard Lake

We passed the sea scouts training site and then came across a miniature railway.

Trains were actually running, too, with no thought about the wrong kind of rain or leaves on the line. Sadly, however, passengers were at a premium. In fact we didn’t see any.

We passed a miniature station called Hunthouse Wood. A train was being tested but on seeing the Wanderers it retreated like some frightened animal into the distance.

We passed another miniature station called the Dam and soon after came to the main HQ of the steam train service called Rudyard.

The railway is 10 and ¼ inch gauge, about half the size of a full narrow gauge railway.

Its trains are named after historical/mythical characters and items like Merlin, Excalibur and King Arthur.

But it’s not cheap. A three mile trip costs £4 about four times what average commuters pay on Northern Rail or Northern Fail as it’s called.

The not-so-fat Controller

‘elf and safety never too far away, even on a miniature railway.

 After taking in a few nostalgic lungfuls of steam and passing the time of day with a railway engineer we took a sharp turn to the right, passed some “no entry” signs for cars.

This took us down a hill to a road where we turned left and climbed an incline to a roundabout.

A sign said Biddulph to the right and we took this road. But after only a few yards we turned left up a path.

We went over a stile and turned right following the line of the field.

Then we turned left following the familiar yellow arrow, heading towards the village of Horton.

At 11.09am the sun came out. And to prove it see my picture below.

Two minutes later Pie Time was declared.

With no Tom Cunliffe to badger us we enjoyed a full 11 minutes of gourmandising.

Sun in Staffs

It was here that Syd Marland mentioned Spite Hall, which we had in fact already passed, although we could not see it for foliage.

It took its name from a family feud, which began when a wealthy man built Rudyard Villa on the side of the lake and constantly boasted about its views.

The owner’s brother then built Rudyard Vale opposite so as to block the prominent views.

No NIMBY's in them days!

We went through a gate and turned left, up to the top of a hill, where we turned right.

We went down a grass path onto a metalled road.

After a check of the map we took the metalled road to the left rather than the grassy public footpath to the right.

This brought us to Dairy House, a listed building. 

Dairy House

This is a farmhouse dating back to 1635. I’m sure, like me, the other Wanderers were agog at its ball finials.

The apex of the three recessed dormer gables, decorated with hearts and shamrocks, is inscribed "IHI & MAR". 

It was owned by The Biddulphs, Roman Catholics, and the inscription is the initials for Jesus and the Virgin Mary.

John Biddulph was among the royalists killed at the battle of Hopton Heath in 1643; his estate was sequestrated and in 1645 Dairy House was assigned to a parliamentarian, Maj. Edward Downes.  In 1673 the house was owned by Thomas Endon of Leek. The later descent is unknown until 1909 when Richard Turnock left Dairy House farm to his brother William, whose family still lived at the house in 1991.

We reached a T junction. A sign pointing right said Rudyard 1 ½ miles and Leek 4. We turned right then left over a stile which was rather hidden and which led to an overgrown path. Some Wanderers preferred to scale the five-bar gate 30 yards further along the road.

Having entered a field we followed its edge on the left, passed a herd of cows, and soon hit a farm track. We took the metalled track and entered a farmyard, turning left between barns.

Here the going got decidedly heavy.

And if you were a fan of cow pats you were in your element.

We negotiated a stile and turned sharp right, picking our way through what looked like a paddy field.

We went down a slope and then took a minute or two to find the bridge that John’s map assured us was there. It was too, only not in the best condition, one end listing at about 30 degrees.

Jock manages the Wonky bridge

Now bright sun bathed the Wanderers in light.

We reached a metalled road at 12.38 and saw a house on the right called Great Hough.

We turned right at the side of this house and followed a river on the left.

We then crossed a field diagonally, negotiated another wooden bridge and turned left. This brought us parallel with the railway track we had taken some hours earlier in the opposite dirction.

But to reach it we had to go to the top of the road and climb gingerly down a steepish and slippery slope at the side of a bridge.

By 1.13pm we were back at the cars and after de-booting we enjoyed a refreshing pint in the Knot Inn where Timothy Taylors and Abbot Ale were both an eye watering £3.40.


