Bollington

BOLLINGTON, WHITE NANCY, KERRIDGE, BULL HILL LANE, WALKER BARN, GUNSHAW HOLLOW, BERRISTAL ROAD,  THORNSETT FARM, ROBIN HOOD AT RAINOW, OAKENBANK, DOG AND PARTRIDGE AT RAINOW.

Distance: 8 miles​​Ascent/descent: 1650 ft

Difficulty: Moderate

Weather: Cold and windy with occasional snow and hail showers

Walkers: Peter Beal. Tom Cunliffe, Colin Davison, Laurie Fairman, George Whaites

Apologies: Micky Barrett (dodgy foot), Alan Hart (Benidorm), Jock Rooney (dodgy back), Julian Ross (w^*king)

Leaders: Davison and Fairman

Starting point: Free car park opposite Spinners' Arms, Bollington

Starting time: 9.40 am​Finishing time: 2.15pm

Lashing rain and fierce winds earlier in the morning failed to deter the five Wanderers who arrived at Bollington and escaped with nothing worse than occasional snow and hail showers, although one of which it has to be said was particularly vicious.

The wet underfoot conditions made going tricky at times and three of our number went base over apex at various points in the walk.

Our original plan to ascend Charles Head and follow the exposed concessionary ridge path over Broad Moss was abandoned in view of the wind and the weather forecast.

Instead we decided to follow a more sheltered route which however started with an ascent to White Nancy and Kerridge.

We commenced with our customary visit to Smith's Orgasmic Pie Shop (all pies £1-35) and continued up the road to turn right into Church Street past the Tullis Russell factory. We then took a left turn up the steep Lord Street. At the top we continued straight on up a flight of stone steps, through a gate and followed a stone-flagged path with occasional flights of steps, climbing steadily.

We reached a road and immediately took a track to the left past Redway House, which Laurie informed us used to be the Redway Inn. Research shows it closed its doors finally in 2003.

We followed the concrete track before taking a steep path to the right, following a rocky staircase to emerge at White Nancy (28min).

Some mystery surrounds this 18-foot high sandstone monument, built in 1817 by John Gaskell Jr of North End Farm, whose family lived at nearby Ingersley Hall.

Local folklore has it, perhaps because of the date, that work on it started to commemorate Wellington's victory at Waterloo. But in fact the structure, now Grade 11 listed, once boasted a doorway and interior with benches and a stone table. So Mr Gaskell could have had it erected merely as a folly or summerhouse.

It's name is perceived locally to come from the carthorse which led the team used to transport building materials up the hill. But a more mundane explanation is that it was named after one of his daughters.

Whichever is true, he did not call it White Nancy - in fact until 1925 the structure remained unpainted in any colour.

Our visit found it enhanced with a giant red poppy to mark last year's Centenary Remembrance and the fourth verse of RL Binyon's poem For the Fallen (the verse that starts "They shall grow not old"...etc.)

We sheltered in the lee of the monument for some minutes in the vain hope that the snowclouds looming over Macclesfield would somehow blow away but eventually girded our loins and headed amid snow flurries south along Kerridge, a 1,000-foot high imposing ridge. 

Following the route of the Gritstone Trail, the 35-mile-long route linkng Disley with Kidsgrove, we continued with a wall on our right, then our left, then right again, before reaching a Gritstone Trail sign pointing left down towards Rainow (48 min).

We followed this parth briefly before striking right on a muddy path along the flank of Kerridge, before descending to reach the B5470 Whaley Bridge to Macclesfield road just south of Rainow (73 min).

We turned briefly right towards Macclesfield before taking a stile (one of what seemed like a record number on this walk) on the left. This brought us quickly to the tarmac of Bull Hill Lane, where at a handily-placed wall outside the converted farmhouse of Carlofold pie-time was declared (78 min). There was sadly no port as Mr Hart was otherwise detained in the sunny climes of Benidorm. How he would have wished to be here instead.

A mere 9 minutes later the sergeant-major-like tones of Tom Cunliffe urged us onwards and we continued up the lane to its junction with the A537 Buxton to Macclesfield Road, where we turned left then immediately right over a stile in to a field. Somewhere round here loud and merciless laughter from Tom announced that Colin had become the first faller of the day. He was followed not too long after by Laurie.

