Hayfield

Hayfield

November 30, 2016

HAYFIELD VILLAGE, SETT VALLEY TRAIL, BIRCH VALE, MORLANDS ROAD, OLLERSETT MOOR, BIG STONE, CRACKEN EDGE, MAYNESTONE ROAD, THE LAMB INN AT CHINLEY HEAD, VERPOSTEN FARM, HIGHGATE ROAD, PACK HORSE INN AT HAYFIELD

Distance: 9 miles

Difficulty: Moderate

Weather: Cloudy but dry. Cold breeze on high ground.

Walkers: Peter Beal, Colin Davison, Laurie Fairman, Mark Gibby, Steve Kemp, Chris Owen, Jock Rooney and Tip, George Whaites

Apologies: Tom Cunliffe (pub duties), Alan Hart (Barbados), George Dearsley (in Turkey)

Leader: Beal                                    Diarist: Beal

Starting point: Outside the Pack Horse Inn, Hayfield

Starting time: 09.40am                              Finishing time: 2.31pm

Mixed fortunes accompanied the eight Wanderers on this walk. The weather was overcast, but it stayed dry. And one of our favourite pubs dispensed disappointing ale - but it was compensated for later on at our finishing watering hole.

Although the Wanderers visit Hayfield regularly on their walks it was relatively unusual to start and finish in the village. Once a quiet backwater, Hayfield - originally Hedfelt or Hedfeld - blossomed during the Industrial Revolution, when it became a centre for the cotton and calico industries.

The parish once boasted more than 17 pubs - now reduced to seven - and dozens of shops and businesses. It is probably now best known as the scene of the Mass Trespass of 1932 on to the moors of Kinder Scout, an event credited with doing much to bring access to open spaces for walkers, and which led indirectly to the formation of the country's first national park in the Peak District.

My Peak District Companion tells me that its ancient fair was supposedly the inspiration for the traditional air 'Come Lassies and Lads' (no, me neither).

We started down a track immediately opposite the Pack Horse, which took us down to the River Sett and under the relief road. We turned left across a wooden footbridge and up steps that brought us to a new housing development alongside the Information Centre car park.

We turned right here to join the start of the Sett Valley Trail, a two-and-a-half mile route along the former Hayfield branch railway line to New Mills. In the early 20th century the trains would bring thousands of Manchester factory workers each weekend to the village to enjoy their fill of rare fresh air. Apparently drunkeness and fighting often ensued.

We followed the trail to Birch Vale, where we turned left at a fingerpost reading 'Chinley 4 miles' up a narrow path through a gate to reach the Hayfield to New Mills road at the Grouse pub (20 minutes).

We crossed the road and took a partly-metalled lane, Morland Road, to the left of the pub. This was the start of a climb of nearly 900 feet up on to Ollersett Moor. Where the track turned sharply left (35 mins), we went straight on through a gate on to a track up the open moor, with Birch Vale TV mast over to our right.

We ascended steadily, with fine views of the Kinder Scout plateau over to our left, although the top was covered in cloud, until the slope eased and we reached another gate at a two-way bridleway fingerpost. We went through the gate and crossed an open pasture to the far right corner, where we rejoined the track at a small stream (55  mins).

Shortly after, at another fingerpost (59 mins), we bore left uphill again and after a short descent, climbed to a stile. Soon afterwards we reached a rocky outcrop known as Big Stone, with good views over towards Buxton and the Cheshire uplands (67 min).

We turned right here along the escarpment that marks the start of Cracken Edge with its extensive gritstone quarry workings. Little seems to have been documented about the workings of the quarries, which date back to the 19th century and probably earlier, but much evidence remains, including remnants of machinery. There are also shafts which were sunk when it became difficult to access the stone by tradition quarrying.

Pie time was declared near the ruins of some workings and an old quarrymen's shelter (70 min).