Walkers: Geoff, Tony and Terry.Apologies: Wally (W">K), Ken (unbalanced).Our original plan was a walk round Gawsworth, led by Ken. In his absence, we decided a walk round Rudyard would be less muddy. A sensible decision, especially when Geoff opened the boot to discover his boots were not there! We crossed the dam, and learned that the water level in the lake was being kept down to the level last seen in autumn 2011 while engineering work was being carried out.The track was not muddy until we passed the sailing club H.Q., but deteriorated on the climb up to Cliffe Park; this imposing residence has deteriorated a lot, apart from the stonework, and is probably beyond economic restoration. Like the A team, we had enjoyed sunshine for most of the walk. Rather than trying the Knot for a drink, we repaired to the Olde King's Head at Gurnett, where we enjoyed Old Speckled Hen at £3.20 a pint, and Marston's at £3.00.Next week: 394 bus from Rising Sun at about 9.40 to Marple, then walk via Roman Lakes to the A6 and the 199 bus home. (We did Ashford twice in August when the TP bus to Nottingham was running).

It has been suggested that next week’s walk explores Monsal Dale.  The proposal is to park at Ashford-in-the-Water near the sheepwash bridge which is near the church.

We will congregate at the sheepwash bridge at 9.45am.

Happy Wandering!

Poynton

POYNTON, LYME PARK AND ENVIRONS

Distance: 8.6 miles.

Difficulty: Easy.

Weather: Overcast, rain later.

Walkers: Nigel Crank, Tom Cunliffe, George Dearsley, Alan Hart, John Laverick, Julian Ross, George Whaites, Phil Welsh, Pete Beal, Chris Corps and Fergus, Syd Marland.

B walkers: Tony Job, Terry Jowett and Geoff Spurrell, Ken Sparrow.

Non-walking drinkers: Frank Dudley and John Eckersley.

Apologies: Mickey Barrett (supervising domestic post mopping-up operations), Lawrie Fairman (lecturing on a cruise ship), Jock Rooney (Isle of Man tax exile).

Leader: Hart. Diarist: Dearsley

Starting point: Alan Hart's house in Poynton.

Starting time: 9.32am. Finishing time: 1.50pm.

On the day the Wanderers gathered to celebrate the 68th birthday of Mr Alan Hart (actually on Saturday October 19th) the group's reputation for military precision took something of a battering.

Although most Wanderers were at Mr Hart's house at the appointed time (9.20am), Mr Marland arrived late and no sooner had we set off (at 9.32am) that Mr Davison appeared on a bicycle.

Citing, in no particular order, an inoperable computer, wrong information and a broken mobile phone for his tardiness, he made a spontaneous decision (as the group snaked into the distance) that securing his bicycle and putting on his boots would consume too much time and he would never catch up.

Although the Wanderers had in fact stopped and waited in vain a full seven minutes down the road, Mr Davison by this time was cycling back home to High Lane, giving (in the eyes of some) a performance akin to Joan Collins in the famous Snickers ad.

A phone message allegedly left but not picked up only added to the confusion that was beginning to make the Charge of the Light Brigade seem a textbook operation by comparison.

Colin's Joan

For the record the Wanderers had turned right from Alan's house, turned right at the end of the lane and left at the side of a five-bar gate.

Now Davison-less, the group continued, entering a field with a high number of cattle. Stories of farmer-crushing heifers abounded as we strode on, negotiating a stile on the left.

We went through a five bar gate, spotting a menage on the left. 

Menage a deux

We crossed a wide field and went over two stiles, effectively turning left.

We then crossed a road (which takes you to Middlewood level crossing in one direction), through a gate and eventually on a path leading past the home - on the left - of the late Wednesday Wanderer Ian Price. 

We turned left onto Princes Road and a left turn brought us onto the Macclesfield Canal. 

We swung left over a bridge and down the other side, effectively turning back on ourselves on the other side of the canal. Here we passed a Second World War pill box, we have seen before.

We passed a canal boat called Delirium and 75 yards further on took a right turn, at a sign saying to "Lyme Park".

We crossed a bridge, turned right and then left. We negotiated two stiles in quick succession which brought us onto a train line which we crossed and then turned right, so we were walking parallel to the railway slightly above us.

Pie Time was declared at 10.56am and despite the familiar protestations of Mr Cunliffe a full nine minutes of rumination was enjoyed.

Although we actually turned left from our picnic spot it was really a right turn from the path we had just  followed.

We followed a sign to "Bollinhurst" and went under a railway bridge.

A ladder stile took us into Lyme Park.