We were on the Gritstone Trail again here, on a path that would have brought us shortly to Tegg's Nose Country Park. But at the top of the first field we turned left (92 min), along a wall (more stiles), emerging at two cottages called Brink Farm, where the first of our party were confronted by three noisy, bad tempered dogs - only one of them on a lead - before they were called off by their surly owner.

We continued along a track to soon reach the Buxton to Macclesfield road again (101 min). Here we turned right along the pavement and reached Walker Barn, one of whose buildings used to be the Setter Dog pub.

Research failed to reveal when this shut but it was certainly open as recently as nine years ago.

Here we took a stile on the left and dropped down through fields in to Gunshaw Hollow (110 min). At the bottom we took a path to the left, running above the stream and with the main road above us on the left. Here your diarist took an unseen tumble to which he owned up afterwards.

The path took us through Horder Farm, briefly along a track, then down a path to the left where three fields further on we reached Berristal Road, a former farm track now metalled and serving the works at Lamaload Reservoir a mile to the east (124 min).

We crossed this and dropped in to the valley of the River Dean, which emerges from the reservoir and flows towards Bollington. We followed a path uphill to the left and skirted buildings at Thornsett Farm to join a track.

Ahead of us we could see the roof of the Methodist Chapel that marked our goal of the Robin Hood pub opposite, on the Whaley to Macclesfield road. The only beer on offer was Jennings Cumberland (£3-15), which was pronounced as of indifferent quality. Tom's sandwich - albeit with extra chips - took an eternity to arrive, served by the solitary member of staff, so some members of the party were forced to have a second pint.

It was the general opinion, shared by our expert on such matters, Tom, that the evidence was that this establishment might not be long for this world.

Leaving the pub we eschewed our normal route to Bollington along the Virgin's Path and instead turned right along the lane at the rear of the pub, soon to reach its junction with Oakenbank Lane on the left (181 mins). We turned up the lane and after a short distance had a brief lunch stop in the lee of a drystone wall.

The fine if muddy track brought us to the hamlet of Oakenbank, where it became tarmac, and dropped us down to a minor road at a three-way junction.

Here a brief but fierce hailstorm was blowing directly in to our faces and we were glad ro reach our objective of the Poachers pub (198 min). Sadly relief was not to be had here - the lights inside were blazing in a welcoming way but the door had just shut at a rather unseemly 2.06pm

We continued in improving weather down to Bollington and reached the car park at 2.15 pm. Laurie and George departed for home and warmth while your temporary diarist and Tom and Colin sought the shelter of the Dog and Partridge, where Robinson's Dizzy Blonde and Unicorn Bitter were both £2-80.

Photos below by Colin Davison

Next week's walk will start at the Lantern Pike Inn at Little Hayfield at 9.40am. We intend to walk over Chunal and stop for refreshment at the Little Mill Inn at Rowarth at around 12.15 pm, returning to the Lantern Pike at 2.15pm. Tom will be providing free beer for all those partcipating. There will also be a competition to guess which bit of this paragraph I just made up.

Chapel-en-le-Frith

January 21, 2015.

CHAPEL-EN-LE-FRITH, BOWDEN HEAD FARM, SLACK HALL FARM, CHESTNUT CENTRE, THE WANTED INN AT SPARROWPIT, BAGSHAW HALL AND THE ROEBUCK AT CHAPEL

Distance: 7-8 miles.

Difficulty: Easy but hampered by snow.

Weather: Cloudy with light snow showers.

Walkers: Peter Beal, Steve Courtney, Colin Davison, Lawrie Fairman, Alan Hart and Julian Ross.

Non-walking drinker: Jock Rooney.

Apologies: Tom Cunliffe (w*^king), George Dearsley (in Turkey), George Fraser, Ken Sparrow (hearing test) and George Whaites (grandchild-minding)

Leader: Davison. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Miry Meadow free car park, Chapel-en-le-Frith.

Starting time: 9.45 am. Finishing time: 2.08pm.

Snow which had disappeared from the roads and fields of those of us living in the lower foothills of The Peak District was present in great abundance around Chapel. It provided Christmas card scenery although progress was slowed by its presence on the moors we crossed.

We welcomed the return of Steve after his arduous two months as chief officer on a billionaire’s yacht in the Caribbean. We also toasted the 72nd anniversary of the birth of Jock, who joined us at The Roebuck especially to buy us a birthday drink. Cheers, Jock, and many happy returns.

