Whaley Bridge

May3rd, 2017.

WHALEY BRIDGE, CROMFORD AND HIGH PEAK RAILWAY LINE (DISUSED), GOYT VALLEY, ST JAMES’ 

CHURCH, TAXAL, TAXAL NICK, WINDGATHER ROCKS, PYM CHAIR,DUNGE VALLEY KETTLESHULME(SWAN INN),TODDBROOK VALLEY AND RESERVOIR COCK INN WHALEY BRIDGE

Distance: Ten miles.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Weather: Sunny

Walkers: Laurie Fairman, Mark Gibby, Tom  Cunliffe, Steve Kemp, Julian Ross and Chris Owen.

Apologies: Mickey Barrett (attending memorial), Peter Beal (walking( in Lakes?)(Portugal?), Colin Davison (Lost at sea), George Dearsley (in Turkey), George Whaites (hip operation), Alan Hart (Luxubourging)

Leader: Fairman. Diarist: Fairman

Starting point: Outside Cock Inn Whaley Bridge.

Starting time: 9.35am. Finishing time: 2.30pm.

This will be a short report owing to the extreme jet lag and general incompetence of the author but will serve as a useful reminder of the route and the personnel

The walk came about by the reluctance of Chris and Colin to write up last week’s (26^th April) doings. They in fact, if anyone is interested, did the April 19^th walk in reverse but omitted to make suggestions for May 3^rd.

Tom wanted to discuss the forthcoming trip to Poland ; Alan was away and your writer was Transatlantic. Emails flew across the ether and general conclusion was a popular walk and destination as Stella was bringing our flight tickets to the Cock.

The weather was glorious, sunny with clear cloudless  skies, a somewhat chilly east wind made for perfect walking conditions.

As your diarist has a thing about the Swan being a dining venue, not a pub, it is only really suitable if we sit outside and today was perfect. Also this is the best time to visit Dunge Valley Gardens the rhododendrons being in full flower.

The following is from Alan’s report of an earlier walk with some alterations

From outside the pub we had headed left, passing The Cock on our left, and after 20 yards turned left

Up a path over a stream. This brought us to the former track of the Cromford and High Peak Railway 

Line where we turned right (1min).

This line from Cromford to Whaley Bridge was completed in 1831. Initially the trains were horse-

drawn, but later the animals were replaced with small steam locomotives.Their main cargo was 

limestone, giving Derbyshire the reputation for exporting itself. The line was linked to The Peak 

Forest Canal at Whaley Bridge Basin, from where the minerals could be distributed.

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The line was closed completely in 1967. Four years later the Peak Park Planning Board and 

Derbyshire County Council bought part of the track and turned it into The High Peak Trail.

We followed the line until shortly after passing Alpha Mews on our right we turned right at a wooden

public footpaths sign. This path took us over a wooden footbridge (11mins) and emerged at a 

children’s playground where we headed right, picking up a road which led down to the main road 

(13mins)

After crossing the road we started to climb again up a path opposite, which brought us to a wooden 

footbridge on our right over the River Goyt (17mins). After crossing this we had a steep ascent to St 

James’ Church, Taxal, on our right (23mins)

Originally this was called St Leonard’s Church and it has a record of baptisms, marriages and 

burials dating back to 1610. To its right is a house which was once the village pub, The Chimes at 

Taxal.

We turned left and after 60 yards, opposite Glebe House on our left, we turned right over a stone 

step stile (24mins). A long climb through fields ensued before two ladder stiles brought us to a lane 

(33mins). This brought temporary respite as we turned left for 100 yards before heading right at a 

green public footpath sign for Windgather Rocks (34mins) and another climb uphill.It was nice to have a pause at the memorial to Terry Lardner his tree seems to be in better health.

We finally reached the cleft in the ridge called Taxal Nick (41mins) and reached a drystone wall with a

view over the valley. We turned left through a gate marked “No Bike Riding” and followed the ridge 

towards a wood. Just before we reached the trees, we headed briefly left and then went right over a 

wooden stile. This took us through a field to a gate, which we went through to pass the wood on our 

left (47mins)

There was now another climb to the cliffs called Windgather Rocks (55mins). Here we stopped to 

admire the views across Dunge Valley with Kettleshulme below on our right and above it on a ridge 

the distinctive white farmhouse surrounded by telecom aerials easily recognised as Bowstones.  

Behind us to the left was The Kinder Range with Castle Naze on our right as we took in the panoramic view. On reaching the quarry we paused for pie time Tom as usual chivvied us along but not before Chris had dispensed slugs of Damson Gin (75 mins)

Continuing, we walked along the cliffs with the drop on our right until it levelled off by a road. This 

brought us to a plaque informing us that the rock formation ahead was called Pym Chair (85mins)

Two alternative legends claim that Pym was either a highwayman or a non-conformist preacher.

We turned right along a lane and descended the hill towards Jenkin Chapel turning right at the fist footpath sign to reach Green Stack(95 mins). Continuing along the footpath we reached the entrance to Dunge gardens(105 mins)

DUNGE VALLEY GARDENS

.You will see a kaleidoscope of colour featuring Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Magnolias, Acers and the Blue Poppy. 
These and many other desirable plants, grow with us at 1,000ft plus. See a collection of over 500 species and hybrid Rhododendrons as though in a hidden Himalayan valley, with streams, waterfalls, ponds, bridges, bog gardens and a wide variety of unusual perennials, trees and shrubs in a magnificent setting.
There is a wealth of wildlife in the Dunge Valley Gardens and surrounding land. For the keen Ornithologists there is a wonderful variety of bird life such as Goldfinches, Greenfinches, Kestrels, Redstarts, Spotted Flycatchers and Tawny Owls.

Dunge Valley Gardens 2017 - May be open for charity - details awaited- no longer trading as a garden centre or for public access except in May.

We followed the road out of the gardens took the first right and walked along the road to Kettleshulme reaching the Swan at 12.15 (140 mins) here we enjoyed Marston’s bitter @3.30 a pint a bit of change from $6 for a small American pint.

 Leaving the Swan we headed through the nursery gardens and the lovely displays to the Kishfield bridge over Todd Brook we had had lunch (160mins).Turning into Scar Wood we climbed out of the valley and back down again to the newly repaired weir and followed the track down to the dam on Toddbrook reservoir. Down the hill across the park and at the pub exactly 2.30pm

Next week before the grand adventure we intend to meet at Brabyn’s park drink at the Ring of Bells finishing at a pub in Marple Bridge around 2.30pm

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Happy wandering !