Hayfield

HAYFIELD, SETT VALLEY TRAIL, BIRCH VALE, OLLERSETT MOOR, BIG STONE, CRACKEN EDGE, CLAPPERSGATE, NEWSTEAD, THE LAMB INN AT CHINLEY HEAD, VORPOSTEN, MOUNT FAMINE RIDGE, ELLE BANK AND THE SPORTSMAN AT HAYFIELD

Distance: 8 miles.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Weather: Light drizzle and poor visibility early on: brightening later.

Walkers: Peter Beal, Alastair Cairns, Mark Gibby, Alan Hart, Chris Owen and Jock Rooney with Tip.

B walkers: Phil Burslem, Colin Davison, Lawrie Fairman, Tony Job, Geoff Spurrell and Barry Williams.

Leader: Beal. Diarist: Hart.

Starting Point: Outside The Sportsman, Hayfield.

Starting time: 9.38am. Finishing time: 2.39pm.

The start of this walk was tinged with sadness because George was absent due to the loss of his daughter Tracey two days earlier. Although her passing was not unexpected following a long illness, our sympathies lay with George and his family. George has borne this burden with commendable courage and we look forward to seeing him again in the not-too-distant future.

A damp, misty morning matched our mood as we set off, but by the time we finished the sun was shining, the scenery was magnificent and the world seemed a better place.

A visit to The Lamb Inn at Chinley Head, where we joined forces briefly with Colin and Lawrie, helped to raise our spirits and the excellent pints of Wainwrights’ cask bitter in The Sportsman at Hayfield ensured we ended the day in good form.

We crossed the road opposite The Sportsman to follow a wooden public footpath sign which led us down a flight of steps and a bridge across the River Sett. We turned right (2mins) with the river on our right and reached the main road in Hayfield (11mins) where we turned right downhill, then left into The George Hotel car park.

Here we waited for Chris while he bought provisions for the journey, having carefully loaded his rucksack and left it in his kitchen. On previous occasions Chris, who is clearly in need of a full-time carer, has forgotten his boots and lost his poles.

Our group re-formed and went through an underpass to the far side of the A624 linking Glossop with Chapel-en-le-Frith. Beyond the bus station we followed the Sett Valley Trail (19mins)

This 2.5 mile bridleway links Hayfield with New Mills via Birch Vale and Ollersett along the lower valley of the River Sett. It follows the track-bed of the former branch line from New Mills Central Station to Hayfield. The line, which opened in 1868, closed in 1970.

We left the trail at a wooden public footpath sign indicating Chinley (33mins) and emerged on the main road linking New Mills and Hayfield opposite The Grouse at Birch Vale. Crossing the road we entered Morland Road to the left of the pub (34mins) and began a steady climb up to Ollersett Moor.

Our route took us through one wooden gate (51mins) and another led us on to a public bridleway (69mins). Instead of following the bridleway we turned immediately left to cross a field. We went left at a wooden public footpath sign (79mins), crossed a wooden stile (84mins) and turned left uphill to reach Big Stone (87mins)

On a clear day this rocky outcrop commands splendid views of the Kinder Range but on this occasion we were shrouded in mist and could barely see each other. Thus no time was lost as we turned right along the ridge and as we approached a stone step stile Peter swung left downhill to lead us to what is often described as a rude dwelling.

At this modest shelter we paused for pies and port (92mins) before going back up to the stone step stile and crossing it to reach Cracken Edge. We crossed a wooden stile marked with a yellow arrow (98mins), went through a wooden gate (119mins) and turned left after 25 yards to descend a flight of steps.

This brought us to a country lane where we turned left (121mins). We passed Clappersgate on our right (124mins) and after passing Newstead on our right (133mins) we turned right at a wooden public footpath sign. This took us through two wooden gates marked with yellow arrows to enter a field (138mins). We kept next to the wall on our left, went through a wooden kissing gate and turned right (141mins)

At a lane leading to the farmhouse on our right we turned left up a steep hill to reach and cross the A624 (145mins).  We turned left and reached The Lamb Inn on our right (147mins) with Colin and Lawrie hot on our heels.

