Eyam

July 27, 2016.

EYAM, STONEY MIDDLETON, COOMBS DALE, ROUGH SIDE, WHITE RAKE, WARDLOW, BROSTERFIELD FARM, THE BULLS HEAD AT FOOLOW, EYAM VIEW FARM AND THE MINERS ARMS AT EYAM

Distance: 8-9 miles.

Difficulty: Easy.

Weather: Warm and dry with cloud and sunny spells.

Walkers: Ron Buck, Colin Davison, Lawrie Fairman, Alan Hart, Chris Owen and George Whaites.

Apologies: Peter Beal (narrow-boating), George Dearsley (in Turkey), Mark Gibby (domestic duties).

Leader: Cunliffe. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Free car park at Eyam, Derbyshire.

Starting time: 10am. Finishing time: 2.26pm.

We welcomed a debutant to this trip in perfect walking conditions from the famous village of Eyam. Chris Owen is the younger brother of John Owen, a friend of both Tom and your diarist who now lives in Texas with his American wife Darlene.

The similarity in appearance and mannerisms between Chris, now living near Macclesfield, and John is seriously spooky. We can only hope that Chris did not tell his future wife that Wythenshawe was “a quaint fishing village.”

Like his brother in the first half of life, Chris espouses left-wing politics – although John appears to have undergone a Damascene conversion in the second half, converting from a firebrand trades unionist to a virulent capitalist. It must be the Texan air.

We also welcomed back Colin after his marathon voyage circumnavigating the UK. Although he had not developed a sailor’s roll, our merry matelot had clearly not regained full possession of his land legs as he trudged wearily over vales and hills. He complained bitterly that excessive road walkingwas hard on both his feet and his expensive boots.

Tom took on the mantle of leader for the day, with Lawrie under strict orders to remain silent following last week’s debacle. This proved a stern test for our senior A-teamer who was often seen consulting his map and shaking his head.

Eyam, a pretty Peak District village, has been immortalised by TV and radio programmes because of its communal sacrifice during The Great Plague of 1665. That summer a local tailor received a parcel of material from London, where the deadly disease was reaching epidemic proportions. It is believed he was bitten by fleas in the cloth and died a week later.

By the end of September that year, five more villagers were dead and a further 23 died in October. William Mompesson, Eyam’s rector, persuaded his flock not to flee the plague and risk spreading it. Instead they isolated the village for a year until the plague finally died out. Estimates vary for the death toll with some claiming that 260 out of 350 villagers died.

We began the walk by going through a gate at the rear of the car park, passing a futuristic children’s playground on our right. The path led us into the village centre and we turned right into Lydgate (8mins). This brought us to a wooden public footpath for Stoney Middleton and Boundary Stone.

We passed the latter first. It is a large rock with indentations where 350 years ago villagers left money soaked in vinegar in exchange for food brought by outsiders who were scared of direct contact.

Soon after we went through a wooden gate (25mins) leading into Stone Middleton. We headed sharp right to head down to the main road and crossed it to follow a public footpath sign uphill. We turned left into Eaton Fold, following a wooden public footpath sign (31mins).

The path took us through a five-barred gate marked with a yellow arrow (34mins) and another wooden gate had a wooden public footpath sign pointing to Coombs Dale (35mins) We went through  another wooden gate with a yellow arrow and crossed a plank over a stream (41mins) where Lawrie was amused to read a sign warning people not to swim in the three-inch deep water.

At the far side of the stream was a tarmac path where we turned right and headed along a slight uphill gradient before stopping at a set of stiles on either side of the track for pies and port (70mins). We had already encountered one walking group and two more passed by as we girded our loins for the challenges ahead.

Continuing, we went through a gate (75mins) and took the left fork where the path divided (83mins). We swung right (92mins) with the lane and were amazed to see three wigwams being erected in a field on our right. Was this, we wondered, a retaliation for the Battle of Wounded Knee ?

We kept left at a junction (103mins) to pass White House Farm on our left (113mins) and reached a minor road (115mins). We turned right, passing Manor Farm on our left (116mins) then turned right at a main road to pass The Three Stags’ Heads at Wardlow (122mins), whose door at 12.15pm was firmly locked.

