Topley Pike

Topley Pike

26 August 2017

TOPLEY PIKE, MONSAL TRAIL, WYE VALLEY, CHEE DALE, MILLER’S DALE, HIGHCLIFFE FARM, CHURCH INN AT CHELMORTON, TOPLEY PIKE QUARRY, WETHERSPOONS (WYE BRIDGE HOTEL) AT BUXTON

Distance: Ten miles.

Difficulty: Moderate apart from the arduous going.

Weather: Bright spells and rain

Walkers: Colin Davison, Chris Owen, Jock Rooney and Tip.

Apologies: Peter Beal (narrow-boating), Alastair Cairns (altered diary commitments), Tom Cunliffe (wimped out), George Dearsley (in Turkey), Mark Gibby (wimped out), Alan Hart (wimped out), Steve Kemp (whimped out), George Whaites (hip hop).

Leader: Rooney. Diarist: Davison.

Starting point: Unofficial lay-by on A6 next to entrance to Topley Pike Quarry.

Starting time: 09.47am. Finishing time: 2.25pm.

Woe, woe and thrice woe, this onerous task has fallen to our least able once again (and for the third time this year – you see what your diarist did there?).

However, it occurs to your diarist that he is not constrained by the search for verisimilitude in the way of professional scribes and academics. Rather, he will attempt to give the reader a flavour of the sojourn. If you can forgive the experts their inaccuracies due to incompetence, perhaps you can forgive the following for exuberance.

Not for the first time this year, our numbers were depleted by the faint hearted preferring domestic chores to fun with chums because the Met Office predicted above average precipitation.

Despite the dismal weather forecast, we were treated to a beautiful July day with only a little of the predicted rain and the sun shining from time to time on the impressive scenery around the Wye Valley and the hills overlooking. 

We called at one of our favourite traditional village pubs before ending the day in one of Britain’s cheapest hostelries.

On the nature front, we saw a water vole, a heron, a wagtail, a buzzard and a  dipper on a rock in the middle of the river. Glimpsed, but not verified, we may have spotted a brown bear and her cub padding through the undergrowth, no doubt attracted by the huge quantities of trout reputed in the river.

From our lay-by we crossed the A6 and turned right along the Monsal Trail. We climbed the steps to the disused railway line which we walked along passing through 3 tunnels until we reached the 4^th where we descended steps to a bridge over the river.

Crossing the river we turned right along the bank to stepping stones beneath high cliffs.

Safely over, we reached a broad bank where climbers were enjoying the challenge of the overhanging face

Distracted briefly by their skill and poise we continued up a steep climb over limestone rock made slick by the earlier rain.

Chris was fascinated by the water rising at Wormhill Spring and Jock explained that this was some of the finest and most expensive angling water in the country.

Shortly after, we were treated to a display of fly fishing by a local afficianado.

Jock decided that our normal route was too short and marched us on to Miller’s Dale. Emerging on the road, we turned right and braved speeding traffic for ½ mile to Long Lane on our left. We paused for pietime.

A long steep climb brought us to Highcliffe farm at the end of the track where we carried straight along the road to a crossroads and turned right following a sign for the Limestone way.

On the road we found that the fine weather had brought out more nature enthusiasts.

Crossing the A6 we followed a track beside the Waterloo Inn. This brought us to a gate where we rejoined our normal route. Following the track round a curve we crossed a step stile over the wall on our right. Diagonally across the field we reached a gate through which we joined another muddy track.

This took us through a farmyard and we went straight on at a gravel track. The track dog-legged straight on at a wooden public footpath sign marked Chelmorton alongside an abandoned rake. Through a stile we headed past a well where the path swung left into the village. The Church Inn was on our right.

Although rain had threatened moments before, the sky cleared and we were bathed in sunshine. However, we opted to sit inside drinking a variety of excellent cask bitters at £3-40 per pint

At this point your diarist discovered, on examination, that his clothing was inexplicably wet right down to his boxer shorts. The only exception were his feet in his newly acquired and very expensive Altberg boots and a small portion of his right sleeve close to the shoulder. Could this be attributed to the horizontal nature of the aqueous portion of the atmosphere encountered on the higher ground we had just crossed?

