Whaley Bridge

WHALEY BRIDGE, CROMFORD AND HIGH PEAK RAILWAY, GOYT VALLEY, TAXAL NICK, WINDGATHER ROCKS, PYM CHAIR, DUNGE VALLEY, SWAN INN AT KETTLESHULME, HARDY GREEN, KISHFIELD CROFT, TODD BROOK RESERVOIR, WHALEY BRIDGE MEMORIAL GARDENS AND THE COCK AT WHALEY BRIDGE

Distance: 9+ miles.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Weather: Dry with early cloud giving way to sunshine.

Walkers: Tom Cunliffe, Lawrie Fairman, Alan Hart, Julian Ross and George Whaites.

B walkers: John Laverick and Peter Morrall.

Apologies: Colin Davison (fell off roof, injured hand), George Dearsley (Turkish hols), Geoff Spurrell (hols). Peter Beal (narrow boating)

Leader: Fairman. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Outside The Cock at Whaley Bridge.

Starting time: 9.35am. Finishing time: 2.15pm.

This was a day of drama and unexpected wildlife in England’s green and pleasant land. The former took place before the start when we learned that Colin would not be joining us because of an injury sustained to his hand when he fell off a roof !

May I say that the guffaws of laughter this news prompted only occurred after we had learned he was OK (although in hospital), that there were no bones broken and he was expected to make a swift and full recovery.

The report after a phone call from Colin to George W was a reminder of the only hit record made by legendary comic Tommy Cooper, “Don’t jump off the roof dad.” Fittingly for Colin, the song ends with the line: “If you must end it all, dad, why don’t you jump in the lake.” Colin, as readers of this diary will know, is no stranger to aqua accidents either.  We wish him well and look forward to his return.

The unexpected wildlife took the form of a mountain hare, two weasels (or the same one popping back and forth), and some giant hairy caterpillars, three of which we encountered on the path between Windgather Rocks and Pym Chair. They were black and tan in colour and about four inches long.

From photographs they appear to be Oak Eggar moth caterpillars which grow up to 75mms and are found throughout the UK on open heath and moorland. They are not only huge but quick. If you’ve never seen cantering caterpillars before, check these out. The moths they produce are likely to be the size of seagulls, so if they take over the world remember you read it here first, folks.

From outside The Cock we took the familiar route left and after 20 yards went left again over a stream to reach the disused Cromford and High Peak railway line. Here we turned right and just before reaching the Shallcross Greenway path ahead we turned right at a wooden public footpath sign, went to the right of a children’s playground and walked downhill to the main road (15mins).

After going through a gate we turned right at a footbridge over the Goyt and climbed the path uphill with St James Church, Taxal, on our right. At the road we turned left and immediately right over a stone step stile into a field (25mins). The route then took us uphill and over a stile to reach a lane where we turned left (35mins). 

After 300 yards we turned right, although a wooden public footpath sign which normally points the way had been removed. We climbed steadily until we reached Taxal Nick and a drystone wall in front of us (45mins). The route along a ridge brought us to Windgather Rocks (65mins) and we passed three  giant caterpillars on the path.

At Pym Chair (85mins) we paused for pies and port. Resuming we went right downhill in the direction of Saltersford. We turned right at a green footpath sign (95mins) and went over a ladder stile. We crossed a stream in front of a farm and then went to the right of the farm following a path marked with a yellow arrow (100mins).

We crossed a wooden stile in front of an empty barn (106mins) and then your diarist saw a tan-coloured mountain hare bounding away towards the skyline. By keeping to the right of the field and avoiding some tufted weeds, we were able to drop down to a new metal gate in the corner of the field. After passing through the gate(112mins) we turned right and went through another new metal gate into what was once the Dunge Valley Garden Centre.

It does not seem to be in business selling plants any more, and the lack of cultivation has given it a different kind of wild beauty. We exited the grounds by a wooden stile next to a cattlegrid (124mins). As we walked along a lane, a weasel was spotted rushing across the road. A few seconds later another weasel (or the same one) raced back in the opposite direction.

caterpillar

We carried straight on ahead at crossroads (129mins) and ignored the path to Blackmill Gate Farm on our right to swing left instead down the road. We passed Round Knoll Farm, a beautiful four-bedroomed detached farmhouse set in six acres of grazing land, for sale at £695,000. Continuing we reached a wooden stile marked with a yellow arrow on our left and crossed it (137mins). 

A series of gates were then passed through on the way to Benthall Farm, which we skirted round to our right. At the end of the lane we turned right then left past Stocks Bank on our right (150mins). The lane went downhill to the back of The Swan, which we reached by a flight of steep stone steps (152mins).

The Marstons’ cask bitter here was in excellent form at £3 a pint as we sunbathed outside in their beer garden. It seemed rude not to have a second pint before we continued by crossing the road and walking through a garden nursery. We emerged by Kettleshulme Church and turned right along Paddock Lane before turning left into Kishfeld Lane (158mins).

We passed Hardy Green on our left (160mins) and reached Kishfield Croft on our right (168mins), following the road all the way to a bridge over Todd Brook where we stopped for lunch (172mins).  After a brief break, we retraced our footsteps away from the bridge and turned left at a wooden stile marked with a yellow arrow.

Where the footpaths forked, we went left and soon saw Todd Brook below us on our left. The path then brought us to a ledge which we climbed and turned right to put ourselves between the brook on our right and a channel on our left (182mins).

This path led us with the reservoir on our right to the dam at the end. We turned right along the dam wall (196mins) and reached a skate park on our left. Different routes were taken to reach the war memorial  (202mins) and walk through Whaley Bridge Memorial Park. We exited via Wheatsheaf Road to the main road, where we turned left (206mins) and reached our cars (207mins).

Robbies’ cask bitter at The Cock was £2-80 a pint, which we drank as we watched Andy Murray being eliminated from Wimbledon. British-born Murray won the title last year, but the Scotsman went out in the quarter final on this occasion. 

Next week’s A walk will start at 9.45am from Clough House car park at Wildboarclough (on the left a mile before The Crag Inn). We expect to reach The Cat and Fiddle around 12.30pm, finishing with a drive to The Stanley Arms at Bottom of the Oven about 2.30pm for further refreshment.

Happy wandering.