Just past the pub we turned left at a wooden public footpath sign to pass through a farmyard which we left by two metal gates and a stone step stile (128mins) leading to a field. We headed diagonally right across it and exited it by a stone step stile (132mins), crossing four more in quick succession before exiting the fields via a wooden stile (146mins).

En route we had passed herds of cattle, goats, alpacas and flocks of sheep to reach a large collection of farm buildings and residential quarters at Brosterfield Farm. A track took us right to the farm’s entrance where we turned left (149mins).

We entered the village of Foolow, passing Ivy House Farm on our left (153mins) to emerge opposite The Bulls Head (157mins) I apologise to grammatical purists because both this pub and our final watering hole, The Miners Arms, appear to have been painted by sign-writers with no respect for apostrophes.

There was a choice of three excellent cask ales at £3-50 a pint, which were enjoyed outside on benches in the summer sunshine.

Resuming, we turned left out of the pub door to exit Foolow and turned right at a wooden public footpath sign marked with a yellow arrow (161mins). The well-trodden route then took us through a series of stone step stiles and wooden gates which led us ultimately into the village centre. We paused for lunch at a field on the outksirts of Eyam (180mins).

Continuing our direct route we emerged at Eyam Hall and turned left (193mins). By turning right into Hawkhill Road (196mins) we were able to pass the public toilets on our right and turn right into the car park (197mins). From there we drove to The Miners Arms in the centre of Eyam for further refreshment. Among the cask ales on offer at £3-50 a pint was St Edmund, which was deemed to be in fine fettle.

Next week’s walk will start at 9.30am from the free public car park opposite The Spinners Arms in Bollington, near Macclesfield, Cheshire. We anticipate reaching the Robin Hood at Rainow for a livener around 12.15pm, finishing in The Crown at Bollington around 2.15pm. We believe this well-known route will enable Lawrie to regain his leadership laurels.

Happy wandering !

Topley Pike

July 20, 2016.

TOPLEY PIKE, MONSAL TRAIL CHEE DALE, CHEE TOR, RUSHER CUTTING, OLD MOOR QUARRY AND RETURN

Distance: Seven miles.

Difficulty: Easy.

Weather: Dry and hot.

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

Apologies:  Mickey Barrett (Spanish hols), Peter Beal (narrow-boating), George Dearsley (in Turkey), Colin Davison (circumnavigating Great Britain), and Julian Ross (busy).

Leader: Fairman. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Lay-by near entrance to Topley Pike Quarry, Derbyshire.

Starting time: 9.54am. Finishing time: 1.25pm.

Last week’s problems when Tom was unable to find his own pub paled into insignificance this week. Cunliffe’s Clanger was followed by Fairman’s Folly when our most trusted leader led us up the garden path. Instead of directing us south to one of Britain’s prettiest village pubs, he led us north to a T-junction bereft of any hostelries within miles.

We were obliged to retrace our footsteps and drive to our planned destination, The Church Inn at Chelmorton, where once again we were able to bask in sunshine in the beer garden.

As we supped pints of excellent cask ales, the sweltering heat was a reminder of bygone days when tabloid headline-writers used their limited imaginations to create such masterpieces as “Phew ! What a Scorcher.”

The scenery was magnificent as we followed the Monsal Trail alongside the picturesque River Wye and headed eastwards. After entering Chee Dale and following the north bank of the river, we should have crossed both the Wye and the A6 to head south for Chelmorton. Instead we found the Pennine Bridleway which Lawrie confidently informed us would lead us all the way to the outskirts of the village. This would have been true if we had followed it in the opposite direction !

However, after making a bewildering series of turns reminiscent of the start of Blind Man’s Buff, Lawrie first headed west when he thought he was aiming east, and then north instead of south.

Such was our trust in his navigational powers that we never doubted him as he muttered that the subsequent signs were wrong and we trailed faithfully in Lawrie’s wake. It was only when we reached a T-junction linking Peak Dale and Buxton to our left with Wormhill, Millers Dale and Peak Forest to our right that our leader admitted: “Mea culpa.”

