Furness Vale

January 27, 2016.

FURNESS VALE, LONGSIDE, DIPPING STONES, FORMER MOORSIDE HOTEL, LYME PARK, LYME CAGE, THE DANDY COCK AT DISLEY, PEAK FOREST CANAL, SWIZZELS MATTLOW FACTORY AT NEW MILLS, FURNESS VALE MARINA AND THE SOLDIER DICK AT FURNESS VALE

Distance: 8-9miles.

Difficulty: Tough climb at start but easy flat finish.

Weather: Mostly dry with brief squally showers.

Walkers: Peter Beal, Ron Buck, Tom Cunliffe, Colin Davison, Lawrie Fairman, Alan Hart, Graham, Hadfield and George Whaites.

S.O.B. Walkers: George Fraser, Tony Job, Terry Jowett, Mal Smith, Ken Sparrow, and Geoff Spurrell.

Apologies: George Dearsley (in Turkey), John Jones (recovering from hernia op)

Leader: Hart. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Car park of The Soldier Dick at Furness Vale.

Starting time: 9.30am. Finishing time: 1.58pm.

After the balmy weather of last week, we were warned of dire conditions for this walk, with gale force winds bringing heavy rain. As it transpired, apart from two brief squally showers, we enjoyed a mainly dry day.

As we headed up the moors towards Bowstones, we certainly took a buffeting from the strong winds in our faces. At one point it was difficult to hear Colin and Tom speak (every cloud has a silver lining).

We were rewarded for our early efforts with splendid views across the Cheshire plains and our two themed pubs, The Dandy Cock and The Soldier Dick, both served excellent beer.

The walk had been planned to give John Jones – recovering from a hernia operation – a chance to join us at The Dandy Cock in Disley, for a flat walk along The Peak Forest Canal back to Furness Vale. In the event he was unable to meet us through illness but JJ kindly left £30 at the bar of The Dandy Cock for a drink to celebrate his birthday. It was agreed by those present that we would freeze this money until John was able to raise a glass with us.

From the pub car park we turned right along the A6 until we reached The Imperial Palace Chinese restaurant, where we turned right to head uphill. This brought us to the entrance to the Ringstones Caravan Park, where we turned right (9mins).

The path took us past a farm on our left and stables on our right (15mins). We walked through an open gate and swung right, keeping a drystone wall on our right as we climbed uphill. A series of stiles took us through fields until we reached the road linking Higher Disley with Whaley Bridge (27mins).

It had been my intention to make a detour and turn right for a quarter of a mile so those not familiar with it could see “The Murder Stone.” With rain forecast I decided to postpone the visit to another sunnier day later in the year. Meanwhile here is a piece of dark local history.

The Murder Stone on Disley Old Road, Longside, was erected in 1874 after a public collection. It reads: “ William Wood of Eyam Derbyshire murdered July 16, 1823.”

That simple inscription outlines the brutal murder of William Wood, aged 30, a calico manufacturer who was married with three children. He was returning from a market in Manchester where he had been paid the huge sum of £48.

William was set upon by three men dressed in sailors’ clothes. They used stones from the drystone wall to batter him to death and steal his money before fleeing to Macclesfield. His body was taken to The Cock, at Whaley Bridge (which we visited last week). A memorial service was held at the scene of his death. It was attended by 2,000 people.

After buying new clothes and shoes, his assailants fled by coach from Macclesfield to Manchester where one of them, Charles Taylor, was arrested. While in custody Taylor, from Salford, used his own stockings to hang himself in his cell.

A second suspect, Joseph Dale, 18, was caught on a boat about to leave Liverpool. He was brought back to The Cock to be examined by magistrates. He was sent for trial in 1824 at Chester Assizes (where the Moors Murderers Ian Brady and Myra Hindley were tried and convicted in 1966). He pleaded not guilty, claiming he was not present when the murder was committed. But after two minutes deliberation, the jury found him guilty. A “great crowd of spectators” witnessed his public hanging.

The third killer, named by Dale as John Pratt, was never brought to justice.

We turned left away from The Murder Stone and after 100 yards turned right at a public footpath sign for Bowstonegate and Lyme Park (29mins). We followed the left of two paths, soon passing a post marked with a yellow arrow. Another climb took us to a wooden stile (37mins).

Thirty yards further downhill were a pair of boulders called The Dipping Stones, which were where, during The Great Plague of 1665, villagers with victims left money soaked in vinegar. This was taken by healthy neighbours in exchange for food. 

