Hayfield

January 3, 2018.

HAYFIELD, SETT VALLEY TRAIL, BIRCH VALE, MOOR LODGE, OLLERSETT MOOR, BIG STONE, CHINLEY CHURN, CLAPPERSGATE, OTTERBANK HALL, MONK’S MEADOWS, THE LAMB AT CHINLEY HEAD, HIGHER HEYS FARM, STUBBS FARM AND THE SPORTSMAN NEAR BOWDEN BRIDGE

Distance: Nine miles.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Weather: Mild, cloudy and mostly dry with strong winds.

Walkers: Peter Beal, Tom Cunliffe, Lawrie Fairman and Alan Hart.

Apologies: Mickey Barrett (Italian hols), Alastair Cairns (worried about road conditions), Colin Davison (having scan), George Dearsley (in Turkey), Mark Gibby (recovering from man-flu), Hugh Harriman (Gran Canaria hols), Steve Kemp (domestic duties), Chris Owen (blood clot on leg), Julian Ross (w^*king) and George Whaites (domestic duties)

Leader: Beal. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Road outside The Sportsman, Kinder Road, Hayfield.

Starting time: 9.35am. Finishing time: 2.25pm.

Dire forecasts of foul weather earlier in the week were diluted to predict a dry morning and gale force winds from Storm Eleanor. The threat of turbulence failed to put off four intrepid wanderers – especially when that threat came from a storm with a girly name.

Earlier in the week there had been a series of cry-offs because of medical conditions and holidays so we will take a charitable view of those who chose not to attend. They missed a new route down from Big Stone to The Lamb devised by our enterprising leader Peter.

Although the winds were howling across Ollersett Moor, they were largely at our backs and the route protected us from their full effect. Only when we reached Big Stone did we feel the power they engendered and struggle to avoid being blown over the edge of Chinley Churn.

...when the blast of war blows in our ears then imitate the action of the tiger: stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood ...(Henry V, Act 3)

...gentlemen abed in England shall think themselves accursed they were not here...(Act 4)

From outside The Sportsman we crossed the road and descended a flight of steps to reach a bridge over the River Sett. We crossed it and turned right, soon reaching Hayfield town centre via Church Street and turning left at The George car park to go through the underpass and reach the far side of the main road (12mins). We turned right and entered the bus station at the start of the Sett Valley Trail (15mins)

The trail, which is 4km long, is provided for hikers, cyclists and horse-riders along the former track of the branch line which linked New Mills Central railway station with Hayfield. Although New Mills Central still exists Hayfield Station, which opened in 1868, closed in 1970.

It was bought from British Rail by Derbyshire County Council in 1973. The station was demolished and replaced with an information centre, picnic area, car park and toilets. There are plans to create a section in the centre celebrating the Kinder Mass Trespass of 1932 by 400 ramblers which led seven decades later to the Right To Roam laws.

We turned left to leave the trail (31mins) at a public footpath sign indicating Chinley and headed uphill to emerge moments later at a main road opposite The Grouse at Birch Vale. We crossed the road, passing the pub on our left as we turned right towards New Mills. After 200 yards we turned left up a side road (34mins), which my learned friend Mr Beal informed us was actually called Oven Hill Road despite being labelled Over Hill Road on the area’s maps.

This was the start of a steady ascent, but we were on the leeward side of a hill which protected us from the howling winds. We turned left when we reached a public bridleway (60mins). The route continued uphill through a series of four wooden gates ((64, 69, 75 and 83mins) followed by a wooden stile (93mins) which brought us to Big Stone (95mins)

Now without protection, it was here we felt the fully fury of the winds generated by Storm Eleanor. It virtually blew Lawrie over a stile. Tom fell twice and your diarist once as we started the descent by turning right along Chinley Churn. After crossing a ladder stile (99mins) we turned left to follow the path downhill which swung further left through a wooden gate (101mins)

We reached a spot in the rocks sheltered from the wind, with a convenient bench, where we paused belatedly for pies and port (104mins). We retraced our footsteps through the wooden gate (107mins) to continue our descent along Chinley Churn, choosing the higher, safer route where the paths forked. We crossed a stone step stile (126mins) and a wooden stile (131mins) before heading through a wooden gate and down a flight of steps on our left to reach a road (133mins)

Turning left we passed Clappersgate Farm on our right (137mins), then Otterbank Hall and Newstead, which we passed and turned right at a wooden public footpath sign (146mins). The path took us through three wooden gates (152, 153 and 155mins) before we turned right and went through two metal gates and reached a farm track (156mins)

We turned left uphill and reached the main road (159mins), turning left again and reaching The Lamb Inn on our right (161mins). There was a warm welcome from the landlady, a warm fire and excellent pints of Wainwrights’ cask bitter for £3-50.

On leaving the pub we turned right, passing Lamb Quarry Ecological and Conservation Site on our right (165mins) before turning right uphill along a track just before Hayfield View Camping Barn  (174mins). We dog-legged right and left to follow a public bridleway sign (178mins). This took us through two five-barred wooden gates (181 and 182mins)

Some 20 yards before we reached a free-standing rock known as The White Lady, we turned left (196mins). After passing through a wooden gate (199mins) we took the right fork to head downhill. After a brief lunch break (209mins) we turned right at a wooden public footpath sign (211mins) and went through two wooden gates to reach a wooden footbridge over the Sett (213mins). We headed left uphill to reach a road (215mins) where we turned left and reached our cars outside The Sportsman (216mins)

Next week’s walk will start at 9.30am from Brabyns Car Park at Marple Bridge, aiming to reach The Devonshire Arms at Mellor around 12.15am. We expect to be back at our cars to de-boot around 2.20pm before heading for further refreshment at The Norfolk Arms, Marple Bridge. It is Mark’s birthday and he hopes to have recovered sufficiently to celebrate the occasion in the usual style.

Happy wandering !