Pete Beal strides towards the Cage

By 11.30am we were at the Cage where Mr Hart, ever the gentleman, offered to take a group photograph for a number of women walkers.

As we continued, he was summoned back to do the job again, having left his thumb in front of the lens.

We descended from the Cage and spotted a gang of men dry stone walling, apparently for pleasure, in the rain, now falling. Just think of all the fun those convicts might have had on the chain gang had someone suggested building a wall.

Wet dry stone walling 

We exited the park, passing a house called Windgather and soon found ourselves back on the canal.

At 12.07pm we arrived at the Boar's Head. Spitfire was £3.20 and Black Sheep and Thwaites both £2.92.

With great generosity Mr Hart bought ale for every Wanderer (or lime and soda in Mr Welsh's case). Mr Cunliffe meanwhile ordered a plate of food that might have fed a family in Ethiopia for a week.

Tommy tucking in

The quartet of B Walkers soon joined us. They had taken the bus to Pott Shrigley then walked towards Kettleshulme, turned left at Bakestonedale and into Lyme Park via Moorside Road, a distance covered of around 3 3/4 miles.

We left the Boar's Head at 1.15pm. The rain that had continued to descend during our stopover now fell heavily. We took Anson Road and passed the Anson Engine Museum, as most people do, judging by their PR on Google.

At the junction we turned left onto Middlewood Road, Poynton.

We reached the Farmers Arms at 1.50pm, where the full gallimaufry of celebrations for Mr Hart began.

T shirt from Croatia.

First he was presented with a T shirt bought by Wally from Croatia. Then our host Mr Crank arrived with a ginger cake (allegedly made by Mr Hart) and candle. He had even thoughtfully changed into a matching cowboy shirt.

Jamaica cake? I did actually!

Soon after the B Walkers and also Frank Dudley and John Eckersley arrived to join in the bonhomie.

Incidentally, in the Farmers Cumbria and Unicorn were both £3.05.

Next week's walk will start at 9.45am  from the free public car park on the left near the Knot Inn at Rushton Spencer.

The half way libation will be taken at the Coach and Horses, Timbersbrook and our final destination is Ye Old King's Head, Gurnett.

Happy Wandering.

Gradbach

GRADBACH, BLACK BROOK, SHAW HOUSE, SHAW TOP, THE ROACHES, HANGING STONE, SWYTHAMLEY, DANE BRIDGE, WINCLE BREWERY, DANE VALLEY AND GRADBACH YOUTH HOSTEL

Distance: 12-13 miles.

Difficulty: Moderately strenuous

Weather: Mainly dry with some light drizzle and one heavy shower.

Walkers: Nigel Crank, Colin Davison, Lawrie Fairman, Alan Hart, John Laverick and Julian Ross.

Apologies: Mickey Barrett (supervising house damage repairs), Chris Corps (Croatian hols), Tom Cunliffe (w*^king in Lantern Pike), Steve Courtney (w*^king on a yacht),George Dearsley (w*^king in Istanbul), Peter Morrall (prolonged Spanish hols), Jock Rooney (w*^king abroad), Mike Walton (Croatian hols), Phil Welsh (soccer-sustained heel injury)  and George Whaites (Spanish hols).

Leader: Fairman. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: The Roaches car park at Gradbach, North Staffs.

Starting time: 9.45am. Finishing time: 3.18pm.

Are we men or mice ? Squeak up. Your diarist was appalled by the behaviour of fellow Wanderers during this walk when it was decided to make a detour because there was a bull in a field.

Are we not descended from the ranks of men who defeated Napoleon, who built an empire, who defied The Luftwaffe and the German Panzer divisions ?  Does The Good Book not tell us that Man was created to dominate the beasts of the fields ?   Did Magna Carta die in vain ?

 Weather forecasters got it just about right when they predicted rain would sweep down from Scotland and reach the Macclesfield area around lunchtime. Fortunately we had completed most of our journey by then, and good visibility had enabled us to see some spectacular views from the top of The Roaches.

Lawrie was attempting a new walk from the car park near Gradbach Youth Hostel, and we encountered problems – including the aforementioned farmyard animal - which took us on a circuitous route before we could start our main ascent on the summit.

Consequently the walk was longer than normal and finished an hour later than usual, with no time for the traditional pint at the end. But we enjoyed a convivial break at the Wincle Brewery, where we learned some local history, observed the brewing process in action and sampled their excellent local beer.