Looking back towards the Kinder plateau, we noticed that Kinder Downfall was being blown back vertically in the distance. After crossing the stile we crossed a wooden footbridge (41mins) and a ladder stile (51mins). We then began a descent into a valley with the former Moorside Hotel at Higher Disley on our right. This is now a home for disadvantaged children.

We followed the path to the right of a cattlegrid (54mins) and crossed a wooden footbridge to reach a road (60mins) which we crossed and followed a public footpath sign. This brought us to a ladder stile which we crossed and followed another wooden public footpath sign on the other side of a lane (65mins). The path brought us to a choice of stone step stile or ladder stile leading into Lyme Park (75mins).

Lyme Park, which extends for 1,359 acres, was given to Sir Thomas D’anyers in 1346 after he had retrieved the standard of The Black Prince during the Battle of Crecy. It passed by marriage from his granddaughter Margaret D’anyers to Piers Legh, who was wounded at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. The Legh family retained the land until 1946 when, because of death duties, it was given to The National Trust.

The first mention of a house on the land was recorded in 1465, but the current Lyme Hall – the largest house in Cheshire – was first built in the middle of the 16th Century and has been extended and altered during subsequent centuries.

More recently Lyme Hall gained fame as Pemberley, the fictional home of Mr Darcy in the BBC’s 1995 production of Jane Austen’s 19th Century novel Pride and Prejudice. Women throughout the land went weak at the knees as Mr Darcy, played by actor Colin Firth, emerged from the hall’s lake in tight-fitting breeches and displaying a hairy chest.

After entering the park, we immediately crossed another ladder stile to our right to enter a wood where we paused for pies and port (80mins). Resuming, we took a path with a drystone wall on our right and exited via a ladder stile (87mins). We then turned left and headed for Lyme Cage, which involved a descent followed by a climb.

Lyme Cage, originally a hunting lodge, was later used as a park-keeper’s cottage and as lock-up for prisoners caught poaching deer. The first structure was in 1580 and it was rebuilt in 1737.

After admiring the panoramic views, we turned right away from the cage (107mins) and headed downhill passing Bollinhurst Reservoir on our right as we reached the park’s entrance hut (122mins). We turned right to leave the park via the East Gate and Red lane (123mins). This brought us to St Mary’s Church, Disley (133mins) where the graves of the Legh family were on raisedground to the right.

We also learned this was the church where, 43 years ago, Graham, then aged 21 with shoulder-length hair, had married Joyce, a 19-year-old spinster of the parish. The manly tear in Graham’s eye as he recalled the day was somewhat ambiguous.

We exited the church by a winding cobbled path and reached the main traffic lights at Disley (140mins), which we crossed and turned right in the direction of Buxton. On our left was The Dandy Cock (143mins) where we were served excellent pints of Robbies’ Unicorn for £2-90. We were also greeted by the landlady with a birthday treat from JJ which we will enjoy when he is restored to improved health. (Let the record show that Colin pocketed the money).

We turned right and right again to leave the pub and headeddownhill under a railway bridge (144mins). We turned left at Sherbrooke Road (147mins) to reach the Peak Forest Canal (149mins). Here we turned right along its right bank until we reached Bridge 26, which we crossed to reach the left bank. Lunch was taken with eight of us fighting over a bench made for four people (151mins).

Continuing along the left bank of the canal, we passed the Swizzels Mattlow sweet factory at New Mills on our left (169mins). Further along on our right was a sign (176mins) warning “Danger. Beware. Giant Hogweed.”  (There were no instructions on what one should do if attacked by hogweeds, but I took out my Swiss army knife just in case).

After passing Carrs Swing-bridge on our right (184mins), we reached Furness Vale Marina where we were pleased to see that Peter’s narrowboat, Hot Metal, was looking ship-shape. We exited the canal at Bridge 31 and passed The Crossings pub on our left (193mins) before reaching the A6.

Here we turned right as we met the S.O.B. walkers and crossed the road to reach The Soldier Dick, where the Wainwrights was on top form at £3-10 a pint.

Next week’s walk will start at 9.45am from the road at Danebridge, Wincle, Cheshire. We will be calling for a stiffener at The Rose and Crown, Algreave, around 12.15pm and finishing at The Ship at Wincle around 2.15pm.

Happy wandering !