Continuing our walk we turned right downhill from the pub and right again at a wooden public footpaths sign. From here our path back was straight along a series of paths through fields which we entered and exited by a series of stiles and crossing a lane along the way.

Beyond a wooden stile there was a slippery descent of the steeper part of a periglacial valley before we levelled out and reached the right side of the quarry at Topley Pike. Here we saw some graphic illustrations to warn of the dangers of Quicksand and Electrocution before returning to our cars to de-boot.

We drove to the Wetherspoons (Wye Bridge House) in Buxton where we were joined by Jock’s son Sean and enjoyed Ruddles bitter at £1.99 per pint.

Next week’s walk, lead by Chris Owen, will start from The Robin Hood Buxton Rd, Congleton CW12 3PE (departure time 9.40am).  https://www.robinhoodcongleton.co.uk/ (The landlord, Carl, is happy for us to park in the carpark). A lunchtime libation will be taken at Wetherspoons  18 Swan Bank Congleton Cheshire CW12 1AH https://www.jdwetherspoon.com/pubs/all-pubs/england/cheshire/the-counting-house-congleton  around 12.20pm. We hope to return to the Robin Hood Inn by 2.30pm, where we are expected, for further refreshment.

Happy wandering.

Bradwell

July 19, 2017.

THE WHITE HART AT BRADWELL, LITTLE HUCKLOW, DIRTLOW RAKE PIT, PEVERIL CASTLE VICINITY, GOOSEHILL, THE BULL’S HEAD AT CASTLETON, HOPE CEMENT FACTORY, ST BARNABAS’S CHURCH, BRADWELL, AND THE OLD HALL AT HOPE

Distance: Seven miles.

Difficulty: Easy after early climb.

Weather: Dry and warm but mostly cloudy.

Walkers: Colin Davison, Lawrie Fairman, Mark Gibby, Alan Hart, Steve Kemp and Jock Rooney with Tip.

Apologies: Mickey Barrett, Peter Beal (narrow-boating), Alastair Cairns (walking in Northumberland), Tom Cunliffe, George Dearsley (in Turkey), Hughie Harriman, Chris Owen (hols) and George Whaites (eve of hip operation)

Leader: Davison. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Road outside The White Hart at Bradwell, near Hope, Derbyshire.

Starting time: 9.55am. Finishing time: 2.02pm.

After the dizzy heights of 12 A walkers and three dogs last week, our numbers fell to six and one dog for this week’s hike. Predictably, one of the absentees was Tom, who suggested the walk. There is a pattern developing here !

There was also a parting of the ways when leader Colin unilaterally decided to change the venue of the first watering hole in Castleton. Instead of calling for a bracer in Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, as agreed the week before, our leader opted for The Bull’s Head, a charmless establishment selling Robbies’ Unicorn at an eye-watering £3-70 a pint.

Jock and Tip voted with their six feet and walked to The George instead. We can only hope that the B team had not made a special effort to meet us in the Cheese which we totally by-passed.

As I write this report on Thursday morning, George Whaites is scheduled to have his long-delayed hip operation and I am sure you would all want to join me in wishing him a speedy recovery.

From the road where we had parked we headed uphill and turned left up a flight of steps by the side of a wooden public footpath sign (1min). We crossed two lanes (5 and 7mins) before forking left uphill (9mins). This brought us to a metal kissing gate through which we reached a lane (13mins)

We turned right and then immediately left at a wooden public footpath sign to a path which brought us over a stile made of concrete (25mins) into a field with a drystone wall on our left. We crossed a stone step stile (26mins)and turned right along a lane until we reached a road, where we turned left (27mins)

Happy Walkers

At a sign for Little Hucklow we turned right (33mins) and then went left at a wooden public footpath sign into a field (36mins). We aimed for a wooden marker post and continued to the corner of the field where a wooden stile was marked with a yellow arrow (43mins)

We crossed a stone step stile into a field with a drystone wall on our right (46mins) and squeezed through a gap stile (60mins). Tip, now suffering from middle-age spread, had to be lifted over the obstruction and we were grateful for Tom’s absence.

Tip

After crossing one wooden stile (63mins) we crossed another which brought us to a gravel track (67mins) where we paused for pies and port.

