Whaley Bridge

WHALEY BRIDGE, CROMFORD AND HIGH PEAK RAILWAY (DISUSED), SHALLCROSS INCLINE GREENWAY, COMBS RESERVOIR, TUNSTEAD MILTON, CHAPEL-EN-LE-FRITH GOLF COURSE, BRADSHAW HALL, ECCLES PIKE, THE OLD HALL AT WHITEHOUGH, BUGSWORTH BASIN AND THE GOYT INN AT WHALEY BRIDGE

Distance: 8 miles.

Difficulty: Easy.

Weather: Crisp and sunny.

Walkers: Colin Davison, Lawrie Fairman, Alan Hart, John Jones, Julian Ross and George Whaites.

Apologies: Mickey Barrett (Spain), Peter Beal (Lanzarote), Tom Cunliffe (sore knee), Jock Rooney (diving in Abu Dhabi)

Leader: Fairman/Davison. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Tom Brad’s Croft car park next to Whaley Bridge Marina.

Starting time: 9.35am. Finishing time: 1.44pm.

As the admiral of the fleet at Pearl Harbour once said, there was a nasty nip in the air as we assembled for this walk. Blue skies and sunshine soon appeared to literally brighten our day and provide perfect visibility from the hills above Whaley Bridge.

High on a hill we had a chat with a lonely goat-herder, passed a site associated with 17^th Century regicide, and thanks to Colin’s recommendation we added another pub to our list of top hostelries.

Lawrie was notionally the leader of this walk, although there was some confusion as the usual usurper was often seen striding away in the vanguard. Despite being shorn of his curls, he has lost none of his strength of purpose. He has, however, lost some of his memory because we set off without waiting for his mate John, whom he should have been expecting. John caught a glimpse of our quintet after we departed the car park and was able to join us. Another ten seconds and we would have passed out of sight.

From the car park we headed away from the marina across a cobbled bridge which was once the route of the Cromford and High Peak Railway, which reached Whaley Bridge in 1831 to link the Peak Forest Canal, opened in 1800, and the Cromford Canal.

Coal and limestone were exported through the basin whilst cotton for the mills was imported. Commercial traffic ceased in the 1920s, but the railway to the gas works next to Shallcross sidings worked on until the 1950s. We passed the retirement flats at Cromford Court on our left which had been marshalling yards shifting coal for the gasworks which closed in the 1980s.

We entered Shallcross Incline Greenway (16mins) and turned left at the end of it to reach Elnor Lane. Here we turned right (25mins) and soon reached Shall Cross (28mins), where we turned left and passed Elnor Lane Farm (30mins) We turned left up a track (34mins) and reached a wooden public footpath sign (48mins) where we stopped to admire the views across the valley before crossing a stone step stile.

These were our first downward steps as we headed towards Combs Reservoir below. We crossed a ladder stile marked with a yellow arrow (58mins), turned left at Tunstead House Farm and right over a stone step stile (60mins) This took us into a field occupied by Houdini goats, so-called because of their ingenuity in escaping their boundaries.

They take their name from Harry Houdini, the renowned escapologist, who was born Erik Weisz in 1874 in Budapest, Hungary, and died in 1926 in Detroit, Michegan. Weisz, the son of a rabbi, changed his name in honour of his hero, a French magician called Jean Eugene Robert-Houdin.

After a mediocre career as a trapeze artist, cross-country runner and magician, his big break came in 1899 when he met manager Martin Beck in Woodstock, Illinois. Beck advised Houdini to concentrate on escapology and he subsequently toured Europe as “The Handcuff King.”

As we crossed the goat field, the lady who owned them told us how she inherited one of the breed when a friend died, and subsequently she had been persuaded to take on more.

