Langley

March 29, 2017.

BOTTOMS RESERVOIR, TEGG’S NOSE COUNTRY PARK, SADDLERS WAY, HARDINGLAND FARM, MACCLESFIELD FOREST, FOREST CHAPEL, TOOT HALL HOUSE, TRENTABANK RESERVOIR AND HERONRY, RIDGEGATE RESERVOIR, THE LEATHER’S SMITHY, LANGLEY WATER TREATMENT WORKS, MOSS LEA FARM, LANGLEY CRICKET CLUB, ST DUNSTAN’S PUB AT LANGLEY, BOLLIN BECK AND SUTTON HALL

Distance: 8 miles.

Difficulty: Moderate after strenuous start.

Weather: Sunny start but clouding over with short shower.

Walkers: Lawrie Fairman, Alan Hart, Steve Kemp, Chris Owen and George Whaites.

B walkers: Phil Burslem, George Fraser, Tony Job, Terry Jowett, Geoff Spurrell and Barry Williams.

Apologies: Peter Beal (hiking in Lake District), Tom Cunliffe and Colin Davison (holidaying together in Estapona), George Dearsley (in Turkey), Mickey Barrett  and Julian Ross (attending musical matinee).

Leader: Owen. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Car park at the end of Holehouse Lane, Langley, next to Bottoms Reservoir, Macclesfield.

Starting time: 9.40am. Finishing time: 2.07pm.

Regular readers of this diary will be alarmed to see the entries in the Apologies section. As Tom is on holiday in Spain with wife Stella we can only assume he is desperate for any male company. This does not explain, however, the trip to a musical matinee by Mickey and Julian.

It was suggested that Julian was taking his gender diversity career too far. However we would not wish to be the source of rumours which might prove to be completely without foundation.

The A team walk marked the debut of Chris as a leader, and he proved to be more than capable as he led us round some spectacular scenery, and capped his display with the choice of a brand new watering hole to finish. He also provided a supply of drambuie at Pietime and a round of drinks to celebrate his 62^nd birthday. Many happy returns to him.

The walk began promptly, heading left to enter Tegg’s Nose Country Park and taking the gate on the right for a steep and prolonged climb. Where the path forked we went right (15mins) and reached a stone bench (20mins) which was a memorial to Fiona McWilliam (1965-99) with the inscription “I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth and danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings.”

I prefer Spike Milligan’s epitaph: “I told you I was ill.”

We turned right and passed a series of examples of old machinery which had been used for quarrying at Tegg’s Nose. It was originally called Tegge’s Naze, which may have been the name of an early Norse settler or to have referred to a sheep (a “teg”) It was originally part of the Royal Forest of Macclesfield. From its summit at 1,246 feet there is a panoramic view from which the Welsh hills and Liverpool can be seen.

350 million years ago it lay at the bottom of a tropical sea and the promontory was formed by marine life on the bedrock. This became millstone grit and was quarried from the early 16^th Century. Many of the quarrymen contracted silicosis from the rock dust they inhaled while working and died before the age of 50. Annual medical checks were held and those not suffering from the disease used to celebrate their good fortune in The Setter Dog.

We reached a T-junction and turned right (37mins) following a sign for the Gritstone Trail. After passing a milestone to London 168 miles away, we turned right at the Tegg’s Nose Country Park Cafe (42mins) and followed a new wooden public footpath sign indicating a concessionary path called Saddlers Way (43mins)

We reached a wooden public footpath sign and followed it left towards Macclesfield Forest and Shutlingsloe (55mins). As we followed the path we passed a woman leading a white horse and a Shetland pony, accompanied by three cocker spaniels.

Turning left at a stone step stile at a green public footpath sign (66mins), we crossed a field and exited by another stone step stile (70mins), turning left and passing Hardingland Farm on our left. We went right at a metal gate to enter Macclesfield Forest (75mins). It had started to rain as we paused for Pietime on a grassy bank beneath the pine trees (80mins).

With the added stimulus of the drambuie, we continued until we reached a derelict building on our left and headed past it to a wooden public footpath sign marked Forest Chapel (82mins). This path led us out of the forest and to a path straight ahead marked Forest Bridleway (99mins).

We reached a four-way junction and turned left for a brief inspection of the Forest Chapel 80 yards away (105mins).

