Furness Vale

FURNESS VALE, LYME PARK AND ENVIRONS

Distance: 8.6 miles

Difficulty: Easy

Weather: Dry, overcast, some weak sunshine at times

Walkers: George Whaites, George Dearsley,  Julian Ross, Colin Davison, Tom Cunliffe,  Lawrie Fairman. Chris Corps and Fergus

Apologies: Pete Beal (walking part of Pembrokeshire Coastal Path), Alan Hart (returning from Malta), Jock Rooney (Isle of Man)

Leader: Davison Diarist: Dearsley

Starting Point: The Soldier Dick, Furness Vale

Starting Time: 9.32am. Finishing Time: 2.05pm

O, to be in England

Now that April 's there,

And whoever wakes in England

Sees, some morning, unaware,

That the lowest boughs and the brushwood sheaf

Round the elm-tree bole are in tiny leaf,

While the chaffinch sings on the orchard bough

In England—now!

Alright, it’s not quite April. But Robert Browning’s words seem appropriate for the Wanderers’ bracing walk around some of the most breathtaking scenery in Cheshire.

The last time your diarist was here (January 2013) there was deep snow on the ground.

This time, though the skies were mostly overcast, the snowdrops, emerging daffodils and the presence of two (possibly mating) skylarks gave notice of the oncoming of Spring.

We left the Soldier Dick car park slightly early at 9.32am, walked to the main road and turned left and left again just past the bus shelter.

After negotiating a stile, our leader Colin “Hills r Us” Davison was about to take us on the first of many climbs.

Having ascended some way we reached what looked like the summit and crossed a field, going over a stile and through a second stile, turning right as we followed the yellow arrow.

Lawrie pointed out the cavorting skylarks and we went through a five bar gate and turned left, passing Redmoor Farm.

This brought us to the main road (which goes to Disley) and we turned right, then left over a stile and onto a path which took us up our second hill.

 Scenic charm

We entered a field and went straight on. In the distance was The Cage.

The sun came out, albeit weakly.

We went over a stile and crossed a road with The Cage now virtually straight ahead of us.

We went through a gate and turned right, crossing a wooden bridge next to a red-brick bridge which was closed due to impending collapse.

A sign which read “unstable” was apparently not referring to us.

A lone female walker was ahead of us and our leader almost caused an incident worthy of investigation by Operation Yewtree as he tripped and almost rugby tackled the lass, just managing to regain his balance before a collision.

We went left and entered Lyme Park.

Soon we were climbing the ladder stile that takes you into Lantern Woods at 10.43am.

Tom brings up the rear

We negotiated another ladder stile and reached our second summit where Pie Time was declared at 10.54am at a monument erected to Allan Monkhouse.

M’learned friend Mr Hart has written about this chap before and I plagiarise his notes below.

Monkhouse, (no relation to the comic) was a playwright, novelist and literary editor of the Manchester Guardian, who was born in Disley and loved these hills.

The memorial to Allan and his wife Dorothy was erected by their children, who clearly followed their father’s liberal leanings. Patrick Monkhouse (1904-81) was a Guardian journalist and a member of the Peak Park Planning Board; Rachel Natzir (1905-85) was a district county councillor and chairman of the governors of Styal Prison; John Monkhouse (1908-90) was a headmaster; and Elizabeth Monkhouse (1912-2011) was a lecturer and president of the Workers’ Education Association.

                                                      Fergus mugs up on Allan Monkhouse

Despite the usual protestations from Mr Cunliffe, the Wanderers enjoyed a full 10 minutes of manduction before setting off again at 11.04am.

Just before we did so, however, two rather comely female walkers passed by, leading Mr Cunliffe to utter his killer chat up line: “My, your boots are clean.”

If only he had been wearing his £100 walking pants the effect might have been devastating, but sadly he’d left them at home.

As we set off Mr Davison claimed the ground ahead was “the best mile of walking in the whole of Cheshire.”

“Are we going that way?” your diarist inquired. “No,” was the curt reply.

We went over a stile on the left and then over a second stile, following a sign that read Gritstone Trail.

Before we turned right to follow this sign, however,  we passed a while looking at the Bowstones on our right.

                                                                      Bowstones

I’m obliged to M’learned friend Mr Laverick for his documented account of this monument.

The Bowstones are a pair of Anglian cross shafts 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.