Whaley Bridge

January 20, 2016.

WHALEY BRIDGE, CROMFORD AND HIGH PEAK RAILWAY LINE (DISUSED), GOYT VALLEY, ST JAMES’ CHURCH, TAXAL, TAXAL NICK, WINDGATHER ROCKS, FERNILEE RESERVOIR, THE SHADY OAK AT FERNILEE, GOYT VALLEY (AGAIN) AND THE COCK AT WHALEY BRIDGE

Distance: Nine miles.

Difficulty: Easy after long initial climb.

Weather: Mild and sunny.

A Walkers: Peter Beal, Ron Buck, Colin Davison, Lawrie Fairman, Graham Hadfield, Alan Hart, Jock Rooney with Tips, Julian Ross and George Whaites.

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

A Leader: Fairman. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Road outside The Cock, Whaley Bridge.

Starting time: 9.37am. Finishing time: 2.20pm.

 

A debutant and the return of a prodigal* were the highlights of a large turnout for this walk in mild January weather with magnificent views in perfect visibility. There were ten A walkers, including our four-legged collie friend, and five B teamers taking advantage of a respite in the winter temperatures.

We welcomed to our fold a semi-retired planning expert, Graham Hadfield, who is a friend of Ron. He also turned out to be a former neighbour of Peter. It emerged later that Graham is a Manchester City fan, but we must reserve our judgment on that personality flaw.

Julian returned to walk with us for only the second time since August, citing the heavy workload caused by the expansion of his property empire for his repeated absences. Can it be long before our own version of Donald Trump is standing for high office ?

We passed The Cock on our left and after 20 yards turned left uphill to reach the disused Cromford and High Peak railway line. Here we turned right, passing Cromford Court retirement flats, once a goods yard, on our left. After passing Alpha Mews on our right we turned right (10mins) just before the Shallcross  Incline Greenway following a wooden public footpath sign along a path uphill.

This took us into a children’s playground where we bore right to descend Mevril Road. This took us to the Whaley Bridge-Buxton main road which we crossed (15mins) to walk up a track on the far side. When we reached a footbridge across the River Goyt we turned right and crossed it (22mins).

We then climbed steeply up the hill leading to St James’ Church, Taxal, on our right.

St James’ Church is a relatively modern building with an old tower containing three bells. Fifty years ago there was a pub nearby called “The Chimes at Taxal” but, tragically, this has become a private house. The church, which was rebuilt in 1826, records baptisms dating back to 1610, including members of the Shallcrosse family of Shallcross Hall. 

On reaching a T-junction on the left of the church, we turned left for 50 yards and then turned right over a stone step stile (25mins). We then faced a steep climb through two large fields before crossing a ladder stile to reach a track (34mins). We turned left for 150 yards and then turned right uphill again at a public footpath sign indicating the way to Windgather Rocks and Taxal Edge (36mins).

The path took us past a memorial planted in 2001 to commemorate Terry Lardner, a member of Chapel-en-le-Frith Rambling Club (42mins). Continuing to the crest of the hill at Taxal Edge (also known as Taxal Nick), we reached a drystone wall from where we could look across Dunge Valley. On the far hill to the right was the distinctive row of trees at Charles Head. To our left, where we now turned, was a wood just before Windgather Rocks on the skyline.

We reached the rocks in record time (61mins) with Jock setting a cracking pace. The views were well worth the effort although we were sceptical when a passer-by suggested Snowdon was visible in the distance. We could certainly see snow-capped peaks in Wales and in the other direction Kinder looked as though it had been sprinkled with icing sugar.

Turning left along the ridge we reached the shelter of a sheepfold where we paused for port and pies (68mins). Resuming, we continued in the direction of Pym Chair, avoiding muddy stretches of the path by opting for the road parallel to the path. Before reaching Pym Chair we turned left over a wooden stile (96mins) to cut off a corner. This enabled us to reach the road via a gate (103mins).

This was the start of a long descent towards the dam between Fernilee and Errwood reservoirs. At a wooden public footpath sign for Hoo Moor and Fernilee we turned left (122mins). At this point the party split into two groups which your diarist thought would soon be united. But the downward trail to the right failed to return to the wider track on which your diarist followed four colleagues and Tips.

We reached the dam at the far side of Fernilee (153mins). This was the first of two reservoirs built in the Goyt Valley, the other being Errwood. It was constructed by Stockport Water Corporation at a cost of £480,000 and completed in 1938. It is now owned and operated by United Utilities and can hold 4,940 million litres of water.