Suitably refreshed we turned left out of the pub car park along the A624 in the direction of Chapel and went left over a wooden stile (148mins) and through a wooden gate with a yellow arrow to begin a long climb up Vorposten. We swung left on reaching level ground (162mins) and stopped for lunch by a drystone wall.

Continuing we went through a wooden gate (165mins) and passed a memorial to Peter “Ped” Nelson on our right (174mins). We turned right at a public bridleway (176mins) towards Kinder Valley. This brought us through a wooden gate (179mins) where we turned left with a drystone wall on our left.

By now the sun which had burned off the mist was shining brightly and we had splendid views of Mount Famine and South Head in the distance. We crossed a ladder stile (197mins) and carried straight on to reach a wooden gate (198mins). Beyond it was a public bridleway and a memorial bench for Ruth Catherine Lee (nee Hallam) who “was raised, walked and ran on these glorious hills.”

However we turned right before the gate and forked right to go downhill (208mins). A steep descent took us to a T-junction of paths at Elle Bank where we turned left (212mins) and went through a wooden gate (214mins).

When we reached a stone pillar the quicker route back would have been to turn left and cross the bridge on our right which we had crossed earlier opposite The Sportsman. Two minues of valuable drinking time were lost when some of us – and we know who we are – turned right, passing the campsite on our right, and then crossed a bridge on our left to reach Kinder Road (219mins)

Turning left we walked back with the River Sett now on our left and reached The Sportsman (221mins) just as the B team were leaving it.

Next week’s walk will start at 10am outside The Bull’s Head at Ashford-in-the-Water, south-east of Buxton. We will be heading for Longstone Edge and aiming to reach the Pack Horse at Little Longstone around 12.30pm. After eight miles we will return at about 2.30pm to The Bull’s Head at Ashford for a final drink.

Happy wandering !

Dean Row

THE UNICORN AT DEAN ROW, HANDFORTH, BOLLIN VALLEY WAY, MOTTRAM HALL GOLF COURSE, PRIEST LANE, LEGH OLD HALL, WOODEND FARM, LOWER GADHOLE FARM, BOLLIN VALLEY, THE ADMIRAL RODNEY AT PRESTBURY, PRESTBURY SEWAGE TREATMENT WORKS, MOTTRAM HALL GOLF COURSE, BOLLIN VALLEY WAY AND THE UNICORN AT DEAN ROW

Distance: 10-11 miles.

Difficulty: Easy.

Weather: Dry, mostly cloudy.

Walkers: Peter Beal, Steve Courtney with Luna, Tom Cunliffe with Daisy, Alan Hart and Chris Owen.

B walkers: Phil Burslem, Colin Davison, Lawrie Fairman, George Fraser and Geoff Spurrell.

Apologies:  Micky Barrett (attending funeral), Alastair Cairns (business meeting), George Dearsley (in Turkey), Mark Gibby (monitoring York Ebor meeting on TV), Hughie Hardiman (Holland hols), Tony Job (Poynton Show duties), Steve Kemp (illness), Jock Rooney (in Isle of Man), Julian Ross (Vietnam hols), George Whaites (domestic duties)

Leaders: Various. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Car park of The Unicorn at Dean Row, Handforth.

Starting time: 9.33am. Finishing time: 2.33pm.

This route was chosen by us as part of Lawrie’s recovery route while he awaits a knee operation. So we were left rather rudderless and unprepared when he elected for a stroll around Prestbury with Colin instead of joining us for the start at Dean Row.

Our lack of leadership might also explain why a walk of eight miles went on for nearly 11 as we wandered uncertainly along the Bollin Valley.

By journey’s end we would have given anything for a pint – although we hardly expected to be charged £4-03 for Timothy Taylor Landlord. This topped last week’s record price of £3-85 and went some way to explain the lack of customers in a once-busy pub.

From the car park we turned right on to the main road and right again at the roundabout to enter Lees Lane. We made another right turn at a wooden public footpath sign (5mins) which led us into a farmyard.

Daisy, Tom’s miniature poodle, was off the leash and decided to chase the free-range poultry, but soon fled when a group of ducks retaliated.

