Brabyns Park

May 10, 2017.

BRABYNS PARK, MARPLE BRIDGE, ETHEROW VALLEY, REDBROOK WOOD, PEAK FOREST CANAL, HYDE TUNNEL, HYDE BANK FARM, ST CHAD’S WELL, CHADKIRK CHAPEL, OTTERSPOOL ROAD, OLD MANOR FARM, MARPLE GOLF CLUB, MACCLESFIELD CANAL, GOYT MILL, RING O’ BELLS, MARPLE, PEAK FOREST CANAL (AGAIN), MARPLE LOCKS AND NORFOLK ARMS AT MARPLE BRIDGE

Distance: 7 ½ miles.

Difficulty: Easy.

Weather: Warm with sunny blue skies.

Walkers: Mickey Barrett, Peter Beal, Lawrie Fairman and Alan Hart.

Apologies: Tom Cunliffe (decorating), Colin Davison (hiking in Yorkshire Dales),George Dearsley (in Turkey), Mark Gibby (hospital appointment), Jock Rooney (transporting B teamers), Julian Ross (w*^king) and George Whaites (recovering from hip operation)

Leader: Fairman. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Free car park at Brabyns Park, Marple Bridge.

Starting time: 9.35am. Finishing time: 1.55pm.

Our ranks were depleted for this walk on a glorious day of constant sunshine and blue skies. A variety of excuses were proffered – some more acceptable than others. Perhaps the absentees were girding their loins for the flight to Poland tomorrow and the start of a week-long tour by the Wednesday Wanderers International Formation Drinking Team.

The shortish walk chosen was a repeat of one made earlier this year, so I will not reiterate those items of historical interest which have already been mentioned. Suffice to say that we passed an unusual iron bridge, the former home of an English queen, a well reputed to have healing properties and visited one of our favourite pubs.

From the car park we walked through Brabyns Park, exiting by a white lodge at the side of a rare iron bridge (10mins). We crossed the River Goyt by a footbridge, reached a main road and turned left (15mins). This took us past the sign for Compstall, over the River Etherow and immediately left at a wooden public footpath sign indicating Valley Way (19mins)

This took us through Redbrow Wood where we saw a dazzling display of wild garlic with white blossom. We also spotted a lone Mandarin duck paddling in the Etherow on our left. Where the path forked we went left and crossed two wooden stiles before reaching a makeshift wood and stone stile leading into a farmyard (34mins)

We went through the farmyard and started to climb uphill before hopping over a stile on our left and heading for the impressive viaduct supporting the Hope Valley railway line linking Manchester with Sheffield. Just beyond the viaduct is an aqueduct supporting the Peak Forest Canal. We walked under this (43mins) and headed up a flight of steep steps to reach the canal.

We turned left (46mins) with the waterway on our right until the towpath headed left as we reached Hyde Tunnel (53mins). We passed Hyde Bank House, Romiley, on our left. The property is for sale at the surprisingly low price of £799,000. It was built in 1655, is a Grade 2 listed three-storey building, has six double bedrooms, a detached double garage, a vegetable garden and an orchard.

Next door is Hyde Bank Farm, the former Romiley home of Anne Hyde, who was married to King James ll. We returned to the towpath at the far side of Hyde Tunnel (69mins) and turned left at a flight of stone steps which brought us into the hamlet of Chadkirk.

We passed Chad’s Well on our right (70mins) and turned left into the grounds of Chadkirk Chapel (73mins) for Pietime. Suitably refreshed we left the grounds and went through a wooden kissing gate, turning left along a footpath with Coronation Meadow on our right. We turned right along a lane (76mins) which brought us out on Otterspool Road where we turned left (84mins)

After crossing the Goyt (86mins) and the Hare and Hounds on our right we reached a T-junction and a set of traffic lights with Marple to the left and Stockport to the right. We went straight across taking a track for Old Manor Farm (95mins), forking first left and then right (101mins) to enter a field.

After some delay we found a gap opposite where a stile had once been (113mins) and proceeded into a field with a hedge on our right. This brought us to a metal kissing gate and a bridge over the Middlewood Way (117mins). We crossed the bridge and turned right down a flight of steps before turning left (118mins)

We continued along the Middlewood Way until we reached a wooden stile on our left which led into Marple Golf Club (125mins). We stuck to the left edge of the course until we reached a path on the left where we could make our exit (134mins). We ignored a bridge on our left and took the path heading right which brought us to the Macclesfield Canal (138mins)

Turning left, we passed Goyt Mill on the far bank of the canal on our right (140mins). We continued along the towpath under Bridge 3 (142mins) until we came to Bridge 2, exited the canal and crossed the road to reach the Ring o’ Bells in Marple (151mins)

After enjoying pints of Robbies’ Unicorn in the beer garden for £3-40 we went back to the Macclesfield Canal, taking the towpath with the canal on our left. When we reached the bridge at the junction with the Peak Forest Canal (154mins) we swung left over the bridge so the PFC was on our right.

When we reached the start of the 16 Marple Locks (158mins) we paused for lunch before continuing to pass the locks on our right. At a road we switched to the right bank (165mins). After Lock 8 we turned right between posts and headed left along a gravel track (168mins)

After crossing a bridge over the Hope Valley railway line (170mins) we turned right along a footpath and swung left back to the car park (173mins). We then repaired to the Norfolk Arms for further refreshment (178mins). There were several cask beers on offer at £3 a pint but some cloudy ones had to be exchanged before we could enjoy them outside in the beer garden.

As manywalkers will be away in Poland next Wednesday, remaining individuals will have to make their own arrangements for their walk. The following week, May 24, we will start at 9.55am from the lay-by opposite public toilets in Monyash. We expect to reach the George at Youlgrave around 12.30pm before returning to The Bull’s Head at Monyash at about 2.30pm.

Happy wandering !