The track overlooked Dirtlow Rake Pit at its junction with the Long Rake fault lines which were mined for limestone over the centuries.

Resuming we turned right along the gravel track and turned left over a wooden stile (76mins) into a field with a drystone wall on our right. The path continued over another wooden stile (79mins) until we reached a rocky footpath (86mins). We crossed this and headed uphill to go through an open gateway (88mins)

This was the start of a long descent into Castleton, passing close to Peveril Castle without being able to see it behind a copse of trees.

Peveril Castle is an 11^th Century ruin. It was the main settlement of the feudal barony of William Peverel, founded sometime between The Norman Conquest in 1066 and the survey documented in the Domesday Book of 1086. At the end of the 14^th Century the barony was granted to John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster. He had little use for the castle and ordered some of its materials to be stripped and reused, leading to its rapid decline.

In the 19^th Century Sir Walter Scott featured the castle in his novel, Peveril of the Peak, which was a name given to a well-known pub in the centre of Manchester. The castle is a Grade 1 listed building in the care of English Heritage.

We reached the outskirts of Castleton (107mins) and exited Goosehill (109mins) over the River Noe, heading left before The Little Shop to emerge at Cross Street. We headed uphill but Colin immediately stopped at The Bull’s Head on the left and declared it to be our first watering hole (119mins). Jock was not amused, taking Tip and his custom elsewhere before rejoining us for the final lap of our journey.

Turning left out of The Bull’s Head, we crossed the road and went right up Castle Street (120mins), passing The George on our right and the parish church on our left. We turned left into Market Place and then headed left downhill before stopping for lunch (130mins)

Continuing we turned left at a bridle-path (131mins), passing the rear of Hope Cement Works (137mins), crossing a road and following a path marked Footpath and Bridleway (142mins). We reached a lane and turned left (147mins)

This brought us to Town Lane, (152mins) where we continued downhill to reach the main road (154mins). We turned right, passing Bradwell Post Office on our right, through a set of traffic lights and St Barnabas’s Church on our left (159mins) before reaching our cars (162mins)

After de-booting we drove to The Old Hall at Hope. This started life in 1719 at The Old Stone Daggers, later changing its name to The Cross Daggers before assuming its current name in 1873.

Next week’s walk will start at 9.45am from the layby near the entrance to the cement works at Topley Pike, on the A6 road out of Buxton opposite the Wye Valley car park at the start of the Monsal Trail. We will head along the valley before passing the Anglers’ Rest and The Waterloo to reach The Church Inn at Chelmorton about 12.15pm. We expect to return to our cars at about 2.15pm and drive to the Wetherspoons’ Wye Valley House Hotel in Buxton around 2.30pm.

Happy wandering !

Bollington

July 12, 2017.

BOLLINGTON, THE COTTON TREE, THE POACHERS, HEDGE ROW, HEYSHEAD COTTAGE, HARROP WOOD, ANDREW’S NOB, SPONDS HILL, BIRCHENCLIFFE FARM, COFFEE TAVERN, SKELLORN STUD, THE MINERS ARMS AT WOOD LANE ENDS, ADLINGTON, MACCLESFIELD CANAL, BOLLINGTON RECREATION GROUND, THE VALE AT BOLLINGTON

Distance: 10 miles.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Weather: Dry and warm with blue skies and fluffy white clouds.

A walkers: Greg Barrett, Mickey Barrett, Alastair Cairns with Daisy, Tom Cunliffe, Colin Davison, Lawrie Fairman, Mark Gibby, Hughie Harriman with Coco, Alan Hart, Steve Kemp and George Whaites.

B walkers: Phil Burslem, George Fraser, Tony Job, Terry Jowett, Jock Rooney with Tip, Geoff Spurrell and Barry Williams.

Apologies: Peter Beal (narrow-boating), George Dearsley (in Turkey) and Chris Owen (hols)

Leader: Fairman. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Road outside The Vale, Bollington.

Starting time: 9.34am. Finishing time: 2.27pm.

We had a bumper turnout of 18 Wednesday Wanderers for the start of The Marching Season and a new route expertly planned by Lawrie. He  was tasked with finding a way from Bollington to The Miners Arms at Adlington which would take three hours and a return trip which would last a little over an hour.