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. Mr Hood was clearly well off the beaten track from Nottingham. Either that or someone has radically pruned Sherwood Forest over the years.

It also proves that people were getting lost long before they were helped on the wrong road by sat nav.

On researching further, I learned that these freestanding crosses, frequently heavily decorated, were erected in a variety of locations in the 8th, 9th and 10th centuries AD.

They are found throughout western and northern England, although they are particularly concentrated in the north.

They were erected in a variety of locations and appear to have served several functions. Some are associated with established churches and monasteries and may mark burial places, focal points used in religious services, or the boundaries of ecclesiastical land-holdings. Others may have marked route-ways or other gathering points for local communities.

All examples tend to be heavily decorated, the patterns and ornament used drawing on wider artistic traditions of the time. Patterns of interlace are common, some depicted as 'vine- scrolls', tendrils of growth of the grape vine, sometimes complete with leaves.

On the most developed examples this 'vine-scroll' is shown to be inhabited by a variety of birds and animals. Panels depicting figures and animals are also commonly found; on occasion these depict Biblical scenes or personages. This carved ornamentation was often painted in a variety of colours, although traces of these colourings now survive only rarely.

The earliest examples were created and erected by native communities; later examples were heavily influenced by Viking art styles and mythology and their creation can be related to the Viking infiltration and settlement of the north of England. Several distinct regional groupings and types have been identified, some being the product of single 'schools' of craftsmen.

Around 200 examples of such crosses have been identified. This is likely to represent only a small portion of those originally erected. Some were defaced or destroyed during bouts of iconoclasm in the late medieval period.

Others fell out of use and were taken down and re-used in new building works. They provide an important insight into art-traditions and changing art-styles. The figured panels provide information on religious beliefs. The Viking period stones contribute to studies of the impact of the Scandinavian newcomers into the north of England. All well preserved examples are identified as nationally important.

                                                        Top of the world, ma!

We turned left at a sign “to Handleyfoot”.

We came to a Y-junction and our leader insisted we go right when the left fork was probably the legal one.

We negotiated a steepish gulley where Mr Fairman found a sheep’s head and duly wore it like a Viking.

Norsing around.

We passed a farm with an extra large duckpond and turned right up yet another hill.

We took a path on the left following a sign “to Kettleshulme”.

This sign was spookily sponsored by the family of “A Hart, killed on active service”.

We went left and first right following the familiar yellow arrow and up – yes you’ve guessed – another hill.

But at 11.42am we were required to descend a steep hill, which, had it been covered in show, would probably have been a black run, certainly a red.

We crossed a wooden bridge and went over a stile onto a metalled road.

We turned left and passed Brookbottom Cottages, turning right  at a stone house and into the garden centre.

The Swan pub hove into view and we were inside by 11.58am.

Excellent Pedigree was £3.30 a pint as was Silver King.

Colin’s NASA-style watch-come-computer told us that we had ascended 1246 feet and descended 987 feet.

                                                               Horny Devil (1)

                                                                 Horny Devil (2)

We set off at 12.49am leaving the pub and turning right and then left into Kishfield Lane.

We passed Colehurst farm on the right.

Luncheon was taken from 1.03pm until 1.11pm on a bridge over a small stream.

We continued up a hill and passed some very horny cattle (pictured above).

We took a path on the left and managed to find another hill.

We crossed a stile on our right and crossed a field. We negotiated another stile and turned right.

Then we came to a road and turned left, passing The Posting House on the left.

We swung right following a sign that said “bridleway”.

At this point your diarist, Mr Corps and Fergus became detached from the main body of Wanderers and - seeking help from a local - made our way down to the A6 just before the turning for Bugsworth.

The remaining Wanderers must have stayed higher but happily we were all reunited yards from the Soldier Dick, which we reached at 2.05pm.

Wainwight was £2.80 a pint.

Mr Hart (happily not killed on active service) was already in situ and we were soon joined by the B-Walkers.

Colin’s wrist computer claimed we’d ascended 1742 feet and descended 1722 feet.

Next week’s walk will start at 9.45am from outside the primary school in Edale Road, Hope, with a scheduled half way stop in Bamford at a pub to be nominated by Mr Corps.

Sadly your diarist will be lecturing in Manchester and Mr Fairman will be lecturing in the Arctic circle.

I wonder who will be the colder?

Happy Wandering.