It is officially called St Stephen’s Chapel, Macclesfield Forest, and its vicar, the Rev Steve Rathbone, must have the best job in the world apart from Britain’s Coronation Day flag seller. A plaque reveals he conducts services at 3pm on the first Sunday of each month.

We retraced our footsteps to the junction, passing the delightfully-named Toot Hall House on our right (108mins) before turning left at a wooden public footpath sign (111mins). This took us downhill and we turned right at another wooden public footpath sign towards Trentabank (115mins).

We continued to follow a series of signs for Trentabank until we found a plaque describing the Trentabank Heronry on our right (131mins). Your diarist, who has led a sheltered life, was surprised to find that herons nested in the tops of trees like crows rather than on the ground like swans, geese and ducks.

Our group proceeded, passing Trentabank car park and warden hut on our left. On our right a plaque informed us that Trentabank Reservoir was opened in 1929 by Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, and Brigadier General Sir William Bromley Davenport, His Majesty’s lieutenant for the county of Chester.

We reached a road and turned right (135mins) with Ridgegate Reservoir, containing a great crested grebe, on our left. This brought us to Leather’s Smithy (152mins) for cask ale named after the pub or Jennings. The charm of the attractive barmaid went some way to compensate for the price of £3-95.

Turning right out of the pub door we immediately turned diagonally left, crossing the road and entering a footpath to the right of Ridgegate Reservoir. We turned right at a wooden public footpath sign marked Gritstone Trail (155mins) and crossed a footbridge over a stream (159mins)

By turning left at a metal kissing gate (164mins) we walked behind Langley Water Treatment Works and through another metal gate (169mins) passing a pond on our left and following a yellow arrow to the right of Moss Lea Farm (171mins). After turning right for a few yards, we paused for lunch on the edge of a wall, eventually attracting the interest of a pony who clearly enjoyed sugar lumps and apples. By the time his equine friends realised, their chance – along with the treats – had gone.

We resumed passing Langley Cricket Club on our right (174mins) to enter the outskirts of Langley. We turned right into Forest Drive (182mins) and at the end headed left along a hidden passageway. We emerged opposite St Dunstan’s pub (184mins), which is closed on weekday lunchtimes.

After turning right for 150 yards, we turned left into Holehouse Lane (186mins), passing Bollin Beck on our left with a pool on our right. This brought us back to the cars to de-boot (191mins).  We then drove to Sutton Hall, arriving ten minutes later as the B team were also exiting their cars.

Sutton Hall proved to be a real find, with a variety of elegantly furnished rooms and a friendly staff. The current hall, built on the site of an earlier building, dates from the 16^th Century with additions during the centuries since.

It was the birthplace of Ralph Holinshed, whose historical chronicles formed the basis for 14 of Shakespeare’s plays. Sutton Hall became part of the family estate of the earls of Lucan, including the 3^rd Earl, George Charles Bingham (1800-88), who was in overall command of the cavalry at the Battle of Balaclava during the Crimean War.

The pompous Field Marshall detested his brother-in-law. Lord Cardigan, and this is attributed by some to the message sent by the former to the latter which led to disaster. It was misinterpreted and led to the infamous slaughter of the Light Brigade whom Cardigan commanded.

His great great grandson, the 7^th Earl of Lucan, George Charles Patrick Bingham, became notorious in modern times when he disappeared following the death of the family nanny, who was bludgeoned to death in 1974. “Lucky” Lucan, a prolific gambler, was prime suspect for the murder, mistaking the nanny for his wife, but was never found and pronounced officially dead in 2015.

Next week’s walk will start at 9.30am from the road outside The Ship Inn at Styal. We are intending to find a pub beyond the Farmers Arms in Chapel Lane, Wilmslow (whose name nobody could remember) which opens at lunchtime. We expect to be there around 12.15pm, returning to The Ship about 2.15pm.

Happy wandering !

