October 4, 2017.
FURNESS VALE,
OLLERSETT MOOR, COTE BANK FARM, BRIERLEY GREEN, BLACK BROOK, PEAK FOREST
TRAMWAY, THE OLD HALL AT WHITEHOUGH, CHINLEY, BRIARGROVE COTTAGE, ROSECROFT
COTTAGE, GOWHOLE LANE, PEAT HALL FARM, PEAK FOREST CANAL AND THE SOLDIER DICK
AT FURNESS VALE
Distance: Almost
nine miles.
Difficulty: Easy.
Weather: Dry and
mainly cloudy.
Walkers: Peter Beal*, Steve Courtney, Colin
Davison, Mark Gibby, Alan Hart, Steve Kemp, Chris Owen, Jock Rooney with Tip,
Julian Ross.
B Walkers: Tony
Job, Terry Jowett, Ken Sparrow, Geoff Spurrell and Barry Williams.
Apologies: Alastair
Cairns, Tom Cunliffe (heel injury), George Dearsley (in Turkey), Lawrie Fairman
(convalescing from pneumonia by cruise lecturing), Hughie Harriman and George
Whaites (domestic duties)
Leader: Davison. Diarist: Hart.
Starting point: The
Soldier Dick at Furness Vale.
Starting time: 9.32am.
Finishing time: 2.24pm.
You can follow the route by clicking on the next word link
or cut and paste the link/URL below into your browser.
We welcomed home Steve, who had spent nearly two years in
the Dordogne region of France. It would seem the lure of family and friends
proved stronger than a drier climate and some stunning scenery. But Steve
confessed it was pints of British-brewed beer which tipped the balance.
Of course we have some stunning scenery of our own in the
Peak District, and although Ollersett Moor might be considered to be on its
periphery the summit provided us with views of landmarks 20 miles away.
On our journey we met a pair of natives of South America and
a couple who originated from Australia.
From the front of the pub we crossed the A6 and turned left
for 20 yards before going right down Old Road and through a tunnel under the
railway line from Manchester to Buxton. We then turned left over a bridge
across the Peak Forest Canal.
This road became Marsh Lane and 80 yards beyond the sign for
it we turned right up a flight of steps (8mins). We reached a lane and turned
left then right at a green public footpath sign which took us up more steps and
through a gate (10mins). We crossed a wooden stile to enter a field and exited
it by a stone step stile (17mins). We turned left and then right at a broken
footpath sign to head uphill (18mins)
We crossed a wooden stile (20mins) and emerged at a lane
which we crossed to climb over a farm gate (31mins) The path then took us
within close proximity of a large black dog on what appeared to be a flimsy
chain. It must have been stronger than it looked for the chain prevented the
dog’s furious attempts to break loose and attack us.
We exited the farmyard by a stone step stile (36mins) and
breathed a collective sigh of relief, although we could still hear the barking
of the frustrated dog a mile further on our journey.
We then crossed a series of wooden and stone steps stiles
until we emerged opposite a cottage and turned left (45mins). We crossed a
stone step stile on our right (46mins) and headed diagonally left to a ladder
stile (48mins) which took us on to Ollersett Moor. We headed for an electricity
pylon in the distance.
When we reached the pylon (63mins) we turned right uphill,
going through a wooden gate (84mins), turning right and stopping by a drystone
wall which protected us from a piercing wind. Here we stopped for pies and port
(87mins).
*We also bade farewell to Pete who headed off for a dental
appointment, before rejoining us at our final watering hole.
Continuing along the public bridleway we went through two
metal gates (106 and 110mins) and reached a lane where we turned left
(111mins). In doing so we passed in a field on our right two curious llamas who
had wandered a long way from the foothills of their native Andes.
We turned right at a green public footpath sign (116mins)
and proceeded downhill through an open gateway (119mins). Two more metal gates
brought us to a wooden gate marked with a yellow arrow which was a right of way
through the garden of Cote Bank Farm (125mins). We crossed the drive leading to
the farm and went over a stone step stile to head downhill.
After crossing a wooden stile (131mins) we turned left
through a passage between two rows of houses and headed right to reach a road
(135mins). On our right was Brierley Green Congregational Church. On our left
was a tunnel under a railway line which we entered and turned immediately right
at its end to descend a flight of steps.
We crossed a wooden footbridge over Black Brook (138mins)
and turned left along the route of the former Peak Forest Tramway.
This tramway, which
opened in 1796, was built by the redoubtable
Benjamin Outram to carry limestone six miles from Chapel Milton to
Bugsworth Basin, from where it was loaded into barges for transportation to
Manchester and beyond. It was powered by horse and gravity, using the weight of
loaded carts to pull back those which had been emptied.
Young boys small
enough to run beneath the horses’ chests to guide the animals became known as
“nippers” – a name which survives to this day as a description of children.
The old route took us past Black Brook on our left through
the Stephanie Works (146mins). We passed a lake on our left containing two
black swans with red beaks, whose ancestors were natives of New South Wales,
Australia, and reached a lane where we turned right uphill (149mins)
This brought us with commendable timing by our leader to The
Old Hall at Whitehough on the outskirts of Chinley (152mins), where we enjoyed
pints of Wainwrights’s cask bitter at £3-40.
After refreshment we retraced our earlier footsteps down to
the Tramway, past the lake now on our right and crossed the bridge over Black
Brook, where we paused for lunch (169mins). Resuming we continued to retrace
our early path back to Brierley Green, passing the Congregational Church on our
right as we walked along the road (172mins)
We turned right uphill at a wooden public footpath sign by
the right side of Briargrove Cottage (174mins). After some 50 yards we forked
left and then turned right at Rosecroft Cottage (176mins). We crossed a stone
step stile to enter a set of stables, passing a bemused horse in the yard, and
exited by a similar stile to walk through a field (179mins)
By crossing a series of stiles and a wooden gate we walked
through fields until we reached a makeshift gate (197mins). This brought us to
a gravel track (201mins) where we turned left under a railway bridge and along
Gowhole Lane. We passed Peat Hall Farm on our right and went along a right of
way through a garden before reaching a footbridge across the River Goyt
(205mins)
We emerged on the bank of the Peak Forest Canal by the side
of Bridge 32 (208mins). We turned right with the canal on our left until we
reached Furness Vale Marina at Bridge 31 (214mins). We exited here on our right
and crossed the bridge to head back to the A6.
After crossing the main road we turned right for 30 yards to
reach The Solider Dick (218mins) for pints of Wainwrights’ at a bargain £3.
Next week’s walk will start at 9.40am outside The Sportsman
pub in Hayfield on the road to Bowden Bridge out of the village. We intend to
reach The Lantern Pike pub to wet our whistles around 12.15pm, returning to The
Sportsman at about 2.25pm.
Happy wandering !
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