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!

Bowden Bridge

April 19, 2017.

BOWDEN BRIDGE, TUNSTEAD HOUSE, EDALE CROSS, BROWN KNOLL, SOUTH HEAD, THE LAMB AT CHINLEY, KINDER VALLEY, THE WHITE LADY, THE KINDER LODGE AT HAYFIELD

Distance: 8 miles.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Weather: Cloudy, dry, chilly on the hilltops.

A walkers: Mickey Barrett, Peter Beal, Alastair Cairns, Colin Davison, Alan Hart, Steve Kemp and Chris Owen.

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

Apologies: Tom Cunliffe (Spanish hols),George Dearsley (in Turkey), Lawrie Fairman (cruise lecturing), Mark Gibby (sick relatives), Jock Rooney and George Whaites.

Leader: Beal. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Road next to Bowden Bridge, Hayfield.

Starting time: 9.40am. Finishing time: 2.13pm.

It was fitting that this walk from Bowden Bridge, Hayfield, coincided with the 85^th anniversary of the mass trespass of ramblers on Kinder Scout in April, 1932. This act of civil disobedience, involving hundreds of hikers, began at a quarry near the bridge and is credited with starting a media campaign which led to The Countryside Rights of Way Act 2000 – known as the right to roam.

Five young men aged 19 to 23 paid the price with prison sentences ranging from two to six months for riotous assembly after the trespassers, mainly from Manchester but augmented by other hikers from Sheffield who came via Jacob’s Ladder, were involved in violent scuffles with gamekeepers.

It was also fitting that our leader for this auspicious day was Peter Beal, who has interviewed Benny Rothman, the 20-year-old organiser of the protest, on several occasions.

The news that he was leading our walk came as some surprise to Peter, who showed an ability to think nimbly on his feet and guide us to our promised destinations with impeccable timing. Some people have greatness thrust upon them.

We also welcomed Colin back to the A team ranks as he continues his recovery from a fall while out on the piste. This brought our numbers to a magnificent seven who were equalled by the B teamers.

We crossed Bowden Bridge and turned left to follow the road with the River Kinder on our left. This brought us to a gate leading towards Tunstead House (8mins). We walked to the right of the house, crossed a wooden stile (15mins) and reached a kissing gate where we turned right keeping a drystone wall on our right (19mins)

We then crossed a series of three wooden stiles and a ladder stile before traversing another wooden stile to follow a sign for Edale (48mins). We reached an open gate with Edale Cross to its left.

An inscription informed us that this medieval cross is protected as a monument of national importance under the Ancient Monuments Act 1913-53 by order of the Minister of Public Buildings and Works. It does not explain where it came from or its significance because one suspects that nobody knows.

We turned right at a flagged path just before the start of The Pennine Way (67mins) and followed erosion diversions when we reached a blocked stile (75mins). We turned left at a new wooden stile (79mins) which brought us to a Trig Point called Brown Knoll (83mins)

This was a convenient spot and time to pause for pies, port and some delicious damson gin provided by Chris, who also produced a giant box of Maltesers. Predictably it was Colin who tucked in enthusiastically, coming back for second and third helpings before being warned of the dangers of grooming.

Peter informed us that on a clear day it was possible to see six other counties from this point in Derbyshire – Cheshire, South Yorkshire, Staffordshire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Clwyd. Sadly there was patchy mist in the distance which prevented extended views.

After a lengthy break we retraced our footsteps back to the new stile and turned left (87mins). We crossed another wooden stile (98mins) before passing the right shoulder of South Head (118mins). We went through a metal gate and immediately left over a stone step stile to head steeply downhill (123mins)

After crossing a wooden stile (128mins) we chose a path on the left before heading diagonally right (130mins) to reach a level grass path across a field (131mins). After a wooden kissing gate (133mins) we plunged steeply downhill again, crossed a wooden stile (138mins) and turned right to reach The Lamb Inn at Chinley on our right (139mins).

There have been inconsistencies with the quality of the beer in this cosy traditional pub, but on this occasion the Wainwrights’ cask bitter was in fine fettle at £3-40 a pint. There was a lively discussion about the snap election called for June and Chris predicted the coronation of Jeremy Corbyn as Prime Minister. If Donald Trump can become president of the USA, all things are possible.

Our homeward journey began with us once again retracing our footsteps to the stile and uphill to avoid a tedious journey along the main road, which was the alternative route. A stiff climb brought us through a kissing gate (146mins) and we headed diagonally left to cut a corner and follow a path with a drystone wall on our right (150mins)

We swung left before a metal gate ((151mins) and went through a wooden gate on our right (154mins). We crossed a cattle-grid and carried straight on (163mins). When we reached a green footpath sign for Bridle Road via Kinder Valley one group continued ahead. Your diarist and a splinter group turned right (170mins) to head for the cars rather than directly to the pub.