Fernilee

March 22, 2017

Fernilee

SHADY OAK PUB AT FERNILEE, LADDER HILL, TUNSTEAD FARM, TUNSTEAD MILTON, HILLTOP, BUGSWORTH BASIN, PEAK FOREST CANAL, SOLDIER DICK PUB AT FURNESS VALE, RINGSTONES, STONEHEAD, TODDBROOK RESERVOIR DAM, MEMORIAL PARK AT WHALEY BRIDGE, HORWICH END, FERNILEE

Distance: 9 miles

Difficulty: Moderate, very wet ground

Weather: Intermittent light rain

Walkers: Peter Beal, Chris Owen, Jock Rooney with Tip

Apologies: Tom Cunliffe (Spain), Colin Davidson (Malaga), Alan Hart (fearing rain), Steve Kemp (unspecified), Laurie Fairman (recovering from op), George Dearsley (Turkey)

Leader: Beal                         Diarist: Beal

Starting point: Shady Oak at Fernilee

Starting time: 9.37am                     Finishing time: 2.29pm

The weather forecast for today's outing was atrocious and after Alan's announced non-participation your temporary diarist arrived at the starting point fully expecting no-one else to be there and to be making an early trip back to a warm home.

He had reckoned however without the fortitude of Chris, Jock and Tip, who were in the pub car park waiting,

As it turned out the forecast continuous heavy rain was nowhere near as bad as predicted and the expected deluge arrived only after we had stopped walking. We had however to contend with very soggy ground, although our threesome surprisingly avoided any falls.

We left the pub car park and turned left up a narrow lane at the side of the pub, soon reaching the minor road of Elnor Lane, leading to Whaley Bridge. We crossed this and took a track immediately opposite to reach another lane.

We turned right here and almost immediately left up another track running across the flanks of Ladder Hill. We followed this, climbing steadily and soon the tall television mast topping the hill came in to view.

At the high point of the ridge we crossed a stile on our left, marked by a footpath sign, in to a field (23 minutes). We descended diagonally to our right, over very wet grass, to reach a track emerging at the bottom corner. We passed through a gate to reach the end of a lane at Tunstead Farm (37 mins).

We turned left through a gate in to a yard and immediately climbed a ladder stile on the right and through a gate in to a small paddock which a sign proclaimed contained Houdini Goats. There was indeed one there, obviously not having inherited the skills of his human namesake. Brief research indicates that perhaps Houdini goats are not a breed but a whimsical term applied by owners due to the tendency of all and any goats to escape from wherever they are contained.

We scaled a stone stile out of the paddock and descended a large field, heading for a small tunnel which could be seen leading under the Buxton-Manchester railway line.

Emerging at the other side we crossed a field to a ramshackle stile and steps descending over very wet ground to a wooden bridge over a stream. We turned left over another footbridge, swung right on a path to a stile, after which we emerged on the Chapel-en-le-Frith to Whaley Bridge road at the hamlet of Tunstead Milton (58 mins).

We crossed the road and took a lane immediately opposite which soon began climbing quite steeply. At a farmhouse here Jock stopped to greet two old caving chums loading their pick-up truck.

We joined Eccles Road near the top of the hill near the imposing dwelling of Ollerenshaw Hall. We turned right and almost immediately left up another minor road. Shortly, on the crest of the hill, we took a path through a gate on the left leading, muddily, in to a field.

A line of electricty poles stretching to our left marked the route to a stone stile, afer which we descended left to a gap in a stone wall at a line of trees. Ahead of us and below we

could see a grass track exiting the field. We headed for this and at the remains of a low stone wall, we declared pietime, the rain now having stopped (87 mins).

After a leisurely 18-minute break we continued down the track which soon emerged alongside houses to bring us into the top of Buxworth, a village now split in two by the noisy A6 relief road.

The village was formerly called Bugsworth and, earlier Buggesworth, because of medieval associations with a Peak Forest bailiff called Bugg, or possibly a man called Bugge who owned iron forges.

My Peak District Companion records: 'But the residents were more sensitive to persisent joked about bugs than they were to medieval history. They made three attempts to change the name and at the third attempt they managed it - in 1929 the parish voted to substitute 'x' for'gs'. The snag was, of course, that this prim striving for dignity became as big a joke as Bugsworth'.

We turned left and soon right downhill to cross the relief road on a bridge and arrived at the canal basin, which still carries the original Bugsworth name. In the 19th century this was a major inland port that served as a terminus for both the Peak Forest Tramway and the Peak Forest Canal.

The tramway, which functioned from 1796 to 1926, connected to the limestone quarries at Dove Holes. Limestone and lime were loaded on to barges at Bugsworth, transported to Dukinfield and along the Ashton-under-Lyne canal to complete the trip to Manchester and the Mersey.

