Rudyard

Rudyard

October 26, 2016

CAR PARK AT MINIATURE RAILWAY AT RUDYARD, STAFFORDSHIRE WAY, LADDEREDGE COUNTRY PARK, CALDON CANAL, HOLLY BUSH INN, STONELOWE HALL, DUNWOOD, BRADSHAW, DEVIL'S LANE, RUDYARD

Distance: 11 miles

Difficulty: Easy

Weather: Mild and mainly sunny

Walkers: Peter Beal, Micky Barrett, Tom Cunliffe, Colin Davison, Laurie Fairman, Mark Gibby, Steve Kemp, Chris Owen, Jock Rooney with Tip

Apologies: Alan Hart (caring duties), George Dearsley (still living in Turkey), George Waites (unspecified)

Leader: Fairman​Diarist: Beal

S.O.B. Walkers: Tony Job, Terry Jowett, Ken Sparrow

Starting point: Miniature railway car park at Rudyard

Starting time: 10.02am​Finishing time: 3.24pm

Rudyard Lake marks probably the most southerly starting point of all Wednesday Wanderers expeditions. And as befits southern climes, our nine walkers were rewarded with mild weather and, despite a hint of rain around pietime, largely sunny skies with some fine views of the Staffordshire Moorlands.

Our journey was slightly longer than usual but with easy walking, despite a large number of stiles, and an excellent pub at halfway. During the course of our travels a passing young lady cyclist apparently referred to us as 'an interesting group of men'. This might have been because we appeared to be lost at the time.

Sadly Alan was an absentee today, having to look after the lovely Elaine, who he wryly describes as his carer. Elaine, a very experienced walker, was alone on Coombs Moss above Chapel, one of the Peak's less-frequented moorlands, on Monday when she fell, came to a halt above a steep drop, and broke an ankle. Fortunately she was able to ring 999 and the Mountain Rescue reached her two hours later and as darkness fell stretchered her down to a waiting ambulance near the Beehive Inn. She expects to be in plaster for six weeks. The Wanderers wish her a speedy recovery. 

Our starting point was the car park of the miniature steam railway that runs alongside Rudyard Lake. It should more properly be called a reservoir, as it was built in 1797 to supply the Caldon Canal, which we were to walk along later. At 168 acres and over 2.5 miles long, it was probably at the time the largest of its kind in Britain.

It also gave its name to one of our most famous storytellers. Stoke-on-Trent architect and illustrator Lockwood Kipling got engaged to his girlfriend Alice MacDonald there in 1863 and when their son was born in Bombay two years later they named him after the spot. Who has not heard of Reservoir Kipling?

We left the car park to the south and headed along the course of the disused North Staffordshire Railway, which in its 19th century heyday used to bring thousands of trippers to the Lake, earning it the title of the 'Blackpool of the Potteries'.

We reached a concrete bridge (7 minutes) and descended steps to the right, crossed a small stream, and turned immediately left to join a path running alongside the small feeder stream which carries the water supply to the Caldon Canal.

We followed this for the next 50 minutes, along a track that was muddy at first but improved later, crossing a series of stiles. Leek golf course came unto view below us to the left and shortly after we crossed a wooden footbridge on our right.

We turned right almost back on ourselves on a path up a steep grassy hill but before reaching the top slanted left and downhill to reach a picnic table where pietime was declared (55 min).

Resuming after a leisurely 14-minute break, despite Tom's presence, we continued downhill and turned left over a substantial footbridge. We went uphill on a path with a series of wooden steps and emerged at houses on the main A53 Leek to Stoke-onTrent road (62 min). A sign told us we had been in the Ladderedge Country Park.

We turned left and walked on the pavement. Some familiar confusion reigned here over where we should turn off. Colin at one point resorted to the old Indian trackers' trick - of asking an elderly couple in a car (66 min). They were no help.

We ended up a good distance down the road before turning (74 min) right across a cattle grid on a track. We were in fact here only a stone's throw from the point where we had left the feeder stream for our diversion in to the country park.

We crossed  a concrete bridge on our left and took a grassy path alongside our old friend the feeder stream to where a sign on a kissing gate declared it to be a wildlife habitat (of unspecified nature) (80 min).

We soon came to another bridge that marked the end of the Leek branch of the Caldon Canal and a large stone sign proclaiming 'Welcome to Leek'. We were truly in the Midlands.

The Caldon Canal, which leaves the Trent and Mersey in Etruria, Stoke, was opened in 1779 to carry limestone from Cauldon Low quarries near Froghall to the Potteries. The Leek branch opened 18 years later. It was restored to leisure use in 1974.