We resumed along the escarpment before dropping down to a slightly lower path continuing in the same direction. When we reached the highest point of the cliffs on our right we turned sharp left down a rocky rake (80 min) to reach a path below. We turned left here for a short distance beforre turning sharp right, steep at first, to joint a distinct track running alongside a wall.

We crossed a stile (85 mins) and continued along a grassy track with a fence on our right. This brought us to a fence across our path with a fingerpost on our right (96 min). We turned left here, steeply downhill at first, through patches of heather and gorse.

This brought us down in to a field, where we continued through a gate and over a stile between two houses to emerge on Maynestone Road near Chinley (103 min). We turned left here, climbing gently for about a mile. We passed a large house on our left that used to be the former Chinley station house. It was dismantled and rebuilt here in 1902.

Shortly after we reached two houses on our right called Upper Lodge and Lower Lodge, where we took a footpath on the right leading us alongside some gardens (124 min).

This brought us to a gate and over a small stream uphill; to a second gate, which we went through to reach a field.

A sign here was not content with warning us 'Electric Fence'. It also warned us 'Elektrozown; Elektrisk Hegn; Schrikdraad; Elstangsel; Cercado Electrico and Cloture Electrique' for good measure. I'm not even sure if all those languages are from the good old EU.

We continued up the field with a wall on our left to reach another gate, where we turned right, soon reaching a sheep pen and a large gate which brought us out on to a farm track.

We turned left up this and after a short, steep climb reached the main Hayfield to Chapel road almost opposite the Lamb Inn (136 min).

Despite the friendly and welcoming, and indeed attractive, bar staff there was a tart reminder from their superior about not wandering on to carpeted areas in our boots. But most disappointing was the beer - the Marston's Pedigree and Ringwood Razor Back, both at £3-20, might not have been actually off. But they were certainly not spot-on.

Uncharacteristically, none of the Wanderers complained, perhaps to spare the barmaids' feelings. But this pub might not be in line for a Wanderers' certificate in the near future. We sought solice in a Cheeky Ram (insert own rude joke here), which at the same price proved far more acceptable.

Resuming, we turned left outside the Lamb before almost immediately scaling a stile on the left. The path skirted a clump of gorse and climbed up a field to a wall. Here it slanted left through more clumps of grouse until levelling out and coming to a small gate (144 mins).

Our objective of a farm over to our left was seen, but to save the descent and ascent we continued round the path and carried on left round the head of the small valley to reach the track to the farm near a stream (150 mins), shortly after which we stopped for lunch.

Resuming, we soon reached Verposten Farm, recently renovated. It's name is a mystery. In German if means 'outpost' and there was apparently a local theory that sheep and cattle never thrived on its slopes. But why should a German name have been adopted to refer to this? Who knows.

The footpath skirted the farm. Laurie and George, who had missed the gate, insisted on their walkers' right by continuing on over a stile and through the farm yard, still marked with a footpath sign. We rejoined the farm track, where we turned right, across a cattle grid and through a gate.

This soon joined a track descending to our right from the direction of South Head. We turned left down it and descended to a junction of bridleways (166 mins).

We carried straight on here down the track and joined a minor road (181 min). We turned right here and continued downhill along Highgate Road in to Hayfield village, reaching our starting point (221 min). We found at the Pack Horse that unknown walkers sounding suspiciously like our SOBs had left around half an hour earlier.

The beer at the Pack Horse was great improvement on our previous stop, with Pure Gold and Barnsley Farmers Gold at £3-20 on good form, helped by a friendly welcome from new landlady Emma, who with husband and chef Luke took over the place only seven weeks ago. They have restored the all-day opening hours and we wish them every success.

Next week's walk will start at the Unicorn Inn, Adlington Road, Wilmslow, at 9.30am, with en route refreshments at The Admiral Rodney, Prestbury, where Prosecco and canapes could presumably be taken, before returning to the Unicorn at 2.15pm.

Happy Wandering!