We departed through a stone step stile (65mins) and continued downhill to a tunnel underneath the Manchester-Buxton railway line before heading diagonally left through a field (70mins) We exited by a wooden stile by the side of a large tree (71mins) and crossed two wooden footbridges and a wooden stile marked with a yellow arrow to reach a main road at Tunstead Milton (73mins)

After crossing the road and turning right past Postbox Cottage, we stopped for Pietime at the side of a phone box near a stile (75mins) Resuming, we crossed the stone step stile marked by a green public footpath sign with a yellow arrow, crossing further stiles until we reached one with alternative yellow arrows pointing straight ahead or left (78mins)

Choosing to go straight on, we passed Spark Farm on our left (83mins) and crossed a wooden stile marked with a white arrow. Another wooden stile led us into Chapel-en-le-Frith golf course (85mins), which we traversed by following the directions of the public right of way. We followed a wooden public footpath sign where we crossed a road and turned left downhill (91mins) The route took us past Bradshaw Hall on our right (96mins)

The hall, built in 1620, was the home of John Bradshaw, president of the council who tried Charles 1 and signed his death warrant in 1649. Bradshaw’s was the first of 59 names on the document. After the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, six commissioners and four others were found guilty of regicide and executed. One was hanged, and nine were hanged, drawn and quartered.

Three who had died in the intervening years, including John Bradshaw and Oliver Cromwell, were exhumed so their bodies could be hanged drawn and quartered at Tyburn. What might they have done, one wonders, to Jimmy Savile ?

After passing the hall we crossed a wooden stile and went diagonally right through a field (102mins). We then crossed a stone step stile and turned left with a drystone wall on our left (105mins) We exited through a gate, passing Croft Barn on our right (107mins) before turning right at a green public footpath sign on the shoulder of Eccles Pike (108mins)

Instead of aiming for the summit on our left we plunged right to a gate (109mins) which led away from it and headed diagonally left through a field. A wooden stile led us into another field (118mins) from which we reached a lane. We turned left and then right over a stone step stile (122mins). This brought us to a stile and a steep descent to a road, where we turned right and immediately left.

We passed Eccles Terrace on our left and went over the road-bridge across the A6 (126mins) This brought us to The Papermill Inn on our right and a little further The Old Hall (131mins) For the second successive week we had reached our first watering hole before noon and for the second successive week we found the premises open for business.

Pints of Marstons’ and other cask bitters costing £2-80 were despatched before we resumed our journey with a departure from our normal route. Instead of walking down to the Peak Forest Tramway, we left the pub and crossed the road to follow a green public footpath sign. This took us across a stream (134mins)

The path brought us to a car park (143mins) where we turned left. We were now on the Peak Forest Tramway and we stopped for lunch by the side of a wooden footbridge across Black Brook (149mins)

Continuing along the tramway, we passed The Navigation Inn at Bugsworth Basin (155mins), turned left over a bridge and headed uphill, re-crossing the A6 by a different road-bridge and turning right a Silk Hill (159mins) At the top of the hill we passed Silk Hill Farm on our right (164mins).

As we reached The Croft on our left (168mins), we split into two groups with Colin leading  John and Julian to head up a hill on our left, while Lawrie led the remaining duo down towards Whaley Bridge.

We turned right after a red phone box (172mins) and then turned right at the cobbled bridge (174mins) to return to the car park (175mins) 

After de-booting we filled in time at the White Lion before joining our comrades at The Goyt Inn at the appointed hour of 2.30pm. Three different cask ales were on offer, including an excellent dark beer called Old Bob which was recommended by the genial landlord.

B Walkers' Diary:

Wanderers: Ken, Tony, George Fraser.

Apologies: Geoff (possible trapped sciatic nerve), Wally (in Sri Lanka for cricket).

Route:  Brabyns - Compstall - Romiley - Chadkirk - Otterspool - Marple - Brabyns.

An opening time of 2.30 at the Goyt Inn deterred us from that venue, so we decided on this well-tried walk of the right length. The length was extended before we set off by the news that the Marple acqueduct and towpath were closed for repairs for 12 weeks, so we included Compstall and Romiley. We made the first stop - The Hare and Hounds at Otterspool (< £3 a pint) - by 12.15, and without the guidance of Geoff. Eventually made it back to Brabyns car park and the Norfolk Arms (£3 a pint).

Next week’s walk will start at 9.40am from the Lantern Pike at Little Hayfield, where we intend to belatedly celebrate Tom’s birthday. The first stop will be The Lamb at Chinley around 12.30pm, ending at the Lantern Pike around 2.15pm. Don’t be surprised if Tom produces a cake.

Happy wandering.