Barber Booth

September 30, 2015.

BARBER BOOTH, UPPER BOOTH, CROWDEN BROOK, CROWDEN TOWER, GRINDSLOW KNOLL, PENNINE WAY,GRINDSBROOK BOOTH, THE OLD NAG’S HEAD AT EDALE, COOPER’S COTTAGE, THE OLD DAIRY, HOPE VALLEY RAILWAY, BARBER BOOTH AND THE ROEBUCK AT CHAPEL-EN-LE-FRITH

Distance: Seven miles.

Difficulty: Moderate with strenuous climb and steep descent.

Weather: Sunny with blue skies and some cloud.

Walkers: Mickey Barrett*, Peter Beal, Tom Cunliffe, Colin Davison, Mark Gibby and Alan Hart.

Leader: Beal. Diarist: Hart.

Apologies: Steve Courtney (in France), George Dearsley (in Turkey), Jock Rooney (in Isle of Man), George Whaites (dental appointment).

Starting point: Lay-by car park at Barber Booth, near Edale, Derbyshire.

Starting time: 10.11am. Finishing time: 2.05pm.

The Indian summer we have enjoyed throughout September continued as warm sunshine beamed down from blue skies dotted with mainly fluffy white clouds and the odd grey one. Visibility was excellent as we were led by Peter along what we believe to be pastures new for the Wednesday Wanderers.

*Although Mickey is included in the team of walkers, it should be pointed out that he only accompanied the group for the last section of the walk. He spent much of the morning sitting in his car, eating his sandwiches and listening to Woman’s Hour on his radio.

As previously recorded, Mickey had been abandoned on two previous occasions this summer along with your diarist. On this occasion it was traffic congestion and his inability to follow directions to the starting point which caused him to go astray. This would have been resolved with the use of mobile phones but, unhappily, Edale is a notorious blackspot for satellite signals.

Consequently despite two lengthy waits – one en route and another at the start – we were unable to guide him towards us and were obliged to leave without him 26 minutes behind schedule.

It is a shame he missed the excellent views from the Kinder plateau across the Hope Valley. Like the rest of us he did, however, catch sight of TV presenter Julia Bradbury, who fronts various programmes about the joys of countryside walking. Any thoughts that this attractive brunette might be a shrinking violet off screen were dispelled when she arrived outside The Old Nag’s Head in a large van with the name “Bradders’ Bus” and her photo on its side.

Having parked on the lay-by at the left of a country road leading to Upper Booth, we continued in that direction following signs for Jacob’s Ladder. We crossed a bridge over Crowden Brook (12mins) and immediately turned right through a wooden gate. With the brook now on our right we followed a path which took us past several fine examples of “magic mushrooms.”

Amanita muscaria are large red mushrooms, with white spots and white gills, that are commonly known as fly agaric or fly amanita mushrooms. They are classified as poisonous, although death is extremely rare. They are noted for their hallucinogenic properties and, as every schoolboy knows, are used as intoxicants by the people of Siberia.

We crossed a wooden stile (20mins), went through a wooden gate and crossed to the far side of the brook by a wooden plank (27mins). After crossing a wooden stile (29mins) we could see the outline of Crowden Tower on the skyline above us. This was the start of a long and increasingly steep climb uphill, during which we paused for pies and Cuban rum (51mins).

When we were about 100 feet below its 2,031 feet summit, our leader decided to turn right (79mins) instead of striking for the peak. The “tower” is a collection of large boulders which create a rocky redoubt which would have been an ideal look-out point in days of yore.

Our route brought us to another collection of rocks (98mins), from where we could see nearby the rocks known alternatively as Wool Packs or Whipsnade Zoo (because, depending on the vividness of one’s imagination, they are said to resemble either sacks of wool or exotic wild animals).

