Chapel-en-le-Frith

November 4, 2015.

CHAPEL EN LE FRITH, BOWDEN HEAD FARM, ROYLES BARN, BENNET WELL, WANTED INN AT SPARROWPIT, UPPER BAGSHAW HALL, BAGSHAW HALL, THE ROEBUCK AT CHAPEL

Distance: 7-8 miles.

Difficulty: Easy.

Weather: Dry with sunny start and cloudy finish.

Walkers: Peter Beal, Colin Davison, Mark Gibby, Alan Hart, John Jones, Jock Rooney with Tips, Julian Ross and George Whaites.

S.O.B. walkers: George Fraser, Tony Job and Geoff Spurrell.

Apologies: Tom Cunliffe (knee injury), George Dearsley (in Turkey), Lawrie Fairman (transatlantic cruise).

Leader: Davison. Diarist: Hart.

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

Starting time: 9.40am. Finishing time: 2.07pm.

Julian Ross made a welcome return to the fold after a prolonged absence during which he has been adding to and improving his property empire. It is clearly not just the Chinese who are investing in Britain’s future. We could be witnessing the early stages of the Ross Dynasty.

Warnings of showers proved to be unfounded as we enjoyed the unseasonably mild November weather, with blue skies and sunshine at the start. Although the sky clouded over as the day wore on, we nevertheless stayed dry and enjoyed spectacular views across this picturesque portion of the Peak District.

We were also indebted to the generosity of two birthday boys. Peter was belatedly celebrating the 67thanniversary of his birth on November 1. George was commemorating his 73rd birthday. They both marked the occasion with rounds of drinks and we wish them many happy returns.

We exited the car park unpromisingly through its overgrown rear and reached a barely discernible path where we turned right and walked downhill, passing The Roebuck on our right. This brought usto a road where we turned left, passing the town’s 13th Century parish church of Thomas Becket on our left (2mins).

Opposite the graveyard we turned right down a path, which led to a series of paths downhill, reaching the main road, which we crossed and entered The Crescent (10mins). By following a path on the right we came to the busy A6 (17mins) and crossed it.

The footpath brought us to a lane where we turned right uphill (22mins) and followed it round as it passed Bowden Head Fold on our left (28mins). We continued uphill, passing Bowden Head Farm on our left. A few yards ahead we followed a wooden public footpath sign through a gate (30mins).

The path led us into a wood, which we exited and headed steeply downhill to a stream which we crossed by a footbridge (37mins). At this point two of our group spotted a dipper. We went uphill, following the beaten track and through a wooden gate on our left marked with a yellow arrow.

After passing through the gate we headed immediately right up a lane (40mins). We reached Royles Barn on our left, a building dated 1702, and turned left (43mins) to follow the right of way. Where the path forked we went right uphill (50mins) and through a gate (55mins).

Turning right at a farm track, we went through a metal gate and straight on towards a group of trees. The path swung to the right and after we had forded a shallow stream we stopped for pies and port (75mins).

Resuming, we reached the end of the path at the Chapel – Castleton Road. We crossed it to head up a lane towards the No Car Cafe (79mins). After 150 yards we turned right over a stone step stile (82mins). This proved to be the first of many wobbly, slippery or otherwise unstable stiles we had to negotiate during the course of the day. A series of them brought us to a metal gate (99mins) which we went through to reach a lane.Here we turned left passing the sign for Sparrowpit (108mins).

On our right was Bennett Well. A plaque informed us that the village of Sparrowpit was a watershed. Water to the west flowed via Black Brook to reach the River Mersey and the Irish Sea. Water to the east found its way to the River Noe, the Humber and ultimately the North Sea.The well was named after the Bennett family, who were notable early Methodists. John Bennett was a founder of Methodism along with John Wesley. 

We passed Sparrow Pit Methodist Church on our left on our way to The Wanted Inn, which was also on our left across a junction (112mins). Our arrival at 11.45am could have been a cause of concern and criticism of the otherwise impeccable leadership. But luck was on Colin’s side as the doors and the bar were open.

After a false start when the Marstons’ Pedigree came out cloudy and sour, the landlady apologised and put on a fresh barrel. The beer was now in excellent form at £3 a pint, provided by Peter.

Suitably refreshed we left the pub, turning right to retrace our footsteps past Bennett Well, but continued along the road before turning right at a stone step stile marked with a wooden public footpath sign (120mins). A series of stiles, wooden and stone but all slippery, brought us to a three-way crossroads where we paused for lunch (134mins).

Resuming we followed the signs downhill pointing to Slackhall and Chapel. We first passed Upper Bagshaw Hall on our right then Bagshaw Hall itself. After crossing a wooden stile (146mins) and a wooden footbridge (150mins) we reached a road and carried straight on following the signs for Chapel.

As we entered the town we passed on our left a gold-painted pillar box. This commemorated the feat of Stockport-born Anthony Kappes, who won the gold medal at London in the 2012 Paralympics. Partially-sighted Kappes, now 42, won the tandem sprint cycle race. He had previously triumphed in the same event at Beijing in 2008.

We passed the Chapel Methodist Church on our left, presided over by the inappropriately-named Rev Kerry Tankard, and the former Primitive Methodist Bethel Chapel, dated 1852, on our right, proving the town was once a hotbed of rival non-conformists. Your diarist was left to speculate whether primitive Methodists were inclined to wear woad and loincloths.

We turned right up Church Brow (164mins) and arrived at The Roebuck (168mins) to join the already ensconced S.O.B. walkers. Here George kindly celebrated his birthday with a round of excellent Black Sheep cask bitter.

pIctures by John Jones

Next week’s walk will start at 9.55am from the car park of The Miners Arms in the centre of Eyam, Derbyshire’s legendary “plague village.” We will take a route that will lead us to The Bull’s Head at Foolow around 12.15pm, finishing back at The Miners Arms about 2.15pm.

Happy wandering !