This route took us through a wooden gate (174mins) and past a white standing stone known as The White Lady for reasons lost in the mists of time (188mins). We went through two more wooden gates, crossed a bridge and turned left (194mins) to reach the cars (203mins).

After de-booting we drove to The Kinder Lodge to rejoin our A team colleagues and the B team for pints of Two Hoots cask bitter at £3-30.

Next week’s walk will start at 9.30am from the car park at Bottoms Reservoir which is approached by the cul-de-sac of Holehouse Lane, Langley, near Macclesfield. It is anticipated the group will arrive at Leather’s Smithy pub in Langley around 12.15pm for a tincture before returning to the Bottoms Reservoir car park at about 2.10pm for a drive to Sutton Hall, Sutton, arriving ten minutes later to enjoy further refreshment.

Happy wandering !

Disley

April 12, 2017.

DISLEY, ST MARY’S CHURCHYARD, BOLLINHURST RESERVOIR, MILLENIUM WOOD, BOLDER HALL FARM, BLACK ROCKS, OWLS’ NEST, BYRON HOUSE, BRINES FARM, PEAK FOREST CANAL, GOYT VALLEY, UPPER WATERSIDE FARM, HAGUE BAR PICNIC AREA, HAGUE FOLD FARM, THE FOX AT BROOK BOTTOM, STRINES STATION, STRINES HALL, THOMAS BRUCE CLOCK, PEERES SWINDELLS’ HOUSE, PEAK FOREST CANAL, HIGGINS CLOUGH SWING BRIDGE, HAGG BANK LANE, THE WHITE HORSE AT DISLEY

Distance: 8-9 miles.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Weather: Regular showers of light and heavy drizzle.

A walkers: Mickey Barrett, Alan Hart, Steve Kemp and Jock Rooney with Tips.

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

Apologies: Peter Beal (domestic duties), Alastair Cairns, Tom Cunliffe (prolonged Spanish hols), George Dearsley (in Turkey), Lawrie Fairman (cruise lecturing), Mark Gibby (relatives ill), George Whaites (decorating)

Leader: Hart. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Car park of The White Horse at Disley.

Starting time: 9.32am. Finishing time: 2.02pm.

Constant rain was forecast for this walk so we cannot say we were not warned. Happily it takes more than a spell of steady drizzle to dampen the spirits of the Wednesday Wanderers, although the B teamers got a belated soaking just before their journey ended.

Colin, who was making his debut with the B team as part of his recovery programme, and Jock, who defected to them at Brook Bottom, looked especially remorseful as they saw their relatively dry colleagues from the A team in the shelter of The White Horse – their pints almost empty.

So it proved to be a soggy celebration for Geoff, who bought a round of drinks for us to toast his health on his 78^th birthday. We wish him many happy returns.

Despite the rain there was little mud to trouble us and the call of a curlew reminded us that summer is not too far away.

From the White Horse car park we turned right up Ring O’ Bells Lane and turned right just before the Quaker meeting house which still bears the sign of the former pub which gave the lane its name. We crossed a footbridge and turned left along a path with the graveyard of St Mary’s Church on both sides.

After passing the graves we diverted left from the main path, cutting a corner and emerging just before a wooden stile marked with a yellow arrow on our right. We crossed this field to the far corner in a line with Lyme Cage in the distance. Another wooden stile was crossed and we followed the lane ahead of us (7mins)

Just before we reached a farmhouse we turned left (15mins) through a gate at a wooden public footpath sign. We kept close to a drystone wall on our right, beyond which was Bollinhurst Reservoir. At the end of this lake was a wooden stile on our right which led us into a wood (25mins). A path through the wood brought us to a metal gate which we went through and crossed a lane to go straight ahead in the direction of Drake Carr Cottage (31mins)

Just before the cottage on our right, we swung left up steps and over a wooden stile marked with a yellow arrow to enter Millenium Wood (33mins). Through this we reached a road (36mins) and turned right, passing Bolder Hall Farm on our left.

Beyond the farm on our left was a wooden stile which we crossed by the side of a sign for Black Rocks (40mins). After crossing a paddock and exiting by a wooden stile at the far right corner, we aimed for a wooden public footpath sign, where we headed left to the rocky ridge on the skyline. By the time we reached the summit (58mins) it had become shrouded with mist and we were denied the spectacular views back to Lyme Park and Bowstones and the Kinder range ahead.

