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 !