We were at a crossroads of footpaths and we took the right fork which brought us to Grindlow Knoll (110mins) before we began the long descent towards Edale. When we reached a sign for The Pennine Way (136mins) we turned left and continued downhill. This brought us to The Old Nag’s Head (which has, shockingly, been deprived of its apostrophe) and were reunited with Mickey (139mins).

The beer was in good form, although at £3-75 a pint, it was somewhat hard to swallow. Mark “Mr Chips” Gibby once again generously provided two bowls as communal tapas. As we were leaving, a group of people headed by Julia Bradbury entered the pub. She failed to recognise us.

We turned right out of the pub, immediately left and immediately right to pass Cooper’s Cottage on our right (141mins). We turned left at a wooden public footpath sign and went through a wooden gate (143mins). The path took us through a copse of trees and a gate into a field where we stopped for lunch (149mins).

Resuming, we went through a kissing gate (150mins) and turned right at a wooden public footpath sign for Barber Booth (151mins). After walking through a series of fields via gates marked with yellow arrows we passed The Old Dairy on our right (159mins) and turned right at a road sign for Upper Booth (164mins).

This country road took us under the viaduct supporting the Hope Valley Railway Line (167mins) and back to our cars (169mins). We de-booted and drove to The Roebuck at Chapel, where pints of Tetleys’ mild were available for £2-75.

Next week’s walk will start at 9.40am from Clough House car park at Wildboarclough. We intend to reach The Cat and Fiddle at about 12.30pm, and when we have finished walking we will drive to The Stanley Arms at Bottom-o-th’Oven around 2.20pm.

Happy wandering !

Rushton Spencer

RUSHTON SPENCER, CHURNET VALLEY RAILWAY LINE (DISUSED), GRITSTONE TRAIL, WINCLE GRANGE, MELLOR KNOWL FARM, THE SHIP AT WINCLE, THE WINCLE BREWERY AT DANEBRIDGE, DANEBRIDGE TROUT FARM, DANE VALLEY AND THE KNOT INN AT RUSHTON SPENCER

Distance: Eight miles.

Difficulty: Easy.

Weather: Dry, initially sunny with cloud later.

Walkers: Peter Beal, Colin Davison, Mark Gibby, Alan Hart and George Whaites.

SOB walkers: Tony Job, Terry Jowett and Geoff Spurrell.

Apologies: Mickey Barrett (returning from Turkish yachting holiday), George Dearsley (remaining in Turkey), Steve Courtney (remaining in France), Tom Cunliffe and Lawrie Fairman (on holiday in Anglesey !*).

Leader: Beal. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Free council car park at rear of The Knott Inn, Rushton Spencer.

Starting time: 9.45am. Finishing time: 2.09pm.

For the second successive week we arrived at the starting point with no idea of who would be leading our walk or where we would be going. Last week Colin accepted the baton and got us to the pubs on time. On this occasion, Peter came to our rescue – with the added advantage of having a map of the area in his rucksack.

After much discussion and map-reading, Peter dismissed the idea of either walking around Rudyard Lake to the south or The Cloud to the north on the reasonable grounds that we would not be able to reach our declared destination of The Wincle Brewery on time.

So we set off more in hope than expectation and, despite some minor delays for further map-reading and one missed turn, we once again arrived safely on time at both watering holes.

From the car park we walked back to its entrance with The Knot Inn on our right and a house engraved “Rushton Station 1844” on our left.

As the name suggests, the house was once a station which belonged to the North Staffordshire Railway, whose main routes were built between 1846 and 1852 and ran for 221 miles. The North Staffs Railway was absorbed by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway Company in 1923.

Its main routes ran from Macclesfield to Norton Bridge, just north of Stafford, and from Crewe to Egginton Junction, west of Derby. The original railway company was based in Stoke. Rushton Station was sited between Bosley and Cliffe Park stations on the Churnet Valley Lineand its train was nicknamed The Knotty.