The aforementioned firm will no doubt be grateful for the efforts of the SOB group earlier in the day when they placed bracken and branches under the wheels of a UU flatbed truck which had slithered off the track at the side of the reservoir. Not for the first time in their long lives, they kept the wheels of British industry turning.

At the end of the dam we turned left (155mins), passing Forest View on our left on our way to the main Whaley-Buxton road at the start of Long Hill. Here we met three of the SOB team - Tony, Terry and Geoff – who had been left in the vapour trail of Ken and Mal as they scented beer.

 

We turned left and passed Toll Bar Cottage on our right (162mins) before reaching The Shady Oak, also on our right (169mins). Ken and Mal were already settled with their £3-40 pints. The A team stragglers arrived ten minutes later.

Suitably refreshed, the A team (minus Jock who chose to defect) crossed the road opposite the pub entrance and went through a farmyard and down its fields to reach the bank of the Goyt (174mins). We turned right with the river on ourleft until we reached a stile where we stopped for lunch (176mins).

We continued to walk with the Goyt on our left until we passed the footbridge across the Goyt and reached the path we had trodden earlier. This time we turned right away from the footbridge and retraced our earlier footsteps (198mins). This took us back up Mevril Close (201mins), down to the disused railway line and left to emerge once more by The Cock (216mins) for pints of Unicorn at £3.

Kinder from Windgatger Rocks

Next week’s walk will start at 9.30am from the car park of The Soldier Dick at Furness Vale where we have been given permission to leave our vehicles. We intend to take a long walk uphill, entering Lyme Park and, depending on time and conditions, possibly calling at Bowstones. We will then return through the park to Disley village for a bracer. This will be imbibed at The Dandy Cock around 12.20pm before taking a flat route back along The Peak Forest Canal. This should bring us back to The Soldier Dick for another thirst-quencher around 2.20pm.

*A prodigal is a person who leads a wasteful and extravagant life but returns repentant.

Happy wandering !

 

 

Ridgegate Reservoir

January 13, 2016

RIDGEGATE RESERVOIR, MACCLESFIELD FOREST, SHUTLINGSLOE, WILBOARCLOUGH, OAKENCLOUGH, HANGING GATE PUB, GREENBARN, RIDGEGATE

Distance: 8 miles

Difficulty: Easy, but tricky underfoot

Weather: Sunshine, light cloud later. Some snow on ground.

Walkers: Peter Beal, Laurie Fairman, Jock and Keiran Rooney plus Tip, George Whaites

SOB walkers: George Fraser, Tony Job, Malcom Smith, Ken Sparrow, Geoff Spurrell

Apologies: Mark Gibby, Alan Hart (Benidorm), Tom Cunliffe (w*^*king), Colin Davison (b*^*ing), John Jones

Leader: Fairman​Diarist: Beal

Starting point: Lay-by at Ridgegate reservoir, Macclesfield Forest.

Start time: 9.38am​Finishing time: 2pm

The first snow of the winter on the higher ground, combined with bright sunshine at first, showed off the Peak District and Staffordshire Moorlands scenery at its best - although the conditions underfoot were somewhat tricky.

We were also able to visit after something of a long absence the Hanging Gate pub, now under new and friendly management after a period when its existence was apparently threatened.

Firstly Laurie wishes it to be known that your diarist's assertion that he was among the many fallers in last week's walk was incorrect. He was, he explained, merely performing a double pirouette after slipping, although not actually making contact with the ground. He made amends for that this week however.

The eagle-eyed among the Wanderers will have noticed that Colin provided your temporary diarist with the explanation of 'b*^*ing' to explain his absence from this week's outing. Several explanations of a scurrilous nature spring to mind, and the weather is surely too cold for boating. Any suggestions will be gratefully received and Colin will hopefully enlighten us next week.

Our five Wanderers left the lay-by at Ridgegate and headed along the road to the top of the reservoir, where we took a path at the side of the road on the right. We soon turned left to cross the road, headed up a track opposite and immediately took a footpath on the left in to the trees of Macclesfield Forest.

The land to the west of Shutlingsloe is all part of the Forest, which used to stretch 15 miles as the proverbial crow flies from Marple in the north to Bosley in the south. As my trusty Peak District Companion points out, a medieval forest was not exclusively woodland. The word referred to land reserved for royal hunting parties, as distinct from the privately-owned equivalent - the chase.  

