Longnor

July 15, 2015.

LONGNOR, MANIFOLD TRAIL, NEW HOUSE FARM, BRUND, THE STAFFORDSHIRE KNOT AT SHEEN, FERNY KNOWL COTTAGE, UNDER WHITLE, YE OLDE CHESHIRE CHEESE AT LONGNOR

Distance: 8 miles.

Difficulty: Easy.

Weather: Warm and sunny.

Walkers: Mickey Barrett, Colin Davison, Lawrie Fairman, Mark Gibby, Alan Hart, Jock Rooney with Tips, Julian Ross and George Whaites.

Apologies: Peter Beal (narrow-boating), Tom Cunliffe (running pub single-handed while wife skives off on holiday), George Dearsley (in Turkey).

Leader: Fairman. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Main square in Longnor, Derbyshire.

Starting time: 10.10am Finishing time: 2pm.

There was a bright golden haze on the meadow and even though the corn wasn’t as high as an elephant’s eye, it was the sort of day where it was tempting to sing a chorus of “Oh What a Beautiful Morning.” Blue skies, warm sunshine and a gentle breeze were a glorious contrast to last week’s prolonged showers.

The scenery was also spectacular around the Derbyshire-Staffordshire border as we enjoyed the views of rolling hillsides whilst walking along the flat but picturesque Manifold Valley.

Mickey was back from Turkey, where temperatures had been on the far side of 30 Celsius, having evidently recovered from the pain of being abandoned in Chelmorton on his previous walk.

We were also in a position to act as Good Samaritans when we found a mobile phone near a stile and returned it to its grateful owner.

From the cobbled area of the main square we turned left towards Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, passing it on the left and turning right at a wooden public footpath sign marked Brund (2mins). This brought us into a farmyard which we exited to its right by a stone step stile (5mins)

From here we walked in virtually a straight line through wooden, gap and stone step stiles which took us through a succession of fields where sheep and cattle grazed lazily in the heat. Sometime there were yellow arrow and sometimes there were signs stating that we were on the Manifold Trail, but we kept going straight on towards Brund, at one stage crossing a wooden footbridge over a stream.

On a grassy bank overlooking the River Manifold we paused for pies and port (50mins) before resuming our journey through fields by a series of stiles. When we reached a road (58mins) we followed a sign for Sheen, passing New House Farm on our right (63mins). A road sign on the left informed us we were in The Brund.

When we reached a gap stile marked with a wooden public footpath sign on our right, Lawrie found a mobile phone, which he pocketed (68mins). We reached a lane and turned right uphill (77mins). This brought us to a road where we turned left for Sheen and Longnor (81mins).

After passing a Wesleyan Chapel, built in 1878, on our left (83mins) we reached the Staffordshire Knot (86mins) at 11.50am.But before we had a chance to jeer our leaders for coming too early – if you’ll pardon the expression – landlady Jacqueline Allesbrook opened her doors and put our her welcome sign.

As we basked outside in the sunshine on trestle tables, it was an idyllic setting. Sadly the Hartington IPA at £3-20 was not to everyone’s liking. It was certainly not popular as far as Mickey’s delicate palate was concerned.

After failing to find a signal for the lost mobile and unable to ring one of the contact numbers on it, Lawrie handed the phone to the landlady. A few minutes after leaving the pub we were stopped by a motorist who thanked us for its safe return.

The Staffordshire Knot dates back to 1666 and is the base from which The Sheen Farmers gained their reputation as one of the world’s best tug-of-war teams. They have taken on teams from all over the globe and featured on TV.

Sheen itself is a one-street hamlet sitting on a ridge just out of view of Hartington on the Staffordshire side of the River Dove. However Sheen Hill is a distinctive sugarloaf mound rising to 1,247 feet and can be seen for miles.

Resuming we turned left out of the pub to head uphill and pass St Luke’s Church on our right (91mins).

St Luke’s is a well-known landmark with its copper-covered short spire which has been weathered green. Sheen has had a church since 1185 and the oldest grave slab in the churchyard is dated 1200. The original church was destroyed during the dissolution of the monasteries but rebuilt in 1552. The present church was rebuilt between 1828 and 1832. In its grounds are 19 lime trees which have survived from 20 planted in 1761.

Grotesque gargoyles date back to medieval times although your diarist thought he was looking at a mirror as we trooped past the building.

After leaving the village we turned right at a wooden public footpath sign (93mins). This brought us to High Sheen Farm on our left (114mins) where we stopped for lunch. Continuing along the road into Longnor we passed Ferny Knowl Cottage on our left (119mins) and the Dove Valley Centre at Under Whitle on our right (127mins).

We ignored a wooden public footpath sign on our left (132mins) and continued along the road to reach the main road between Longnor and Crowdecote (152mins). Here we turned left, soon passing the sign for Longnor (154mins) and reaching Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese on our right (157mins).

Once again we were able to sit outside at sunny tables to quaff pints of Robbies’ cask bitter at £3-10.

Next week’s walk will start from the free public car park at Lamaload Reservoir at 9.40am. We anticipate calling at The Crag Inn at Wildboarclough at 12.15pm and returning to our cars around 2.15pm to de-boot and drive to the nearby Stanley Arms at Bottom o’ th’Oven.

Happy wandering !