Instead we went immediately left along the ridge, crossing a ladder stile (61mins), descending past a green pavilion on our left known as The Owls’ Nest. This was the outward bound centre owned by Manchester Grammar School, whose badge is that of an owl. We continued downhill to the left corner of the field, crossed a wooden stile and headed between a cottage and stables for the road  on the far side (73mins)

We crossed this and followed a public footpath sign to the left of Byron House, soon turning left at another sign marked with a yellow arrow and heading downhill to a lane. Here we turned right (76mins), passing Pear Tree Cottage on our left and Brines Farm on our right before reaching the A6 and crossing it into Lower Greenshall Lane (87mins)

After walking through a tunnel we reached the Peak Forest Canal and joined its right bank where a convenient bench awaited us for Pietime by the side of Bridge 27 (92mins). Fortified by port we continued along the towpath with the water on our left until we reached Hollins Clough Swing Bridge No 25 (105mins)

A few yards beyond it was a gap stile which we squeezed through and followed a newly-laid path downhill to steps and a new wooden footbridge over a stream. We crossed a wooden stile (110mins) and turned right up a flight of steps. This brought us to another wooden stile which we crossed to enter a woodland glade, which we exited to the left following a yellow arrow by the side of a wooden stile (112mins)

After going half way past a pond on our right we followed a faint track to the left which emerged in the back of a car park (115mins). We went through this to reach a road and turned left for 20 yards before turning left at a wooden public footpath sign marked with a yellow arrow (117mins). This took us down to the banks of the River Goyt on our left before climbing back to the road opposite Upper Waterside Farm (121mins)

We turned left, crossing a roadbridge over the Goyt, passing The Torrs Riverside Park, Mousely Bottom Wood and Hague Bar Picnic Area and children’s playground on our right to reach the road linking New Mills on our right with Disley to our left. After crossing this road we began an ever-steepening climb, passing Hague Fold Farm on our right (134mins) before we emerged on a country road by the side of a memorial bench to Eric Burdekin (1903-89). We turned left (139mins) and reached The Fox at Brook Bottom (140mins)

Despite our arrival eight minutes after opening time, we were still behind the B team, already enjoying their pints of Robbies’ Unicorn cask bitter at £3-30. It was in much better form than on previous visits when we have sampled the first pints of the day.

We departed, turning right at a red phone box to head down a rocky path which brought us under a tunnel past Strines Railway Station on our left (151mins). We passed Strines Hall on our left and stopped for lunch (154mins) next to the clock built by engineer Thomas Bruce.

A plaque informed us that the Clayton family owned most of Strines and had built the hall in the 16^th Century. Strines was dominated by its calico printing factory which changed its title during the 20^th Century from the Calico Printers Association to Tootal Ltd. In 2015 the site was sold for housing development.

Resuming we crossed a bridge over the Goyt and exited Station Road to cross Strines Road and carry on straight ahead uphill. This took us past the attractive cottage built by Peeres Swindells in 1694 (162mins). As our path started to descend, we headed left over a wooden stile just before reaching the aqueduct carrying the Peak Forest Canal over a tunnel. This path brought us uphill through a gap stile to the canal (164mins)

We turned left with the canal on our right and followed the towpath taking us past a lift bridge 24 (174mins) until it brought us back to Higgins Clough Swing Bridge 25 where we turned right (178mins). This took us to the end of Hagg Bank Lane (183mins) and under a railway bridge before we reached the A6 (186mins)

We crossed the main road and turned right before turning left at the main traffic lights and reaching The White Horse on our right (191mins). We de-booted and entered the pub for pints of Robbies’ Unicorn at £3-10 just before the heavens opened and serious rain began to fall for the first time.

Next week’s walk will start at 9.35am from the road next to the pay-and-display car park at Bowden Bridge, Hayfield. We will hope to find our way to The Lamb Inn at Chinley at about 12.15pm and finish with a pint at The Kinder Lodge, Hayfield, around 2.15pm.

Happy wandering !

Styal

April 5, 2017.

STYAL, STYAL CROSS, THE BOLLIN VALLEY, AIRPORT INN, MORLEY GREEN, LINDOW MOSS, STRAWBERRY LANE, WILMSLOW REFORM CHURCH, THE KING WILLIAM AT WILMSLOW, BODDINGTON PLAYING FIELDS, THE CARRS, LACEY GREEN, QUARRY BANK MILL AND THE SHIP AT STYAL

Distance: Nine miles.

Difficulty: Easy.

Weather: Dry but cool with cloud and sunny spells.