We turned right on another footpath (10 minutes) and at a broad track turned left (14min), still climbing steadily.

At another junction we carried straight on (22min) and shortly after took a path on the left near a bench. This brought us, on the right, to a kissing gate leading on to open moorland and a Northern Footpaths Society sign reading "Wildboarclough via Shutlingsloe" (28min).

The sun had come out by this time and there were fine views of snow-covered Shutlingsloe ahead and to the right over the Cheshire plain. 

We continued along a flagged path over the moor, reaching a gate in a wall at the bottom of the steep climb to the 1,659 ft summit on our right (41min). Realising the steep descent from the summit might prove difficult in the slippy wet snow we decided to forego the climb and instead headed forward down a snow-covered gully which required careful footwork.

This brought us to a drystone wall, where we turned right (54min) and came to a stile on the left, which we crossed for the descent in to Wildboarclough (60min). Another stile and a small footbridge lead to a gap in a wall which we went through and reached a metalled track where we turned right (69min).

This lead to the minor road that runs up the isolated valley of Wilboarclough (76min), where we turned right. This brought us to the Crag Inn, on whose car park wall we declared pietime.

We resumed by continuing a short distance down the road to take a gate in the wall on the right on a path slanting diagonally right and climbing uphill. The route here through the fields, going through a series of five small gates, not easily spotted in the lines of drystone walls, has been marked by a helpful farmer with red discs marking each of them.

At the crest of the hill we climbed a railed stile over a drystone wall to reach a lane where we turned left (100 min).

We continued down the lane and past a small gate on the right where a sign told us that the moorland rising above us was part of the Piggford Moor Nature Reserve. We descended slightly and just before a bridge over a stream, went through a gate on the right (113min).

We climbed steadily up a narrow path with the stream on our left. At a gate and a bridge on our left we crossed to the opposite bank and slanted uphill to the right (126min).

We crossed a track leading to the comverted farmstead of Oakenclough - the former Tatton constituency home of Chancellor George Osborne - and continued through a gate to climb steeply uphill with a wall on our right. 

This soon brought us to a gate leading on to open moorland (131min), which we crossed slightly to our right, reaching at the crest of a hill, a wall. We turned right, reached a gate on our left and passed through it to join a sunken muddy path to emerge at the Hanging Gate (151min).

Awaiting us were the five B walkers, who had taken a direct route on the minor roads from Ridgegate. The Hyde's Bitter at £3 a pint was very acceptable.

The pub has apparently had a somewhat uncertain history since the departure of the Wanderers' favourite Estonian, Luda, for the Rose and Crown at Allgreave. Now however it is under new and youthful management who will hopefully ensure its survival.

We left the pub via a gate in its back garden and continued down a footpath, through three kissing gates, to reach a road where we turned left. Soon after we took a stile on the right to carry on down through fields. Here Laurie managed to prove he was more than capable of falling down, despite his failed efforts of the previous week.

We passed behind a wooden stable building, took a path to the right behind two modren houses and then across a track leading in to fields, reaching a lane which we crossed down and up steep steps on either side (171min). Three more stiles brought us to a farmhouse that was, and might still be, the home of Rugby legend Fran Cotton.

We skirted this on the left and reaching a driveway, slanted right down to a bridge over a stream. This marked our departure from the route of the Gritstone Trail, which we had followed from the pub.

A steep climb up steps brought us in to a field and then to the Ridgegate reservoir dam (194 min), where we paused for lunch. A short stroll brought us to the Leather's Smithy pub, from where we continued right up the road to our cars (210min), before returning after debooting. 

We reunited with the B walkers after their five-and-a-half mile walk to enjoy Theakston's Bitter at a rather eye-watering £3-40.

Next week's walk will start outside The Cock in Whaley Bridge at 9.30am, calling at The Shady Oak at around 12.15pm. 

Happy wandering!

