New Mills

NEW MILLS, STONYPIECE FARM, HUMBLETON FOLD FARM, MELLOR CHURCH, ROYAL OAK AT MELLOR, PRESCOTT OLD HALL FARM, ROMAN LAKES, EXCAVATIONS OF MELLOR MILL, MANCHESTER-SHEFFIELD RAILWAY LINE, GOYT WAY, PEAK FOREST CANAL, GOYT VALLEY, BARLOW WOOD, ROMAN BRIDGE, STRAWBERRY HILL, LINNET CLOUGH SCOUT CAMP, MELLOR AND TOWNSCLIFFE GOLF CLUB AND NEW MILLS GOLF CLUB

Distance: 9 miles.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Weather: Blues Skies and Sunshine, with Cool Breeze, Darkening Later.

A walkers:  Tom Cunliffe, Alan Hart, Phil Welsh and George Whaites.

B walkers: George Fraser, Tony Job and Geoff Spurrell.

Apologies: Mickey Barrett , Peter Beal and George Dearsley (various hols), Steve Courtney (professional sailing), Colin Davison (motor-cycling round East Anglia), Lawrie Fairman (cruise lecturing), John Laverick (gas leak, waiting for engineer).

A walk leader: Welsh. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Car park at New Mills Golf Club, Derbyshire.

Starting time: 9.39am. Finishing time: 2.42pm.

Phil used this walk to apply for his provisional leader’s badge and he showed his mettle is just as polished with a traditional flappy thing (map) and wotchamacallit (compass) as it was the previous week with a GPS augmented with a Maverick app.

In ideal walking conditions and perfect visibility, we enjoyed some stunning scenery as we went on a rollercoaster-style journey, plunging into valleys and climbing hills. Despite our ups and downs we were agreed it had been an eye-opening hike along unfamiliar routes within familiar territory.

As a further break from tradition, we held our customary refreshment stops at two golf clubs, which had relaxed the old rules demanding ties and jackets at their bars.

On the nature front we saw two herons fishing on the banks of the Peak Forest Canal, and on an historical note we saw the excavations which are unearthing the site of Mellor Mill.

Suffice to say young Phil (he’s 43) has earned his wings and in 20 years times who’s to say he won’t earn his full leader’s badge. (Unlike your diarist, who is only allowed to lead certain walks with the unanimous approval of the General Synod)

From the car park we passed the clubhouse on our right and crossed at the junction to ascend Castle Edge Road. We passed Stonypiece Farm on our left (3mins) and Coal House Farm on our right (11mins) just before we turned right down a stony track with a row of trees on our left. On reaching a road (17mins) we turned right downhill and then left (19mins) at a sign for a restricted byway.

We turned left at Briargrove Road (25mins) and headed uphill. After 30 yards we turned right at a wooden public footpath sign. This brought us to a gate, before which we turned left to climb uphill and then turned right to go through a gate marked with a yellow arrow (27mins).

On reaching a farmyard we turned left uphill (35mins) and reached a road. We turned right downhill for 25 yards and then went left at a green public footpath sign (38mins) which pointed up steps to a path. After crossing two wooden stiles we entered a field through a metal gate (41mins) Two stiles, one wooden and one of the stone step variety, took us into another field which we exited by a stone step stile and turned left up a lane (43mins)

At a T-junction we turned right downhill (44mins) and carried on along a footpath where the lane swung right towards Humbleton Fold Farm. We went straight on again through a wooden gate into a field (49mins), which we left by a similar gate and followed a stony track uphill. After going through another gate (54mins) we started the descent towards Mellor Church.

We reached the entrance to the churchyard (60mins) but diverted to the right where a plaque described the finding of ancient relics from the Iron Age, Bronze Age and Roman occupation. We learned that among the things the Romans did for us was to introduce roses, lilies, lavender and box to our indigenous flora.