We continued through the restored basin now used by pleasure craft, and along the canal, which was still used commercially until 1959, towards Furness Vale. Here, we went under a white-painted bridge, climbed immediately up a ramp to our right to turn right again over the bridge and climbed up the road to emerge on the A6.

We turned right and crossed the road to reach the Soldier Dick pub (129 mins), where the Wainwright's was still a more than reasonable £2-85 a pint.

After a slightly extended refreshment stop we resumed, turning right out of the pub and right again after the Imperial Chinese restaurant. We climbed the hill with houses on either side and soon after the road became a rougher track it divided. We took the left fork, signed Ringstone Caravan Park (139 mins).

The caravans came in to view on our right and the track dropped to a stream, which we crossed before immediately leaving the track and climbing a path on the right which brought us to an elevated stretch of pleasant grassland, dotted with clumps of gorse bushes.

The path crossed two muddy fields to emerge on the road between Whaley and High Disley (165 mins). We descended left and at Start Road turned right and immediately left over a stile to descend through a quagmire on a path which brought us to a road at the side of Todd Brook reservoir.

We turned left here and almost immediately right over the dam of the reservoir, which serves as a feeder for the Peak Forest Canal. At the end of the dam we took a surfaced path to the left and descended at a sign reading War Memorial. This brought us in to a park where we turned right to emerge on the Macclesfield Road near the traffic lights at Horwich End.

We turned left and immediately right at the lights to cross the road and take a narrow lane on the left. This went past terraced houses and at some more modern housing brought us to the bottom of the Shallcross Incline, the former route of the Cromford and High Peak Railway, now surfaced for pedestrians (189 mins).

At the top of this we emerged on a residential street, turned left and immediately right in to Shallcross Avenue, which brought us to Elnor Lane, where we turned right and 12 minutes later reached the small lane on the right where we retraced our steps to the pub car park.

The barmaid at the Shady Oak ruled that we looked too wet to sit anywhere but on the leather seats in the sideroom, which we were warned would soon be occupied by a wake. She then charged us £3-50 for pints of unremarkable EPA.

Chris Owen has gallantly volunteered to lead next week's walk through the Macclesfield Forest. This will start at 9.40am at the free car park at Tegg's Nose reservoir, reached by going through Langley village, and turning left in to Holehouse Lane, signed as a dead-end. Refreshments en-route will be at the Leather's Smithy at Ridgegate reservoir around 12.20pm and after debooting we will drive to the nearby Sutton Hall for around 2.15pm.

Happy wandering!

Topley Pike

March 15, 2017.

TOPLEY PIKE, WYE VALLEY, CHEE DALE, LIMESTONE WAY, PRIESTCLIFF, FIVE WELLS FARM, BANK PIT SPRING (ILLY WILLY WATER),THE CHURCH AT CHELMORTON, SHEPLEY FARM, TOPLEY PIKE QUARRY, THE WYE VALLEY HOUSE HOTEL (WETHERSPOONS) AT BUXTON

Distance: Eight miles.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Weather: Dry and warm with early cloud replaced by blue skies and sunshine.

Walkers: Peter Beal , Alan Hart and Jock Rooney with Tips.

Apologies: Tom Cunliffe (Spanish hols), George Dearsley (in Turkey), Lawrie Fairman (recovering from hernia op), Mark Gibby (monitoring Cheltenham races), Julian Ross (dealing with troublesome tenant), George Whaites (Welsh hols), Steve Kemp (traffic jam).

Non-walking drinker: Colin Davison.

Leader: Rooney. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Lay-by next to quarry entrance at Topley Pike on A6 out of Buxton.

Starting time: 9.57am. Finishing time: 2.25pm.

What a difference a month makes ! From the dizzy heights of ten A-team walkers on February 15 we plummeted to just two for the start of this walk. We were joined by a third member at the first watering hole and a fourth at the end.

The absentees missed a glorious spring day, a varied and picturesque walk and a visit to one of your diarist’s favourite pubs. The thirst-quencher at The Church in Chelmorton was consumed at the outside tables while we basked in sunshine under blue skies.

Holidays and health problems were the main causes for the depletions in our ranks. They shall think themselves accursed they were not here.

We crossed the A6 and entered the pay-and-display car park where the path along the right bank of the River Wye leads to the Monsal Trail. Just before we reached a viaduct we turned right at a wooden public footpath sign towards the Monsal Trail (13mins)

A plaque announcing we were in Chee Dale also informed us that the Midland railway opened an  8 ½ mile track between Buxton and Bakewell, providing a link between Manchester and London, in 1863.