Passenger services were withdrawn from the northern end (North Rode to Leek) in 1960 and freight services stopped in 1964. The cargo was mostly coal or minerals but the trains also carried the majority of pottery goods manufactured in England.

We crossed the road next to the station and followed yellow arrows to walk along the disused line.Just before the path ended in undergrowth we turned left down steps and then right under the railway bridge (17mins). The path took us across the main A523 road from Macclesfield to Leek.

On the far side we climbed over a wooden stile following a footpath sign marked Gritstone Trail (20mins).This pointed to another wooden stile (25mins) which we crossed and headed diagonally right up to a gate marked Gritstone Trail (27mins).

The Gritstone Trail is a long-distance walk of 35 miles from Disley , Cheshire, to Kidsgrove, Staffs.

Our quintet went through a series of gates displaying the Gritstone Trail marker , including a sharp left turn (47mins), crossing a cattle-grid and the River Dane. Instead of turning left at a marker post indicating the Gritstone Trail we went straight on over a wooden stile(70mins)  and stopped for pies and cream sherry (Sophisticated or what ?)

Continuing over a stone step stile (76mins) and a wooden stile on our right (82mins) we reached a lane leading to Wincle Grange on our left. While Peter was studying his map, an attractive woman drove out of the farm and complained that Peter’s pole was sticking out. She was afraid she might run over it. Peter quickly put his pole out of the way and the danger was averted.

After a lengthy delay we turned right for 25 yards before heading left at a wooden public footpath sign (84mins). We crossed a plastic-protected section of electrified fence (88mins) and turned left. We reached a similar fence (90mins) but as George unhooked the protective cover a fence-post collapsed. Some time was spent while we worked out the logistics of getting the pole and George back in place as Peter had by this time determined that we had overshot a turn on the right.

We retraced our footsteps for about 100 yards and turned left (95mins). Our route took us over a wooden stile and a stone step stile to continue downhill until we reached a drystone wall and a dead end. We clambered over the wall on our right (97mins), continued through the adjoining field and a metal gate to reach a road where we turned right (100mins).

We passed Top House on our right (103mins) and Mellor Knowl Farm on our left (105mins) as we headed downhill. To our left on the skyline we could see Hanging Rock. After passing The Ship Inn at Wincle on our left we turned right at a green public footpath sign on our right (110mins). This took us through a field with a herd of four Shetland ponies on our left and a trout farm on our right.

We exited the field by a kissing gate and turned left along the track to The Wincle Brewery (113mins), where they dispense beer brewed on the premises. We opted for pints of Wincle Waller at £2-50, which were in fine fettle. As we sat at a picnic table in the sunshine, three kindly old gentlemen hoved into view and we were joined by the SOB team.

The Wincle Brewery was set up in 2008 at a redundant milking parlour at Heaton House Farm, Rushton Spencer, by friends Neil Murphy and Giles Meadows, who had been landlord on The Ship Inn. They won several prizes and moved to the larger state-of-the-art premises at Tolls Barn some four years ago.

We were served by bearded head brewer Justin, who seems to enjoy his work (he’s also head taster) while Molly the dog shared a bag of crisps with Mark.

Resuming our perambulations we retraced our footsteps along the lane, passing the trout farm and following a footpath on the right bank of the Dane. We crossed a footbridge over the river and stopped for lunch (137mins). Continuing we followed the wooden public footpath sign for Barleighford Bridge.

We went through a wooden gate (141mins) which warned us that ground-nesting birds and amphibians were “active.” We were on the alert for alligators from this point onwards. At the end of the path we crossed a wooden stile and turned left over a roadbridge (153mins). We turned right off the main track along a pebbled track towards a farm (157mins) and when we reached a cattle-grid we turned left following a yellow arrow (159mins).

After crossing a wooden stile (162mins) we headed diagonally right. This took us through a metal gate (164mins) and across a lane via two wooden stiles (166mins). We went through a metal gate (173mins) with a hedge on our left and crossed a bridge over the canal feeder (177mins). This led us across the A523 (179mins) and back to the cars to deboot (181mins).