We exited the farmyard and crossed two wooden stiles, the latter of which was marked Bollin Way. A metal kissing gate brought us to the right of a refurbished farmhouse (17mins) where we turned right into a field following a yellow arrow.

Reaching a road (27mins) we turned right and crossed a bridge before turning immediately left downhill through a gap stile to reach the right bank of the River Bollin. We soon climbed a flight of steps and turned right away from the river to follow a sign for the Bollin Way marked with a yellow arrow. This took us to the left of a renovated house and landscaped garden where we were once ordered off his property by a lawyer who claimed there was no right of way.

We went through two metal gates to enter the golf course in the grounds of Mottram Hall. After passing an immaculate soccer training pitch, we turned left at a metal gate with a yellow arrow (47mins) to enter a wood which ran along the side of the boundary. After ignoring the first wooden stile on our right (52mins) we crossed a second one (56mins) and walked past a tee to head for some trees to the right of the fairway.

As we reached the trees we forked left and turned right along a path (62mins) which led out of the course (65mins) near a farmhouse. A long drive on our right then brought us to the main road (72mins) opposite The Bulls Head at Mottram St Andrew (There was no apostrophe on the name on the pub wall: did the writer not realise that one head indicated one bull ?)

We crossed into Priest Lane and turned left (73mins) at Rose Cottage, going left again at a wooden public footpath sign marked with a yellow arrow (74mins). This took us over several wooden stiles, passing a pink thatched cottage on our right (82mins) before we reached a flight of steps where we traditionally hold Pietime (84mins), accompanied by port.

Resuming we turned left at a green public footpath sign and then went diagonally left across the main road to head towards Legh Old Hall (85mins). After passing this building on our left, we also passed Legh Hall and then turned left at Legh Coach House (90mins)

While Steve mourned the loss of his hat, which he had left behind at our pie stop, and while we offered to wait while he retrieved it, Chris and Tom strode purposefully ahead. Steve opted to collect it later, by which time we discovered we had been heading in the wrong direction. After some fruitless searching, Peter produced a map and Tom got his gadget out.

Together they directed us to a wooden stile marked with a yellow arrow which had earlier been missed (116mins), We crossed this and three more to reach a lane outside Woodend Farm (124mins) where we turned right to reach the front of Lower Gadhole Farm (126mins). We turned right and followed the path round two paddocks to a wooden footbridge (132mins)

We went left at a wooden kissing gate and left again over a wooden stile before turning right down a lane (134mins). This took us to a bridge over the River Bollin (136mins) which we crossed and turned immediately right. We were on the outskirts of Prestbury, passing a football pitch on our right and turning left at The Village Club (143mins) to reach the car park at the rear of The Admiral Rodney (144mins)

Picture of fungi by that Fun Guy Tom

At 12.10pm the B team, including Colin and Lawrie, were firmly ensconced, enjoying excellent pints of Robbies’ cask bitter for £3-40. They showed no signs of an imminent departure when we left 50 minutes later to return to Dean Row. We paused for lunch (152mins) on benches at the side of the football pitch we had passed earlier and where Chris had once played for the local team.

Continuing, we went straight ahead at the bridge we had crossed earlier (157mins), keeping the Bollin our left as we passed Prestbury Sewage Treatment Works on our right. Beyond it, instead of continuing on the right of the river, we crossed a footbridge on our left (181mins) and followed a path which brought us back to Mottram Hall golf course.

The Par 72 championship course, in the grounds of an 18^th Century Georgian House which has been converted into a luxury hotel, is 7006 yards long. It has been visited by top golfers from all over the world and has also hosted soccer teams prior to Premiership and international matches.

From here we retraced our earlier footsteps back to the banks of the Bollin, crossing the the river by the road bridge (206mins), turning left at the renovated farmhouse  (210mins), going through the farmyard with various species of free-range poultry (224mins) and returning to The Unicorn (230mins)

Next week’s walk will start from The Sportsman at Hayfield at 9.40am, going along The Sett Valley Trail to Birch Vale, then heading up Moorlands Road on to Ollersett Moor, Big Stone and Cracken Edge before reaching The Lamb Inn at Chinley around 12.30pm. Returning via Mount Famine Ridge we hope to be back at The Sportsman for 2.30pm.