The route through the Wye Valley was necessitated because the Duke of Devonshire, who lived in Chatsworth Hall, objected to the railway passing through his grounds. The Duke of Rutland, who lived in Haddon Hall, insisted on the construction of Haddon Tunnel to hide the railway from his view. What a joy it must be to hold such power.

When it opened, the poet and conservationist John Ruskin wrote: “The valley is gone – now every fool in Buxton can be in Bakewell in half an hour and every fool in Bakewell in Buxton.” His words are inscribed on the viaduct, which is the subject of a preservation order because of its architectural beauty !

The last train used the line in 1968. It was reopened in 1981 for hikers, cyclists and horse-riders. The tunnels were made safe and reopened in 2011.

We walked through Chee Tor No 2 Tunnel (32mins) and turned right just before Chee Tor Tunnel (34mins) following a sign for Millers Dale and Wye Dale. At the foot of a flight of stone steps we turned right with the river on our left and crossed a footbridge to the far bank (36mins)

The path took us along stepping stones as we entered a gorge which was once a cave. Sticking to the path on the left bank of the Wye, we picked our way over limestone rocks and crossed two planked footbridges across tributary streams (51mins) until we reached a more substantial stone footbridge, which we crossed to pause for pies and port on a convenient tufted mound (63mins)

We retraced our footsteps back across the bridge and turned right to continue along the path, looking in vain for the water voles, brown rats and grey wagtails which can sometimes be spotted here. The path ultimately led us to the B 6049 (81mins) where we turned right for 250 yards before crossing it and turning left (86mins) uphill along a farm track.

This brought us to a road where we turned left (106mins). At a four-way junction we turned left again following a sign for the Limestone Way (108mins) This road emerged opposite The Waterloo at Priestcliff (111mins) . We followed a track uphill to the left of the pub and asked a man working in the pub’s rear garden whether it was still open for business.

The man, with dyed blonde hair covering his tattooed head, informed us that he had bought the premises. It was only open on three weekend nights selling bottled beers until he had refurbished it, installed a kitchen and reopened it as a pub restaurant. Jock tells me this former Robbies’ pub was once known as The Farmers’ Palace because it hosted weddings, christenings and funerals. 

We went through a metal gate (113mins) and a wooden gate (120mins) before turning right over a stone step stile marked with a yellow arrow (123mins). We crossed two low broken walls to change fields and headed towards a farm along a muddy tractor-tyred track. This brought us through Five Wells Farm (130mins) and beyond to a junction where we dog-legged left and right to follow a wooden public footpath sign for Chelmorton (135mins)

This path passed Bank Pit Spring on our right (143mins), where a plaque informed us that it was known locally as “Illy Willy Water” for reasons either unknown or unexplained. A minute later we reached The Church Inn on our right (144mins) where Peter was already sitting in the beer garden with a girly drink.

He had been delayed, as he had forewarned us, by the late departure of overnight guests. We joined him and enjoyed the Moonshine cask bitter at £3-35 a pint.

After the best part on an hour in the warm sunshine we reluctantly set off by turning right out of the pub downhill. After 60 yards we turned right at a wooden public footpath sign (145mins). We passed Shepley Farm on our right (148mins) and crossed a road (156mins) before stopping for lunch (166mins) en route.

From here we followed the only path through fields via gates and stiles, at one stage descending a steep hillside and passing the quarry on our left before returning to the cars to deboot (187mins). We drove to the Wye Valley House Hotel (Wetherspoons) in Buxton, where our wounded comrade Colin was found basking in the sunshine outside.

He described in some detail his alpine ordeal three weeks ago during a ski-ing holiday when he had “caught the back edge” and somersaulted down the slope on the third day of his week-long trip. A friend who witnessed the fall summoned help and a helicopter lifted him off the piste and took him to hospital where he was found to have broken two ribs. Although unfit to walk with us, he had bravely mounted a bus near his home to join us for drinks.

He is still taking painkillers to ease his discomfort, but there were signs that his sense of humour was beginning to return. Perhaps the B team can lick him into shape before he makes a full return to the A team fold.

