Topley Pike

July 18, 2018.

TOPLEY PIKE, MONSAL TRAIL, WYE VALLEY, CHEE DALE, CHEE TOR, BLACKWELL HALL FARM, FIVE WELLS FARM, BANK PIT SPRING, THE CHURCH AT CHELMORTON, BURRS FARM, TOPLEY PIKE QUARRY

Distance: 8 miles.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Weather: Mostly cloudy, warm and dry with cooling breeze.

Walkers: Micky Barrett, Colin Davison, Mark Gibby, Alan Hart and George Whaites.

Apologies: Peter Beal (narrow-boating), Tom Cunliffe (caravaning abroad), Alastair Cairns (supervising building work), George Dearsley (in Turkey), Lawrie Fairman (cruise-lecturing), Steve Kemp (poorly), Chris Owen (cycling hols).

Leader: Davison. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Lay-by at quarry entrance opposite Monsal Trail car park, Topley Pike, on A6 out of Buxton.

Starting time: 10am. Finishing time: 2.23pm.

Despite another warm summer’s day, our numbers were depleted due to holidays, incapacity and in some cases w^*king. Nonetheless it was good to welcome Micky back into our ranks after a prolonged absence.

Our route along the Wye Valley was not only picturesque but it afforded us opportunities to admire some of our feathered friends, including wagtails and dippers.

A personal highlight was a visit to one of our favourite pubs in the pretty village of Chelmorton where we enjoyed the sunshine and a gentle breeze in the beer garden – not to mention pints of Marstons’ Pedigree.

We also paused at Bank Pit Spring, known locally as Illy-Willy Water, but surprisingly none of our quintet could be persuaded to try a sample.

From a lay-by next to the entrance to a quarry, we crossed the A6 and turned right to enter the pay-and-display car park which marked the start of the Monsal Trail.

The trail is a traffic-free route for walkers, cyclists, horse riders and wheelchair users. It runs from the former Midland Railway line for 8.5 miles from Blackwell Mill in Chee Dale to Bakewell. The trail on the abandoned line opened in 1981 but four tunnels remained closed for safety reasons until 2011 when they were reopened after a £2.25 million refurbishment.

We walked with the River Wye on our left before reaching a cycle hire shop on our right and turning left to cross to the left bank of the Wye by a wooden footbridge (14mins). We crossed back to the right bank via a wooden footbridge (38mins) and switched back to the left bank again (40mins) where we walked along stepping stones under the sheer cliffs through a magnificent gorge.

There was a serious danger from falling rock-climbers who were out in force to practice their hazardous hobby. Emerging from the gorge we reached a concrete footbridge (66mins) to exit Chee Dale. On its far side we paused for pies and port.

Resuming we faced a long haul up Chee Tor (75mins) where we reached some uneven land which was the remains of a Romano-British settlement dating back nearly 2,000 years. We turned left at a drystone wall and then turned right through an open gate marked with a yellow arrow (79mins).  We turned right to quarter the field and exit by the right hand corner.

On reaching a drystone wall we turned right along a track and followed a yellow arrow on a gatepost (88mins) before swinging left and going to the left of the buildings at Blackwell Hall Farm (84mins). We exited the farm and turned left (88mins). The route took us across a main road and we followed a sign for Priestcliffe (90mins).

Heading along the road we went right (92mins) through a wooden gate marked with a wooden public footpath sign and crossed a field to another wooden gate which brought us out on to the main road  (99mins). Opposite was a stone step stile which took us into The A6 Spinney (101mins) and we crossed a stone step stile at the far side of the trees to enter a field leading to a rocky farm track by a wooden gate (109mins)

We turned right and left the track at a wooden public footpath sign with a yellow arrow on our right (112mins). We went through a gate marked with a yellow arrow (115mins) and reached the yard of Five Wells Farm (119mins). We went through the farm and along a lane which brought us to a T-junction where we dog-legged left and right to follow a wooden public bridleway sign for Chelmorton (124mins). The path led us to Bank Pit Spring on our right (132mins)

Here a plaque informed us this had provided some of Chelmorton’s water supply. It was at the end of Grove Rake, a lead-mining site, and was known locally as Illy-Willy Water. (Presumably it didn’t put lead in pencils: rather the opposite)

After seeking a volunteer to try it without success, we continued into the village of Chelmorton and its pub, The Church Inn on our right, with St John the Baptist’s Church on our left (133mins)

The church, which dates back to the 13^th Century, is 1200 feet above sea level and said to be the highest in Derbyshire. Its 15^th Century spire has a weathervane in the shape of a locust, which is the symbol of John The Baptist. The Elizabethan porch is made from coffin lids.

After enjoying pints of Marstons’ Pedigree for £3-40 in the sunny beer garden we continued our perambulations by turning right out of the pub and then right at a wooden public footpath sign (134mins). We went to the left of a farmhouse (139mins) and reached a road next to Burrs Farm (146mins)

We crossed the road and followed a wooden public footpath sign which ultimately led us all the way back to our cars, over stone steps stiles, wooden stiles and a gap stile, through gates and down a steep slope where George took a tumble. Happily only his pride was hurt.

Before the start of the descent we paused for lunch at a stile (173mins). The path then led us to the right of a quarry and back to de-boot at the lay-by (188mins)

Next week’s walk will start at 10am from the road outside The Greyhound Inn at Warslow. This is accessed via the A515 Ashbourne Road out of Buxton and the B5053. Our route will take us on an 8-mile walk along the Manifold Valley and a livener will be embibed around 12.30pm at the historic Royal Oak in Wetton. If our return is too early for The Greyhound, which opens at 3pm on Wednesdays, there is the option of calling at The Devonshire Arms at Hartington on our way home.

Happy wandering !