Pints of IPA were enjoyed at £3-40 in The Knott Inn, which is currently open all day. We were advised this may change as imminently as mine hosts are about to leave this pub in the Punch Tavern chain.

Next week’s walk will start at 9.45am at a lay-by car park close to Upper Booth, near Edale, Derbyshire. This is reached by turning left towards Edale from the Chapel-Castleton road. At the bottom of the hill turn left under a railway viaduct and the car park is 200 yards further along. It is hoped we will head via Crowden Tor and Ringing Roger to reach The Nag’s Head at Edale around 12.30pm. After returning to our cars and de-booting we will head to The Roebuck at Chapel-en-le-Frith for further refreshment at about 2.45pm.

*Tom tells me that it is nothing more than a coincidence that he and Lawrie are having a holiday in Anglesey on the same day. This may be true. If it proves to be untrue, the enlightened Wednesday Wanderers would like to take this opportunity to wish them every happiness in the future.

Pictures below by Colin Davison

Bollington

I BOLLINGTON, SPULEY LANE, HARROP BROOK, BOWER HOUSE FARM, CHARLES HEAD, OLD BLUE BOAR FARM, EWRIN LANE, GIN CLOUGH FARM, THE ROBIN HOOD AT RAINOW, LOWER BROOK FARM, INGERSLEY VALE, THE DOG AND PARTRIDGE AT BOLLINGTON

Distance: 9 miles.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Weather: Dry, mostly cloudy with some sunshine.

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

S.O.B. Walkers*: Tony Job, Terry Jowett, Ken Sparrow and Geoff Spurrell.

Apologies: Mickey Barrett (on yacht in Turkey), Peter Beal, Steve Courtney (in France), George Dearsley (on land in Turkey), Lawrie Fairman, Mark Gibby (chest infection).

Leader: Davison. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Free public car park opposite Spinners Arms, Bollington.

Starting time: 9.34am.Finishing time: 2.07pm.

First let us begin with an apology to two of our apologists, Peter Beal and Lawrie Fairman. Although we knew you weren’t expected to attend, nobody could remember why.

In the absence of either Lawrie or a map, Colin bravely accepted the poisoned chalice of leadership, and all the criticism which this engenders. In those circumstances he deserves our thanks and praise for getting us to both pubs on time.

He also found some lower routes from Bollington to Rainow and back, for which we were grateful, although George could have done without the final flourish of five stiles in six minutes before we reached the Robin Hood. Never was a livener more earned.

From the car park exit we turned left, headed uphill and called at the F.Smith bakery for three of their “orgasmic” pies. Despite Tom’s protests – his strict diet would not allow pastry to pass his lips – we stopped at a bench by a bus shelter to eat them while they were still hot.

This produced a comical episode, recorded on video by Tom, as Colin attempted to eat a hot steak and kidney pie containing runny gravy. Ere long Colin was wearing the contents of the pie, little of which seemed to find its way into his mouth. Tom is confident his film will generate a huge number of hits when he places it on Colin’s Facebook page. You can view it here.

http://youtu.be/_v2UQFJBKSc

We continued, passing The Cotton Tree on our right, the Viceroy on our left and The Poachers Inn on our right to exit Bollington and head towards Pott Shrigley. We entered Spuley Lane (17mins) and turned right at Hedge Row (19mins) to trudge uphill past the former pub called The Cheshire Hunt, now named Cheshire Hunt House.

Eschewing the opportunity to follow a public footpath sign on our left and take a long route uphill, we continued with a gradual climb, passing Hawthorn Cottage on our left (29mins) and taking a left fork downhill towards Bower House Farm (35mins).

We went through a gate marked with a yellow arrow (36mins) and just before we reached a five-barred wooden gate we turned left over a wooden stile marked with a yellow arrow (47mins). After crossing a wooden footbridge (48mins) and with a stream on our right, we followed high and low paths to head uphill and reach a stone step stile (58mins).