Walkers: Greg Barrett, Mickey Barrett, Alastair Cairns, Mark Gibby, Alan Hart, Steve Kemp, Julian Ross and George Whaites.

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

Apologies:  Peter Beal, Tom Cunliffe (Spanish hols), Colin Davison (recuperating from broken ribs), George Dearsley (in Turkey), Lawrie Fairman (cruise lecturing), Chris Owen.

Leaders: Various. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Car park of The Ship at Styal.

Starting time: 9.31 am. Finishing time: 2.15pm.

This was a day on which we had no recognised leader and no maps. The possibilities for disaster seemed unlimited. However with a mixture of instinct, ingenuity, solidarity and downright good luck we managed not only to find our desired route round the Bollin Valley and back to Styal. We also reached both pubs at the allotted time and located the B team despite being laid a false trail.

We also enjoyed pleasant weather, an absence of mud, walked through a lovely park with connections to a brewery and learned more than we would ever wish to know about phytophthora ramorum. We also passed sites of ancient and modern history involving crime and punishment.

When this route was mooted a week ago, it had not been considered that our regular leaders with map-reading facilities would all be absent. So it was with a heavy heart that your diarist offered to make a start in the right direction. After a few hundred yards Mickey took over, using some local knowledge from his youth to guide us through the Bollin Valley.

On two occasions he appeared to be doing a loop the loop, no doubt inspired by his pilot son Greg, who had joined us for this outing. But Mickey successfully negotiated our way through a tricky route and led us to the Airport Inn. From here, with the assistance of a postman and two lady dog-walkers, we found out way to our first watering hole.

With The Ship Inn at Styal on our right, we walked some 250 yards before heading left at a sign for Styal Methodist Chapel (2mins). We reached the chapel (3mins) and at this early stage Mickey took over the leadership, turning right and passing Styal Cross on our left.

This local landmark was moved to Holly Lane, Styal, in 1860 but was demolished by a runaway lorry in 1980. It was rebuilt at its present location in 1983.

We passed Styal Unitarian Chapel on our right and entered the woods, heading right down a flight of steep stone steps (13mins) to cross Chapel Bridge. We swung left along a diverted path and entered a scene of devastation where a vast area of larch trees had been felled.

A sign informed us that work was in progress to eradicate a fungal plant disease called phytophthora ramorum, which is spoor-borne and causes leaves, especially those of the larch, to shrivel.

By now the Bollin River had appeared on our left, but because of its serpentine course it soon appeared on our right and we crossed it by the Giant’s Castle footbridge (30mins). At some point we had joined a bridleway for horses and cyclists as well as walkers known as Laureen’s Ride – a 56km route through Cheshire which was opened in 2012.

We discovered this when we left it by turning left (57mins) and soon reached the Airport Inn. With gleams in their eyes, some of our group recalled nights of passion from their younger days when the building was called The Valley Lodge and the Thursday disco scene was known as “Grab-a-granny” night.

We reached the main road opposite, crossed it and turned left towards Wilmslow, heading right at a wooden public footpath sign (64mins) marked Bollin Valley. The path through a field brought us to a track leading to the back of homes identified by Mickey as belonging to Mike Summerbee (Manchester City and England soccer star), Simon Gregson (who stars as Steve McDonald in Coronation Street) and his daughter Faye Barrett (one of the stars in the Barrett galaxy).

We turned left to reach a road, where Alastair consulted a friendly postman. Meantime we found a public footpath sign directly opposite. Combining the information supplied by the postie with our own  discovery, we followed the footpath sign which took us past a row of pretty cottages and over a wooden stile.

If we had carried straight ahead it would have brought us to a stile we sought. Unfortunately a yellow arrow indicated we should cross the field diagonally left and we were obliged to clamber over a fence in the corner to reach a lane where we wanted to turn right (83mins). A minute later we were passing the wooden stile on our right which was directly opposite the stile we had crossed nine minutes earlier.

When we reached a large piece of agricultural machinery with sections which could be used as seats, we paused for Pietime promptly at 11 am (89mins). Before we had reached the port stage, a large white Pomeranian dog wandered over from the farm. He appeared friendly but we soon discovered his intentions were not to greet us but to have a dump barely six feet from where we were eating. It was at this point – and it hard to see the connection - that someone asked when Tom would be rejoining the group after his extended holiday in Spain.

 Resuming we reached a road and turned right, passing Moss House Cottage and Morley Green Club on our left (94mins) before turning left into Eccups Lane (96mins). We passed a large house called Far Meadow on our left and 20 yards beyond it went straight ahead to follow a public footpath while the road swung right.

