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 !