After crossing a wooden stile we were able to inspect a replica thatched roundhouse, which Phil photographed with two ancient relics standing in the foreground. We then retraced our footsteps to enter the churchyard. St Thomas’s Church stands on the site of Christian worship from the 14thCentury. Its tower dates from the 15th Century. Inside the church yard are the remains of a Saxon Cross (now a sundial) and the village stocks.

We examined the Masonic symbols of Thomas Brierley to the left of the main church door, and read the headstones of some children who had died tragically young. Tom was in an uncharacteristically melancholic mood as we paused for reflection, pies and port (70mins)

Resuming, we left the churchyard by descending a steep flight of steps leading to a field, crossing a wooden stile marked with a yellow arrow and a gap stile to go through the left side of a farmyard (76mins) and pass Mellor Primary School on our right (85mins). At the end of Knowle Road we turned right (86mins) and passed The Royal Oak pub. Coincidentally we had been eating our pies on a bench placed there in memory of a former landlord.

Immediately beyond the pub on our left, we turned left down a lane and turned left again into Old Hall Lane (89mins). After passing Prescott Old Hall Farm on our left (93mins) we emerged on a lane with the North Lake of Roman Lakes on our right.

Phil led us on a small diversion into Bottoms Hall Road, where excavations are taking place to unearth the foundations of Mellor Mill. It was created by gentleman farmer and entrepreneur Samuel Oldknow, who bought Bottoms Hall Estate in 1788.

Oldknow (1756-1828) is a fascinating local character. Born in Anderton, near Chorley, he was educated at nearby Rivington Grammar School. On completion of his education, his father died and he went to work at the draper’s shop of his uncle in Nottingham. His widowed mother Margery married farmer John Clayton and young Samuel became engaged to a wealthy heiress.

Oldknow clearly had an eye for business and a silver tongue. To raise money he went into partnerships with local merchants such as Richard Arkwright in 1784. Oldknow established a steam-powered spinning factory at Hillgate, Stockport, a bleaching plant at Heaton Mersey, and finishing factories at Bullock Smithy, Hazel Grove, and Waterside, Disley.

After buying land at Mellor he built the mill between 1790 and 1792 and it provided employment for 2,000 people. Mellor Mill was six storeys high and 400 feet long. To power it the River Goyt was diverted and three millponds created which were called Roman Lakes.

Oldknow’s seemingly unstoppable progress came to a shuddering halt when the muslim market fell at the start of the Napoleonic War. He was forced to mortgage and sell his businesses, and his engagement was broken.

Despite this setback, Oldknow continued to think big. He was a promoter of the Peak Forest Canal and the Peak Forest Tramway, and became High Sheriff of Derby in 1824. When he died a bachelor at Mellor Lodge in 1828, he had debts of £208,000. His factories, including Mellor Mill, passed to the Arkwright family. It was destroyed in a spectacular fire in 1892.

We retraced our steps to the end of Bottoms Hall Road and turned right. Immediately after crossing a bridge we went uphill at a post marked with a yellow arrow (102mins). This path took us over a footbridge across the Manchester-Sheffield railway line (105mins) and across a main road to steps marked “Goyt Way” (109mins)

We reached the Peak Forest Canal at Bridge 19 and turned left with the canal on our right. It was here we spotted two herons fishing on the far bank. Just before Bridge 21 we turned sharply left (127mins) away from the canal, crossing a wooden stile at a wooden public footpath sign and over another wooden stile marked with a yellow arrow (129mins).

After crossing a road we followed a green public footpath sign down steps into Barlow Wood (133mins). We reached the Goyt (137mins), turned left and crossed Roman Bridge. On the far side of the Goyt we turned left and followed a green public footpath sign on our right for Mellor and Cobden Edge (142mins).

The path took us to another footbridge across the Manchester-Sheffield railway line. On the far side was the sickly sweet smell of Himalayan balsam which dominated the area. The path brought us on to Mellor and Townscliffe Golf Course, where we followed a footpath sign leading just outside the course before it came back and we walked directly across it.

