Earl Sterndale

April 15, 2015.

EARL STERNDALE, HINDLOW QUARRY, HIGH NEEDHAM, THE PACK HORSE INN AT CROWDECOTE, CASTLE COTTAGE, GLUTTON BRIDGE, HOLLINSCLOUGH, THE QUIET WOMAN AT EARL STERNDALE

Distance: 8 miles.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Weather: Dry with mixture of blue skies, sunshine and cloud.

Walkers: Steve Courtney, Tom Cunliffe, Colin Davison, Alan Hart, Jock Rooney with Tips, and George Whaites.

Apologies: Mickey Barrett (recovering from foot operation), George Dearsley (In Turkey), Lawrie Fairman (lecturing on cruise ship), Peter Beal (walking in Catalonia).

Leader: Davison. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Road outside parish church, Earl Sterndale.

Starting time: 10.05am. Finishing time: 1.53pm.

It could be argued that in order to appreciate the good things in life, we also have to experience the bad and the ugly. This might explain why we were led from the rural idyll of a sleepy village in the White Peak area of Derbyshire up a steep hill for a prolonged view of a working quarry.

After a chilly start the effects of global warming started to be felt as we ascended a hill out of Earl Sterndale, leaving its historic church and celebrated pub behind us. Our climb gave us magnificent views back over the distinctive Chrome Hill and the Upper Dove Valley.

Ahead of us lay a gigantic blot on the landscape called Hindlow Quarry, and for two miles we walked along its ridge, as employees burrowed away below for limestone which was loaded on to lorries and transported off site. This was further proof that Derbyshire’s biggest export is....Derbyshire. It was something of a culture shock after the unspoilt views we had left behind.

Our walk had started 1,100 feet above sea level from the road outside St Michael and All Angels Church, Earl Sterndale. The church was built in 1828 on the site of an ancient chapel, but it was destroyed in 1941 when it was mistakenly hit by the Luftwaffe – the only church in Derbyshire to be struck by a German bomb. The church was restored in 1952 and still contains a Saxon font.

On the opposite side of the road is The Quiet Woman, an unpretentious (ie scruffy) traditional village pub which has featured in TV series Peak Practice and The Heart of the Country. The newer of the two pub signs shows a woman who is not only headless but legless. Alongside the painting is the inscription “Soft words turneth away wrath.”

This is probably a misquote from Proverbs 15, which reads: A soft answer turneth away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger. The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright, but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.” Amen to that.

We walked with the church on our right and turned right to pass the primary school on our right before following the road left. This brought us to a wooden public footpath sign on the right leading up stone steps (10mins). This led us to a steep hill which we climbed, crossing a wooden stile(16mins) as the field levelled off to a more gentle rise.

Another wooden stile allowed us to exit the field (18mins) and turn right with the massive quarry on our left. As we followed the path just outside the grounds of the quarry we spotted first a heron and then a buzzard. After more than a mile we reached a locked metal gate (42mins). Ignoring a footpath on our left, we were led over a wall and a barbed wire fence by Tom and Colin so we could turn left and proceed along a gravel track which was parallel with the footpath.

This took us, still on the right ridge of the quarry, to a wooden public footpath sign on our right pointing towards Parsley Hay (49mins). We followed this until we reached a grassy bank and paused for pies and port (55mins).Continuing, we went under a bridge and immediately turned left over a stone step stile. This enabled us to climb the bank and turn left again to cross the bridge (63mins).

We now crossed a series of stone step stile into fields until we reached a lane (71mins) where we turned right for 20 yards before crossing another stone step stile on our left into another field. Our group went through an open gate and then proceeded in the same direction over a series of stone step and wooden stiles, finally squeezing through a gap stile (88mins) to reach a road and turn right.

This took us past the sign for High Needham (93mins) and a set of crossroads (94mins) where we carried straight on for Crowdecote, passing High Needham Farm on our right. On our left in the middle distance was the ancient hill fort of Pilsbury Castle.

We passed the sign for Crowdecote (110mins) and soon reached the village pub on our left (116mins). The Pack Horse Inn has been a pub since the 16th Century when it stood on the packhorse trail between Newcastle-under-Lyme and Hassop. Here we could choose from a variety of cask bitters including Sadder But Wiser, Bad Rabbit, Oarsome, The Bounder and Red Rocket Rye, all priced at £3-20 a pint. We enjoyed them at the benches and tables outside in the dappled sunlight.

Resuming, we turned right and after 20 yards turned left past Two Castle Cottage, home of a friendly dog and his friendly owner, before turning left at a wooden public footpath sign (118mins) indicating Glutton Bridge. The path led us through fields, passing a post with a yellow arrow. We stopped for lunch at the side of a wall (124mins).

Continuing our journey we exited the field by a stone step stile and followed a green public footpath sign (125mins), turning left at a lane towards Chrome Hill in the middle distance and passing through a farmyard. We turned right at a wooden public footpath sign marked Earl Sterndale (135mins). This took us uphill through a gate (137mins) and left at a wooden public footpath sign pointing towards Earl Sterndale and Hollinsclough (141mins).

After passing through a gap stile (142mins) we continued uphill, over a stone step stile (144mins) and began our descent into the village. We reached the rear of the pub (148mins) and worked our way round to the front entrance (149mins) for pints of Marstons’ bitter at £3, once again enjoyed at the tables outside.

Next week’s walk will start at 9.45am from The Rose and Crown at Allgreave, on the A54 road between Congleton and Buxton south of Macclesfield. We aim to reach The Hanging Gate near Oakenclough at 12.15pm and return to The Rose and Crown around 2.20pm.

Happy wandering !