Next week’s brand new walk will start at 9.35am from The Shady Oak at Fernilee hoping to reach The Soldier Dick at Furness Vale around 12.30pm for a livener before returning to The Shady Oak at about 2.20pm.

Happy wandering !

Longnor

March 8, 2017.

LONGNOR, MANIFOLD VALLEY,CLOUGH HEAD, BRUND, SHEEN, THE DEVONSHIRE ARMS AT HARTINGTON, DOVE VALLEY, BANK TOP FARM, PILSBURY CASTLE, CROWDECOTE AND THE CHESHIRE CHEESE AT LONGNOR

Distance: Ten miles.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Weather: Dry with cloud clearing to sunshine.

Walkers: Alastair Cairns, Mark Gibby, Alan Hart, Steve Kemp and Jock Rooney with Tips.

Apologies: Mickey Barrett (attending agm), Peter Beal (walking in Lakes), Colin Davison (nursing broken ribs), George Dearsley (in Turkey), Lawrie Fairman (recovering from hernia op), George Whaites (decorating).

Leader: Rooney. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Cobbled square in centre of Longnor, Staffs.

Starting time: 10.20am. Finishing time: 4.20pm.

Circumstances conspired against us for this walk along two of the White Peak’s prettiest valleys, criss-crossing the counties of Staffordshire and Derbyshire en route. We were also depleted for medical reasons, but the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune did nothing to dampen our spirits.

Traffic problems on the A6 delayed Mark and your diarist and we were indebted to Jock for having the patience to wait for us even though a text message warning of our tardy arrival had not been received. 

There was a further short delay as Mark attempted to park his car in a manner which reminded me of the driving skills of my ex-wife Vicky.

When we did get under way, our progress was slowed by the muddy fields which were still soaked from torrential overnight rain. At first we tried to tiptoe our way around the worst affected areas. Before long we just ploughed through the mud, but it still impeded our speed.

The entertainment was provided by a machine in the gents’ toilet at our first watering hole. Apparently it could improve your height and posture because it offered to “Boost Your Erection.” But the makers of the brand, Rock Hard, also warned clients to “Use responsibly.”

On the nature front we heard the early call of the curlew and admired a magnificent display of snowdrops. We also passed within feet of the underwhelming structure known as Pilsbury Castle.

From the cobbled square in Longnor we turned left to pass Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese on our left before turning right at a green public footpath sign indicating the way to Brund (2mins). 

After the path took us through a farmyard we went through a series of wooden gates and stile as we headed south through a series of muddy fields.

We crossed a wooden footbridge over a stream (38mins) and followed another sign for Brund (50mins) before stopping for pies and port (55mins). We are indebted to Alastair for informing us that today was officially Britain’s Pie Day.

After we had digested this piece of trivia as well as our pies, we continued until the footpath took us to the left bank of the River Manifold (62mins). We proceeded with the river on our right and dog-legged through a gap stile (65mins). We followed a wooden public footpath sign for Brund and Sheen (71mins) and reached a road where we turned right.

Yards later we were at a junction and a map was produced – always the source of concern and dismay. Instead of following the road to Sheen we turned right as if we were heading back to Longnor but swiftly went left at a new gate, following a wooden public footpath sign (74mins)

This took us through a field, uphill through a gap stile and an exit by a wooden stile back to the road to Sheen, having cut a corner.  

As we proceeded we passed Clough Head and Sheldon House on our right before reaching the point in the road where a sign declared it to be named The Brund (79mins).

While we were marching along the mud-free road towards Sheen, first Tips then Jock rounded us up and brought us back to The Brund sign. We crossed a stile, now on our right (86mins) and climbed uphill. The path led us through a series of fields until we emerged via a stone step stile to a road (108mins)

Sheen Parish Church was a few yards to our left but we turned right and then left at a wooden public footpath sign, following the path to the right of a cottage (110mins) and followed the path through a series of gates and stiles until we reached a footbridge across the River Dove (130mins). We were now in Derbyshire.

We turned right and went through gates marked with yellow arrows until we reached a lane (143mins). On our right was the boarded up cheese factory which until recent years had produced Hartington Cheese. We turned left and reached the Devonshire Arms on our right (146mins) to enjoy their Black Sheep cask bitter at £3-30 a pint.

In the gents they also had a machine called Xciter which invited us to “wipe on sex appeal and boost your pulling power”. I am happy to report there were no signs of anybody attempting to do this.