We emerged with Linnet Clough Scout Camp on our left (160mins), turned right and headed right again up a lane. Turning left at a sign for the club (161mins) we reached the clubhouse (163mins) for pints of Tetleys and Guinness. Because Phil was a member we were able to pay £2-65 (instead of £2-95) for the former and £3-42 (£3-80) for the latter. With the sun beating down and spectacular views from the terrace overlooking the 18th hole, it would have been rude not to stay for another pint.

Continuing our walk, we went to the left of an equipment shed and the 16th tee, then to the right of the 18th and 2nd tees. We exited the course (178mins), passing the rear of a house called The Shielan before turning left up a stony track. We carried straight ahead at a junction in the paths (183mins) and stopped for lunch (191mins) at a bench on the edge of the course’s 10th tee.

Instead of continuing to Mellor Cross uphill ahead, we turned right along a lane, entered a field and kept left before exiting via a stone step stile (199mins). We went down another stone step stile and after 20 yards stepped over a wooden stile on our left marked with a yellow arrow. We turned left with a drystone wall on our left (203mins).

After squeezing through a gap stile (206mins) we headed diagonally right through a field, leaving it by a series of three stiles. We turned left (210mins) and went into a farmyard. Once again Tom could not resist posing for a photo next to a slurry pit with a sign warning “Toxic Gas.”

We turned right and emerged at a road with New Mills Golf Club on the other side of a fence. We turned left along the road with the course on our right and entered the car park (218mins). After de-booting we joined the B walkers, George F, Tony and Geoff, in the clubhouse bar.

Next week’s walk will start at 9.30am at Poynton Pool car park off Anglesey Drive, Poynton.  It is intended to walk through Lyme Park in the direction of Bowstones, returning over the Macclefield Canal for a livener at The Miner’s Arms around 12.15pm. The walk will finish at The Bull’s Head, Poynton, around 2.20pm.

Taddington

TADDINGTON,HUBBER DALE FARM, FLAGG, DUKE OF YORK AT POMEROY, THE CHURCH INN AT CHELMORTON, BANK PIT SPRING, PENNINE BRIDLEWAY, SOUGH TOP AND QUEENS ARMS AT TADDINGTON

Distance: 8-9 miles.

Difficulty: Easy.

Weather: Dry but cloudy with mist on the hills.

Walkers: Tom Cunliffe, Alan Hart and Phil Welsh.

Leader: Cunliffe. Diarist: Hart.

Apologies: Mickey Barrett, Peter Beal, George Dearsley and George Whaites (various hols), Steve Courtney (professional sailing), Colin Davison and Jock Rooney (attending caver’s funeral), George Fraser (prior engagement), John Laverick (attending job interview) and Julian Ross (w*^king).

Starting point: Outside Queen’s Arms at Taddington, just off the A6 Buxton-Bakewell road.

Starting time: 9.50am. Finishing time: 2pm.

Four holidays and a funeral reduced our numbers for this walk. Phil made a welcome return to our ranks as he continues to rest between engagements, as they say in the acting profession. This reduced considerably the average age of those taking part. It also added 50 per cent to the personnel along with an ingenious technical aid which might make flappy things redundant in future.

Although Tom had planned the route with a traditional ordnance survey map of the area, Phil had brought back up in the shape of a GPS on which he had downloaded a Maverick app. This is a free facility which enables the user to plot every inch of the way with a hand-held device.

The days of unfolding huge maps in the wind and rain, only to find your target destination in the middle of a double crease may be over.

With the Queen’s Arms on our left we walked along the main road through Taddington, turning right at a wooden public footpath sign marked with a yellow arrow (2mins). Where the path forked (3mins) we turned left. At a T-junction (12mins) we turned left again.

We reached a lane where we turned right (18mins). This brought us to a barn on our left (28mins) where we turned right opposite it at a wooden public footpath sign. After crossing a stone step stile we kept a drystone wall on our left.