Happy wandering !

Castleton

CASTLETON, PEAK CAVERN, SPEEDWELL CAVERN, TREAK CLIFF CAVERN, BLUE JOHN CAVERN, MAM TOR, BARKER BROW, LOSE HILL, HIGH PARK HALL, MEAD FARM, THE CHESHIRE CHEESE AT HOPE, WOODROFFE ARMS, HOPE PINFOLD, PEAKSHOLE WATER, THE CHESHIRE CHEESE AT CASTLETON

Distance: 7-8 miles.

Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous.

Weather: Warm with cool breeze, sunshine and cloud.

Walkers: Micky Barrett, Peter Beal, Alastair Cairns, Mark Gibby, Alan Hart, Chris Owen and George Whaites.

Separate walker and cyclist: Colin Davison.

Apologies: Tom Cunliffe (in Anglesey), George Dearsley (in Turkey), Lawrie Fairman ( awaiting knee operation), Hughie Hardiman (domestic duties), Steve Kemp (awaiting op), Jock Rooney (Isle of Man), Julian Ross (Vietnam hols)

Leader: Beal. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Main road through Castleton near Peak Cavern.

Starting time: 9.53am. Finishing time: 2.21pm.

First of all may I apologise to those Wednesday Wanderers who misheard last week’s plans and thought we were going to begin this walk with four taverns in the first hour. This would have been a splendid and highly popular idea, but we actually passed the entrances to four caverns.

Although short in length this was one of our most strenuous routes and fortunately came with options for the less ambitious to skirt the shoulders of the summits of Mam Tor, Barker Brow  and Lose Hill. After the summer heatwave, a cooling breeze was most welcome as we enjoyed the spectacular views from the hilltops across Hope Valley.

The walk was also memorable because I believe we might have broken the record paid for a pint of cask bitter, being charged £3-85 for Swift Nick at the Cheshire Cheese in Hope. This was soon followed by the second highest-priced pint at the next pub, the Cheshire Cheese in Castleton, where we paid £3-70 for pints of Peter Rabbit. It is some comfort to know we are doing our bit in keeping Britain’s country pubs in business.

The location of two pubs called The Cheshire Cheese in Derbyshire has an interesting background. In bygone days farmers from Cheshire used to bring their dairy produce through the Hope Valley to sell in Sheffield. Landlords wishing to give them a welcome overnight stop called their inns The Cheshire Cheese to also indicate they would accept cheese in payment for accommodation. In the 20th Century there was another pub called The Cheshire Cheese in Bamford, four miles out of Hope on the way to Sheffield.

From the road we entered The Peak Cavern car park on our right with its charming sign “This Way To The Devil’s Arse.” Beyond the cavern entrance we turned right up Goose Hill (2mins) and followed the lane as it became a footpath. Where it crossed the road at The Speedwell Cavern (18mins) we followed a public footpath sign on the right and continued to climb until we reached the entrance to Treak Cliff Tavern (27mins)

Incidentally, for those of a curious disposition, the nickname Devil’s Arse was first published in 1586 by Gervaise of Tilbury, and mentioned two centuries later by Daniel Defoe in his travel guide. The name is believed to come from the flatulent noises emanating from below when flood water drains.

Peak Cavern was once reputed to be a haven for bandits when Cock Laurel, leader of the Rogues, joined forces with Giles Hather, king of the gipsies. It was also one of the last homes in Britain for troglodytes, who lived in the cave entrance making rope in the early 20th Century.

In 1959 the cavern was the scene of a tragedy when Neil Moss, a 20-year-old university student, became jammed in a passage 1,000 feet from the entrance. Many rescue attempts failed and when he died his father ordered that the passage be sealed with concrete so no others lost their lives trying to retrieve the body.

On a happier note, the cavern now hosts underground musical concerts, featuring modern bands which have included such luminaries as Jarvis Cocker.

Ouside Treak Cliff Cavern we read a plaque  informing us that 330 million years ago this was a warm tropical sea whose dead inhabitants had piled up to form the hill on which we stood.