Although conditions were potentially hazardous, there were no accidents apart from one comical moment when Colin stepped inadvertently off the hidden path and plunged up to his waist in a snowdrift. His chums would undoubtedly have been delighted to pull him out if we had not been laughing so much.

We exited the rear of the car park and turned right along a path which led uphill to the left of our final watering hole, The Roebuck. We turned left by the side of the pub in Market Place and walked to the right of the Thomas Becket Parish Church (3mins)

I need hardly tell you that Thomas Becket (1120-1170) was the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his murder by four knights inside Canterbury Cathedral. He was subsequently venerated as a saint by both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England.

Becket clashed with King Henry 11 over the rights and privileges of The Church and was charged with contempt of royal authority. Convicted, he stormed out of his trial, fled to France and threatened the king with ex-communication. In 1170 Henry 11 offered a compromise which allowed Becket to return from exile.

But later that year, when three bishops crowned Henry’s young son as heir apparent, Becket ex-communicated them. At this stage the king uttered the famous question “Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest ?” – or words to that effect.

Four knights then confronted Becket at his cathedral and hacked him to death. The assassins, instead of being rewarded for their loyalty, were then obliged to flee north to Knaresborough Castle when King Henry said they had misunderstood him. Pope Alexander 111 ex-communicated all four of them and they were only forgiven when they went to Rome and agreed to serve in the Holy Land for 14 years.

(The moral to this story is: always make sure your boss puts his orders in writing)

As we walked to the right of the church, we turned right into a passageway which we followed as it went between houses, along roads, to the right of a stream (7mins) into The Crescent and followed a green public footpath sign which took us across the A6 (15mins) On the far side of the trunk road we followed the footpath sign until we reached a lane and turned left downhill (18mins)

After 20 yards we crossed a stone step stile on our right into a field. Heading diagonally left we crossed another stone step stile into the next field and then turned right towards some barns (25mins) We went to the left of the barns and through two gates, crossed a stone step stile and reached a lane. We turned right for 15 yards then walked up a flight of steps to go through a gate into a field (29mins)

After crossing a wooden stile into the next field, we kept a drystone wall on our left (32mins) We now crossed first a stone step stile and then a wooden stile to reach a lane (40mins) We turned left uphill passing Bowden Head Farm on our left (46mins) We swung right, following the lane and reached Slack Hall Farm on our right.

To our left was a farm building wall, on which was a sign for “M.J.Barrett Constructions of Uttoxeter”. We wondered whether this was another firm in the portfolio of businesses owned by Mogul Mickey, our absent walking colleague.

We passed The Chestnut Centre on our left. This is a 50-acres conservation area providing a sanctuary for otters, 16 species of owls, Scottish wildcats, pine martens, polecats, deer and foxes. It is also the new home of Manoki, a giant otter from South America.

On reaching a road we turned left towards Rushup and Edale (64mins) before pausing for pies and port by a gate leading into woods (75mins) Resuming we continued uphill until reaching a wooden public footpath sign on our right (85mins) We went to the right corner of a field and through a gate (93mins) keeping a drystone wall on our left.

We then crossed a series of wooden and stone step stiles and metal gates to reach a farmhouse (115mins) We turned left down a lane which passed Sparrowpit Methodiest Church on our left before we reached The Wanted Inn (120mins) for pints of Marstons’ Pedigree at £3.

Continuing, we retraced our footsteps past the Methodist Church but kept left where the road forked (118mins) and turned right at a wooden public footpath sign (123mins) This took us through a series of fields which we entered and exited by stone step stiles until we reached a road where we stopped for lunch (137mins)

After this short break we continued downhill, with first cottages and then Bagshaw Hall to our right(143mins) After crossing a wooden footbridge (155mins)  we reached a main road (160mins) and turned left. This took us under the A6 into Chapel-en-le-Frith – “the home of Ferodo.” We turned right into Market Street (163mins) and right again up Church Brow (170mins), soon swinging left along a cobbled street to reach The Roebuck (173mins) Jock treated us to pints of Black Sheep at  £2-95.

Next week’s walk will start from the free car park opposite The Spinners Arms in Bollington at 9.30am. The A walkers are planning to stop for a bracer in The Robin Hood around 12.15pm, finishing at a new finishing point, The Poachers in Bollington, at about 2.15pm.

Happy wandering.