This took us through a farmyard (36mins) and straight on down a lane. We reached a road and turned left (39mins). At a set of crossroads we turned right towards Chelmorton, passing Hubber Dale Farm and Rockfield House on our right.

We went left at a wooden public footpath sign, crossed a stone step stile and kept to the right of a drystone wall (50mins). We entered a field by a wooden stile (57mins) and carried straight ahead to the right of some farm buildings. We went through a six-barred metal gate on our right and then left to cross a wooden stile marked with a yellow arrow (60mins).

Our trio now crossed a stone step stile on our left and headed diagonally left through a field. We exited by a stone step stile to emerge at a bus shelter next to Flagg Methodist Church where we paused for pies and port (55mins).

Resuming we walked down a road passing Flagg Village Hall on our right and went through a gate on our right to follow a wooden public footpath sign along a path keeping a drystone wall on our left. We exited the field and turned left uphill along a lane (67mins).

After 40 yards we turned right at a wooden public footpath sign, crossing a stone step stile and keeping a drystone wall on our right.The path took us through a car park and we then headed diagonally left through a field (71mins). This was the first of a series of fields and stiles which we followed in the same direction.

These brought us out at a road to the left of The Duke of York at Pomeroy (80mins). This Robbies’ pub was still closed at 11.30am so our resolve remained untested. We turned right, passing the pub on our right. After 200 yards we went down an overgrown path on our right and crossed a stone step stile into a field (83mins).

We turned left, keeping a drystone wall on our left and entered a second field via an open gate. In doing so we had to pass through a herd of bemused cattle. Tom decided attack was the best form of defence so he immediately swore at them and jabbed his walking pole in their direction.

This is standard procedure when entering a pub in Tom’s native Wythenshawe. It’s a far cry from the genteel behaviour in Little Hayfield, but though you may be able to take the boy out of Wivvy,  you can’t take Wivvy out of the boy.

After passing through the gate we headed diagonally right across the field to cross a stone step stile and turn left (89mins). We crossed another stone step stile and kept to the left of a field where Tom discovered a giant mound of manure. He insisted on having his photo taken in front of the poo pile, as if it had been the Taj Mahal or the Sphinx.

We exited the fields by a series of stone step stiles and turned right along a gravel track (95mins). We reached a road (111mins) and turned left at a sign for Chelmorton. We took the next road on the right (113mins), which brought us to a T-junction, where we turned right, passing the ancient church of St John The Baptist on our right and The Church Inn on our left (123mins).

This is one of the best country pubs in the area and the Marston’s bitter at £3-10 a pint and the Adnams at £3-20 were in great form. On leaving we turned left uphill, passing Bank Pit Spring. A plaque tells passers-by that this was known locally as “illy willy water” so we were not tempted to try any.

We reached a lane and turned right along the Pennine Bridleway (138mins) for 20 yards before turning left at a wooden footpath sign. The route took us straight ahead over a series of stone step stiles, crossing a lane (145mins) and heading east before pausing for lunch (155mins).

Continuing we passed the underground reservoir at Sough Top (159mins) before heading diagonally right towards a wooden public footpath sign. We followed the well trodden path, crossing several stiles to enter Taddington (168mins).

After turning right down hill, we reached the Queen’s Arms (174mins) for pints of Barnsley bitter at £3-40.

B walk diary

Walkers: Tony, Wally, Gaz.

Route: 9.45 392 bus to Nab Quarry, Styperson Pool, Macc. Canal, Bollington, Middlewood Trail, Macclesfield, 15.00 392 bus back to Poynton.

We followed the intended route as far as Holehouse Lane car park, where the new plan was to go via Holehouse and Butley Town to Prestbury (Admiral Rodney), then follow the Bollin to Beech Hall car park. Instinct told us to carry on along the canal for a while, but when we reached the viaduct over the Bollin, we realised instinct was perhaps not as good as a map.

