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.