Allgreave

ALLGREAVE, CLOUGH BROOK, HAMMERTON KNOWL FARM, THE WILD BOAR AT LONGGUTTER, HAMMERTON FARM, ST MICHAEL’S CHURCH, WINCLE, LANEHEAD, WINCLE GRANGE, WHITELEE FARM, DANE VALLEY, WINCLE BREWERY, SHIP INN AT WINCLE, CLOUGH BROOK COTTAGE, WHEELWRIGHTS HOLLOW AND THE ROSE AND CROWN AT ALLGREAVE

Distance: 8 miles.

Difficulty: Easy.

Weather:  Early blue skies and sunshine gave way to cloud; chilly.

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

Apologies: Peter Beal (Venice), George Dearsley (in Turkey), George Fraser (visiting sick son), Jock Rooney (back injury)

Leader: Fairman. Diarist: Hart.

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

Starting time: 9.47am. Finishing time: 1.53pm.

Lawrie plotted a new route for this walk and dispelled any notions that he couldn’t organise a piss-up in a brewery by doing just that. We were also indebted to Tom for an hilarious demonstration of his silky soccer skills. Even the little dog laughed to see such fun – but more of that later.

It was a chilly winter’s morning as we assembled under blue skies, with frequent bursts of bright, if not warm, sunshine. Visibility was good as we admired the frosted peaks of Shutlingsloe and Bosley Cloud in the distance.

From the car park of The Rose and Crown we turned right to pass the pub on our right as we walked along the A54. At a track on our left (3mins) we turned left and started a steady descent towards Clough Brook. Where the track divided (8mins) we took the left fork down to a wooden footbridge over the brook (13mins). Lawrie’s efforts to turn this into a photo opportunity were thwarted by the fact that his all-singing all-dancing mobile would only take black-and-white photos and issued him instructions in Spanish. Que pena !

On the far side of the brook we climbed up to a road and turned left. Then, at a public footpath sign, we turned right (18mins) towards a farmhouse. We took a path to the left of Hammerton Knowl Farm and followed a yellow arrow on a telegraph pole (22mins) to a wooden stile, also marked with a yellow arrow.

After crossing the stile our group went right into a farmyard then turned left to leave it. This brought us back to the A54, where we turned right (34mins) On reaching The Wild Boar on our right (42mins), we turned left opposite the pub and crossed a wooden stile marked with a yellow arrow to enter a field. We continued to follow yellow arrows which led us through fields, over a ladder stile and on to a concrete-paved path.

At a junction of paths (55mins) we turned right downhill. We went over a wooden stile marked with a yellow arrow (61mins) and continued downhill with a drystone wall on our right. We reached Hammerton Farm on our right, where a friendly Golden Labrador seemed keen to join us as we stopped for pies and port (68mins)

Continuing along a road, we passed the farm, then Wincle Primary School and St Michael’s Church, Wincle, all on our right before turning left at a T-junction (75mins) After passing Lane House Farm on our right we turned right at a wooden stile at a wooden public footpath sign (78mins) We walked uphill, keeping a hedge on our right, walked through an open gate and turned left at a wooden public footpath sign (79mins)

This took us to a double stile (81mins) which we crossed and headed for the right side of a field. When we could go no further, we disconnected a panel provided in an electrified fence on our right (86mins) to reach a lane and turn right.

Just before Wincle Grange was reached, we went through a gate on our left and passed a barn on our left (89mins) to make for the right corner of a field and a yellow arrow indicating the route (96mins). We crossed a wooden stile and followed the yellow arrow which pointed left instead of right (98mins)

After crossing another wooden stile (103mins) we headed diagonally right uphill to another one (104mins) When we reached an open gate with yellow arrows pointing left and right, after a pause for deliberation, we opted to carry straight on along a path leading to a farm.

A sign showed us the route through Whitelee Farm (119mins) and then turned right at a yellow arrow to head downhill along a footpath (128mins) This brought us down to the River Dane, where we turned left (131mins) We passed a house called Pingle on our left (133mins) and Danebridge Trout Farm on our right to reach The Wincle Brewery (138mins)

In bright sunshine under a clear blue sky, we sat at tables outside to enjoy pints of Rambler and Old Oak for £2-60, while a friendly mongrel brought a selection of balls for us to throw for her. It was at this point when Tom attempted to demonstrate his own ball control. Unhappily his attempt to kick the ball over a wall failed dismally. Instead it soared some 20 yards straight up in the air and returned to hit him on the head as he tried to prevent it landing in his pint. Needless to say, his hapless effort was greeted with great merriment and even the dog wagged her tail in appreciation of the unexpected comedy.

