Ridgegate

September 7, 2016.

RIDGEGATE RESERVOIR, MACCLESFIELD FOREST, SHUTLINGSLOE, CRAG INN AT WILDBOARCLOUGH, PIGGFORD NATURE RESERVE, THE HANGING GATE INN AT HIGHER SUTTON, THE GRITSTONE TRAIL AND THE LEATHERS’ SMITHY AT LANGLEY

Distance: Seven miles.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Weather: Dry and warm with occasional sunshine.

A walkers: Peter Beal, Mike Brockbank, Colin Davison, Lawrie Fairman, Mark Gibby, Alan Hart, Jock Rooney with Tips, Julian Ross and George Whaites.

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

Apologies: Mickey Barrett (yachting in Turkey), Tom Cunliffe (pub duties), George Dearsley (living in Turkey), and Chris Owen (domestic duties) 

Starting point: Roadside next to Ridgegate Reservoir, Langley, Macclesfield.

Starting time: 9.36am.Finishing time: 1.40pm.

What this walk lacked in miles, it made up for in quality. There were glorious views from start to finish as we climbed Cheshire’s Matterhorn and made our way across streams through forests and over hillsides. It left many of our group asking: why don’t we use this route more often ?

During our journey we passed the former homes of ex-Chancellor George Osborne and England rugby captain Fran Cotton.

It was also a rare occasion when we met the S.O.B. team in both pubs and shared our experiences. We also welcomed Julian back after a prolonged absence caused by holidays and business duties.

Walking with Ridgegate Reservoir on our right, we headed uphill and turned right at the sign for Wincle (4mins). After 40 yards we turned left along a stony track and turned left to follow the footpath. This brought us to a T-junction (11mins) where we turned right. We turned right again at a sign for Shutlingsloe (14mins).

This is a distinctive hill which can be seen peeping above the skyline for miles in every direction. Its shape gives it the ironic title Cheshire’s Matterhorn. At 1,660 feet it is Cheshire’s third highest peak behind Shining Tor and Whetstone Ridge.

We turned right again at another sign (26mins), went through a kissing gate (28mins) and ascended a set of stone flags. This brought us to a metal kissing gate (38mins) and two alternative routes. The younger members headed right for the summit and the magnificent views it afforded. 

The rest followed their leader as he walked over the left shoulder of Shutlingsloe, going through a wooden gate (46mins) and a wooden stile (52mins). We went over another wooden stile followed by a footbridge (56mins) to reach a lane and turn right (58mins). After crossing a cattle-grid (62mins) we reached a road and turned right (68mins).

This brought us to The Crag Inn on our right where we stopped for Pietime (70mins). Tips was overjoyed when the rest of her flock, who had been to the top of Shutlingsloe, were reunited with their chums for snacks and port.

After leaving the bench in the pub car park we turned right and immediately headed right through a wooden gate marked with a yellow arrow (71mins). There followed a series of wooden gates, all well signed with red dinner plate-sized markers, through a series of fields. Eventually we came via a stone step stile to a lane (93mins) where we turned left.

We walked down the lane with Piggford Nature Reserve on our right. When we reached a road we turned right  (101mins) and turned right again at a kissing gate marked with a yellow arrow (104mins). We went through a metal gate and over a footbridge (109mins) into a field full of exclusively black sheep.  On our right was the former home of David Cameron’s right-hand man, George Osborne, whose Tatton constituency lies nearby (115mins)

We went left over a wooden stile (116mins) and left through a wooden gate to head uphill (121mins). Another wooden stile (126mins brought us to the path leading down to The Hanging Gate Inn. Although your diarist reached the pub (132mins) at 12.02pm, he had already been beaten to the recently-opened bar by the five-strong  S.O.B. team.

The pub is nearly 400 years old and has stunning views at the back from its modern decking area, where we enjoyed pints of Hydes’ Original for £3. A former landlady was Luda from Estonia and the current licensees are Ernst Van Zyl and his partner Sarah Richmond. They also run The Lord Clyde at Kerridge.

After slaking our thirsts we left the back garden by a gate and followed the well-worn path through a field to exit by a metal gate (134mins). This brought us to a lane where we turned left and then headed right over a stone step stile at a wooden public footpath sign (138mins). We stopped for lunch just before a gate near a wooden farm building (146mins).

Resuming we went through two metal gates (147mins), a wooden kissing gate and a farmyard, following a wooden footpath sign marked with a yellow arrow and the footprint symbol of The Gritstone Trail (150mins)

We went through two kissing gates to cross a road (152mins), crossed a field and went through a kissing gate to reach a track where we turned left. This brought us to a gate where we turned right and passed the former home of Sale and England rugby legend Fran Cotton on our right with a duck-pond on our left.

A few yards further we left The Gritstone Trail to turn right down a path leading to a wooden gate(162mins) and crossed a wooden footbridge (163mins). This brought us to a track where we turned left in the direction of Langley (166mins). This took us to The Leathers’ Smithy (168mins) where we enjoyed pints of Deuchars cask bitter in the beer garden behind the pub. The beer was excellent but the price of £3-65 was rather hard to swallow.

Next week’s walk will start at 9.30am from the home of Colin at 11, Carr Brow, High Lane. There will be a livener or two in The Fox at Brook Bottom at about 12.15pm but, controversially, no pre-arranged pub to finish. Perhaps one will be chosen on the day.

Happy wandering !