So plan C was hatched - follow the Middlewood trail to Macc. The walk runs parallel to the Winterton Way. after crossing the road by a footbridge. Not many features, but traffic noise was reduced by a wooded bank. We left the path as we crossed the Bollin, passed Beech Hall playing fields, and proceded to the centre of Maa. Wally had promised pubs of character, the first one being the Bate Hall, now under the management of Carl and Helen. The Marston's bitter was good enough for a second pint, but as the round also included Carling and JD and Coke, I cannot hazard a guess at the cost. We proceded past the dole office, turned left at the former T.J.Hughes car park, crossed it, and there was The Ale House, a.k.a. The Prince of Wales, and Porters .Again, the round was mixed, so no info about the cost of a pint of good bitter. Wally was right about the character of the pub -  nothing fancy.

Gaz and Wally are off to a fellow-bowler's wedding tomorrow, and Gaz is coming back to Macc for a rehearsal later. The final point about Porters is that it is about 100 yards from Macc bus station, which makes it a good last call.

Photos courtesy of Phil Welsh

Tom, up to his head in sh*t as usual

                                    The famous locust weather vane at Chelmorton Church

The Church Inn (half way stop)

Sign showing the old spring in Chelmorton

Harty examining an apple in the fog

Next week’s walk, led by Phil, will start from the car park of New Mills Golf Club in Apple Tree Road, New Mills, at 9.30am. We will have a bracer either in Mellor Golf Club, if Phil can secure admission, or at The Devonshire Arms at Mellor around 12.30pm. Then we will return to New Mills Golf Club, where we are assured they welcome hikers, about 2.30pm.  

Allgreave

ALLGREAVE, EAGLE AND CHILD, QUARNOCK, GRADBACH YOUTH HOSTEL, BACK FOREST WOOD, LUD’S CHURCH, HANGING STONE, WINCLE BREWERY AT DANEBRIDGE, CLOUGH BROOK COTTAGE AND THE ROSE AND CROWN AT ALLGREAVE

Distance: 8 miles.

Difficulty: Easy.

Weather: Early mist disappearing to leave blue skies and sunshine.

Original walkers: Tom Cunliffe, Alan Hart and George Whaites.

Joined near Lud’s Church by: Lawrie Fairman and John Laverick.

B walkers: George Fraser, Tony Job, Ken Sparrow and Geoff Spurrell.

Apologies: Mickey Barrett, Peter Beal, Colin Davison and George Dearsley (various hols),  Steve Courtney (professional sailing).

Leaders: Hart/Fairman. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Car park of The Rose and Crown at Allgreave, Wildboarclough.

Starting time: 9.46am. Finishing time: 1.50pm.

In the absence of an approved leader, your diarist took the helm for this journey. His followers had already been warned to take out loss insurance, but in the event we managed to avoid any false trails. Nevertheless we were relieved, after leaving Lud’s Church, to encounter our fully-badged regular guide Lawrie for the rest of the walk.

The Indian summer continued to provide perfect walking conditions, and by the time we had paused for refreshment at the Wincle Brewery, we were basking in sunshine. As we did so we were obliged to sympathise with those chums who had failed to benefit from this glorious weather by the misfortune of booking holidays abroad.

They also missed out on a bit of history, a bit of poetry and a warm welcome from lovely Luda, the new landlady of The Rose and Crown.

From the pub car park we turned left following a sign for Quarnock. This was the start of a long, gradual climb which took us past Midgeley Farm on our right (5mins), a herd of alpacas grazing in a field on our left, past Helmsley Farm on our right (19mins) and a cottage on our left which was once a pub called The Eagle and Child (24mins).

This was one of the first country pubs, built in 1738, to fall victim to the breathalyser laws which no doubt saved lives but also killed off many historic hostelries in the heart of the countryside – the law of unintended consequences.

Continuing gently uphill, on our right we passed Burn’t Cliff Top (28mins) and reached Midgeley Gate Barn, where we turned right at a green public footpath sign (31mins). This led us through a farmyard which we exited by a stone step stile marked with a yellow arrow (33mins). With a drystone wall on our right we carried on until we soon crossed it by another stone step stile marked with a yellow arrow.