Little Hayfield

January 6, 2016

LITTLE HAYFIELD, PARK HALL ESTATE, MIDDLE MOOR, CARR MEADOW, HOLLINGWORTH HEAD, KNARRS FARM, FAR COWN EDGE FARM, COWN EDGE ROCKS, ROWARTH, LANE SIDE FARM, CLOUGH MILL, LANTERN PIKE INN AT LITTLE HAYFIELD

Distance: 8.5 miles​Ascent/descent: 1850ft

Difficulty: Easy​

Weather: Dull at first, brilliant winter sunshine later

Walkers: Peter Beal, Ron Buck, Tom Cunliffe, Colin Davison, Laurie Fairman, Alan Hart, Jock Rooney, George Whaites

SOB walkers: George Fraser, Tony Job, Geoff Spurrell

Apologies: Mark Gibby, Julian Ross, John Jones

Leader: Cunliffe​Diarist: Beal

Start: Lantern Pike Inn at Little Hayfield

Starting time: 09.40am​Finishing time: 2.15pm

A most unpromising day with low-hanging cloud unexpectedly transformed itself in to welcome sunshine amd warm temperatures for the latter part of our walk.

The rain-sodden countryside proved perilous in places however and one particular treacherous downhill stretch saw six of our eight walkers fall like ninepins in quick succession.

Ron also achieved what might be some sort of record by missing the start by ten minutes, despite living only 100 yards away, and had to work hard to catch us up over an hour later.

We left the rear of the pub and turned right along the pavement of the A624 towards Hayfield. A short distance after, we crossed the road and took the track leading through the National Trust-owned Park Hall estate.

Park Hall, now converted in to self-catering holiday apartments, was the retirement home in the 18th century of local-boy-made good Joseph Hague. He was born in nearby Chunal in 1695, so my Peak District Companion tells me, and became an itinerant boy pedlar, wandering the hills with his goods in a basket until he could afford a donkey with a pack saddle.

He learned about trade and the exciting future of textiles, went to London, and gradually amassed a fortune by dealing in imported cotton and fabrics. He returned to become a local benefactor, but on a murkier note a booklet published in 1979 to mark 200 years of the Joseph Hague Trust suggested that some of his profits came from the sale of loincloths to West African tribes by English traders in exchange for slaves who were shipped across the Atlantic.

We walked past, on our left, the remains of the open-air swimming pool which was open to Hayfield residents in the summer until it closed in the late 1960s.

We came to a large gate leading on to the open expanse of Middle Moor (10 minutes) and went through it, turning immediately left to cross a stream and begin a steady climb up a track though the heather.

A three-year project by the National Trust to eliminate rampant rhododendrons which were engulfing this stretch of moor has proved successful.

We continued up the track to reach a footpath (19 min). Ahead of us was a faint track through the heather which would have brought us to Mill Hill. But we had earlier decided to forgo this because of the recent deluges which would have turned the normally boggy approach to the summit in to a morass.

Instead we turned left along the path through the moor, which eventually descended to bring us to a small footbridge over Hollingworth Clough at the hamlet of Carr Meadow (38 min). We crossed the bridge and slanted diagonally left up a path climbing alongside a wall.

We passed a very small quarry on the right and crested the hill to reach a stile at the summit of the A624 road on its way to Glossop (63 min). On our left was the sad sight of what was once the welcoming Grouse pub, recently closed and now apparently on its way to becoming a private residence.

We crossed the busy road hurriedly and went straight ahead along the Monk's Road towards Charlesworth. Three hundred yards further on we took a track to the left and at a metal gate a short distance up the track declared pietime (70 min).

Just before the end of a lengthy 20-minute break - despite Tom's leadership - we spotted Ron making his way towards us. He had been delayed, he said, by being accosted by a lady wanting him to inspect her radiator. Whether this is some euphemism peculiar to Little Hayfield, I know not.

We continued up the track, bearing right at a junction to reach Knarrs Farm (79 min), where we crossed a stile over the wall to the right of the farm building. Here a mechanical digger was demolishing a old part of the farm buildings, seemingly prior to an sizeable extension being added.

Having crossed the stile we realised our usual direct descent to Rowarth would bring us to the Little Mill possibly before opening time. So after another stile we struck off diagonally right across the fields to emerge another two stiles later on the lane leading towards Rowarth (90 min).

We turned right rather than left towards Rowarth and almost immediately left up a track with the ridge of Cown Edge ahead of us. Before reaching the top of the Cown Edge ridge we turned left on a track which soon brought us to Far Cown Edge farm, where we crossed a stile at the end of the farmyard next to a Northern Footpaths direction sign (99 min).

We then forked slghtly right on a gentle ascent and continued through three more fields before emerging to join the path descending from Cown Edge towards Rowarth (116 min).