It was only when we left the shelter of the brewery that the weather turned nasty, with a heavy shower which lasted for 20 minutes. We were ready for the worst, proving yet again the old adage: there is no bad weather, only bad equipment.

From the car park, sited on the approach to Gradbach Youth Hostel, we turned left along the road for 75 yards, then went right through an open gate marked with a yellow arrow to climb uphill. We crossed a wooden footbridge and followed more yellow arrows directing us uphill, before turning left over another wooden footbridge (5mins).

We crossed the second of two stone step stiles (15mins) and went through a gate marked with a yellow arrow (17mins) before reaching a drystone wall (30mins). Ahead of us we could see the ridge of The Roaches. (This is believed to be part of our Norman heritage, from the French les roches meaning the rocks).

all pictures courtesy of John Laverick

We turned left along a wide grass path which brought us to a gate (32mins) confusingly marked “public footpath” but also depicting the figure of a walking man with a diagonal red bar across, as if to indicate that walkers were not allowed.

After some discussion we carried on through the gate and reached a tarmac road where we turned right (35mins). Just before a cattle grid we turned left along a path marked with a blue arrow (40mins). This led us to a wooden public footpath sign where we turned left with Black Brook on our right (44mins).

We crossed two wooden stiles and headed towards Black Bank Farm. As Lawrie attempted to guide us through the yard, the farmer’s wife appeared and barked out instructions for us to turn left to reach the proper path. We obeyed, passing through a gate on our right and turning right along a track which brought us to a concessionary path on our left (53mins). After 15 yards along the concessionary path we reached a public footpath where we turned right.

After crossing a wooden stile with Grimshaw Rocks across the valley on our left, we went through a gate (63mins) and crossed a wooden stile to reach a road (70mins). We turned right along the road soon turning right again (71mins) at a wooden public footpath sign and heading towards a farm.

We went right over a wooden stile to pass the farm and aimed for a derelict building. Our route lay through a field, but Lawrie spotted a bull among the cows and decided discretion was the better part of valour. Your diarist would point out that although there have been odd instances of bulls killing humans, this rarely happens outside the corrida. In fact in recent years there have been more deaths from crushing by cows, proving once again – if proof were needed – that the female is far deadlier than the male.

Despite my protests we avoided the field, turning left before it, and then climbing over a fence to re-join the route and crossing a wooden stile on the left to reach a road (85mins). We turned right and stopped opposite Shaw House for pies and port (94mins). Resuming we turned left at a wooden public footpath sign (95mins) at Shaw Top and turned left before a farm gate, going over a wooden stile and then turning right (98mins).

We followed yellow arrows and turned right along a gravel track, before turning right again at a gate marked with a yellow arrow (107mins). On the brow of a hill we had a magnificent view ahead of Hen Cloud on the left, Tittesworth Reservoir directly in front, and The Roaches to our right. In the far distance we could clearly see The Wrekin, some 50 miles away.

A short steep ascent took us to the start of The Roaches ridge (120mins), where we paused to admire the panoramic views and regain our breath. Resuming a more gentle climb along the ridge, with the reservoir below on our left (122mins) we had time to admire the scenery on our way to the Trig Point (145mins). Incidentally, the reservoir, fed by the River Churnet, was created in 1963.

Descending from the Trig Point we crossed a road (147mins) and followed a wooden public footpath sign for Lud’s Church and Swythamley. We then followed wooden public footpath signs marked initially for Swythamley and Ridge and then for Danebridge (151mins). As we turned left for Swythamley (167mins) we encountered the first rain of the day, which was soon dispatched by the donning of your diarist’s magic waterproof pants.

We turned right at a wooden public footpath sign for Swythamley and Danebridge (171mins), passing Paddock Farm on our left (175mins). We turned right. Above us on our right was Hanging Stone, below which is a memorial plaque to Lieut-Col Henry Brocklehurst (1888-1942), who was killed in action in Burma.

The plaque was erected by his brother, Sir Philip Lee Brocklehurst, who was an explorer who took part in Ernest Shackleton’s expedition to the Antarctic between 1907-09 aboard Nimrod. Sir Philip lived in Swythamley Hall, a late 18^th Century manor house, which was sold after his death in 1975. For ten years it was occupied by followers of The Beatles’ mystic guru, Maharishi Yoga, for transcendental meditation before being sold in 1987 for residential redevelopment.