After a few yards downhill we headed right to follow a path which plunged steeply through ferns, heading toward the former Gradbach Youth Hostel. We crossed a footbridge over the River Dane to reach it (42mins).

The hostel, which was once a silk mill, is being converted into an outdoor education centre by Newcastle-under-Lyme College, Staffs.

Outside the front of the building was a wooden signpost pointing to Lud’s Church, Danebridge and The Roaches. The route was straightforward until we reached a stone step stile leading ahead, while the path swept left. We crossed the stile and a footbridge (54mins) to head uphill into Back Forest Wood. At the top our decision was vindicated by a wooden sign for Lud’s Church (55mins).

The path took us to a rock formation on our right which was covered in schoolchildren enjoying extra-curricular lessons. We swung left uphill following another wooden sign for Lud’s Church (61mins). We turned right at yet another sign for the church (71mins) and arrived at our destination (80mins).

Lud’s Church is a deep chasm penetrating the Millstone Grit bedrock created by a massive landslip on the hillside. It is believed that Christians known as Lollards, who followed the teachings of the Oxford philosopher John Wycliffe (1320-84), held secret services here.

Wycliffe was an early dissident who opposed papal authority and the corruption in monasteries. His views ultimately led to the Protestant Reformation. After he translated the Latin Bible into vernacular English from 1382-84, his followers were called Lollards, which was a derogatory name for those without an academic background. It came to mean heretic.

Among many legends surrounding Lud’s Church are that Robin Hood, Friar Tuck and Bonnie Prince Charlie were all reputed to have hidden from the authorities in the chasm. (After watching Tom fail to squeeze through one of the entrances, it is hard to imagine how Friar Tuck hid there).

Another part of folklore claims that a horse called Lud shied and threw his rider to his death in the cleft. Consequently the huntsman’s ghost, covered from head to toe in moss, still roams the woods, where he is known as “The Green Man.”

Around 1862 a wooden figurehead from the ship Swythamley stood in a high niche above the chasm. It was called “Lady Lud” and was supposed to commemorate the death of the daughter of a Lollard preacher. One night it mysteriously disappeared.

Within this historic setting, we paused for pies and port before heading back out of the chasm and retracing our footsteps to the rock formation and a sign for Swythamley (87mins). As we pondered whether to follow that route, the 7^th Cavalry arrived in the form of Lawrie and John. The former immediately assumed command and took us confidently in that direction.

We crossed a stone step stile on our right to enter a field (99mins) and the well trodden path took us to Hanging Stone (106mins). This distinctive rock stands on Back Forest Ridge, overlooking Swythamley Hall, home of the Brocklehurst family who owned The Roaches estate until the death of the last in line in 1978.

Below it are two plaques. The earlier one reads:

Beneath this rock on August 1, 1874, was buried Burke, a noble mastiff black and tan.

Faithful as woman, braver than man

A gun and a ramble his heart’s desire

With the friend of his life

The Swythamley squire.

The later one is a memorial to Lt-Col Henry Courtney Brocklehurst, of the 10^th Royal Hussars, a pilot with the Royal Flying Corps from 1916-18 and Game Warden of The Sudan. Born 1888 Swythamley and killed on active service in Burma on commando in June, 1942.

From Hanging Stone we walked steeply downhill to a gravel path where we turned right (115mins). After 80 yards we turned left over a wooden stile (116mins) and followed a wooden public footpath sign for Danebridge. Another wooden stile took us downhill through a wood (121mins). We reached a path and turned left (126mins).

The path brought us out on a road where we turned right, crossed the Dane and entered The Wincle Brewery on our left (129mins). Locally-brewed cask bitter, The Life of Riley, was bought for £2-80 a pint and enjoyed on picnic tables outside in glorious sunshine, where we were soon joined by the B team.

Leaving with some reluctance, we turned right uphill, passing The Ship at Wincle and turning right at a public footpath sign just beyond its car park (133mins). We entered a field and left it by a wooden stile to head through a copse (138mins). We crossed a wooden footbridge and exited the copse by a wooden stile.