From here we could see towards Lantern Pike, where the phemomenon of cloud inversion had filled the valley with cloud, leaving the fell tops clear.

We angled left here, sharply downhill, forked right over a stile at a footpath junction, and followed the path through a narrow snicket between two gardens to emerge on the lane in Rowarth village (123 min). We turned right then left and just after a doorless phone box on the left took a path to the right which descended gently past a row of scruffy cottages to emerge opposite the Little Mill Inn (133 min).

The Banks's Bitter was pronounced acceptable by our leader but sadly the Farmers' Brown Cow chosen by George and your diarist at £3-20 a pint proved not so. Tom declared it 'off' just by the smell. We swapped it for the Banks, but only later discovered this was 35p a pint cheaper. Your diarist, being a Yorkshireman, might claim his refund at a future date.

We left the Little Mill at 1.04 pm.  By now the cloud had disappeared, leaving us in bright sunshine. We turned right up the road to reach the converted Laneside Farm (143 min). Here the road ends and we continued ahead up a rocky track between drystone walls, soon pausing for lunch (150 min).

We came to a junction in the track and bore left, almost back on ourselves, to reach a gate at the crest of the hill. We turned right along the ridge on the left of a wall, and where it descended to the foot of Lantern Pike we headed diagonally right across the open field to bring us to a stile in the corner (163 min).

We crossed this and descended the muddy path, which narrowed and brought us over a stile to a house. We crossed the stile in front us for the descent to Clough Mill and Little Hayfield.

A flagged path down the field brought the downfall in rapid succession of six of our party, including our leader. As Tom came crashing to the ground Colin, behind him, scrabbled for his camera, only to fall over himself in the process.

Shortly after our leader regained his feet you diarist called flippantly that he had better fall again for Colin's benefit. This he promptly did and Colin, full of concern as ever, managed to capture the misfortune. The only two of our party to remain upright on this descent were Laurie and your diarist - but as they had both fallen earlier a new record was probably achieved by an entire Wanderers party hitting the ground during a walk.

Soon afterwards we crossed a stile and the bridge over a brook next to Clough Mill and took the lane up to the Lantern Pike (180 min).

Awaiting us were Tony, Geoff and George who had walked from New Mills, through the Torrs and along the Sett Valley trail to Hayfield, taking the path through the fields to Little Hayfield.

Our leader and host generously supplied chili con carne, together with a supply of excellent chips.

Pictures by Colin Davison

Next week's walk will start at the lay-by near the top of Ridgegate reservoir, near Langley, at 9.40am. Following a planned ascent of Shutlingsloe the en-route refreshment point will be The Hanging Gate around 12.15pm. Drinks afterwards will be at the Leather's Smithy at 2.15pm.

nb: A series of new marked parking bays have appeared on the road alongside the rerservoir, starting near the Leather's Smithy. Ignore these and go to the lay-by near the top of the reservoir.

Poynton

January 1, 2016

ST GEORGE’S CHURCH AT POYNTON, POYNTON SPORTS CLUB CAR PARK, PRINCES INCLINE, DAVENPORT GOLF CLUB, NELSON PIT MUSEUM, MACCLESFIELD CANAL, MINERS ARMS AT WOODS LANE ENDS, ADLINGTON, HIGHER POYNTON, COPPICE LANE, HIGHER POYNTON (AGAIN !), LADY’S INCLINE, BULL’S HEAD AT POYNTON

Distance: Seven miles.

Difficulty: Easy.

Weather: Dry, mostly cloudy with some wintry sunshine.

Walkers: Ron and Maureen Buck, Alan Hart, Tony Job, Jock Rooney, Zoe Smith, Geoff Spurrell and Dave Williams.

Drivers: Mary Rooney and Yvonne Spurrell.

Leaders: Hart and Spurrell. Diarist: Hart.

Starting points: St George’s Church, Poynton (10.35am) and Poynton Sports Club (10.40am).

On our annual ladies’ day there was a disappointing turn-out by the fair sex but what we lacked in quantity we made up for in quality as Ron Buck’s wife Maureen and her friend Zoe Smith arrived for their debuts with the Wednesday Wanderers.

Some walkers were also grateful for the selfless assistance of chauffeuses Yvonne Spurrell and Mary Rooney.

What has become in recent years the traditional route to The Miners Arms was followed by five of our party. Tony, Jock and Geoff chose a more direct journey which enabled them to reach the pub five minutes earlier.