After passing Hanging Stone we turned left over a wooden stile (184mins) and headed downhill through fields. We reached the Dane valley and turned left with the river on our right. This took us down to Danebridge (191mins), where we turned right and crossed the road to The Wincle Brewery on the left (192mins).

The micro-brewery, which produces 10,000 pints a week, was opened in 2008 by Giles Meadows, who had been the landlord of three London pubs before taking over The Ship at Wincle in 2002. He ran The Ship for five years before switching from retailing to brewing. The premises were originally in Rushton Spencer but moved to Tolls Barn last year. The brewery manager, while supervising the operation, also pulls pints of their excellent beers for £2-50.

Among them was a cask bitter called Sir Philip, named after the Antarctic explorer, one named Nimrod after Shackleton’s ship, and another called Lord Lucan, whose family home, a 480-year-old manor house, is at nearby Sutton Hall.

The 3^rd Earl of Lucan, George Charles Bingham, was a field marshal at the Battle of Balaclava during the Crimean War. He was described as imperious and overbearing, with historians blaming his character flaws for sending ambiguous instructions to his hated brother-in-law, Lord Cardigan, who was commander of The Light Brigade. This resulted in the tragically heroic Charge of The Light Brigade which was little short of a suicide mission as they rode towards the Russian artillery.

The 7^th Earl of Lucan, George Charles Patrick Bingham, vanished after the murder of his children’s nanny in London in 1974.

After enjoying two pints of Wincle Brewery cask bitter we were also offered a free taster of Wassale, a delicious cinnamon-flavoured beer which has an SPG of 8.2 and will be available for Christmas. Watch out for it in more ways than one !

As we reluctantly left the brewery, we turned right and retraced our steps back over Danebridge, then turned left to head up the hill we had descended 40 minutes earlier. Heavy rain started to fall for the next 20 minutes. Instead of turning right towards The Roaches, we continued along The Dane Valley with the river on our left.

This brought us to Gradbach Youth Hostel (259mins), a converted 250-year-old silk mill. We passed to the right of the hostel and walked along the road back to the car park (265mins).

B Walkers Diary

Walkers: Geoff, Tony, Ken, Terry.

Apology: Wally (w"<king).

Route: 392 bus to Macclesfield, arr.10.20. Call at Spearing's pie shop for excellent pies (at least the equal of F.Smith). Eventually reach the Puss in Boots on Buxton Road at 10.50 to meet Ken, who had travelled by car. Walk Southish along Macc. canal before leaving at second bridge for ascent to Macc.G.C.  Walk in front of car park, through part of golf course, taking in views of Croker Hill, The Cloud, and perhaps Congleton Ridge, before descending to Langley Hall. Turn right for Sutton, and stop at The Church House for Robbies and Banks bitter at £2.95. Lunch just after Sutton Church, then direct route down to Gurnett and The Olde King's Head for Timothy Taylor's (£3.20) and Marstons, hoping to meet the A team. They failed to materialise. Ken volunteered to drive us home if we would walk back along the canal with him, which we gladly did.

Total distance 5 - 6 miles.

Next week’s walk involves the celebration of your diarist’s forthcoming birthday and will start at 9am from The Farmers Arms in Park Lane, Poynton.  The route will pass along the shoreline of Poynton Pool  before reaching your diarist’s house at 68, London Road North, around 9.20am. He will then join the group to lead them along the Ladybrook Trail through Lyme Park to the Dandy Cock at Disley for drinks around 12.15pm before returning to The Farmers for further refreshment and cake at about 2.15pm.   

Poynton

POYNTON, LADYBROOK , LOWER PARK PRIMARY SCHOOL, WOODFORD AERODROME, AVRO GOLF COURSE, SHIRDFOLD FARM, ADLINGTON HALL, DEAN VALLEY, ADLINGTON WATER TREATMENT PLANT, OLD HALL BARN, DAVENPORT ARMS AT WOODFORD, PEAR TREE COTTAGE, BRAMHALL QUEENSGATE PRIMARY SCHOOL, HAYBROOK FARM, PARK LODGE, THE BULL’S HEAD AT POYNTON

Distance: 10 miles.

Difficulty: Easy.

Weather: Mainly dry with two brief showers and sunshine later.

Walkers: Nigel Crank, Steve Courtney, Tom Cunliffe, Colin Davison, George Dearsley, Lawrie Fairman, Alan Hart, John Laverick, Julian Ross and George Whaites.