After some discussion it was decided to head left uphill away from the stile until we reached a farmhouse where we turned right (62mins). At a green footpath marker we turned left for Kettleshulme (67mins) instead of right for Rainow on the basis that we might arrive at the pub before the doors were open. This caused a modicum of disgruntlement but proved to be the right decision.

The path left took us over one wooden stile (75mins) and another by the side of a cattlegrid (82mins). We then crossed a road and headed along a permissive path uphill (83mins). When we reached a fence (85mins) we turned right and stopped promptly at 11am in the shelter of a drystone wall (86mins) for a second Pietime, on this occasion accompanied by cream sherry.

We could see Jodrell Bank’s world-famous radio telescope in the valley below. When we rose to continue, the distinctive sight of Shutlingsloe eventually appeared on the skyline ahead. Looking back we could see the Kinder range. To our left were Windgather Rocks and Pym Chair.

We went through a metal gate (95mins), a wooden gate and crossed two wooden stiles next to each other before turning downhill (101mins). This took us through another metal gate marked with a yellow arrow (105mins) and over a wooden stile (114mins). We then crossed a wooden stile on our left and turned right (118mins).

This brought us to a lane where we turned right (122mins). After passing a red phone box and Old Blue Boar Farm on our right, we turned left off Ewrin Lane following a sign for Rainow (125mins). Our leader now seemed to develop a passion for stiles as we crossed a stone step stile on our left and then crossed a wooden stile with a yellow arrow. We then crossed the first of two stone step stiles (133mins) with White Nancy visible in the distance straight ahead.

We headed downhill with a drystone wall on our right, crossed a wooden stile and walked through Gin Clough Farm, which was under renovation, to reach a road (141mins). We turned left and could have continued along the road until we reached The Robin Hood.

Colin had other ideas and at a wooden public footpath sign we turned right and went over a stone step stile (145mins). We went down a path and left over a stone step stile (146mins), through a wooden gate (147mins), over a stone step stile (148mins), over a stone step stile marked with a yellow arrow (149mins), over a stone step stile(150mins), over a wooden stile (151mins) and emerged opposite a chapel at the same road we had left six minutes and fives stiles earlier. We turned right and reached the pub on our right (153mins).

The B walkers* were already in The Robin Hood enjoying pints of Original cask bitter at £3-10. Following comments by Jock on a previous walk, they were asked if they minded being known as B walkers. Tony expressed his view that they should henceforth be known as the S.O.B. walkers, carried unanimously.

Since June The Robin Hood has been taken over by a family – Robert, Suzanne, James and Samantha - who have secured a fixed five-year rent on their tenancy and have instigated improvements to what is now the only pub in the village. It is our patriotic duty to help them stay in business.

Resuming, our two groups parted ways at the back of the pub with the A team turning right. At a bench on our left overlooking the valley below Kerridge Hill (155mins) we paused or lunch. Continuing we passed Lower Brook Farm on our left and turned left up a lane (156mins).

Our quartet went left again at a public footpath sign marked with a yellow arrow (170mins) and descended through a wooden kissing gate (171mins) also marked with a yellow arrow. We passed a gate leading to Savio House on our right.

Savio House is a Salesian retreat centre for groups of adults and young people who want to enjoy some time of reflection away from the hurly-burly of everyday life. The Salesians, named after Francis de Sales, were formed in the late 19th Century by St John Bosco to help poor children during the Industrial Revolution.  It is a Roman Catholic organisation whose aims are also to educate boys to the priesthood.

We proceeded downhill through a series of gates and crossing a bridge over a stream before we emerged at Ingersley Vale (179mins) to the right of the waterfall, and turned right.

We passed the derelict mill on our right, the lake on our left and turned right at The Crown (186mins). This took us past the church on our left to a mini-roundabout where we turned left, passing the pie shop on our left and returning to our cars (193mins).