We walked behind the cavern entrance and continued through a wooden gate (38mins). We forked left uphill and walked through another wooden gate towards The Blue John Mine.

This was named after the semi-precious mineral, a form of fluorite, which was mined throughout the 19th Century for its ornamental value and is sold in the gift shops of Castleton to this day. Blue John is purplish blue and yellow in colour so its name could have come from the French bleu jaune. As Cornish miners worked in Derbyshire’s lead mines in the 1740s, it could also have emanated from the Cornish word bleujenn.

Beyond the mine entrance we turned right (42mins) and reached a road where we turned left uphill (43mins). At a wooden public footpath sign we turned right towards Mam Tor Summit (47mins). When we reached a wooden public footpath sign and a wooden gate (57mins) the main party headed up towards the Trig Point while George and your diarist headed left to skirt the summit.

We walked along a road before turning right up a track by the side of a bus stop (59mins). We reached the far side of Mam Tor just as our five comrades descended and joined us at a broken wall where the paths met for Pietime (71mins) accompanied by port and damson gin, supplied and lovingly created by Chris.

Continuing our journey we went through a wooden gate (80mins) and proceeded to Hollins Cross (85mins) and its memorial stone. From here the path ascended again towards Barker Brow. While four of us chose the right shoulder of Barker Brow and Lose Hill beyond it (99mins), the three youngsters, Micky, Alastair and Mark took the high road to glory.

The following describes we lesser mortals’ journey as we entered a wood on the way down to Hope through a broken wooden stile (103mins). We exited via another wooden stile (112mins) and observed a pair of kestrel hunting for prey below us. It was a rare opportunity to see the attractive ruddy feathers and black wingtips on their backs.

We crossed three more wooden stiles  (121, 123 and 124 mins) before turning right at a cairn and heading steadily downhill. We went through a wooden gate (139mins) and crossed a wooden stile (144mins) before swinging left downhill. This brought us to a road where we turned right (149mins) passing High Park Hall and Mead Farm on our right before reaching The Cheshire Cheese at Hope (155mins)

Colin, who had roared up in his car to meet us before our start in Castleton, was awaiting our arrival. We enjoyed pints of Swift Nick in the beer garden despite its eye-watering price of £3-85 a pint. We bade farewell to our comrade as he drove away with his bike on the back of his car, and turned right out of the pub.

The road became Bowden Lane (158mins) and as we reached the main road it had become Edale Road (162mins). We turned right and immediately left at The Woodroffe Arms into Pindale Road (163mins). This soon brought us to Hope Pinfold for lunch (165mins). A sign giving the terms for which lost cattle were impounded here and the price for redeeming them appeared to be centuries old but in fact applied until 1947.

Resuming we continued up the road passing a St John Ambulance station before turning right at a public footpath sign on our right with Eccles Lane on our left (165mins). We went through two wooden gates (170 and 172mins) before crossing a quarry railway (175mins). A stone step stile (179mins), a kissing gate (180mins), a stone step stile (181mins) and a wooden stile with a yellow arrow (182mins) brought us to the left bank of Peakshole Water.

A wooden gate (188mins) led us to a main road where we turned left towards Castleton (193mins), reaching The Cheshire Cheese on our left (196mins). Pints of Peter Rabbit cask bitter cost £3-70. Suitably refreshed, we turned left out of the pub and walked through the centre of Castleton to return to our cars for the homeward journey (204mins)

Next week’s walk will start at 9.30am from the rear car park of The Unicorn at Dean Row, Handforth, where we hope to see our wounded comrade Lawrie. We expect to rach The Admiral Rodney in Prestbury for a livener around noon before returning to The Unicorn at 2pm.

Happy wandering !

Ashford

August 8, 2018.

ASHFORD-IN-THE-WATER, PENNY URK LANE, WYE VALLEY, DEEP DALE NATURE RESERVE, MAGPIE MINE, THE COCK AND PULLET AT SHELDON, SHEEPWASH BRIDGE AND THE BULL’S HEAD AT ASHFORD

Distance: Eight miles.

Difficulty: Easy to moderate.

Weather: Warm and dry with cloud and sunshine.