B walkers: Tony Job, Terry Jowett and Geoff Spurrell.

Non-walking drinkers: Frank Dudley and John Eckersley.

Apologies: Mickey Barrett (supervising domestic post mopping-up operations), Peter Morrall (prolonged Spanish hols), Jock Rooney (Isle of Man tax exile).

Leader: Laverick. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Car park of Bull’s Head, London Road North, Poynton.

Starting time: 9.30am. Finishing time: 1.57pm.

This was a predominantly flat walk pioneered by John, using a new route and including two welcoming pubs. As we are all, essentially, drinkers with a walking problem, the day was deemed highly enjoyable. What our journey lacked in hills to provide outstanding views, it benefited from some surprising new trails for the Poyntonians within our ranks and a slice of aviation history.

We were also delighted to receive a visit from Frank, our 97-year-old mate, who was defying doctor’s orders earlier this year to cut down on his drinking. Since he gave up his 50-a-day smoking habit when he retired at the age of 70, there has only been sex, drugs and drink to keep him going. Frank has reluctantly cut down on the first two categories in order to concentrate on the third.

Frank Dudley (right)

Despite the absence of climbing, which caused Tom to describe it as “a white handbag walk,” he insisted on bringing two hiking poles which he used to irritate his comrades by dragging them along the road behind him. This made a flesh-creeping noise with a similar effect to chalk squeaking on a blackboard. One fears that someday soon a Wanderer might snap and try to insert the poles in that part of the owner’s anatomy where the sun doesn’t shine - and it might be me!

Leaving the car park of The Bull’s Head we turned left into Vicarage Lane and followed it to a bridge over a stream (5mins). Here we encountered the all too familiar sight of Himalayan balsam taking control of the riverbank. We followed a path along the right bank of a stream which led to a road passing Lower Park Primary School, Poynton, on our right (12mins).

We turned right along Chester Road, went over the railway bridge at Poynton Station, crossed the road and turned left into Lostock Hall Road (19mins). This petered out into an adopted road where we followed a green public footpath sign (22mins). Just before a white cottage we turned left (29mins) and went off the track to our right (32mins) heading diagonally right across a field.

We stepped over a broken fence and reached a tall, barbed wire-topped fence surrounding Woodford Aerodrome (35mins). Woodford, the most southerly point of the Greater Manchester conurbation, had been a sleepy hamlet in the parish of Prestbury until 1924 when the aerodrome was opened on farmland by Avro.

They had become part of the Hawker Siddeley Group in the mid-1930s, building thousands of Avro Ansons for use as patrol aircraft, training flights and light transports. In the early part of the war they built 200 Avro March bombers, with unreliable Rolls Royce Vulture engines.

Vulcan

These were updated and 4,000 Avro Lancasters were built, powered by Rolls Royce Merlin engines, which formed the background of RAF Bomber Command, raining death and destruction on German cities and factories during World War 11 to turn the tide in the Allies’ favour.

Lincoln bombers and Shackleton maritime reconnaissance aircraft were later built at Woodford and from 1960 civilian aircraft were constructed here. Later the distinctive delta-winged Vulcan four-jet nuclear bomber was developed at Woodford. It was used to bomb the runway at Port Stanley after the Argentinians invaded the Falkland Islands in 1982.

The company changed its name to British Aerospace, which built 2,000 Nimrod reconnaissance planes. By 1989, 3,000 people were employed by the firm. In 2009 BAE announced the site would close in 2012 with the loss of the final 630 jobs. The site is now the subject of a planning application for the construction of more than 900 houses.

Woodford’s other claim to fame is that it was at one time the home of two footballers who in different eras had worn the Number 7 shirt at Manchester United with great distinction – George Best and Cristiano Ronaldo.

We walked with the fence on our right now protecting a cornfield, but in the distance we saw a Vulcan bomber at the opposite side of the aerodrome. The path brought us to a low tunnel under the Manchester-Stoke railway line, where we crouched for 20 yards to emerge outside The Old Station House, Poynton’s first station, now converted into a home occupied by absent Wanderer Pete Morrall.

We turned left and reached the main road (45mins), where we turned right. Our route then took us along the main road towards Macclesfield, passing twilight homes for the bewildered and giving us a glimpse of our own futures.