After de-booting we drove 500 yards to The Dog and Partidge, where we were soon join by the Silly Old Buggers team, to enjoy pints of Robbies’ Unicorn bitter at £2-80.

Photographs courtesy of Tom Cunlıffe

Next week’s walk will start from the free council car park at the back of The Knot Inn, Rushton Spencer, at 9.45am. We intend to stop for refreshment at The Wincle Brewery before returning to The Knot around 2.30pm. If it is open we shall drink there. If not we will make alternative arrangements.

Happy wandering !

Middle Moor

9TH September, 2015.

MIDDLE MOOR, WHITE BROW,FARLANDS BOOTH, BROAD CLOUGH, KINDER LOWE END, OAKEN CLOUGH, COLDWELL CLOUGH, MOUNT FAMINE, CHINLEY HEAD, THE LAMB INN, PEEP O DAY, FAR PHOSIDE, HAYFIELD, CALICO TRAIL, LITTLE HAYFIELD, THE LANTERN PIKE

Distance: 10 ½ miles.

Difficulty: Steepish in places.

Weather: Cloudy with occasional sunshine

Walkers: Tom Cunliffe, Mark Gibby, and new boy M.O.T. Ron

Apologies:  too many apologies and absentees to mention

Leader: Cunliffe. Diarist: Cunliffe. Photographer: Cunliffe

Starting point: the Lantern Pike Inn.

Starting time: 9.30am. Finishing time: 2.40pm.

This week our numbers were somewhat denuded with just two of our regular stalwarts but that didn’t detract from our enjoyment, some might say it added to it, though I couldn’t possible agree!

Notwithstanding this poor turnout, our numbers were swelled by 50% with the addition of a new WW member, affectionately known as M.O.T. Ron, a Little Hayfield local, he’s been retired for a considerable numbers of years and is a regular walker, usually in the Cheshire area, nevertheless, we may see him more often.

The three amigos left the Pike at 9:30am and headed up Park Hall towards Middle Moor dropping down to skirt around the reservoir crossing the road which joins Upper House with Hayfield villageand headed towards Broad Clough.

Upper House is a magnificent 14th Century dwelling standing quite isolated on the side of Kinder Scout at the convergence of ancient pack horse routes from Glossop, Hayfield and Edale.Neighbouring farms were compulsorily purchased and demolished when Sir James Watts, Mayor of Manchester, sold the land to Stockport Water Authority for the Reservoir in the late 1800’s. Sir James insisted that he retain Upper House as his shooting lodge, and set about improving it with the talented architects, masons and craftsmen that created the municipal works of the day. The estate was then used solely for recreation, with the two woodlands being created to enhance the available game stocks on the moors.

James Watts, as Lord Mayor of Manchester and very wealthy textile merchant, entertained many society figures at his shooting parties. His son, also James, became the brother-in-law of Agatha Christie who enjoyed many stays at the house. Today Upper House is used as an up market wedding venue and general place of gathering.

More interesting information can be found by clicking on linkhttp://www.upperhousehayfield.com/

We proceeded along our way towards Broad Clough where we stopped for a photo opportunity.

Continuing our journey, we skirted around Kinderlowe End entering Oaken Clough then Coldwell Clough. Climbing the steep track we reached a bridleway at the top and turned left, as we skirtedMount Famine we came up around the back of The Lamb reaching said destination at 12:20pm where Thwaite’s Wainwright and Jenning’s Cumberland were happily quaffed, and at just £3.00 per pint all was well with the men. Mr Gibby enquired about buying a couple of bowls of chips, sorry was the reply we don’t do bowls of chips by themselves ………. Enough said!