This path took us past a peat bog, Lindow Moss, on our right where the preserved body of an Iron Age Man – dubbed Pete Marsh, Lindow Pete or Lindow Man –  was found by a peat-cutter in 1984. The body, comprising a head, torso, arms and one leg, was of a man of 25, 5ft 7ins tall and weighing 10stone. According to carbon-dating tests he had died between 20 and 90 AD.

Because of his well-manicured hands it was believed he may have been a Druid priest, who had been clubbed over the head, garrotted and had his throat cut. Cheshire Police suspect the death was a ritual killing but there have been no arrests.

Ironically, in 1983, the same peat-cutter found another skull. Local man Peter Reyn-Bardt thought it belonged to the wife he had killed and buried 23 years earlier.  He confessed to her killing but the skull fragment proved to be 2,000 years old.

At Chester Crown Court Reyn-Bardt tried to retract his confession to the murder of his wife Malika but was convicted and jailed for life even though her body had never actually been found.

We passed a sign advising us to follow the Bridleway to Moor Lane (111mins). We turned right at the sign for the Bridleway (119mins) but later carried straight on along a restricted by-way, ignoring the public bridleway to our left (123mins).

We entered the outskirts of Wilmslow, exiting Strawberry Lane (131mins) and turning left. This took us past The Farmers Arms on our right (133mins) and The Carters Arms on our left, which were both closed. We crossed into Chapel Lane (138mins), passing Wilmslow United Reform Church on our right.

We turned left at the main road and were heading for the Coach and Four (formerly The New Inn), but we received a message via Geoff that the B team had arrived at a pub called The King’s Head. Firstly we found the Coach and Four too up-market (and probably too pricey) for the likes of the Wednesday Wanderers. Secondly we worked out that The King’s Head, which did not exist in Wilmslow, was probably the King William, which Alastair and your diarist knew.

So we proceeded along the main road to reach The King William on our left (149mins) with the B team inside drinking pints of Robinsons’ cask bitter at £2-80. It proved to be an excellent choice.

Suitably refreshed, we turned left and went to the left of a circular garden before turning left and reaching an archway on our left at the entrance to Boddington Playing Fields. Here an inscription informed us that the fields had been donated in 1925 by Henry Boddington of Pownall Hall “for the recreation, health and pleasure of Wilmslow and her children for ever.”

Henry Boddington JP (1849-1925) owned Boddington’s Brewery at Strangeways, Manchester, and lived in a flat above the brewery until he bought Pownall Hall, Wilmslow, in 1886. This may have been prompted by the building next to his brewery of Strangeways Prison in 1868. It cost £170,000 and held 1,000 prisoners of both sexes.

Between its opening and the abolition of the death penalty, Strangeways had hosted exactly 100 executions, including that of John Robson Walby (alias Gwynne Owen Evans), who was the last person to be hanged in England in 1964.

From the children’s play area we entered a park called The Carrs, a Norse word meaning bog. This was an estate owned by Lord Stamford until it was sold in 1841. Henry Boddington acquired it and built St Olaf’s Chapel in the grounds at the end of the 19^th Century. Only two courses of its stonework, surrounded by yew trees, survive.

We followed the path through The Carrs on the left bank of the Bollin until we crossed a footbridge to reach a picnic table on our right for lunch (163mins). Afterwards we re-crossed the footbridge and resumed our walk with the Bollin on our right. We turned right over a bridge (169mins) towards Lacey Green and Styal, walking between the Bollin on our left and public toilets on our right.

After crossing a wooden footbridge we turned left passing a sign inscribed National Trust Styal (172mins). We crossed Heron’s Pool Bridge (180mins) and turned left to reach Quarry Bank Mill on our left (186mins). We passed the Visitors Centre on our right and carried on until we reached a sign for Styal Village on our left (192mins).

This brought us back to Styal Methodist Church (196mins) from which we retraced our earlier footsteps back to The Ship Inn (198mins). After de-booting we sampled the Black Sheep at £3-35 a pint and were soon joined by the B team.

Next week’s walk will start at 9.30am from the car park of The White Horse at Disley (turn right at The Ram’s Head and after 50 yards right again into Ring O’ Bells Lane. The car park is on the right and the first person arriving should swing the barrier back. We have permission from Andy the landlord. When we set off walking we should swing the barrier back into place)

We intend to walk through Millenium Wood to Black Rock, then along the ridge past Owls’ Nest, to Byron House, Five Wells Spring, across the A6, along the Peak Forest Canal and up beyond Hague Bar to The Fox at Brook Bottom, arriving shortly after noon. We intend to return via Strines and the canal, returning to The White Horse for final drinks at about 2pm.

Happy wandering !