By now we had been walking a little under three hours, including Pietime. Our return to the cars, avoiding the earlier diversion but including a lunch stop, took about 80 minutes.

We then drove to The Church Inn at Chelmorton to enjoy pints of Marstons’ Pedigree and Thwaites cask bitter for £3-30. While there we presented the head barman with the Wednesday Wanderers’ certificate of approval for good beer, service and atmosphere.

“Hanging” Judge Cunliffe then presided over a kangaroo court at which Lawrie was arraigned for leading us astray. His previous good conduct, his age, the heat and his time spent at sea were all taken into consideration, but he was found guilty as charged. He was sentenced to make no comments as to directions at next week’s walk, where he must become a follower.

It will start at the main car park in Eyam, above the public toilets, at 10am, calling at The Bull’s Head in Foolow around 12.15pm before returning to The Miners’ Arms at Eyam around 2.20pm.

Happy wandering !

Little Hayfield

July 13, 2016.

LITTLE HAYFIELD, PARK HALL WOODS, MIDDLE MOOR, CARR MEADOW, KINGS CLOUGH FARM, GROVE HOUSE, LITTLE MILL INN AT ROWARTH, MATLEY MOOR, PENNINE BRIDLEWAY NATURE TRAIL, LANTERN PIKE TRIG POINT, HIGHER CLIFF FARM, PRIMROSE VALE COTTAGES, CLOUGH MILL APARTMENTS, SLACK LANE AND THE LANTERN PIKE INN AT LITTLE HAYFIELD

Distance: 9 miles.

Difficulty: Easy.

Weather: Mainly dry and cloudy with occasional drizzle, sometimes heavy.

Walkers: Tom Cunliffe, Lawrie Fairman, Mark Gibby, Alan Hart, Julian Ross and George Whaites.

Apologies: Mickey Barrett (domestic duties), Peter Beal (narrow-boating), Colin Davison (circumnavigating Great Britain and Northern Ireland), George Dearsley (in Turkey).

Leaders: Fairman, Cunliffe and Fairman. Diarist: Hart.

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

Starting time: 9.31am. Finishing time: 2.27pm.

It is hard to believe that the landlord of The Lantern Pike Inn could get lost between the Trig Point on the hill which gives his hostelry its name and the pub itself. During the annual Lantern Pike Dash, when fell runners charge up from the field by the side of the inn, they manage to reach the Trig Point and return to the start in less than 11 minutes.

Yet from the summit overlooking the pub, it took us 46 minutes to reach it – a downhill journey completed by the fell runners in just 4 minutes ! Suffice to say Tom’s hopes of earning his leader’s badge have received a setback. (Although he is still ahead of your diarist, who cannot reapply before 2020)

Weather forecasts promised us a dry day, but after 40 minutes we found ourselves marching through steady drizzle. As you can imagine there was a great deal of sympathy for Tom, who had set off in trousers and a short sleeved shirt with no waterproofs.

When a second, heavier shower fell after an hour, your diarist was obliged to don his legendary magic waterproof pants with immediate effect. There was no further rain.

From the pub car park we turned right at the main road towards Hayfield for 100 yards, then turned left into Park Hall Woods (1min). The path brought us through a gate on the right to Middle Moor (9mins), where we turned left and crossed a stream using stepping stones.

Our path was gradually uphill until we crossed a wooden footbridge (39mins), on the far side of which was a memorial to Thomas Boulger, who served the Peak District and Northern Counties Footpath Preservation Society from 1921-63. The first light drizzle began to fall.

We were now in Carr Meadow and continued along the well-trodden path with the road linking Hayfield and Glossop on our left. We reached a wooden stile by a wooden public footpath sign on our left, crossed it and the road, and followed the sign towards Charlesworth (57mins).

We turned left up a gravel track just before a farm on our right (63mins). This took us through a metal gate (64mins) leading to a farm (69mins). We turned right at a path just before the farm, and crossed a stone step stile to take a path with the farmhouse on our left. Lawrie declared Pietime (74mins) on a grassy bank, where we paused for snacks and port.

