Castleton

CASTLETON, LIMESTONE WAY, MAM TOR, HOLLINS CROSS, BARBER BOOTH, BACK TOR, CHESHIRE CHEESE AT HOPE, HOPE PINFOLD, PEAKSHOLE WATER, CHESHIRE CHEESE AT CASTLETON

Distance: 8-9 miles.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Weather: Dry and warm with early cloud giving way to sunshine.

Walkers: Mickey Barrett, Peter Beal, Colin Davison, Lawrie Fairman, Alan Hart, Jock Rooney with Tips, and Julian Ross.

B walkers: Peter Morrall and Geoff Spurrell.

Apologies: Tom Cunliffe (sole charge of pub), George Dearsley (prolonged Turkish hols), George Whaites (at Cheshire Show).

Leader: Beal. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Market Place, Castleton, Derbyshire.

Starting time: 9.57am. Finishing time: 2.32pm.

In perfect walking conditions, The Magnificent Seven enjoyed some splendid views in one of the prettiest parts of the Peak District. Our ranks were swelled by the return of Lawrie from a lecture cruise around the Norwegian fjords and by an all-too-rare appearance from Mickey.

The latter was celebrating his birthday which, he informed us, was the same day as The Battle of Waterloo. By my reckoning this would mean that Mickey will be 200 years old next year, although he only admits to 64. In any event it was good of him to turn out to buy five of us a birthday drink and we wish him many happy returns.*

On the subject of birthdays we should also raise a glass to one of our non-walking drinkers, Frank Dudley, who has just turned 98 !

As we walked along the Limestone Way, the meadows were illuminated by vivid yellow buttercups, lilac speedwell and white daisies. Throw in some spectacular views from the top of Mam Tor and a visit to two cracking pubs, and a good time was had by all.

We also discovered why there are two pubs in Derbyshire called The Cheshire Cheese within three miles of each other. If this kind of local history interests you, read on.

From Market Place we headed uphill and turned right at Cavedale Cottage (2mins) and entered the Limestone Way (3mins). This was the start of a lengthy climb to the summit of Mam Tor. At the end of a drystone wall on our right (25mins) we turned right and climbed a steep bank. After pausing for breath and allowing the dawdlers to catch up (28mins), we continued upwards to a drystone wall where we turned right, went through an open gate and turned left. We soon came to a stone step stile on our left, which we crossed and headed diagonally right through a field (30mins).

Our route took us over three more stone step stiles, a wooden stile and finally a ladder stile (49mins) which we crossed and turned right along a gravel track. At this point it was noticed that Lawrie, our sprightly 79-year-old veteran, was wearing a brand new pair of boots. There was some suggestion that he would never wear them out. I would not bet on it.

After crossing a road (61mins) we stopped for pies and port before a set of stone steps led us to the top of Mam Tor at 1,696 feet (82mins). The name means “Mother Hill” because frequent landslips on its eastern face over the centuries have led to a series of smaller hills beneath it.

The landslips are caused by unstable layers of shale which give the hill its alternative name of “Shivering Mountain.” In 1979 the battle to maintain the A625 road between Sheffield and Chapel-en-le-Frith ended in the surrender of man to nature. At the base of Mam Tor are four show caverns – Blue John, Speedwell, Peak and Treak Cliff – where lead, Blue John, fluorspar and other minerals were once mined.

From the summit we continued along the gently sloping ridge down to Hollins Cross (97mins), where there is a memorial to Tom Hyett, a member of Long Eaton Ramblers’ Association. We are indebted to Peter B for the information that this was once known as the “corpse road” because bodies would be carried from the then-churchless village of Gridsbrook Booth, Edale, to Castleton for a Christian burial.

Beyond it we found two kindly old gentlemen pausing for rest. They turned out to be our B walk colleagues, Geoff and Peter M. After Julian had loaned a cap to protect the shiny head of the latter, we continued our journey, going through a gate on the right to walk along the right shoulder of Barber Booth and Back Tor.

Our gradual descent took us over a series of wooden stiles, the last of which had a large cairn beyond it (131mins). Here we turned right to go more steeply downhill and through a gate marked with a yellow arrow (142mins).

After crossing another wooden stile we turned left downhill (144mins) until we reached a road (149mins) where we turned right uphill. This took us under a railway bridge (153mins) to reach The Cheshire Cheese Inn at Hope on our right (154mins) for pints of Harvest Pale and Farmers Blonde at £3-30.

The friendly landlady explained that her pub was once one of three inns within six miles called The Cheshire Cheese. This was because in medieval times many traders from Cheshire brought salt and cheese along the Hope Valley to sell in Sheffield. To make them feel welcome, enterprising innkeepers in Castleton, Hope and Bamford hung signs depicting a Cheshire cheese outside their taverns. It also indicated guests could pay for their board and lodging with cheese.

The 16^th Century Cheshire Cheese at Hope and the one we would be visiting later in Castleton still survive. The Cheshire Cheese at Bamford has long since disappeared.

On leaving the pub we turned right, passing Hope Primary School on our right and reaching the main road where we turned right (162mins). After a few yards we crossed the main road in front of The Woodroffe Arms and walked up the road with the pub on our right. Just beyond the pub was Hope Pinfold, a pound which had once been used for keeping stray stock.

We turned right at a green public footpath sign for Castleton (170mins) and went over a wooden stile (174mins). On our right was a stream called Peakshole Water, which connects with the River Noe. We crossed a commercial railway line leading to and from the nearby quarry (177mins) and stopped on a grassy bank for lunch.

Continuing, we went over a stone step stile (180mins), then a wooden stile and through a gate (187mins) to reach a stony track. This brought us to a road (192mins) where we turned left to reach The Cheshire Cheese at Castleton (194mins). Here pints of Bosley Cloud were £3-40. Best Smooth Castleton was on offer at £2-80 but as most of us regard the use of the words “best smooth” in this context as an oxymoron, we ignored it.

Next week’s walk will start from the free car park opposite The Spinners Arms at Bollington, Macclesfield, with a bracer in The Robin Hood at Rainow around 12.15pm. It is expected we will reach our final watering hole, The Dog and Partridge at Bollington, at about 2.15pm.

*When you are buying birthday drinks, to avoid embarrassment please ensure you include the diarist in your round.

Mickey Barrett writes....

  I feel I must respond to your *

My birthday celebration drink experience with my friends was not a happy one! 

The three speed merchants which included our non illustrative diarist, Peter B 
and Colin appeared to be engaged in a race for the pub over the course of the 
last mile or so and consequently were guzzling their own hastily bought pints 
when the rest of us arrived. Indeed our diarist bragged at being on his third.

I purchased four beers for the remainder of us and watched Jock’s beer slowly 
lose its head and go flat as we all waited in eager anticipation of his 
arrival. On arrival some 20 minutes later he bought himself a lager and went and 
sat outside with Tip, by which time the three speedys had secured themselves 
more beer shunning my offer to pay!

Embarrassed I am not because I did manage to get Jock to drink the Doom Bar pint 
having revived it once or twice. By the time we reach Cheshire Cheese the second 
some were drinking softy stuff and I refuse to celebrate my 200th birthday 
without alcohol!

I have made a mental note that Peter B, Peter P, Geoff, diarist and Colin have 
missed out therefore I will ensure they each have two pints on my next birthday 
as my first pension payment will all be spent entirely on booze.

See you all July 9th if the Captain of the Queen Elizabeth has got more idea 
than the Captain of the Costa Concordia!

Happy Wandering!