We turned right along the well-surfaced towpath, with the canal on our right, and followed this tranquil stretch of canal for the next 44 minutes. Before we reached a low tunnel, which we by-passed on a flight of steps, we watched a large hired narrowboat attempting to turn round, with difficulty, in the narrow channel.

We finally reached a bridge (124 min), where we turned left down a lane to reach the welcoming Hollybush Inn on the nearby main branch of the Caldon Canal (132 min).

We sat outside the attractive pub, once a flour mill, with narrowboats moored alongside and were soon joined by SOB walkers Tony Job, Terry Jowett and Ken Sparrow. They had parked at the pub, walked along the canal to Cheddleton, and returned by footpaths for a walk of around 4 miles.

Wainwright's bitter was on offer at a reasonable £3. But your temporary diarist has to report that a pint of lime and lemonade was an eye-watering £2-50. He is now off the wagon again as a result.

We restarted at 1.20pm and turned right along the canal, under an aqueduct carrying the Leek branch, and reached a flight of three locks and a white former lock-keeper's cottage at the point where the two branches of the canal divide. As we searched for a footpath sign Mark struck up conversation with a passing lady cyclist on the flimsy excuse of asking directions. That was when she made the 'interesting group of men' comment. Mark reports a definite hint of disdain in her voice.

We located the well-hidden footpath next to the house and turned right on a footpath (138 min).

We crossed an open railway line and crossed two stiles across marshy gound to join a stony path uphill. We turned right over a stile in to a field and reached a lane where lunch was taken opposite a house called Bank End (153 min).

We turned right up the lane and almost immediately turned left at a footpath fingerpost. We crossed the A53 again via two stiles, through three fields and up a track to reach Stonelowe Hall, a converted 17th century farmhouse, now a Grade Two listed building that Laurie reported had featured recently on TV's Grand Designs (205min).

We took a grassy footpath at the side of a pond at the left of the hall and followed a high hedge across a series of fields before going right over a stile to reachy a minor road (215 min).

We turned right and at the crest of the hill (228 min) taking a track on the right signed Summerhill Farm. At a right-hand bend we carried straight on along a footpath (232 min) and continued over stiles through fields to emerge on the drive of a large private house whose front gate brought us out on the road called Devil's Lane (243 min). Research shed no light on the origin of the name.

We turned left and at the crest of the hill turned right through a gap in the stone wall (250 min). A pleasant walk through field with stiles too numerous to detail followed with excellent views from the high ground we were now on.

Bosley Cloud and Croker Hill could be seen to the left and front of us and on the skyline to the right the distinctive outline of the Roaches and Hen Cloud. We followed the footpath signs to drop steeply downhill to reached the railway track at the point where we had left it to join the feeder stream on the outward journey (309 min).

We turned left along the track and shortly afterwards reached the car park (324 min).

Next week's walk will start at 9.45am at the National Park free car park near Barber Booth in Edale. To reach this turn right off the Chapel to Castleton road to Mam Nick, next to Mam Tor. The road drops down in to Edale and just before Barber Booth is reached at the bottom a minor road goes left. Go under a railway viaduct and the lay-by car park is around 200 yards further on.

En route refreshments will be at the Nag's Head in Edale, and afterwards at the Roebuck in Chapel-en-le Frith.

Happy wandering!

Poynton

October 19, 2016.

POYNTON POOL, WOODFORD, BIRCH HALL KENNELS, BRAMHALL HIGH SCHOOL, HAPPY VALLEY, BRAMALL HALL, LADYBROOK VALLEY, THE BULL’S HEAD AT POYNTON (OR THE BOAR’S HEAD AT HIGHER POYNTON) AND POYNTON SPORTS CLUB

Distance: 6-7 miles.

Difficulty: Easy.

Weather: Warm and sunny.

Walkers: Micky Barrett, Tom Cunliffe, Colin Davison, Lawrie Fairman, Mark Gibby, Alan Hart, John Jones, Steve Kemp, Jock Rooney with Tips and George Whaites.

S.O.B walkers: Tony Job, Ken Sparrow and Geoff Spurrell.

Non-walking drinker: Pete Morrall.

Apologies: Peter Beal (visiting whores), George Dearsley (in Turkey).

Starting point: Poynton Pool car park, off Anglesey Drive.

Starting time: 9.35am. Finishing time: 2pm.

This was described by the leader as a journey into the unknown. Some wags unkindly suggest that this is always the case when your diarist takes charge – and so it proved.

