Little Hayfield

LITTLE HAYFIELD, CALICO TRAIL, HAYFIELD,  TWENTY TREES, SNAKE PATH, SHOOTING ,LODGE,  HOLLINGWORTH CLOUGH, CARR MEADOW, MATLEY MOOR, LITTLE MILL AT ROWARTH,  SHOULDER OF LANTERN PIKE, CLOUGH MILL  AND LANTERN PIKE INN AT LITTLE HAYFIELD

Distance: Nine miles.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Weather: Early cloud giving way to bright sunshine.

Walkers: Tom Cunliffe, Alan Hart and George Whaites.

 B walkers: Tony Job and Geoff Spurrell.

Apologies: Mickey Barratt (sailing in Turkey), Peter Beal (narrow-boating), Colin Davison (yachting), George Dearsley (prolonged Turkish hols), Lawrie Fairman (cruising and lecturing), Peter Morrall (stomach problems),  Ken Sparrow (golden wedding anniversary cruise).

Leader: Cunliffe. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Car park of Lantern Pike Inn at Little Hayfield, Derbyshire.

Starting time: 9.40am. Finishing time: 2.13pm.

Following his dazzling display as a deputy diarist last week, Tom reached out for the dizzy heights of leader this week – and he was not found wanting.

The main targets of halfway pub and finishing pub were reached on time and there was no retracing of footsteps at any stage. In those circumstances we were prepared to draw a line under the barrage of coughing, spluttering, wheezing, spitting, sneezing and farting which accompanied his leadership.

He put the former down to a chest infection and the latter to a curry supper. This may be giving you too much information.

Suffice to say that the Three Amigos enjoyed a splendid walk in some of the finest scenery which The Peak District has to offer in perfect walking conditions. An enjoyable day ended when we were joined at the Lantern Pike by the B walkers, and were generously provided with free bowls of home-cooked chips. This was further proof, if proof were needed, that the best things in life are free.

From the front door of the Lantern Pike we turned right towards Hayfield and turned right again at Slack Lane 100 yards later. At a green public footpath sign we turned left towards Hayfield (4mins).

The path brought us to the end of Back Vale Road (15mins) where we turned left. On our right was the entrance to the May Carnival Field (17mins) which we entered and joined the Calico Trail on the left bank of the Kinder River (20mins).

We emerged at Market Street and turned right to pass the Post Office (22mins). We headed left just in front of Hayfield Pharmacy along some cobblestones and up steps to reach a road where we turned right (24mins). This took us past the General Stores which feature in the second series of a BBC film production called “The Village”, set in the Hayfield area from just before World War 1.

Further up this street was more ancient TV history as we passed a plaque on the wall at a house on our left where Arthur Lowe (1915-82) lived in his childhood. Arthur was an actor who spent many years in the repertory theatre before achieving fame in the role of fusspot shopkeeper Leonard Swindley in Coronation Street.

He later became even more famous for his role as Captain Mainwaring in “Dad’s Army.” Lowe was a cricketer with the Hayfield team and after the fame which he achieved in the BBC sitcom, he brought his Dad’s Army cast colleagues to play in a charity cricket match on the Hayfield pitch. The ageing actor who played Private Godfrey was allowed to field at cover point in an armchair.

Even further up the street on our right (25mins) was the old Hayfield Grammar School, a tiny building where local boys were educated in the early 19^th Century. After passing the school we turned left (27mins) at a green public footpath sign.

This brought us to a copse of 19 trees (37mins) on our left which are known as “The 20 Trees.” As you try to count these trees from different angles, some disappear and others appear. But after many years of counting, your diarist is convinced there are only 19 of them. Tell me what you think. Answers on a postcard, please.

We proceeded through a kissing gate and turned left (39mins) and through another to enter Snake Path (50mins). The path took us to 100 yards before the distinctive white shooting lodge where we turned left at a green public footpath sign (58mins) heading for Glossop via Car Meadow.

This path took us through Hollingworth Clough to a wooden footbridge, on the far side of which was a memorial to Thomas Boulger, who represented The Peak District and Northern Counties Footpath Preservation Society from 1921-63. Here we paused for pies and port (87mins).

Continuing, we swung right and soon took a fork to our left (94mins) to keep the main Glossop-Hayfield road in sight on our left. Tom had informed us that the path ahead was subject to undulations, but there was no sign of any downward trajectory  as we plodded relentlessly uphill until we were able to exit Carr Meadow by a wooden stile at the side of a sign for Charlesworth on our left (99mins).

We crossed the Glossop to Hayfield road and headed for Charlesworth, taking the second exit on our left along a gravel path (118mins). We were soon taking a left fork slightly downhill (120mins) and going through a metal gate , following the path to the right of a wooden gate.

To the left of this track was a new unmarked wooden stile on our left (134mins) which we crossed to head downhill through a field. We passed Lower Matley Farm on our left and headed through a wooden gate (143mins) to follow a path downhill past a pond on our right.

We swung right uphill with another pond nearby and turned left. Our route then led us to ford a stream (148mins) and to follow a yellow arrow on a wooden public footpath sign on the left (153mins).  Our party emerged on a lane with a red phone box immediately on our left.

Our group headed left downhill to a memorial stone on our right bearing the words: Sunday School for All Denominations, 1824. Then we turned right and headed along the track back to The Little Mill at Rowarth. We emerged 60 yards to the right of the pub, turning left to r each it downhill on our right (163mins).

The Banks’ cask bitter was in excellent form at £2-80 a pint, and it was impossible to avoid a second. When we eventually left the pub, we turned right out of the front door and headed uphill.

At a fork we turned right (166mins). Soon we were stopping for lunch (170mins), with Tom, trying to keep his svelte-like figure  in modest proportions, avoiding any solid substance.

Continuing, we took as sharp left (178mins) and headed downhill. From there we went through a five-barred wooden gate, before turning right on a path uphill (184mins). Soon we were plunging downwards past the Clough Mill (204mins), now converted into apartments with a panoramic view from George D’s perch, and back to the Lantern Pike Inn.

After de-booting 210mins), we were able to enjoy Timoth Taylor’s Landlord cask bitter at £3-40 a pint. We are indebted to Tom for a plentiful supply of home-made chips to share.

Next week’s walk will start from The Soldier Dick public house car park at Furness Vale on the A6. It is our intention to head up past the Dipping Stones and the Murder Stone to Bowstones, entering Lyme Park and dropping down to The Dandy Cock at Disley around 12.15pm. We then plan to walk along the Peak Forest Canal through New Mills to Furness Vale, reaching the Soldier Dick around 2.20pm.

We look forward to welcoming then or soon a new member of the Wednesday Wanderers, Brian Hudson, who has only just qualified for his bus pass and therefore represents new blood to our ranks. He shares our flaws as drinkers with a walking problem.