Our quintet kept to the left side of a field before crossing a stone step stile on our left to go through a farmyard (144mins) and turned right along a lane. We went through a gate, turned left and then left again at another wooden gate (145mins).

This brought us to a kissing gate, where we stopped for lunch (150mins). Resuming, we passed Clough Brook Cottage on our right (155mins) and reached a road (156mins). We turned right, crossed the Dane and headed uphill (162mins).

One our left was a whitewashed cottage which had been built in 1746 and then the Allgreave Methodist Church. The steep climb ended when the road turned sharply left and The Rose and Crown was on our right (166mins).



                                
                                                       Who put Rohypnol in Tom's beer?

We were given a warm welcome by Luda, the formidable Estonian busty blonde landlady who used to be mine hostess at the nearby Hanging Gate pub. As luck would have it the guest beer on sale for a whopping £3-40 a pint was Worth cask bitter from Poynton’s own micro-brewery at the British Legion.

Next week’s walk will start at 9.55am from the car park of The Queens Arms at Taddington.  We hope to be led by Colin to The Church Inn at Chelmorton for a livener between noon and 12.30pm before returning to The Queens Arms around 2.15pm.

Happy Wandering!

Torkington Park

TORKINGTON PARK, HOLLY TRAIL, HAZEL GROVE GOLF COURSE, CLOUGH HOUSE FARM, OAKFIELD FARM, MACCLESFIELD CANAL, MARPLE RIDGE, PEAK FOREST CANAL, RING O’ BELLS AT MARPLE, MACCLESFIELD CANAL (REPRISE), MARPLE GOLF COURSE, STOCKPORT GOLF COURSE, WHITE HOUSE FARM AND THE WILFRED WOOD (WETHERSPOONS) AT HAZEL GROVE

Distance: 11 miles.

Difficulty: Easy.

Weather: Dry, mainly cloudy with sunny intervals.

A walkers: Lawrie Fairman, Alan Hart, John Laverick and George Whaites.

Leader: Fairman. Diarist: Hart.

B walkers: George Fraser, Tony Job, Ken Sparrow and Geoff Spurrell.

Non-walking drinker: Chris Corps.

Apologies: Mickey Barrett, Peter Beal, Colin Davison and George Dearsley (various hols), Julian Ross and Jock Rooney (domestic duties), Steve Courtney and Mike Walton (w*^king).

Starting point: Torkington Park free car park, Hazel Grove, at 9.30am.

Finishing point: The Wilfred Wood (Wetherspoons), Hazel Grove, at 2.31pm.

A dry day, a mainly flat walk, three golf courses, two canals, a traditional pub and another selling (comparatively) cheap beer, plus a debutant walker and a birthday treat: it’s not just the Italians who enjoy la dolce vita.

Lawrie laughed in the face of Old Father Time as he celebrated his 79^th birthday by leading an 11-mile walk back to a pub of his choosing, where he bought a round of drinks. Among the recipients of this largesse was a newcomer to the Wednesday Wanderers’ ranks, “Geordie” George Fraser, who brought the number of Newcastle United fans in our group to three (Lawrie and John being the others).

We bid a warm welcome to George F (now one of three Georges in our team) and wish Lawrie many happy returns as he continues to defy the ravages of time.

This enjoyable walk was not without incident as Lawrie managed to fall before the first hurdle, tumbling in front of a stile, and then lost his bearings as he led us in the wrong direction. Happily he was unhurt and the unplanned diversion was mercifully brief.

From the car park we walked away from the A6 to pass Torkington Lodge on our right. This is a Grade 2 listed Regency building. It was bought in 1935 by Hazel Grove and Bramhall Urban District Council for council offices. The 34 acres of parkland surrounding it are used for recereational purposes.

