Bollington

May 4, 2016.

BOLLINGTON, CHESHIRE HUNT HOUSE, ANDREWS NOB, FURTHER HARROP FARM, ROUND KNOLL FARM, OLD BLUE BOAR FARM, WIMBERRY MOSS FARM, THE ROBIN HOOD AT RAINOW, THE VIRGINS’ PATH, WAULKMILL WATERFALL AT INGERSLEY VALE AND THE CHURCH HOUSE INN AT BOLLINGTON

Distance: 8 miles.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Weather: Blue skies and sunshine: cold wind on the hills.

Walkers: Peter Beal, Ron Buck, Tom Cunliffe, Lawrie Fairman, Mark Gibby, Alan Hart and George Whaites.

Apologies:  Mickey Barrett (sailing off Turkish coast) Colin Davison (sailing round British Isles), George Dearsley (in Turkey), Julian Ross (injured ankle). 

Leader: Fairman. Diarist: Hart.

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

Starting time: 9.30am. Finishing time: 2.10pm.

After a largely cold, often wet and mostly miserable April, the weather improved considerably for this walk around the attractive hills and valleys of east Cheshire. What a contrast the warm sunshine made to last week’s walk through a hailstorm.

On that occasion even the hardiest hikers were driven indoors by wintry weather which had persisted into the middle of spring. This time we sat outside in pub gardens basking in glorious summery sunshine.

Tom entertained us at Pietime when he toppled off a tussock of grass and struck his head on a drystone wall. Happily the wall was not badly damaged.

We were also able to raise a toast the “The Foxes” – the plucky Leicester City team which won the Premiership against all odds and landed a substantial bet for your diarist.

From the car park where we turned left, two of us purchased hot pies from the F.Smith bakery on our right before reaching the roundabout and crossing it into Ingersley Road (5mins). We passed The Cotton Tree and The Poachers Inn on our right before turning right up Hedge Row (15mins). This took us past Cheshire Hunt House, formerly The Cheshire Hunt pub, on our left. Just past it we turned left through a wooden gate and followed a sign for The Gritstone Trail (16mins)

We passed through a series of metal kissing gates, crossed a tiny hump-backed bridge, and headed uphill through a wood. We left it by a metal gate and turned right, continuing along The Gritstone Trail (36mins).

The Gritstone Trail is 35 miles long, starting from Disley Station, going through Lyme Park, Sponds Hill, Tegg’s Nose Country Park, Croker Hill, Mow Cop and ending at Kidsgrove Station.

From our vantage point we could see across the valley to White Nancy, Jodrell Bank, the city of Manchester, and a Vulcan aircraft on the tarmac of Woodford Aerodrome, which is in the process of being redeveloped with nearly 1,000 new houses.

We crossed a cattlegrid and followed the GT signs as we mounted Andrews Nob and reached a track which we followed right (52mins). This brought us to a road where we turned right (59mins). The road took us past Further Harrop Farm on our right (65mins) and when we reached a road we turned right (70mins).

After 60 yards we turned left and crossed a wooden stile marked with a white arrow (71mins). We were walking along a Permissive Path and soon heading towards the distinctive conical shape of Shutlingsloe in the distance (87mins). As we followed the ridge with splendid views all around us, there was a cold wind in our faces.

Pietime was declared (92mins) after we crossed used a double stile to cross a drystone wall which offered limited shelter from the icy blast. Before we could start tucking into pies and rum and blackcurrant, Tom had created much mirth, followed by deep concern, when he tried to emulate Miss Muffett with comical consequences as he toppled backwards with his legs in the air. He was immediately transformed from Miss Muffett to Humpty Dumpty.

Resuming we headed downhill, through a metal kissing gate (96mins) and crossed three wooden stiles in quick succession before passing Round Knoll Farm on our right (113mins). We reached a road and turned right (116mins) passing Old Blue Boar Farm on our right (118mins). At the junction of Ewrin Lane and Pike Road we turned left towards Rainow (120mins).

We passed Common Barn Farm on our left (124mins) and at the entrance to Wimberry Moss Farm on our right we went over a stone step stile marked with a wooden public footpath sign (130mins). We then crossed a series of five stiles – ladder, wood and stone – to reach a road where we turned right (138mins).

After 30 yards we turned left over a wooden stile and a stone step stile (140mins) followed by five stiles in nine minutes (149mins). We used a stone flag to cross a stream (150mins) then crossed four stiles in four minutes to reach a road (154mins). We turned right (155mins) and reached The Robin Hood at Rainow on our right (156mins).

Here we had a choice of Bass, Thwaites or Titanic for £3-15 a pint, enjoyed in the sun-soaked beer garden. The Bass and Thwaites were tested and deemed to be excellent. There was near unanimous approval for granting the pub the accolade of a Wednesday Wanderers’ certificate. Peter demurred on the ground that they were using one of the rooms near the bar as a beauty salon – not the sort of innovation readily welcomed by a Yorkshireman. He was automatically outvoted by the Lancastrians present.

Continuing our journey, we walked from the back of the pub into Stocks Lane, passing the village stocks on our left before turning right into Chapel Lane (159mins). We turned right into Sugar Lane (162mins), passing The Old Hall on the left before turning right at a wooden public footpath sign indicating a flagged path behind a row of cottages (165mins). 

This was the start of what is known as The Bridal Path or The Virgins’ Path. It was used until two centuries ago by brides-to-be on their wedding days to reach the parish church in Bollington. Before Rainow got its own church, they had to walk two miles through the fields. Athoughtful farmer laid flagstones along the route so the local maidens arrived with their dresses unsullied by mud.

At the end of the path we reached Waulkmill Waterfall at Ingersley Vale (177mins) where we paused for lunch and admired this lovely local feature. Resuming we continued past the derelict Ingersley Vale Mill (181mins) on our right, a millpond on our left and turned right at The Crown pub (187mins).

This brought us to The Church House Inn for further refreshment (190mins).

Next week’s walk will start at 9.35am from the road outside The Cock at Whaley Bridge. We are aiming to reach The Swan at Kettleshulme for a bracer at 12.30pm before returning to The Cock at about 2.20pm.

The following day the Wednesday Wanderers’ international formation drinking team will be heading for Bulgaria on a week-long cultural mission.

Happy wandering !