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 !