His years of experience enabled us to reach both destinations at the designated times, linking up with the B-teamers at both hostelries. There were none of the dramas of last week and once again we enjoyed fine sunny weather and magnificent views.

The seven-strong B team began their walk, after a few false starts, along the Macclesfield Canal in the opposite direction from that taken by their A team comrades on the return leg. They came back to Bollington by bus.

The day had commenced with the unmasking of pole thief Tom Cunliffe, who handed over the stolen property. Last week he had created a mystery when Steve went back for his forgotten pole only to find it missing and a similar pole in its place. This turned out to be Tom’s, who had unwittingly picked up Steve’s pole in error. The conclusive evidence was teeth marks on the handle where one of Steve’s dogs had bitten it.

The traumatic experiences which followed have clearly failed to make an impression on Steve, who set off from Pietime without his pole once again. Perhaps at the start of each walk we should appoint a designated carer to look after Steve’s pole.

There was a welcome return to our group of Mickey’s son Greg, who has been piloting planes from the Naples area of Italy, from George W, who is still awaiting a hip operation, and a debut for another of our canine friends.  Coco, a three-year-old cockerpoo bitch, is owned by Hughie’s sister. She is the product of the mating of a cocker spaniel and a poodle (Coco: not Hughie’s sister)

After joining forces with the B team at The Miners Arms, Jock defected to the A team with Tip, so we finished our journey with a dozen A-teamers and three bitches.

From our meeting place outside The Vale, we walked back towards the town centre and turned left into Bollington Recreation Ground. We walked with the Bollin on our right and crossed it by a bridge leading to steps which took us to the main road, where we turned left.

This took us through the town in the direction of Pott Shrigley, passing The Cotton Tree (12mins) and The Poachers (16mins) on our right before forking left towards Pott Shrigley (18mins). At Hedge Row (21mins) we turned right passing the former Country Cafe on our right and the former Cheshire Hunt pub on our left.

When we reached a gateway guarded by two stone monkeys, we kept left (29mins) and passed Heyshead Cottage on our left (31mins). We went through a wooden gate marked with a yellow arrow (37mins), crossed a wooden stile (44mins) and entered Harrop Wood.

Ignoring a green public footpath sign pointing left (51mins) we forked left shortly afterwards to reach and cross a wooden stile (52mins). We crossed another wooden stile (54mins) and our route took us first to the left of a paddock and then between two paddocks before turning left with a farmhouse on our right (61mins)

We then headed right uphill along a gravel track with Andrew’s Nob on our left. We reached a road (72mins), turned left and immediately right at a wooden public footpath sign just before the sign for Pott Shrigley (73mins). We ascended the path until we reached a broken drystone wall where we paused for pies and port (82mins). Tom, who had taken a 200-yard lead, dined alone.

From our vantage point we had magnificent views of Croker Hill and White Nancy to our left and the city of Manchester ahead in the middle distance with Winter Hill just visible behind it.

Continuing we saw the Trig Point at Sponds Hill on our left (88mins) and we were heading for Bowstones, but turned left away from the main path and walked alongside a barbed wire fence on our left (91mins). This brought us to a wooden stile marked with a yellow arrow where we turned left (96mins).

This was the start of a long descent  during which we lost and found Coco who was bouncing in a nearby field like a springbok foal. We reached a gravel road (122mins) and turned left, then right at a public bridleway (126mins). This took us past Birchencliffe Farm on our right (133mins) to a road (140mins), where we turned right and passed The Coffee Tavern on our right.

We went left at a green public footpath sign(142mins), through a kissing gate (143mins) and headed diagonally right through a field, which we exited via  a stile in the corner marked with a yellow arrow (147mins). We turned left at another stile and carried straight on at a third stile to leave Skellhorn Stud, passing a field of horses on our left which included a newly-born foal. The downhill path brought us to a winding point on the Macclesfield Canal where we headed left and crossed it by a roadbridge (155mins).

The Macclesfield Canal is one of six making up the Cheshire Ring. It is 26 miles long, starting from Marple Junction where it joins the Upper Peak Forest Canal, heads south descending 12 locks within a mile at Bosley, continuing through Congleton to join the Trent and Mersey Canal. It was built from December, 1826 to the autumn of 1829 under the supervision of Thomas Telford.