Resuming, we crossed a stone step stile (76mins) and followed the path to a lane where we turned left (79mins). The drizzle had now turned to steady rain, so your diarist stopped to put on his waterproof pants, which had the desired effect of scaring the raid away.

We followed the road, passing Kings Clough Farm on our right (88mins). When we passed Grove House on our right shortly afterwards, the road swung left but we carried straight on through a gate leading to a rocky path (93mins).

Our group forded a river (95mins) and turned left at a wooden post with a yellow arrow, which brought us to a wooden stile (100mins). We crossed this and a swollen stream by a wooden footbridge and then forded the stream at a low point (104mins). A few yards beyond the ford we went left over a wooden stile marked with a yellow arrow.

We went through a wooden gate (107mins) and emerged at a road by the side of a red phone box. We turned left and immediately right along a public bridleway (109mins). This path took us down to a road where we saw The Little Mill Inn at Rowarth on our left (114mins). Although the door was open at 11.35am, no lights were on inside and there was no sign of life apart from the pub cat, which came to join us in a spirit of welcome – only to be rebuffed by both Mark and Julian.

Landlord Paul Jones then switched on the lights and opened his bar, where pints of Banks’ Amber cask bitter at £2-95 were hailed as being in top form. We then presented Paul with his certificate to show he had earned the Wednesday Wanderers’ seal of approval.

After further refreshment we left the pub and turned right uphill. In a rare spirit of adventure, Lawrie led us to the left at a fork in the road (120mins) “to see where it might lead us.” It took us to a blind alley called Long Lee Farm, so we were obliged to retrace our footsteps and turn left (127mins) along our normal route. (It is to be hoped this setback does not rule out further expeditions to explore pastures new)

We climbed the rocky path to the top of the hill and where it levelled out we paused for lunch (132mins), with Lawrie adding to his diet by picking some bilberries nearby. Resuming, we turned sharp left (142mins) at a wooden public footpath sign. This brought us to a wooden five-barred gate (146mins) which we went through and turned immediately right uphill.

By now Tom had taken over as leader to negotiate our route over Mapley Moor. We reached a wooden gate on our right (155mins) which was marked as a Pennine Bridleway National Trail. This soon brought us to the green sign for the Lantern Pike Hill (156min) and a photo opportunity. There was a change of models until a passing dog walker was persuaded to capture the entire group – or at least the ones who hadn’t lost the will to live by this point.

We carried on uphill past the sign (159mins) and reached the Trig Point (166mins) which gave us a commanding panoramic view of the area. Among the highlights, in your diarist’s opinion, was the Lantern Pike pub directly below us. Permission to take the direct route was denied by our new leader, who ushered us past the Trig Point on our left to continue in the same direction in which we had reached it.

At a path on the left we turned more sharply downhill (174mins) to reach a track (176mins). Instead of heading left in the direction of the pub we went right through a five-barred wooden gate to reach Higher Cliff Farm on our left (184mins). A footpath sign pointed towards it but Tom wanted to aim further right towards Birch Vale.

At this point Lawrie resumed control, leading us over a cattlegrid towards the farm and then following a footpath to the right of it. We crossed a wooden stile on our left so we now had a drystone wall on our right (190mins). We crossed another wooden stile (191mins) and went through a wooden gate marked with a yellow arrow (199mins).

At a T-junction of paths, we turned right and sharp left to pass Primrose Vale cottages on our left (200mins). As we approached the Clough Mill apartments, we swung right away from the former mill and headed up Slack Lane (204mins). In a field on our right was Little Hayfield’s contribution to the well dressing tradition, with a white winter hare representing one season and a row of swallows the other (208mins)

We continued to the main road (210mins), turned left and reached The Lantern Pike car park to de-boot (211mins).

Inside we enjoyed pints of Tom’s award-winning Timothy Taylor Landlord bitter at £3-50, and a generous supply of delicious chip butties.