Walkers: Peter Beal, Steve Courtney with Luna, Tom Cunliffe with Daisy, Mark Gibby, Hughie Hardiman, Alan Hart, Chris Owen, Jock Rooney with Tip, and George Whaites.

Cyclist: Colin Davison.

Apologies: Micky Barrett and Steve Kemp (sailing off Turkey),George Dearsley (living in Turkey), Lawrie Fairman (awaiting knee op), Julian Ross (family hols in Vietnam)

Leader: Beal. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Road alongside Holy Trinity Church, Ashford-in-the-Water, off A6 east of Buxton.

Starting time: 9.57am. Finishing time: 2.22pm.

To lead a walk without hesitation or a backward step and reach the first pub on time is no easy task and a commendable achievement. To reach the final watering hole eight minutes ahead of schedule, thus avoiding a heavy shower, is pure genius. Take a bow, Peter Beal.

We had a record number of our canine chums for this walk with Jock (and Tip) making a welcome return after a prolonged absence, caused initially by painful knees and then a stay in his Isle of Man tax haven.

The route took us along a particularly picturesque part of the Wye Valley, passing an historic lead mine on our way to the first of two excellent village pubs. There was general agreement that we should visit the area more often.

With Holy Trinity Church on our right we turned right into Fennel St then continued straight ahead into Vicarage Lane (2mins). One our left was a wooden public footpath sign (3mins) where we turned sharp left and then swung right up a flight of steps. A gap stile brought us into a field (4mins)

After crossing a stone step stile (9mins) we turned left on to a track known as Penny Urk Lane. We went through one wooden gate (25mins) and after another we turned right following a sign pointing towards Monsal Head (31mins). After two more wooden gates marked with yellow arrows we turned sharp left (45mins) and started a gradual descent.

We went through a wooden gate and reached a stepped waterfall (60mins). We turned left and then right across a stone footbridge which took us to the far bank of the River Wye (62mins). On a grassy bank we paused for pies, port and damson gin kindly provided by Chris (63mins)

Resuming with the Wye on our left we crossed a wooden stile  (81mins) and a stone step stile (83mins) to reach the A6. We crossed this and turned left for a few yards along a lane before turning right up a flight of steps to head for the Deep Dale Nature Reserve and Ashford. The sign welcoming us to the park advised us to look out for columbine, meadow saxifrage, common knapweed, mountain pansy, common rock rose and green hairstreak butterflies.

As we headed uphill we reached a T-junction in the paths where we turned right towards Monyash (94mins). After a wooden gate (114mins) we turned left and left again over a stone step stile (115mins). This was the start of a steep climb. At the top was a stone step stile where Lunar slipped and scraped her shoulder. There were no human casualties.

It must have been my search for meadow saxifrage or the green hairstreak butterfly which made me overlook the site of the Magpie Mine, which has been preserved as an ancient monument. Its existence was first recorded in 1739 although historians believe it had been used for lead-mining for many years previously.

It stands 1,050 feet above sea level and the main shaft had a depth of 728 feet. The mine was drained by a sough (pronounced soff, meaning drainage tunnel) which emerges a mile away on the south bank of the Wye. Problems with water were alleviated in 1824 when a pumping engine was erected.

But there were also difficulties with rivalries among the pitmen  of Magpie, Maypitts and Red Soil Mines. Occasionally they would break through a vein of lead into another gang’s workings. One team would light a fire to drive the other team out. This ended in tragedy in 1833 when three Red Soil miners suffocated in a fire. Five Magpie miners were charged with their murder, but after a year in custody they were acquitted. The three Red Soil widows put a curse on the mine, which continued to have problems until it was finally closed in 1958.

We continued to a gate leading to a lane where we turned left uphill (129mins) and passed the sign for Sheldon (131mins). The main village street then led us to The Cock and Pullet on our right (138mins)

This freehold pub had been closed for some time before re-opening in 1995. It is one of the Wednesday Wanderers’ proudest boasts that we were its first customers, finding its doors open at 11.30am on its first day and persuading the new landlord to serve us. Jock recalls that the late Roy de Courcey, Ivor Jones, John Partington and Ian Price were among the walkers that day along with the still-living Tony Job.