On the far side of the bridge we swung left down to crossroads (158mins) and spotted the B team sitting outside The Miners Arms to our right on Wood Lane North, Adlington, in bright sunshine. We joined them  (159mins) and tried the Doombar which was deemed unsatisfactory. Pints of Miners Arms cask bitter went down better.

While the B team started mustering for the imminent arrival of their bus, the A team which now included Jock and Tip retraced our footsteps back to Lyme View Marina, turning right with the canal on our left (162mins). After Bridge 20 we stopped at a bench for lunch (178mins). Resuming we continued until we reached a sign for the Recreation Ground on our right (212mins)

We turned right to enter the ground (214mins) and crossed the River Bollin by the same bridge we had crossed nearly five hours earlier. We exited the recreation ground and turned right to walk down to The Vale (220mins) for a variety of cask bitter options, including a light session beer called  White Nancy. The B team were already there suitably refreshed.

Next week’s walk will start at 9.50am on the road outside the White Hart pub in Bradwell, near Castleton. We expect to reach the Cheshire Cheese in Castleton around 12.20pm for a bracer and return to our cars about 2.20pm. We will then drive to the Old Hall at Hope for a final pint around 2.30pm.

Happy wandering !

Danebridge

July 5, 2017.

DANEBRIDGE, THE SHIP AT WINCLE, WHITELEE FARM, WINCLE GRANGE , JON LENDANAN FARM, LOWER MINN END FARM, HUGBRIDGE WATER TREATMENT WORKS, GRITSTONE TRAIL.CHURNET VALLEY RAILWAY LINE (DISUSED), KNOTT INN AT RUSHTON SPENCER, THE ROYAL OAK AT RUSHTON SPENCER, WORMHILL FARM, DANE VALLEY, PINGLE COTTAGE AND WINCLE BREWERY

Distance: 9 miles.

Difficulty: Easy.

Weather: Cloudy start giving way to sunshine and blue skies.

A walkers: Mickey Barrett, Tom Cunliffe, Lawrie Fairman, Mark Gibby, Hughie Harriman, Alan Hart, Steve Kemp with Archie and Bertie, and Chris Owen.

B walkers: Phil Burslem, George Fraser, Tony Job, Terry Jowett, Jock Rooney with Tips, Geoff Spurrell and Barry Williams.

Apologies: Peter Beal (narrow-boating), Alastair Cairns (house repairs), Colin Davison (French Alps holiday), George Dearsley (in Turkey)

Leader: Fairman. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Roadway at Danebridge, Wincle, Macclesfield.

Starting time: 9.40am. Finishing time: 2.23pm.

A good turn-out, perfect walking weather and an attractive new route across the borders of Cheshire And Staffordshire: what could possibly go wrong ? Well almost everything as it transpired.

When Steve forgot his state-of-the-art walking pole at Pietime and decided to go back for it, there was no hint of the series of events which would then unfold to prevent him from catching up with us. It was a classic illustration of the theory that the gods laugh when they hear mere mortals making plans.

The fact that our first watering hole at the Knott Inn was not open was our first hint that Plan B was beginning to unravel. The discovery that we were by now in a black hole for mobile signals exacerbated the situation. Add to this the fact that Lawrie, during a brief break from the airwave silence, had directed Steve to The Holly Bush instead of The Royal Oak, and you will understand how we once again looked as though we were taking part in an episode of Last of the Summer Wine.

Even when Steve staggered into sight, an hour late after completing 14miles, there was another twist to the tale. Chris was still out there looking for Steve and we were unable to tell him that the prodigal had returned. It remains to be seen whether Archie and Bertie will volunteer for future walks after their ordeal.

From Danebridge we walked uphill, passing The Ship at Wincle on our right before turning left along a path towards Whitelee Farm (6mins). This took us past Bagstones Farm on our right and into Wincle Grange (24mins), described as an “environmentally sensitive farm” by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries.