Using the birthday boy’s customary privilege, I chose this route because it may be a last chance to see some of the beauty of Happy Valley in Bramhall before it is transformed beyond recognition by a massive dual carriageway linking the A6 with Manchester Airport. It was also an opportunity to see at first hand some of the “progress” which is being made.

That the promise of free drink should swell our numbers, that the leader should lose some of the group, and that much derision should consequently be poured upon him was entirely predictable.

Happily, due to the flexibility which is the strength of the Wednesday Wanderers, we were able to shorten the planned route without any howls of protest. The fact that this involved a prolonged stay in the first pub went unchallenged.

From Poynton Pool car park we set off along the footpath with the lake on our left, observing swans, Canada geese, coots, moorhens and a cormorant. Just after a bench on our right (7mins) we turned right to reach the main road, where we turned left and soon right into Vicarage Lane (9mins). Where this merges with Glastonbury Avenue over cobbles at its end (11mins), we followed a path on the right of the avenue with a hedge on our left and a brook on our right.

The path took us over a bridge and we carried straight on (16mins) as the path swung right, passing Park Lodge (22mins) and Haybrook Cottage (26mins) on our left. This brought us to the main road (27mins) where we turned right and saw the first of the devastating effects of the new much-needed road on the environment.

We turned left towards Birch Hall Kennels and Cattery (30mins) and turned left at the entrance to a riding school (42mins). This took us past a poultry farm, where the farmer’s wife has been raising prize-winning cocks for many years. We saw some examples, including a pair of exotic turkeys.

The path then merged with Lytham Drive and the start of a housing estate. We made our way through the estate, bearing slightly right until we swung left with Bramhall High School on our right (50mins). Immediately after the school buildings we turned right (53mins) at a green footpath sign and the path took us down to the bank of Lady Brook and Happy Valley (57mins).

With the brook on our right we followed the path until it brought us to the main road at Bridge Lane(64mins). Instead of crossing the huge roundabout and entering Bramhall Park, your diarist-leader turned left up Valley Road, wrongly believing this would lead to the park. At the end of the road, on the left was a path into the woods (73mins) which led back to Lady Brook (75mins)

We could have turned right and started the journey back towards Poynton, but some of the walkers expressed interest in seeing Bramall Hall. 

Bramall was first described in the Domesday Book of 1086 as being held by the Masseys. From the late 14th Century it was owned by the Davenports who built the present timber-framed manor house. The Davenports remained lords of the manor for 500 years before selling their estate of nearly 2,000 acres in 1877 to the Manchester Freeholders’ Company.

This was a property company formed expressly to exploit the estate’s potential for residential building development. The hall and residential park were sold to the Nevill family of successful industrialists. In 1925 the Tudor-style hall and its 70 acres of gardens were bought by John Henry Davies.

Ten years later the hall and land were acquired by Hazel Grove and Bramhall Urban District Council. Following government reorganisation in 1974, Bramall Hall and park became the property of Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council. 

So, after discussion, we turned left and went along the path with the brook on our right to reach the main road for a second time. On this occasion we turned left along Bridge Lane (83mins), passed Brookdale Club and Theatre on our right, negotiated the roundabout and entered Bramhall Park (87mins).

Micky, who was suffering from a painful foot, opted to stop at the nearest bench for Pietime, his chum Steve loyally offering to keep him company. The rest of us walked uphill to the front of the hall where we sat on benches and admired the view in bright sunshine (93mins). After port and snacks we headed back to collect Micky and Steve to start the return journey.

It was at this stage that JJ was found to have gone absent without leave, having decided to spend a more solitary Pietime at the rear of the hall chatting to any pretty women he could find. By mobile phone Colin gave instructions about our route and we continued our of the park, along Bridge Lane and turning right back into Happy Valley (99mins) with Lady Brook now on our left.

At a wooden bridge we crossed to the opposite side of the brook and encountered a muddy section just before crossing a wooden stile (126mins). After 15 yards uphill we turned right over a wooden stile and dropped into a field where we turned left.

This brought us to a wooden stile leading to Woodford Road (136mins) where we turned right  and then left into Mill Hill Hollow (138mins). This path led us across a track where land was being cleared in connection with the new road. We kept going until the path emerged via a metal kissing gate to London Road North, Poynton (144mins)

We crossed the road to reach Poynton Pool again, where we waited for the stragglers (not including the wounded Micky) to catch up (154mins). It was decided that The Boar’s Head at Higher Poynton was now a pub too far, so contingency plans were discussed and approved. Those with vehicles drove to our final destination, Poynton Sports Club, from where they walked to The Bull’s Head. Those without cars walked alongside the lake, again on our left, to the end of the footpath at South Park Drive (164mins). 