From the front doors of the pub we headed to the right of the village duck-pond (147mins)

A plaque there informed us that Hartington was the first village in Derbyshire to be granted a market charter in 1203. Some parts of St Giles’ Church date back to the 1200s.

We were also told that the Old Creamery in Stonewell Lane, which was built by the Duke of Devonshire, once produced one quarter of the world’s Stilton cheese. Furthermore only three counties – Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire – are allowed to produce blue Stilton.

After passing the duck-pond and Pool Hall on our left (156mins) we stopped for lunch at the side of the road (159mins). Resuming we passed Bank Top Farm on our left (165mins) by the side of the River Dove. After passing Pilsbury Grange on our right (194mins) we passed a dazzling display of snowdrops on both sides of the road.

We turned left at a public bridleway (198mins) and reached Pilsbury Castle on our left (202mins). Anybody expecting to see a towering edifice or, indeed, some ruined battlements, were destined to be disappointed. It is little more than a mound of earth from which white limestone protrudes.

Far more impressive was the artist’s impression of what the motte and bailey castle might have looked like 800 years ago. It is believed to have been built within 50 years of the Norman Conquest and controlled the Dove Valley at a time when the Normans were following up their victory at the Battle of Hastings by the campaign to harry the rebels in the north of England.

We continued to walk along the right bank of the Dove, going through a farmyard (231mins) and emerging on a road at Crowdecote (235mins). Having confirmed that The Pack Horse on our right was closed at 3.33pm, we turned left across the Dove and thereby returned to Staffordshire (237mins).

A long uphill climb brought us to Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese back in Longnor (252mins). We were delighted to find it open at 3.50pm with a pretty blonde barmaid who was not only happy to serve us with pints of Robbies’ Unicorn cask bitter but also provided biscuits for Tips. From there it was only 80 yards back to our cars (253mins) after a long, tiring but enjoyable day.

The first three photographs by Alan Hart

Pictures below by Steve Kemp

Next week’s walk will start at 9.50am from the lay-by at Topley Pike on the right of the A6 out of Buxton next to the quarry. On the opposite side of the road is the Monsal Trail alongside the River Wye. We will be heading eastwards along the trail before turning south to reach The Church Inn at Chelmorton around 12.20pm. After de-booting back at Topley Pike we will drive to Wetherspoons’ Wye Valley House Hotel in Buxton for further refreshment at about 2.30pm.

Happy wandering !

Compstall

March 1, 2017.

COMPSTALL, ETHEROW COUNTRY PARK, LOWER ERNOCRAFT FARM, FAR WOODSEATS FARM, STIRRUP, BOTHAMS HALL, BACK WOOD, WAR MEMORIAL AT WERNETH LOW, THE HARE AND HOUNDS AT WERNETH LOW, NEW CLOUGHSIDE FARM, SCHOOL LANE FARM AND ANDREW ARMS AT COMPSTALL

Distance: 8-9 miles.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Weather: Cool and mostly cloudy; occasional sunshine and one brief spell of drizzle.

Walkers: Peter Beal, Mark Gibby, Alan Hart, Jock Rooney with Tips, and George Whaites.

Apologies: Mickey Barrett (attending agm), Tom Cunliffe (organising departure from pub), Colin Davison (broken ribs), George Dearsley (in Turkey), Lawrie Fairman (recovering from hernia op), Steve Kemp (domestic duties)and Julian Ross (attending netball match!!)

Leader: Beal. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Car park of The Andrew Arms at Compstall.

Starting time: 9.40am. Finishing time: 2.15pm.

Peter stepped into the breach as substitute leader for this walk after Colin broke two ribs half way through his ski-ing holiday. Last week’s trip to the Alps, to celebrate his 65^th birthday, was interrupted in dramatic style when he was airlifted off the piste. We wish him a speedy recovery.

There was also a sick-note from Lawrie, who is making good progress in his convalescence following a hernia operation. Other Wednesday Wanderers had more mundane reasons for missing this walk, which used to be a regular route until its starting point, The George at Compstall, closed down.

We are grateful to our own George for suggesting we try it again from a different pub, and to Peter for successfully negotiating us through our journey.

Although the temperature was only a few degrees above zero, there was excellent visibility, particularly from the war memorial at Werneth Low.

