Bollington

BOLLINGTON AND ENVIRONS

Distance: 5 miles

Difficulty: Easy

Weather: Rain and wind.

Walkers: Peter Beal, George Dearsley, John Laverick, Tom Cunliffe, Colin Davison, Chris Corps and Fergus,  Lawrie Fairman, Jock Rooney and Tips,  Jamie Philp

Apologies: Alan Hart (in Benidorm from Feb 4-11), Steve Courtney (Caribbean), George Whaites (painting and decorating)

B Walkers: please see blog

Leader: Fairman Diarist: Dearsley

Starting Point: The main car park in Bollington

Starting Time: 9.39am. Finishing Time: 12.10pm

This was not the Wednesday Wanderers’ Finest Hour. A truncated walk due to high winds and driving rain.

Rain makes note-taking awkward so apologies for a less than fulsome diary, too.

The one saving grace was the very welcome largesse of Mr Corps and Mr Laverick in jointly buying birthday ale.

Mr Corps was 56 on Tuesday January 28^th and Mr Laverick 61 on Tuesday February 4^th. Long may their lums reek, as they say in Scotland.

We welcomed a new Wanderer, Jamie Philp, a friend of your diarist, who lives in Bollington.

But it wasn’t to be an auspicious debut for the accountant, turned hearing aid consultant.

As he walked towards the assembled Wanderers the six foot plus Jamie managed to bang his head against Jock Rooney’s opened tailgate, causing him some considerable, albeit temporary discomfort.

Then not 30 minutes into the walk, he was forced to retire due to lack of fitness. We hope he will return when he is in better shape.

We set off from the car park and turned left as usual, stopping briefly for pies in our favourite pie shop.

Pie Heaven

We turned right at the end of the road, entering Ingersley Road and passing the Cotton Tree pub.

When in Bollington we usually head straight for White Nancy. But not today.

Instead we followed a sign for “Pott Shrigley” and turned right at a public footpath sign.

We reached a metalled road and turned left at a gate after about 50 yards.

We went through a “kissing gate” and began a climb.

We past two duck ponds on our right and the climb became steeper (10.16am).

We negotiated a five bar gate and turned right along a wall.

The gusting wind was blowing from right to left and making walking difficult at times.

We went through another five bar gate at the top of the climb (10.26am) and straight on over a wall.

A path with what looked like tractor treads was visible in the distance.

We crossed a muddy field and reached the path, turning right.

Mud, mud, glorious mud….

The predicted rain now began (10.37am), light at first but soon becoming heavy.

We passed a farm on the right, went through a five bar gate and turned right.

The farm was called Brink House. We were now on the road which links Bollington to the road from Macclesfield to Whaley Bridge.

We crossed a stile on the right at a sign post (on the left) signalling a narrowing road.

At 10.51am Pie Time was declared on reaching a decrepit wooden shed.

Pie Time….Gimme Shelter

Bellies filled and a few bladders emptied we sallied forth at 11am.

The path began a descent. At the bottom we came to a fork by a stream and veered left.

We passed Winterside Farm, which looked an expensive property.

                                                                      One Shade of Grey

Because of the inclement weather, the decision was taken to cut short the walk and head back to the cars. We were soon back at Hedge Row, turning left back onto the road we had earlier taken to exit Bollington.

Mr Cunliffe could not resist a visit to the Pie Shop.

After de-booting we headed for the Dog and Partridge where Unicorn was £2.70. Mr Davison managed to knock over a full pint.

Fittingly a plasma screen was carrying further news of the floods in Somerset.

Next week’s walk will start from the Cock at Whaley Bridge at 9.30am. The projected half way stop is the Swan, ending at the Cock. Your diarist, sadly, is w^*king.

Happy Wandering.