Little Hayfield

April 27, 2016.

LITTLE HAYFIELD, PARK HALL WOODS, MIDDLE MOOR, HAYFIELD, OLLERTON MOOR, BIRCH VALE, SITCH LANE, WETHERCOTE FARM, THE LITTLE MILL INN AT ROWARTH, MOUNT FAMINE FOOTHILLS, CLOUGH MILL AND THE LANTERN PIKE INN AT LITTLE HAYFIELD

Distance: 8-9 miles.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Weather: Started under sunny skies: finished in blizzard.

Walkers: Mickey Barrett, Peter Beal, Ron Buck, Tom Cunliffe, Colin Davison, Lawrie Fairman, Alan Hart, Jock Rooney with Tips, and George Whaites.

Leader: Cunliffe. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Car park of The Lantern Pike Inn, Little Hayfield, Derbyshire.

Starting time: 9.41am. Finishing time: 2.20pm.

Our leader Tom gave a remarkable impersonation of The Grand Old Duke of York with this undulating walk where he marched us up to the top of several hills before marching us down again.

There had been forecasts of light showers in the early afternoon, but one suspects that the high turn-out of nine A-teamers might have been reduced (by at least one!) if we had foreseen the hailstorm which arrived at 11.20am and the blizzard which followed.

Your diarist confesses at the outset that he wimped out during the first aerial attack and the description which follows owes much to his more resolute colleague, former fell runner and Lands End-to-John o’ Groats walker Peter Beal.

Despite a request, and a promise, that we would start with a climb to the Trig Point at the top of Lantern Pike, Tom was persuaded by siren voices to lead us in the opposite direction. Predictably, therefore, the view from this summit is still a mystery to many Wednesday Wanderers.

From the pub we headed along the road towards Hayfield before crossing and entering Park Hall Woods (2mins). This brought us to the gate leading to Middle Moor (8mins). We tramped along a well-worn path through the scrub and bracken until we reached a drystone wall (22mins).

We walked through a metal kissing gate on the right, which was the first of a series of five leading downhill to a road. En route we passed the well-known landmark on our right, a copse of 19 trees. This is known as 20 Trees, so clearly numeracy was not a strong suit for the good people of Hayfield in days of yore.

At the road we turned right (41mins), then turned left down a flight of stone steps (43mins). We crossed the River Sett (45mins) by a footbridge and reached a road where we turned right (46mins). At a Y-junction we turned sharp left and immediately right up a stony path marked with a yellow arrow (48mins).

We emerged at a road opposite The Briars (51mins) where, not for the first time, Tom’s navigational skills were brought into question. First we turned right, following Tom, until he shouted “We’re going the wrong way.”  It was unclear whom he blamed for this error. Then we reversed, passing The Briars once more, and turned right at a public bridleway next to Moor Green (54mins).

Our group crossed the main road (55mins) and started to climb a path opposite. At a farm building we dog-legged right and then left to follow a wooden public footpath sign towards Peep O Day (64mins). We walked through a wooden kissing gate (67mins) and continued uphill ignoring two paths on our left.

When we reached a T-junction of paths on Ollersett Moor (79mins) we paused for pies and refreshments. A curlew was heard nearby but our attention was by now more focussed on the weather around us. From our vantage point we could see a series of isolated showers falling at various points in the distance. They appeared to be heading our way.

Instead of retreating, Tom advanced towards the wintry showers. We went through a wooden gate (85mins) and were soon being battered by hailstones. We reached and crossed the main road linking Hayfield and New Mills by the side of The Grouse at Birch Vale (99mins). At the far side, behind the sign for Station Road, we followed a path which brought us to The Sett Valley Trail (102mins).

We crossed this following a wooden public footpath sign marked Lantern Pike. We crossed a footbridge over the River Sett (107mins) and it was at this point your diarist announced his intention to seek refuge back in the pub.

The other eight trudged bravely on, soon being rewarded with blue skies and sunshine as they turned left and zig-zagged along Sitch Lane before turning right towards Wethercote Farm. They proceeded to The Little Mill Inn at Rowarth (153mins). The weather by now was sunny enough for some hardier members of the reduced group to sit outside. But a further hailstorm drove them inside to join their colleagues in pints of Banks’ bitter at £2-95.

The friendly landlord confided that the pub was up for sale for £600,000 so we will need to monitor the situation before further visits. It survived a dramatic flood in 1935. Its water-wheel was restored and The Derbyshire Belle, a 70-feet long Pullman carriage formerly of The Brighton Belle Railway, was converted into three en-suite bedrooms. A large beer garden and children’s play area were added. But the water-wheel has fallen again into disrepair. Bands play at weekends. Significantly, perhaps, the band this Sunday (May 1) is called Swansong. 

After leaving the pub, the party retraced its footsteps before taking a hairpin bend left to reach the foot of  Lanter Pike foothills (or Hunger Hill as Lawrie mistakenly called it). They followed a stony track and passed Clough Mill apartments before reaching the Lantern Pike Inn (209mins). By now the walkers resembled the stragglers in Napoleon’s retreat from Moscow as they battled through a blizzard.

Back in the warmth of the pub, we enjoyed pints of excellent Timothy Taylor Landlord bitter for £3-50 accompanied by bowls of chips with bread and butter generously provided by Tom and cooked by Chris.

Next week’s walk will start at 9.30am from the free car park opposite The Spinners Arms at Bollington. After buying the traditional pies from Smiths’ bakery, we will aim to reach The Robin Hood at Rainow around 12.15pm for a livener, ending with further refreshment at The Church House Inn, Bollington, at about 2.15pm.

Happy wandering !