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 !