Checking my watch it was 1:30pm, we had dallied for 80 minutes. We quickly left the building and set off towards Peep O Day picking up the footpath which runs parallel with the main road eventually reaching Hayfield where M.O.T. Ron left the party leaving Mark and your diarist to complete the walk along Calico Trail arriving back at HQ at 2:40pm where chips were served to the hoarding masses (both of us) freely given by the very kind and considerate management. Round of applause please!

Next week’s walk will start at 9.30am from the main car park in Bollington with half time refreshments at the Robin Hood arriving back at Bollington at 2:15pm.

Attached:

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An OS map showing route for today’s walk, red line outward, blue line return leg

•

Profile of outward leg

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Profile of return leg

•

Photo taken at head of Broad Clough

Happy wandering !

Brabyn's Park

September 2, 2015.

BRABYNS PARK, COMPSTALL, REDBROW WOOD, PEAK FOREST CANAL, HYDE BANK HOUSE, HYDE TUNNEL, ST CHAD’S WELL, CHADKIRK, OLD MANOR FARM, MIDDLEWOOD WAY, STOCKPORT GOLF CLUB, GOYT MILL, MACCLESFIELD CANAL, THE RING O’ BELLS AT MARPLE, PEAK FOREST CANAL, MARPLE LOCKS AND THE ROYAL SCOT AT MARPLE BRIDGE

Distance: Nine miles.

Difficulty: Easy.

Weather: Blue skies and sunshine initially: rain after lunch.

Walkers: Mickey Barrett, Tom Cunliffe, Lawrie Fairman, Mark Gibby, Alan Hart and George Whaites.

B walkers: Tony Job, Terry Jowett and Geoff Spurrell.

Apologies: Peter Beal (walking in Lake District), Steve Courtney (in France), Colin Davison (motor-cycling in Spain), George Dearsley (in Turkey), Julian Ross (w*^king).

Leader: Fairman. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Brabyns Park, Marple Bridge.

Starting time: 9.30am. Finishing time: 2.25pm

Are Mickey and your diarist the victims of a conspiracy ? For the second time this summer we were abandoned by our leader. In June it was at the Church Inn, Chelmorton, where we were left behind, mapless and clueless. This time it was on a bench at the side of The Peak Forest Canal.

Fortunately we are sufficiently resourceful - possessed of rat-like cunning, some might say - to be able to overcome such challenges. Nevertheless it leaves us feeling unloved.

After a dull start the day had soon brightened up with warm sunshine burning away the cloud cover as we walked in spectacular rural scenery within a few hundred yards of suburbia. We also passed the childhood home on the outskirts of Romiley of a woman who became queen of England.

Later we paused at a well dedicated to St Chad, a 7^th Century Anglo Saxon scholar who was credited with introducing Christianity to the kingdom of Mercia. More of this history later.

From the car park we followed the path into the park, passing soccer pitches before exiting the park to our right and reaching the road where we turned left (14mins). After passing the sign for Compstall we turned left to enter Redbrow Wood on the right bank of the River Etherow (17mins).

We crossed two wooden stiles and followed a wooden public footpath sign marked Valley Way which took us through a farmyard (32mins). We turned left over a wooden stile into a field (35mins) and crossed another wooden stile to walk under a massive railway viaduct (40mins). Moments later we were walking under an aqueduct and a path which took us to the left bank of the Peak Forest Canal (43mins).

Our group kept the canal on our right until we reached a farm-track (51mins) which passed Hyde Bank House on our left (55mins).

This was the childhood home of Anne Hyde, who became queen of England when she married James 11. Born in Windsor, the daughter of a lawyer, Anne lived here as a girl.

Her family fled to Holland after the execution of King Charles 1 and lived in Breda, where she became maid of honour to Mary, Princess of Orange. There she met and fell in love with James.

They married in some secrecy around midnight at Worcester House on The Strand, and two months later Anne had a child. The couple had a total of eight children, six of whom died in infancy.

