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 !