High Lane

HIGH LANE ,WYMBERSLEY ROAD, LUMBER HEY, WINDLESHURST HALL, CLOUGH HOUSE TORKINGTON ROAD, HAZEL KNOLL FARM,STOCKPORT GOLF CLUB, MIDDLEWOOD WAY MARPLE GOLF CLUB, RING OF BELLS, PEAK FOREST CANAL,DISLEY GOLF CLUB,HIGH LANE

Distance: 8 miles.

Difficulty: Easy, but see later.

Weather: Dry, mostly warm with cloud, gentle breeze and some sunny spells, light rain at end.

A walkers: Mickey Barrett, Colin Davison, Lawrie Fairman, Julian Ross, John Jones.

Apologies: Peter Beal (narrow-boating), George Dearsley (prolonged Turkish hols), Geoff Spurrell (hols) Alan Hart(cruising) Tom Cunliffe (W~~~ing?), George Waites( Hols Cornwall).

Leader: Davison Diarist: Fairman

Starting point: Colin’s house.

Starting time: 9.30am. Finishing time: 2.20pm.

Today's walk illustrated the sterling qualities of the WWs." Firm in purpose, flexible in execution”. More of that later.
Five of us assembled at Colin's (including himself) where I examined the scene of the great ladder collapse. Off we went promptly at 09.30 up the hill where took the first left to pass Wybersley Hall.

Wyberslegh Hall (sometimes spelled Wybersley Hall) is a large house dating from the 16th century, on the edge of the village of High Lane in Greater Manchester, England. Now in private ownership, Wyberslegh Hall was formerly the home of eldest sons of the Bradshaw family. Of unusual design, it hascastellated gables with a rather ungainly castellated wall between them, above the main entrance. Hardly a handsome house but an historic one. The authorChristopher Isherwood was born there.)[1]

The hall was designated a Grade II listed building in 1967.[2]

We soon turned left across the fields to pas the covered reservoir where there appeared to be extensive works in operation. First time I have seen a dock leaf hedge. Walking round the delightful grounds of Lomber Hey House we could then enjoy extensive views over the Cheshire Plain and Manchester (sadly Liverpool Cathedral was not visible ).
The next hall came to view was Windlehurst Hall a modern development on the bones of an old hall. Currently 4 bed house could be yours for £395,000.

We crossed the road at Windlehurst Farm and followed the Holly trail we reached the road at a Clough House Farm and turned right for Torkington Road
 Sadly our leader turned right here instead of left. The left turn would have taken us to Broadoak Farm and Danbank. Consulting the map Colin spotted another path further down the road and we decided to try this. Initially it seemed straightforward go to Hazel Knoll farm and follow the path down Stockport Golf club course. At this stage we had walked for 1 hour and crossed 16 stiles.

We were in for a shock - initially we overshot the path and had to return the length of the field. There it was a footpath sign, but no footpath, just a mess of swamp and brambles. Our redoubtable leader plunged into this mess - John tried to follow a compass course to no avail. Deeper into the wood the undergrowth was becoming impenetrable. 

When your scribe spotted Humphrey Bogart pulling the African Queen he had had enough and struggled upward to the light and the edge of the golf course.
Having established approx where we were, Torkington Brook, and needing refreshment we stopped for a late pie break at 11.15pm. As we had covered about 1 mile in 45mins a rethink was needed.
Firm of purpose we decided that if we were to make the Ring of Bells around 12.15 pm drastic action was needed. Flexible as ever we reversed our course up the golf course for the Middlewood way. 

During this part of the walk being, scratched, sweaty and fed up the last thing we needed was some smart arse golfer questioning our walking rights. However they reckoned without our leader who told them in no uncertain terms that we were on the Queens Highway.
We crossed the Middlewood way walked across Marple golf course, obviously a friendlier club as they exchanged pleasantries. A pleasant grassy well marked path took us to the Macclesfeld canal at the spot immortalised by our leader’s JC impersonation a few winters ago.  Turning left we son reached the Ring of Bells at exactly 12.16 pmHere Colin was greeted by the bar lady with “I was having a bad day and now you come along to make it worse"(or words to that effect). Nevertheless she pulled an excellent pint of Robbies for £2.95. Expected to see a B walker or two but none arrived.

We left just after 1 pm, Colin decided not to take the easy way along the Macc Canal but follow the Peak Forest canal and climb over Marple Ridge. This we did and when the Romper was reached our leader decided that this was a better bet than pubs in High Lane (has he been banned?). 

Here the scribe parted company and made his own way back to his car and home( having been told in no uncertain terms to be early by the management).

Next week I will be  lecturing on the high seas( and the following Wednesday ) so my apologies. But I believe Tom is leading a reduced squad over the Ribblehead Viaduct.
Julian sends his apologies, they have finally caught up with him and he has got a job (don't get excited it's only 10 days a year!) Mick will be in Turkey, Colin may be sailing.








Some photographs follow courtesy of John Jones

Happy Wandering

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