After passing through a gate marked with a yellow arrow at the opposite side of the farmyard we crossed a series of wooden stiles. This often involved the Labradors having to be lifted over by hand. (This is something which George Whaites might like to consider as he waits for his hip operation: Tom need not apply)

Imagine our disappointment when Lawrie announced we had gone the wrong way and had to retrace our footsteps over these stiles !

We lost about 15 minutes before we found a path to our left which went down and crossed Shell Brook, before we climbed up to a massive metal gate which we later learned had been built at a height to restrain a herd of deer (62mins). Another high gate was negotiated (65mins) and three more gates of metal or wooden construction before we reached a junction outside Jon Lendanan Farm where we paused for pies, port and damson gin (79mins)

The farmer, who breeds spaniels, chatted to us and explained the gates we had passed protected fields occupied by a herd of deer. We resumed by turning left downhill and Steve, critically, forgothis walking pole. We passed a sign for Bosley Minns Shires on our left (86mins) and Lower Minn End Farm on our right (96mins) before Steve realised he was pole-less.

He reclaimed Bertie from Lawrie’s care and returned with both dogs to retrieve his pole, having been given a direct route to follow us to the Knot Inn, where we were proposing to stop for a livener. The seven remaining members of the group walked on, taking a short cut over a wooden stile (103mins), through a field and to an open gate which led to the main road between Leek and Macclesfield .

We crossed the road and turned left (107mins) passing Hugbridge Water Treatment Works on our right (111mins) and crossing the River Dane to enter Staffordshire. We turned right at a metal kissing gate marked Gritstone Trail (113mins), and went under a bridge built to support the Churnet Valley Railway Line (116mins)

The Churnet Valley Line ran for 27 miles from North Rode in Cheshire to Uttoxeter in East Staffordshire. It had 14 stations and carried both goods and passengers. Work started in September, 1847, and was completed less than two years later in July, 1849, at a cost of £330,000. It closed in 1988.

After walking under the bridge we turned sharp left, up a flight of steps and reached the disused line, where we turned right (117mins). We emerged at a road next to The Knott Inn (131mins) and encountered our next challenge. Al though the pub looked ready for customers, the former landlady was supervising furniture being loaded into a van.

She advised us that the pub was closed and would remain so until new licensees were found. She also pointed out the route to the next pub, The Royal Oak, which was on the main road a quarter of a mile away. Unfortunately Lawrie got it into his head that we were going to The Holly Bush and managed to pass this misinformation on to Steve before the mobile signals disappeared.

We walked along the lane at the back of the Knott Inn, which was the continuation of the disused railway line and followed a sign for Rushton Spencer and Best Lane. This brought us to a sign which advised us to turn left (123mins) to reach The Royal Oak 200 yards away. The path led us through a field of cattle back to the main road at a point opposite The Royal Oak (128mins)

The IPA cask bitter was in good form at £3-30 a pint, and we took our refreshment at tables in the garden at the rear of the pub. A friendly barmaid offered to use the landline to put us through to Steve. It was impossible to hear much from Steve but we gathered that he had become unhappy at taking the two dogs along a main road and would try to find his way back to The Wincle Brewery.

Thus reassured we sallied forth by turning left out of the beer garden and heading uphill past Rushton Church of England Primary School on our left. When we reached a red pillar box (135mins) we turned left passing Wormhough and Wormhill Farms on our left (138mins). At a fork we headed right downhill and stopped for lunch by the side of the path (145mins)

Resuming we headed back and retraced our footsteps once again to reach a bridge (159mins). We crossed a wooden stile with the bridge on our right, passing a cottage on our left and going through a wooden kissing gate (172mins). Turning left over a footbridge we crossed the Dane (177mins) and turned right.

This brought us through a wooden gate marked with a yellow arrow (188mins), passing Pingle Cottage on our left (190mins) and a number of trout farm anglers before we reached Wincle Brewery on our left for pints of cask beer straight from the barrel at £3.

Next week’s walk will start at 9.30am from the road outside The Vale pub at 29-31 Adlington Rd, Bollington SK10 5JT. We intend to make our way to The Miners’ Arms at Wood Lane Ends, Adlington, for 12.15pm, for a bracer before returning to The Vale around 2.15pm. NB: The Vale closes at 3pm on weekdays.

Happy wandering !