Next week’s walk will start at 9.50am from the lay-by next to the entrance to a quarry at Topley Pike, on the A6 road out of Buxton opposite the road leading to the Monsal Trail car park. We anticipate reaching The Church Inn at Chelmorton around 12.15pm for a bracer or two before returning to our cars to de-boot and drive to the Wye Valley Hotel Wetherspoons in Buxton for further refreshment at about 2.30pm.

Happy wandering !

Poynton

July 6, 2016.

POYTON SPORTS CLUB, LADY’S INCLINE, HOCKLEY, DAVENPORT GOLF CLUB, HIGHER POYNTON, MACCLESFIELD CANAL, LYME PARK, LYME CAGE, RED LANE, THE DANDY COCK AT DISLEY, LADYBROOK TRAIL, PRINCES INCLINE, RABBIT BURROW FARM AND THE KINGFISHER (WETHERSPOONS) AT POYNTON

Distance: 11-12 miles.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Weather: Cloudy but dry with good visibility.

Walkers: Mark Gibby, Alan Hart, Terry Jowett, Julian Ross and George Whaites.

Apologies: Peter Beal (walking in Lake District), George Dearsley (in Turkey), Lawrie Fairman (cruise lecturing).

Leader: Hart. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Car park of Poynton Sports Club.

Starting time: 9.31am. Finishing time: 2.54pm.

 

Spare a thought for Terry Jowett. Having decided to join the A team – a small step for mankind but a giant leap for an S.O.B. teamer – he walked for more than a mile to the starting point. Then, due to the miscalculations of the inexperienced leader, Terry found himself on one of the longest A walks of the year.

There were mitigating circumstances, such as flood damage to two bridges on the Ladybrook Trail, but we hope the experience does not put off Terry from further outings with the alpha males. On a similar note, we learned that Julian had been traumatised by the discovery that his suggested bar for a final drink after this walk had been changed because it was not open until 4pm.

Julian’s colleagues had no idea that he suffered from low self-esteem issues (there  had been absolutely no visible symptoms) so we trust that he will continue to provide suggestions and input in the knowledge that we will in future have regard for his sensitivity.

This walk, you may recall, was scheduled for last week but cancelled because of heavy rain, which was both forecast and materialised. In the absence of a fully-badged leader, your diarist reluctantly put on his L plates and we sallied forth.

From the car park we turned right along the main road and turned right at Woodside Close (1min) to head for Lady’s Incline.

This footpath (3mins), to the right of the cul-de-sac, is one of the mining tracks which used gravity to bring down coal from the pits around Hockley in chained tubs, with the empty ones being returned by the weight of the full ones.

We emerged on the road near the former Hockley Post Office (15mins) and crossed it to enter a gravel track uphill.  A gate and a wooden stile brought us into a wood which we exited by crossing a fairway at Davenport Golf Club (21mins). At the far side we turned right downhill to reach a crossroads. We went momentarily into Anson Road before turning right up a track (25mins).

Crossing a wooden stile to enter a field (26mins), we passed stables on our left and headed diagonally right towards a metal kissing gate. En route we spotted a fox crossing our path. After the gate we crossed a succession of four wooden stiles to reach Coppice Road, where we turned left (38mins).

This took us over a road-bridge across The Middlewood Way before turning left into Elm Bed Road, and 20 yards later turning left again at the narrowest of paths marked by a green public footpath sign. This brought us into a field where we turned right uphill, scaling a flight of steps which led to the Macclesfield Canal (46mins).

Turning right with the canal on our left, we reached Bridge 16 and crossed it (54mins). This had been our only respite as we climbed ever upwards towards Lyme Park. Heading uphill again we went through a metal gate on our right (56mins) which was the start of a gravel track. We went through a metal gate marked with a yellow arrow (62mins) and a wooden gate with a yellow arrow pointing right up a farm track.

We swung right at a yellow arrow (65mins) and turned left at Green Farm. Here we met a woman trying to get on a horse. She explained that she had not been mounted for seven years and was out of practice. Mark offered a helping hand.