James was a known philanderer with many mistresses and illegitimate children. But the married couple were affectionate, often kissing and cuddling in public to the outrage of some courtiers. Anne was thought to be responsible for converting James 11 to Catholicism after his coronation, leading to The Glorious Revolution which saw him deposed.

But Anne’s daughter Mary (1662-94) succeeded her father when she married her cousin, William of Orange, and they reigned together. Anne’s only other surviving child, Anne (1665-1714), married Prince George of Denmark and became the first monarch of Great Britain following The Act of Union in 1707.

Hyde Bank Farm, which we also passed, has a date-stone ARH 1655 which relates to the time Anne Hyde lived there. It is now used as a wedding venue.

Continuing our journey we forked left down a concrete track (56mins) and walked over the top of Hyde Tunnel to return to the left bank of the Peak Forest Canal. We soon went left down a flight of steps to reach the village of Chadkirk (66mins) where we turned left downhill.

We passed Bury Mewick Cottage on our right and then St Chad’s Well, which is believed to have healing powers following a blessing received from Chad, a former, monk, abbot, and bishop of Lichfield , who was canonised after his death.

St Chad, born in Northumbria in 634 and who died in Lichfield in 672, was the younger brother of Cedd. They were both prominent churchmen who featured in the works of The Venerable Bede and did much to spread the Gospel throughout 7^th Century England.

After passing the well we headed down a single-track lane and turned left to enter Chadkirk Gardens for pies and sherry (82mins).

There are records of a chaplain at Chadkirk dating back to 1347 but the chapel itself fell into decay and was used as a stable. The 16^th Century building was taken over by the Church of England in 1747 and repairs were carried out between 1761 and 1876. It was declared redundant in 1971 and transferred to Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council. The building was restored again in 1995 and opened as a visitor attraction.

The oldest headstone in the graveyard belongs to Martha Gee, who died in 1762 aged five. Perhaps a more interesting one is that of Thomas Woolley, who died in 1870 aged 71 “caused by electric fluid in a thunderstorm.”

Resuming our walk we turned left out of the gardens and reached a main road (91mins) where we turned left. We crossed the road-bridge over the River Goyt, with its electricity generator on our right (94mins).

At the T-junction we crossed over into the drive leading to Old Manor Farm (106mins). The path took us through a field where eventually we found an exit in the middle of the hedgerow covered by a gate made from a pallet (110mins). At the end of the path was a kissing gate on the right which we crossed and went over a bridge above the Middlewood Way.

We turned right to walk down steps to the Middlewood Way and turned left (115mins). We turned left again at a wooden public footpath sign and entered Stockport Golf Course (122mins). We followed a path on the left through trees (125mins) and then crossed the course to the left by heading for a giant mill.

This brought us to the Macclesfield Canal where we turned left (132mins). We passed the Goyt Mill on our right and exited the canal after going under Bridge 2 and taking the winding cobbled path on our left (145mins). This brought us out opposite the Ring O’ Bells at Marple (146mins).

Here we enjoyed excellent pints of Robbies’ bitter for £3 and more bowls of chips provided by Mark, which we shared with the B team. Leaving the pub we went back to the Macclesfield Canal and followed its right bank until we swung left at a bridge where it joined the Peak Forest Canal (150mins).

At a handy bench we stopped for lunch as rain began to fall, gently at first but soon more heavily. As Mickey and your diarist donned their waterproofs, the other A-teamers made off and we never saw any of them again until we met the B team and Mark in The Royal Scot. The abandoned ones had scampered along the canal bank past Marple Locks hoping to catch up their hasty colleagues.

But by the time we reached Marple Aqueduct we realised they must have turned away from the canal. Using instinct alone, we made our way through Bredbury and Romiley to catch a bus back to Marple Bridge.

Next week’s walk will start at 9.35am outside The Lantern Pike Inn at Little Hayfield, Derbyshire. The route taken will lead to The Lamb Inn at Chinley around 12.15pm, returning to the Lantern Pike at about 2.15pm.

Happy wandering !