By a spooky coincidence, this hilltop overlooks the scenes of some of the most horrific murders of your diarist’s lifetime. The council house in Wardle Brook Avenue, Hattersley, where Moors Murderers Ian Brady and Myra Hindley lived and slaughtered their last victim has since been demolished.

Many of the estimated 250 victims of “Dr Death,” GP Harold Frederick Shipman, lived in the Hyde area where Shipman poisoned them.

Also visible is Mottram-in-Longendale, where in 2012 Dale Cregan killed two policewomen with a gun and hand grenades. Both he and Shipman were jailed for life after being convicted at Preston Crown Court. Shipman hanged himself in his cell in Wakefield in 2004.

From the pub car park we turned left downhill, heading left through the Etherow Country Park car park and swinging left to keep the lake on our left. We crossed a wooden footbridge directly ahead of us to reach a weir (16mins), turned right over a road bridge and headed right uphill into woods (18mins).

We turned left at a wooden public footpath sign towards Glossop Road (23mins). We exited the country park and turned right along the main road (35mins), crossing it and following a green public footpath sign on our left (39mins). This took us over a wooden stile and we swung left to follow the tree-line (42mins)

We went through a gate, passing Lower Ernocraft Farm on our left (45mins), passing another farm on our right and turning left along a lane (49mins). We went right over a wooden ladder stile (53mins) and crossed another one (55mins) before heading diagonally left to cross a wooden stile (58mins)

By following a green public footpath sign for Chew we went left over a wooden stile, keeping a drystone wall on our left. We crossed two wooden stiles and then a wooden ladder stile (70mins). After passing a farmhouse on our left we continued down a gravel track until we reached a road and turned left along Sandy Lane (78mins)

We crossed the road into Far Woodseats Lane (80mins) and stopped for pies and port on a grassy bank (83mins). We then continued along the road before turning right for Far Woodseats Farm (87mins). This took us past a farm on our right and over a wooden stile (89mins), keeping to the fence on our right.

After crossing a wooden stile (92mins) we reached the River Etherow, which was in full spate (98mins). We turned left with the river on our right and crossed it by a wooden footbridge (100mins). We reached a track and turned left following a sign for Botham Hall (103mins).

Passing the hall on our left, we turned left at a wooden public footpath sign for Back Wood (106mins). We went over a wooden stile (110mins) and cross-crossed a stream by wooden footbridges. After crossing a wooden stile (116mins) we headed uphill .

This brought us to another wooden stile which we crossed and took a path to the left of a farmhouse (121mins). After crossing another wooden stile we crossed a lane, then another wooden stile and through a gap stile to follow a sign for Werneth Low Road (129mins).

We reached a gravel track and turned right at a barrier to head for the monument (136mins). We reached the war memorial (148mins) and looked down upon the scene of some of Britain’s most notorious crimes.

After admiring the more distant views of Manchester city centre and Fiddlers Ferry Power Station, we retraced our footsteps until we reached a kissing gate on our right and turned right (154mins) to pass through it. After 10 yards we took the left path and went through a kissing gate (162mins) which brought us to a road.

We turned left (164mins), passed Hyde Cricket Club on our left and reached The Hare and Hounds on our left (165mins) to enjoy pints of IPA cask bitter at £3-29.

Resuming, we turned right to retrace our footsteps until we reached Mount Road on our right (169mins) and took the right path where the route forked (170mins). This took us through a metal kissing gate (173mins) and we turned left at a wooden gate just before New Cloughside Farm (179mins).

As we went down a steep hill through mud, Jock became the third faller of the day after earlier spills by George and Mark. All three emerged unscathed with only pride and dignity damaged.

We went through a wooden gate and a wooden stile (182mins), over a stone step stile (186mins) and through a metal kissing gate which led us through a farmyard (188mins). Lunch was taken shortly afterwards on a handy stone wall (189mins)

Continuing, we passed The Old Stable on our right and School Lane Farm on our left (205mins). This brought us to a road where we turned right and reached The Andrew Arms on our right (212mins), where we were given a friendly welcome.

Next week’s walk will start at 9.55am from the main cobbled square at Longnor. We will be aiming to reach The Devonshire Arms at Hartington around 12.15pm for a bracer before returning to Longnor around 2.15pm. If the newly-reopened Grapes is not serving on Wednesday lunchtimes, we will proceed to The Cheshire Cheese nearby.

Happy wandering !