We then turned right on to London Road North, crossed it and entered The Bull’s Head on our left (166mins) to enjoy pints of Theakstons’ Original for £3-30. While there we received a call from the S.O.B. team who were in The Boar’s Head.

As planned we were all reunited at Poynton Sports Club,400 yards from The Bull’s Head on the opposite side of the road, along with ex-walker and one-time Spanish emigrant Pete Morrall, for pints of excellent Black Sheep cask bitter at £2-90. We also tucked into plates of plentiful chilli, chips and rice.

Next week’s walk will start at 10am from the car park next to the miniature railway station near Rudyard Lake, Staffordshire. It is anticipated we will call for a bracer at The Holly Bush in Denford around 12.15pm and finish the walk at about 2.15pm prior to de-booting and driving to The Knott Inn at Rushton Spencer around 2.30pm.

Happy wandering !

Taddington

TADDINGTON, FLAGG, DUKE OF YORK AT POMEROY, THE CHURCH INN AT CHELMORTON, BANK PIT SPRING, SOUGH TOP AND THE QUEENS ARMS AT TADDINGTON

Distance: 8 miles.

Difficulty: Easy.

Weather: Warm and sunny at the start but cloud and light drizzle at the end.

Walkers: Mickey Barrett, Peter Beal, Colin Davison, Mark Gibby, Alan Hart, Steve Kemp and George Whaites.

Apologies: Tom Cunliffe (in Anglesey), George Dearsley (in Turkey), Lawrie Fairman (cruise lecturing) and Jock Rooney (on Isle of Man).

Leaders: Beal and Davison. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Road outside The Queens Arms, Taddington.

Starting time: 10.05am Finishing time: 2.10pm.

This walk was suggested the previous week by Tom and it will come as no surprise to those following our excursions to learn that he did not attend. It has become a habit for Tom to suggest a route, win the approval of his companions and then send in an apology for his absence.

Happily this did little to dampen the spirits of The Magnificent Seven as we set off in warm sunshine beneath a blue canopy of sky. The day was not without incident however as our pietime was interrupted by a large herd of cattle stampeding down the road. On another occasion a small group of Friesian cows took a shine to George and followed him from one side of their field to the other as if he was The Pied Piper of Hamelin. This was accompanied by the sound of distant gunfire. What an exciting life we lead !

The decision to appoint joint leaders also paid off as we found our way to Chelmorton and back, arriving at both pubs within the allotted time. There is no room for complacency, however, as next week your diarist will be responsible for the journey.

We passed The Queens Arms on our left heading downhill before turning right into Dokindale Road and heading uphill along a stony track (1min). This brought us to a road (10mins) where we turned left and then headed right at a wooden public footpath sign (13mins).

The path led us over a stone step stile (17mins), through a wooden gate (21mins) and a gap stile (24mins) to reach a road and turn right (30mins). We went left at a wooden public footpath sign (31mins), crossed a wooden stile (35mins), a stone step stile (39mins) and another wooden stile (42mins).

We then crossed a stone step stile on our left (43mins) on our left and headed right. This took us past Flagg Hall to a road, which we crossed and paused for pietime (47mins). No sooner had we settled in a convenient bus shelter than a large herd of cattle poured past us on their way back to the farm at Flagg Hall. They appeared to you diarist to be cows, but one of our group shouted “Bullocks.”

When we resumed we walked down Mycock Lane past Flagg Nursery School and where the road swept left we carried straight on at a wooden public footpath sign (50mins). This took us over two stone steps stiles which brought us to a lane where we turned first left and then right at a wooden public footpath sign (62mins)

After walking through an open gateway we headed diagonally left through a field (66mins), crossed a stone step stile (73mins) and went through a metal gate (75mins). Another stone step stile brought us to a road where we turned right (77mins).

We immediately passed the Duke of York at Pomeroy, but there was no sign of Bev’s Baps on the car park. It was thought that this mobile catering establishment had closed down for the winter and we hoped Bev would be producing her tasty baps again in the spring.

As the road swung left we went to the right down steep steps towards a marker post with a yellow arrow (80mins). We crossed a stone step stile (87mins) and looked back to see a herd of cows following George, while the sound of shotguns could be heard in the distance.

We headed diagonally right through an open gate to reach crossroads (92mins) where we turned right along a track. This brought us to a road where we turned right (112mins). We turned right again at the next road (114mins) and this took us into the pretty village of Chelmorton.