Resuming our journey, we reached the main road and turned left uphill, passing The Ship at Wincle on our right. Just beyond the pub car park was a wooden public footpath sign where we turned right (143mins) and followed yellow arrows leading us over stiles and a footbridge until we came to a stone step stile at the side of a cottage on our left (154mins) We crossed this and turned right across the front of the cottage to take a lane leading away from it. Where the lane swung left a yellow arrow on a gate indicated our way ahead (155mins)

After pausing for lunch we continued to follow yellow arrows through fields and moorland until we reached Clough Brook Cottage on our right (175mins)

We reached a road and turned right, passing Wheelwright’s Hollow on our right (180mins) before we emerged on the A54. We turned right, passing a cottage built in 1746 and Allgreave Methodist Chapel, both on our left, before swinging left with the road to reach The Rose and Crown car park on our right (188mins)

After de-booting we entered the former Robinsons’ brewery pub, now a free house owned by former Poyntonian Ian and his Estonian wife Luda. We had a choice of cask beers, including one produced by The Worth Brewery in Poynton, which is, apparently, up for sale.

Pictures courtesy of Tom Cunliffe

Next week’s walk will start at 9.45am from the free car park in Chapel-en-le-Frith behind the Co-op and above The Roebuck. We are planning to reach The Wanted Inn at Sparrowpit around 12.20pm, aiming for a 2.15pm finish back at The Roebuck in Chapel’s town centre.

Disley

DISLEY, COCKHEAD, MILLENIUM WOOD, BOLDER HALL FARM, BLACK ROCKS, BYROM HOUSE, PEAR TREE COTTAGE, THE PEAK FOREST CANAL, HAGUE BAR, THE FOX AT BROOK BOTTOM, STRINES STATION, STRINES HALL, WHITECROFT FARM, SUNNYSIDE COTTAGE, THE WHITE HORSE AT DISLEY

Distance: 8 miles.

Difficulty: Easy.

Weather: Cloudy but mainly dry with light showers.

Walkers: Tom Cunliffe, Colin Davison, Alan Hart, Julian Ross and George Whaites.

Non-walking drinkers: Peter Beal, Lawrie Fairman and Geoff Spurrell.

Apologies: Steve Courtney (crewing in Caribbean), George Dearsley (in Turkey), George Fraser (visiting sick son)

Leader: Hart. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Car park of The White Horse at Disley.

Starting time: 9.30am. Finishing time: 2pm.

Despite dire forecasts of heavy rain in the late morning and early afternoon, we enjoyed moderate weather with none of the teeming rain which had been predicted. Apart from a couple of brief light showers and a howling wind on Black Rocks ridge, we kept mainly dry and the temperatures remained above freezing

Most of the mud was successfully avoided as we negotiated the hills overlooking Disley on both sides of the A6. We also found the beer in The Fox to be outstanding. Tom gave it his highest accolade – “not bad at all.”

In fact Tom revealed he has started an amazing new diet which, if successful, could revolutionise the weight-loss industry. It seems you can drink beer, eat crisps between meals, and then have fish, chips and peas for lunch. The only sacrifice is to give five chips away at the end of your meal. These, apparently, are the ones which put on the pounds. So we look forward to seeing a sylph-like Tom within the next few weeks which will bring new hope for dieters throughout the world. I’ll keep you posted.

From the White Horse car park we turned right uphill along Ring O’ Bells Lane and reached the sign for the former pub which is now a Quaker meeting house. We turned right in front of it, crossed a bridge over a stream and headed uphill with the cemetery of St Mary’s Church, Disley, on either side of the path.

Beyond the graveyard we turned left through a field to cut off a corner and then crossed a stile through another field to take another short-cut, aiming toward Lyme Cage in the distance. After exiting the second field by a wooden stile we took the road ahead up towards a farm. Just before the farmhouse we turned left through a gate marked with a yellow arrow (12mins)

We followed stiles with yellow arrows to take a path alongside a wall with a reservoir on the other side of it. After passing the reservoir we crossed a wooden stile to enter a wood (20mins) We left it by a metal gate and crossed a dirt lane to head towards Duke Carr Cottage (27mins) With the cottage on our right we turned left through a wooden kissing gate(29mins) to enter Millenium Wood.