When we arrived in the pub at the exact minute promised we discovered Colin sitting by the door tucking into lunch. He had used his electricity-assisted bike to arrive there. He later joined us in the beer garden where we were enjoying pints of Timothy Taylor Landlord cask bitter at £3-30.

Apart from its cosy pub and its tragic mine, Sheldon is also famous for its duck. According to legend, back in 1601 a duck flew into an ash tree on Sheldon Green opposite the former Devonshire Arms and was never seen again. Three hundred years later when a timber merchant felled the tree, he found the pattern inside the tree was remarkably duck-like in appearance. Subsequently segments were displayed in Ashford Post Office and postcards sold. Later the merchant used the boards as a mantelpiece at his home.

The only problem with this legend is that it would have been necessary for about 12 generations of villagers to pass down the unremarkable story of a duck flying into an ash tree and failing to reappear. Only in that way, three centuries later, would anybody have made the connection.

Leaving the pub we turned right downhill and as the road swung left we followed a wooden public footpath sign (144mins). The path took us through a gap stile (147mins) and we stopped for lunch in a wood (154mins)

Continuing we exited the wood and turned right following a yellow arrow (165mins). We went through a wooden gate (172mins) and reached the A6, where we turned right (176mins). We crossed the road and a stone-built bridge over the Wye (180mins)

This is called Sheepwash Bridge from the days of yore when sheep being herded into market were penned by the river and washed before being put up for auction.

After crossing the bridge we turned right to reach our cars and de-boot (184mins). We reached The Bull’s Head, just beyond the church on our left moments before heavy rain began to fall.

Next week’s walk of about eight miles will start at 9.50am from the road outside The Peak Cavern in Castleford. We will be climbing Mam Tor and Lose Hill before dropping down to The Cheshire Cheese at Hope around 12.20pm. We will head back along the stream, crossing the quarry railway to reach Catsleton’s Cheshire Cheese at about 2.20pm.

Happy wandering !

Bollington

August 1, 2018.

BOLLINGTON, MACCLESFIELD CANAL, ADELPHI MILL, ENDON HOUSE, KERRIDGE RIDGE, RAINOW, PEDLEY HILL, THE ROBIN HOOD AT RAINOW, LOWER BROOK FARM, BOLLINGTON RECREATION GROUND, THE VALE AT BOLLINGTON

Distance: Eight miles.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Weather: Warm with cloud and sunshine.

Walkers: Peter Beal, Alastair Cairns, Tom Cunliffe with Daisy, Colin Davison*, Hughie Hardiman, Alan Hart and Chris Owen.

Apologies: Micky Barrett and Steve Kemp (yachting off coast of Turkey), George Dearsley (living on mainland Turkey), Lawrie Fairman (preparing for knee operation), Julian Ross (w*^king), George Whaites (domestic duties).

Leader: Hart. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Free car park overlooking Bollington Recreation Ground.

Starting time: 9.30am. Finishing time: 1.56pm.

If we had known Peter was returning after his annual summer narrow-boat adventures we might have chosen a different venue for this walk through familiar territory. With Lawrie a long-term absentee, we have been struggling to find routes which we can accomplish in the absence of our tried and trusted leaders.

Uneasy lies the head which wears the crown and we lesser mortals are always reluctant to accept the poisoned chalice of group responsibility. In the words of Joni Mitchell, you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.

So with Peter back in the fold, we can look forward to some Peak District countryside which lies within his area of expertise, starting with next week’s walk from Ashford-in-the Water. Meanwhile, despite the loss of Colin* to exertion within the first hour , we enjoyed fine weather, fine ale and fine company.

After a brief excursion to our favourite pie shop, we reassembled on the right bank of the Macclesfield Canal (30mins) which we had reached by steps at the aqueduct over the main road into Bollington. After passing Bridge 27 with the water on our left we reached the Adelphi Mill on our right (36mins).

This is now the home of many local businesses. It was built as a cotton mill between 1851 and 1856, when it opened, by brothers Martin and George Swindells. Adelphi is the Greek word for brothers. The steam-powered mill with its distinctive octagonal stone chimney received raw cotton from Liverpool via the Macclesfield Canal and the finished product was despatched by the same waterway.