We paid a brief visit to the Secret Garden, on our right, where a plaque informed us of the name of the volunteer who had created the garden in 1960 “by hand.” One would have thought the council would have provided him at the very least with a spade, but those were tough times.

We reached Torkington Road (7mins) and turned right. Where the way ahead became Offerton Road, we swung right with Torkington Road (15mins). After passing Torkington School on our right we turned right at a Public Footpath Sign marked Holly Trail (20mins). Just before our first wooden stile, Lawrie tripped over a hidden branch and sent his new birthday gift, an ordnance survey map, flying. Happily neither Lawrie nor the map was damaged.

 We crossed the stile into a field and another wooden stile led us into a copse from which we emerged in the grounds of Hazel Grove Golf Club. We kept to the left and after first failing to spot a well-hidden stile, we spotted it at the second attempt to exit the golf course and enter a field (37mins).

Another stile brought us to a lane leading to Clough House Farm. Upon reaching the road by this farm, we turned right (40mins). We then turned left (45mins) towards Oakfield Farm. Just before its entrance we turned right along a path which brought us to the A6, where we turned left (57mins).

After passing The Royal Oak and The Horseshoe on our left, we reached The Bull’s Head on our right (64mins). On the opposite side of the road from it, we turned left to reach the left bank of the Macclesfield Canal. We left the towpath at Bridge 8 (77mins) and headed right over the canal. 

We carried straight ahead through a metal gate where the lane swung right (79mins) and followed the path to a T-junction (81mins). We turned left and followed a sign for Strines. Our quartet went through a gate within a metal gate and took a path on the right of a high-fenced field normally occupied by deer (87mins).

When we reached the next gate and stile (90mins) we paused for pies and port. Resuming we crossed another wooden stile marked with a yellow arrow (92mins), crossed a third wooden stile and passed a row of cottages on our right. We turned left along a road to pass The Romper at Marple Ridge on our left (99mins) before entering Hollinwood Lane (100mins).

This took us down past Clough Bridge Cottage to the Peak Forest Canal (107mins), walking along the towpath with the canal on our left. At Bridge 19 we crossed to the left bank (122mins). This took us to Bridge 1 where the Peak Forest Canal links with the Macclesfield Canal (128mins).

A walk along the left bank allowed us to reach The Ring O’ Bells at Marple just before it opened (130mins). We stopped at a bench opposite the pub and ate our lunch and had just completed our repast when the doors opened. In The Smoke Room, where, ironically, smoking is of course banned, we enjoyed pints of excellent Robinsons’ cask bitter at £2-95 a pint.

Continuing, we returned to the right bank of the Macclesfield Canal at Bridge 2 and turned right to enter Marple golf course (145mins) by a sign warning of the dangers of speeding golf balls. We followed signs across the course, exiting the grounds (157mins), crossing a wooden footbridge (165mins) and entering Stockport Golf Club. We turned right, following a path beyond the right edge of the course until we exited via a yellow arrow on the left side of a pool (180mins).

We entered a field with a hedge on our left and reached a farm, which we passed and then turned immediately left and right (185mins). This brought us to a road where we turned left (192mins). This proved to be the wrong direction and we returned ten minutes later (202mins), this time heading right along Torkington Lane.

Our group passed White House Farm on our right (208mins) and Torkington School on our left as we started to retrace our footsteps. Instead of entering Torkington Park, however, we carried on until we reached The Bullock Smithy on our right (223mins). We had now reached the A6, which we crossed, turned right and reached The Wilfred Wood (226mins), where pints of Ruddles were £1-99.

Next week’s walk will start at 9.45am from The Rose and Crown on the A54 at Allgreave in the Wildboarclough area of Macclesfield. It is anticipated that after going past Gradbach Youth Hostel to Lud’s Church, we will stopping for a livener around 12.15pm at the Wincle Brewery, Danebridge, before returning to The Rose and Crown and, we trust, a warm welcome from its Estonian landlady, Luda, around 2.20pm.

However, as your diarist may be leading this walk, there could be a series of hesitations, repetitions and deviations.