Here we turned right with the Church of St John The Baptist on our right and The Church Inn on our left (122mins). We chose to rest in the latter and enjoyed pints of Original for £3-30.   

On leaving the pub we turned left uphill, passing the well called Bank Pit Spring, more memorably known by its former nickname of Illy Willy Water (for reasons lost in the mists of time). We swung left and walked steadily uphill until we reached a footpath crossing where we paused for lunch (132mins) by a sign for Five Wells Chambered Tomb.

Resuming we took the footpath which dog-legged right and then left to head for Taddington. We then crossed a series of eight stone step stiles before reaching a post with a yellow arrow which steered us to the right of Sough Top (149mins)

Passing the Trip Point at 438 metres on our left, we headed diagonally right to a wooden public footpath sign which led the way back to Taddington (152mins). This involved crossing a stone step stile, a wooden stile, crossing a road through two gap stiles and clambering over one final stone step stile to reach the village (159mins).

After squeezing through a narrow path next to a tall hedge, we swung left and then right to pass St Michael and All Angels’ Church, Taddington, on our left (162mins) before reaching The Queens Arms on our left (166mins) for pints of Doombar at £3-40.

Next week’s walk will be held on my 71st birthday, so I shall be leading us at 9.30am from the car park next to Poynton Pool off Anglesey Drive at the end of the road leading to my house. We hope to walk along the bank of the lake before heading towards Bramhall Park and performing a figure-eight as we return to The Boar’s Head at Higher Poynton at about 12.30pm.

After a pint there, we will return to Poynton Sports Club at 2pm, where I have arranged for the bar to be open.  I will buy you all a birthday drink followed by some hot food. I hope you can join me.

Happy wandering !

Little Hayfield

5 October 2016

Little Hayfield, Birch Vale, Peep 'O Day, Bowden Bridge , Twenty trees, Little Hayfield 

Distance:10 miles.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Weather: Sunshine

Walkers: Greg Barret, Micky Barret, Tom Cunliffe, Colin Davison, Mark Gibby, Steve Kemp, George Whaites.

B walkers: none

Apologies: Alan Hart, Peter Beal (stuck in concrete?), Laurie Fairman (Letching on a cruise ship), George Dearsley ( stuck in a Turkey), Jock Rooney ( stuck in aMan)

Leader: Cunliffe 

Diarist: Davison

Start point: Lantern Pike Inn

Starting time: 9.40am. 

Finishing time: 2.20pm. 

Despite Mr Cunliffe's usual tardiness, our party assembled roughly on time .

The route:

We set off downhill past the Mill and turned left along the bridleway known to the Wanderers as the Giggle Gaggle Way to the back road between New Mills and Hayfield. Here we turned right.

After 100yds we climbed a stile on the left and followed the path to a track where we turned right. 50yds further on another stile on the left led us down across a field to the Birch Vale Mill Lodge. We crossed the dam and the Sett Valley Trail to emerge in Birch Vale on the A6105.

Directly across the road, Moorland road stretches straight up Ollerset Moor for half a mile. We followed this to a gate and continued upwards over moorland, pausing briefly for pietime, to the summit wall. Here, after some indecision on the part of our leader (half mile detour), we turned right on the far side.

We followed the ridge with a gale force side wind to the Big Stone at the head of the allotments where we turned sharp left downhill to pick up the track to Peep 'O Day. 

Over the Glossop Road we turned left and then right into the bridleway signposted to Hayfield. At the T junction we went straight ahead through a stile and followed the path which in turn became a track and a road to Bowden Bridge.

Crossing this we turned left towards Hayfield to the Sportsman Inn where the Marston’s bitter was on form at £3.25 a pint. Other beers were said to be acceptable and Mr Gibby smacked his lips over the landlord’s lime and soda mix.

Refreshed, we continue along the road to the start of the Snake Path on the right. This we followed pausing for a lunch break below Twenty Trees which, as we all know, consist but nineteen.

Passing through the gate in the wall to Middle Moor we took the narrow path straight ahead through the heather to Park Hall. Through the gate we turned left to the Glossop Road and right back to the Lantern Pike Inn.

Here the lovely Stella furnished us with the best chip butties this side of heaven until we near burst. The beer’s pretty good too but don’t tell Tom.

Next week’s walk will start at 10.00 am at the Queen’s Arms, Taddington. If the gods are with us, we shall visit the Church Inn at Chelmorton at lunchtime.

Happy wandering.