The path led us to a main road where we turned right (32mins) for 200 yards. After passing Bolder Hall Farm on our left we crossed the road and went over a stile by the side of a holly bush to follow a public footpath sign marked Black Rocks (36mins) We followed the path as it went first diagonally right and then diagonally left to reach the ridge (39mins)

Although this gave us misty views over Lyme Park as we looked backwards and the Kinder ridge straight ahead, a powerful, gusting wind whipped at our faces and clothes so we wasted no time in admiring the scenery before turning left along the ridge. We started our descent via a ladder stile and a metal kissing gate (58mins) before passing The Owls Nest, a bunkhouse owned by Manchester Grammar School for outdoor pursuits.

After crossing a wooden stile marked with a yellow arrow we went through two gates to enter and exit a farmyard, reaching a main road which we crossed (65mins) We went through a gate to the left of Byrom House and turned left downhill (66mins) along a path leading to a lane. Here we turned right, passing Pear Tree Cottage on our left (67mins) as we descended a rocky path down to the A6.

The A6 is one of Britain’s longest roads running from Luton, Bedfordshire, to Carlisle, Cumbria. It was made infamous in 1961 for what became known as the A6 Murder. A married man named Michael Gregston had stopped in a layby with his lover, Valerie Storey, 23. They were abducted at gunpoint and forced to drive to Deadman’s Hill, near Clophill, Beds.

Here the kidnapper shot Gregston dead, then raped and shot Storey five times. She was permanently paralysed but survived to give evidence identifying a 24-year-old man named James Hanratty as the gunman. He protested his innocence but was found guilty and executed in April, 1962.

Family and friends continued to seek a pardon for Hanratty long after his death. Eventually, in 2002, his supporters successfully applied for his body to be exhumed to check his DNA against sperm samples taken from Valerie Storey in 1961. The samples matched and the campaign for a posthumous pardon ended.

We crossed the A6 into Lower Greenshall Lane (77mins), walked through a tunnel under the Manchester-Buxton rail line and reached The Peak Forest Canal. We crossed a bridge (Number 26) over it and reached a bench facing the waterway where we paused for pies and port (83mins)

Resuming, we discovered the towpath had been closed for remedial work to the canal bank, so we were obliged to retrace our steps over the bridge and proceed along the path on the opposite bank until we reached the Higgins Clough Swing Bridge (100mins) After crossing the bridge we turned left along the towpath for just five yards before going right through a gap stile.

The path brought us to a paper factory surrounded by a wire fence. We turned right up a steep flight of steps (108mins) After crossing a wooden stile we went to the left of a fishing pond (112mins) and through a car park to reach a road. We turned left downhill for 20 yards before following a public footpath on our left.

Instead of going down to the River Goyt, we took a footpath on the right which followed its right bank until it emerged on a road with the Goyt still on our left (119mins) We turned left and walked past Hague Brow children’s playground which had been dismantled and was covered in machinery belonging to a gentleman named Murphy.

After crossing a road-bridge over The Hope Valley rail line we crossed a main road to enter Hague Fold Road (125mins) and the start of a steep climb. This brought us to a T junction (137mins) where we turned left to reach The Fox at Brook Bottom (139mins) The Robbies’ cask bitter here has not always been up to standard on recent visits buton this occasion our pints for £2-90 were in exceptional condition.

Resuming, we followed a footpath opposite the pub door going downhill. This took us past Strines Station (153mins) and Strines Hall and Whitecroft Farm on our left with a recently renovated lake complete with freshly-painted dovecote on our right. We crossed the River Goyt and took advantage of a picnic table in a field on our left to stop for lunch (158mins)

Continuing we crossed Strines Road and followed a track uphill which brought us back to The Peak Forest Canal (168mins) We turned left with the canal on our right and crossed to the far side via a lift bridge (177mins) Walking uphill we passed Sunnyside cottage on our right (181mins) and reached the A6 again to the right of The Dandy Cock pub (187mins)

After crossing the main road we turned left at the traffic lights and after 80 yards our final watering hole, The White Horse, was on our right (190mins) The 1892 mild here was £2-80 and quite palatable.

Photos by Tom Cunliffe

Next week’s walk will start from The Rose and Crown on the A54 at Allgreave, south of Macclesfield, at 9.45am. We expect to reach the Wincle Brewery at Dane Bridge around 12.15pm before finishing back at The Rose and Crown at about 2.15pm.

Happy wandering !