At a bridge over the railway (51mins) we turned right following a public footpath sign and descended a flight of steps. We passed Hope Green Cottage on our right and Cherry Tree Barn on our left before following a sign for the Junior Quad Bike Centre (54mins). We walked past Avro Golf Course and Shirdfold Farm on our left, where a group of guinea fowls waddled over to inspect us.

When we reached the golf course, we turned left down wooden steps and followed a path just outside the course (66mins). The path led us past a field of four horses, which came to watch us pause for pietime (75mins). They came as close as they dared to an electrified fence and stared at us rather like a family at the zoo might observe a chimps’ tea party.

This was also an opportunity for your diarist, for the second time that day, to demonstrate the magic powers of his waterproof trousers. These have become legendary over the years for their ability to make rain disappear. Doubters were left to choke on their pies as the donning of the plastic pants stopped it raining.

Harty's magic pants

We continued, following a yellow arrow, into a field with a hedge on our right. We crossed a wooden stile and emerged opposite the entrance to Adlington Hall (87mins). This started life as a Saxon hunting lodge for Earl Edwin in 1040. After the Norman conquest, the estate was given to Hugh Lupus and remained with Norman earls until 1221 when it passed to The Crown.

Henry 111 granted the manor to Hugh de Corona, whose daughter Ellen married John de Legh of Booth in the early 14^th Century during the reign of Edward 11. It became the ancestral home of the Leghs of Adlington, with wings added through the centuries. It underwent major reconstruction in 1928 and has been designated a Grade 2 listed building by English Heritage.

To be honest, by this time we were more interested in the opening hours of the Davenport Arms nearby.

We turned right opposite the entrance and walked along the road with the River Dean soon appearing on our left. We turned right at a footpath sign leading into the Adlington Water Treatment Plant (93mins). We exited by a field following a yellow arrow (96mins).

Crossing a wooden stile marked with a yellow arrow on our right, we took a path which led us on to Avro Golf Course (107mins). We passed Old Hall Barn, built in 1660 (121mins) and emerged on a main road by the side of Oliver’s Restaurant (128mins). We crossed the road and diagonally to our right was The Davenport Arms at Woodford (129mins), which is still known by many as “The Thieves’ Neck.”

This grammatically-incorrect nickname derived from the old pub sign which depicted a black prisoner with a rope around his head. The sign, probably politically incorrect, has long since gone but the nickname lingers on.

The pub was already open at 11.47am so were able to enjoy pints of Robbies’ Unicorn bitter at £3-10 and mild at £2-85. Suitably refreshed, we left the pub and turned left, turning left again over a wooden stile (130mins) and left at a green footpath sign (134mins). We turned right to cross a field with a row of leylandai trees on our right (135mins).

We crossed two wooden stiles to reach a road and passed a thatched house called Pear Tree cottage on our left (144mins). With Bramhall Cricket Club on our right, we emerged from Church Lane and crossed the road to follow a footpath opposite (149mins). This brought us to a footbridge across a dual carriageway (153mins) and we then bore right through a set of bike barriers to enter a field containing three soccer pitches.

We stopped for lunch at two convenient logs (154mins). Continuing, we kept trees to our left, until a gap in them enabled us to reach a path, where we turned right behind the back gardens of a row of houses. We crossed a road to enter a field (158mins).

We emerged by a pedestrian crossing where we turned right and then left along a public footpath which took us past Queensgate Primary School and into a road. We turned right at a public footpath sign between two houses and emerged on Chester Road, Poynton, with Woodford Road on our left.

Lawrie, taking in the fresh country air

Turning left into Woodford Road (175mins), we crossed the railway bridge (180mins) and turned right into Lower Park Road (181mins). This took us past Haybrook Farm on our right and to the bridge across the stream we had passed earlier (193mins). We followed a public footpath and crossed Glastonbury Avenue to enter Vicarage Lane and return to the car park of The Bull’s Head (200mins).

Here we were able to down cask bitter called Life of Riley, from the Wincle Brewery, at £3 a pint, accompanied by two platters or assorted sandwiches kindly provided by Barbara and Sally-Ann Bromley. They had almost been demolished by the time the B walkers arrived breathlessly from a seven-mile round trip to The Horseshoe at High Lane.

Pie Time

Our thanks go to Barbs And Sal once again for their generous hospitality.

Next week’s walk will start at 9.45am at a car park near Allgreave, with a precise description of its whereabouts to follow later. We will attempt to establish a half-time and finishing pub in due course and let you know.