The return to Poynton resulted in a similar division between the five quick walkers and those who preferred, through reason of age, infirmity or disposition, a more leisurely pace. There was also a further schism when the trio of casual hikers decided to avoid a muddy section and found themselves off-piste, as it were, and heading down the suburbia known as Dickens Lane.

Meanwhile the quicker quintet, anxious to avoid excessive road-walking, managed to include an involuntary loop which gave them a serious sensation of deja vu as we found ourselves walking along the same stretch of road for 500 yards which we had passed ten minutes earlier.

Things, in the words of D-Ream, can only get better. Experience teaches us otherwise.

The following reports the route taken by the Famous Five. From the sports club car park we proceeded along the main road in the direction of Hazel Grove before turning right into Woodside Close (1 min) with the sports club grounds still on our right. This was the start of a gradual climb which continued for two miles until we reached the Macclesfield Canal.

To reach it we forked left off Woodside Close (3mins) to head up Princes Incline, which had been a railway line for coal trucks 100 years ago. At the end we crossed Towers Road (15mins) and took a path which led through a gate and a gap stile to a lane where we turned right (20mins). This was a right of way through Davenport Golf Course. 

The lane dropped down to face Anson Road (25mins) which we followed past the Boar’s Head at Higher Poynton on our right, crossed a road bridge over The Middlewood Way, past the Nelson Pit Museum on our left and reached the Macclesfield Canal (40mins).

At convenient wooden benches we stopped to share some delicious home-made Christmas cake provided by Maureen and some home-made mince pies, (made to a special recipe for Tescos and inside one of their boxes), by your diarist. Only two of our quintet (I wonder if you can guess) took a stirrup cup of port for medicinal purposes. The rest were abstaining as part of New Year resolutions involving alcohol and weight.

Our colleagues were by this time taking a different route along Moggie Lane, Wards End, so after a 15-minute stop we continued to walk along the towpath with the canal on our left. At Lyme Wharf Marina we left the canal on our right (70mins) and followed the path downhill to crossroads. We turned right and The Miners Arms was on our left (77mins).

Our three colleagues, along with Yvonne, were already ensconced in a corner of the near-deserted pub, which has changed hands several times in recent years with various degrees of failure.

After refreshment, which seemed to involve the early breaking of at least one man’s resolution, we started the return journey to Poynton by a different route. From the front door of the pub we turned left for 30 yards and then turned left over a stile.

This took us along a series of paths through gates and over stiles until we reached a lane (90mins). By this stage, we learned later, the mud encountered had persuaded our three colleagues to turn left away from our route.

At the lane we turned right for 20 yards before following a public footpath sign on our left which led us down to a stream. We walked right on reaching it and soon came to a footbridge across the brook which we used and climbed up to a road (95mins).

We followed a public footpath between houses and entered a field. A series of stiles took us through three fields until we emerged on Coppice Road, Higher Poynton, where we turned left (105mins). This brought us downhill to the outskirts of Hockley and a bridal shop. A public footpath on our right appeared to be a way of reaching Towers Road and our route homewards without any tarmac(110mins).

It seemed after our initial right turn that we were thereafter heading left or going straight ahead at various stiles and gates in the inevitable direction of Towers Road. Not so. After ten minutes we emerged back on Coppice Road to retrace our footsteps. This time we carried on walking past the bridal shop (125mins) to Towers Road at Hockley, where we turned right (128mins).

This brought us to Lady’s Incline on our left (131mins) where we turned to head downhill along another former coal truck rail line to drop back into the former coalyard at Woodside Close (141mins). At the main road (142mins) Dave and I turned right to reach The Bull’s Head on London Road North, Poynton, for pints of Original cask bitter at £3-20. Ron and his ladies turned left to retrieve their cars and head for home.

Jock subsequently joined us in the pub, where landlady Sally-Ann Bromley generously provided a plate of pork pie and mustard. An hour later Mary arrived to drive her reprobate husband home.

Next week’s walk (Jan 6) will be the one which was cancelled last week because of heavy rain. We will meet at the car park of The Lantern Pike pub at 9.40am for a walk led by Tom past Park Hall into Middle Moor before crossing the Hayfield-Glossop Road to reach The Old Mill at Rowarth for a bracer around 12.15pm. We anticipate returning to The Lantern Pike at about 2.15pm for further refreshment.

Happy New Year and Happy Wandering !