In 1898 it amalgamated with other Bollington Mills to become The Fine Spinners and Doublers Association. It converted to become a silk-throwing and winding mill in 1948, became part of Courtaulds and closed in 1970.

We left the canal at Bridge 28 (39mins) crossed the canal and  followed a path which swung right up to a road where we turned right (46mins). A few yards further we turned left into Higher Lane (47mins) and passed Endon House with its distinctive clock on our right (52mins). A few yards beyond the house was an easily-missed footpath sign indicating a flight of steps where we turned left (53mins)

This steep flight brought us out on a road (55mins) where we learned that Colin* had turned back exhausted. Soldiering on without his cheery banter we turned left up a path alongside a quarry (60mins) which took us to the ridge which gives its name to Kerridge Hill (66mins). We turned right with views down to the picturesque village of Rainow on our left and the less attractive Hurdsfield Industrial Estate on our right.

This estate is the home of AstraZenca’s manufacturing and packing facility. This Anglo-Swedish multi-national pharmaceutical company, with headquarters in Cambridge, employed 60,000 people worldwide in 2017 and had a net income last year of $US 2.868 billion. It was founded in 1999 through the merger of Swedish firm Astra AB and the English Zeneca Group. The Zeneca Group itself was formed as a result of the break up of I.C.I (Imperial Chemical Industries), which employed some of the Wednesday Wanderers’ founding fathers.

We followed Kerridge Hill to its Trig Point (75mins) and began our descent through a series of metal kissing gates until we reached a road in Rainow where we paused on steps for pies, port and wine gums (88mins). Resuming we turned left along the main road and turned right uphill just before we reached a public phone box and a bus stop. At the top of the cul de sac we followed a wooden public footpath sign marked with a yellow arrow (91mins) into a field.

We crossed a ladder stile and turned left over a double stile (106mins), while Tom and his miniature poodle opted for a more direct route to the pub. Our main group crossed wooden stiles on either side of a lane by a cattle-grid (109mins) and went through a wooden gate on our right. A wooden gate marked with a yellow arrow (111mins) brought us to a wooden footbridge (114mins) which we crossed and went over a ladder stile (115mins)

We continued uphill to reach a stone step stile (117mins) which we crossed and turned left. Reaching the main road (122mins) we turned right and continued along it until Pedley Hill changed its name to Church Lane. By now we had caught up Tom and his bitch. Turning left into Stocks Lane (126mins) we reached The Robin Hood at 11.50am (129mins)

Although the doors were open and there was a party of seven waiting to order lunch, we were asked to wait outside with them until the clock struck 12 noon. Inside the Wainwrights was on good form at £3-20, although it was noticed that Tom ensured all his colleagues had bought pints before he was willing to risk one.

(Though the early bird catches the worm, it’s the second mouse which gets the cheese !)

Suitably refreshed we left by turning right out of the pub car park instead of going back via Stocks Lane and The Virgins’ Path. We paused for lunch at a bench (134mins) with a view across the valley to Kerridge Hill and White Nancy. Continuing we passed Lower Brook Farm on our left and turned left (137mins). We turned left again at a footpath sign through a metal kissing gate (149mins), passing through a series of gates and a bridge over the River Dean (157mins)

We then turned right and passed a derelict mill on our right before reaching a pond on our left and turning right at The Crown (167mins) along Church Street. At the end of the street we turned left (170mins) and walked along the main road until we reached the path leading down to Bollington Recreation Ground (177mins). This took us back to the cars, where those who could de-booted and walked to The Vale. Pints of White Nancy and Long Hop at £3-30 were deemed to be in good order.

Next week’s walk will start at 10am from outside The Bull’s Head at Ashford-in-the-Water on the A6 east of Buxton. Peter will lead for 5 miles arriving at The Cock and Pullet, Sheldon (worth a visit for the name alone) at precisely 12.30pm and we will return a further three miles to The Bull’s Head, Ashford, at exactly 2.30pm (No pressure Peter)

Happy wandering !