Now successfully mounted, she followed us through the farmyard and right along a path which brought us to a gate by the side of a ladder stile at the entrance to Lyme Park(69mins). Mark again assisted the horsewoman when she opened the gate but dropped her keys. This was beginning to resemble a scene from Downton Abbey or an extract from a Jane Austen novel.

We parted company, as horse and jockey carried straight on at the gate while we turned right uphill. We turned left along a stony track (73mins) and turned right when we reached a lane which swung left towards Lyme Hall. Before we reached the kiosk and car park, we turned right to sit on some large rocks for pies and port (87mins).

Resuming our journey we walked uphill for a few more yards before entering the first of two wooden gates. We turned left with a drystone wall on our left (103mins) rather than go straight ahead uphill to Bowstones. We turned left again over a ladder stile (115mins). As we walked with a wood on our left and open moorland to our right, we saw a magnificent 11-pointer stag some 40 yards away to our right with a doe in tow. The happy couple stared at us in apparent astonishment, even taking a few paces towards us for a better view.

A wooden gate brought us to a lane with Lyme Hall on our left 200 yards away. We carried straight on uphill, turning right at a path leading to Lyme Cage, the former hunting lodge, lookout post and poachers’ prison, which we passed on our left (134mins). The track now headed downhill to the green entrance hut, where we turned right to exit the park (143mins).

We headed up Red Lane and then turned left at a red pillar box (156mins) to reach the top of a flight of steep steps leading down to Disley railway station. We turned right at the foot of the steps and, with The Ram’s Head on our right, crossed the A6 (160mins). We turned right and reached The Dandy Cock on our left (163mins).

Here the Robbies’ Unicorn cask bitter at £2-95 was deemed to be no better than OK. This verdict did not preclude a second pint, although Mark and Julian were enjoying a teetotal day – if one can use such a verb in that context.

Resuming, we returned to Disley’s main traffic lights and with The Ram’s Head on our right, we turned right into Red Lane (166mins), soon passing the parish church of St Mary The Virgin on our left. We re-entered Lyme Park (178mins) and passed the green hut on our left before forking right.

After crossing a ladder stile and a wooden footbridge we swung right (184mins) and walked through a tunnel underneath the Manchester-Buxton railway line (187mins). Lunch was taken on a bridge across the Ladybrook which was off our route a few yards to our right (189mins).

Resuming, we reached the first of two wooden footbridges which had been dislodged by last month’s floodwater (195mins). Some cautious footwork was needed to cross what was left of this bridge. Further on a wooden stile brought us to the railway line (198mins) which we crossed.

Two ladder s enabled us to enter a field containing a derelict summer house on our left. We gingerly crossed another dislodged wooden footbridge (202mins). A third one appeared to have survived unscathed (207mins). After crossing this we followed a path which led us to the Macclesfield Canal (210mins), where we turned left with the canal on our right.

This took us past the elaborately decorated World War 2 pillbox by the side of Bridge 13, which we crossed. Now walking with the canal on our left (213mins), we turned right at a wooden public footpath sign pointing to Princes Incline and the Middlewood Way (218mins). This took us past a memorial bench for Syd Goodwill (1912-2007).

Passing this on our right (223mins) we went across a bridge over the Middlewood Way and crossed Hilton Road to enter Prince Road, passing Prince Studio, the former home of late Wednesday Wanderer Ian Price, on our right (226mins). We crossed Middlewood Road, went through a metal kissing gate to the left of a house called Bluebell Rise (229mins) and began the descent down Princes Incline.

This took us past Davenport Golf Club on our left, passing Rabbit Burrow Farm on our right until we reached Towers Road (246mins). We crossed the road, continuing down Princes Incline until we came back to Woodside Close (253mins). We reached the main road (255mins), turned left and reached the cars (256mins). After de-booting Terry and your diarist joined Tony and Jock in the sunshine outside Wetherspoons to enjoy pints of Ruddles for £2-05.

Next week’s walk will start at 9.30am from The Lantern Pike at Little Hayfield. We expect to reach The Little Mill Inn at Rowarth for a livener at about 12.15pm before returning to The Lantern Pike around 2.30pm.

Happy wandering !