Hayfield

October 3, 2018.

HAYFIELD, KINDER ROAD, KINDER RESERVOIR, NAB BROW, WILLIAM CLOUGH, MILL HILL, THE KNOTT GROUSE BUTTS, MIDDLE MOOR, PARK HALL, THE LANTERN PIKE AT LITTLE HAYFIELD, THE CALICO TRAIL, MAY QUEEN FIELD AND THE SPORTSMAN ON KINDER ROAD, HAYFIELD

Distance: 7-8 miles.

Difficulty: Mainly moderate with strenuous climb.

Weather: Dry with early mist giving way to sunny spells.

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

Strollers: Colin Davison and Lawrie Fairman.

Apologies: Micky Barrett and Julian Ross (sailing off Turkey), Tom Cunliffe (recovering from playground injury), George Dearsley (in Turkey), Hughie Hardiman (filial duties), Steve Kemp (recovering from operation) 

Official leader: Beal. Unofficial leader: Owen. Diarist: Hart.

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

Starting time: 9.40am. Finishing time: 2.25pm.

Early mist gave way to autumnal sunshine for this walk up Derbyshire’s highest peaks. We were eventually rewarded for our efforts by some spectacular views from the foothills of Kinder across the valleys leading to Hayfield .

Once again we were deprived of Tom’s company because of an injury incurred on a runaway swing in a children’s playground. No doubt he will be pleased to learn this news was greeted with a combination of sympathy and giggling.

Peter had volunteered to lead this walk although it has to be said that Chris spent most of the time in front of his leader. Nonetheless we all reached our destinations in time without a backward step.

We were also delighted to meet Lawrie and Colin in our first designated watering hole, The Lantern Pike Inn, where Tom and Stella were once mine hosts. (They may be pleased to learn the pub was almost empty before we arrived to a warm welcome)

Lawrie will be having an operation to replace his knee later this month and we wish him a speedy recovery and return to the fold. Colin’s malaise is more problematical and we look forward to his joining us again soon in a normal role. Meanwhile we must make do with his sporadic guest appearances.

With The Sportsman on our left we crossed the road and followed a public footpath sign opposite to cross a bridge over the Sett. We turned left with the river on our left (2mins). At a fork in the path we kept left along the riverbank, passing a campsite on our right (6mins). We turned left towards Mill House Booth and Farlands (13mins) before heading right past a cottage built in 1723 (17mins)

We went through a wooden gate, reached a lane and turned left (27mins) before turning sharp right at a wooden public footpath sign (28mins). With the River Kinder on our left we reached the end of Kinder Road and turned right through a wooden gate on to a cobbled path (32mins)

The route took us past the derelict building attached to Kinder Reservoir on our right as we ascended Nab Brow. We went through a wooden gate (41mins) and ignored a footbridge over a stream on our right (52mins) to start the ascent of William Clough.

We are indebted to our learned friend Mr Beal for the information that this was named after a 13th Century smith called William, although the whereabouts of his forge have been lost in the mists of time. William Clough was also the scene of skirmishes between 400 militant hikers and servants of the Duke of Devonshire who tried to stop them trespassing in 1932. Six of the walkers were arrested on charges of assault and one of them was subsequently jailed for six months. The Kinder Mass Trespass has since been credited with the creation of National Parks and The Right To Roam Act of 2000.

 Our ascent of the clough was interrupted by a break for pies, port and rhubarb gin made and kindly supplied by Chris (90mins). When we reached a junction of pathways soon after our pause, we turned sharp left (98mins), following a sign a little later towards Bleaklow (100mins). This brought us to a cairn (108mins) where Peter started to lead us by compass bearings across the moorland.

We reached a series of grouse butts and headed towards Knott Hill and reached a well-trodden path with Chris now striding out ahead of the group. The mist had lifted and we enjoyed sunlit views across the foothills of Kinder Scout. The path brought us to a wall and a stream which we crossed by stepping stones with the wall on our right (162mins)

A few yards beyond the stream we turned right through a gate to exit Middle Moor. With Park Hall on our right we turned left down a gravel track to reach the A624 road linking Glossop and Chapel-en-le-Frith. We turned right (167mins) and reached The Lantern Pike Inn on our left (170mins) for pints of Timothy Taylor’s Landlord cask bitter at £3-70. Here we found Colin and Lawrie already ensconced after a stroll from Hayfield.

Lawrie announced he had been given a date for his knee operation on October 20 and we all wished him a speedy recovery.

Continuing our walk we turned right out of the pub towards Hayfield and then right again down Slack Lane (171mins). We turned left at a green footpath sign for Hayfield (173mins) and reached a lane through a wooden gate (180mins). We turned left uphill and at the end of the road we turned left again (182mins) At a green public footpath sign we turned right into the May Queen Field (184mins) and stopped for lunch at a set of benches (186mins)  

A plaque at the field entrance had informed us that the production of calico dominated Hayfield life in the 19th Century with the village population doubling in size and three out of every five inhabitants employed in its mills. Working hours were 6am till 6pm from Monday to Friday and from 6am till 1pm on Saturdays.

Continuing the last leg of our journey we ignored a footbridge across the Sett on our right (187mins) and emerged at Market Street, which we crossed and headed up Kinder Road (189mins). At Number 63 on our left (194mins) was a blue plaque erected by Derbyshire County Council inscribed: “Arthur Lowe 1915-82. Actor, Captain Mainwaring in Dad’s Army. Born in this terrace.”

But that is just a small part of Arthur Lowe’s story. The son of a railwayman, he served in the Middle East with the Duke of Lancaster’s Own Yeomanry taking part in stage shows for the troops. He later served as a radar technician with the Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, reaching the rank of sergeant. 

Lowe made his debut with the Manchester Repertory Company in 1945 and appeared in West End Musicals such as Call Me Madam, Pal Joey and The Pyjama Game. He can also be seen as a reporter for Tit Bits in the movie classic Kind Hearts and Coronets starring Alastair Sim and Dennis Price.

But his break-through role was as draper Leonard Swindley in Coronation Street from 1960-65. Lowe grew to hate Britain’s favourite soap opera, although when he left he starred in a spin-off sit-com called Pardon The Expression. He also played Mr Micawber in a BBC serialisation of David Copperfield. On the silver screen he appeared as a drunken butler in The Ruling Class with Peter O’Toole and as a murder victim in Theatre of Blood, starring Vincent Price.

His greatest achievement was to win a BAFTA award in 1973 as Best Supporting Actor in O Lucky Man. This put him alongside Hollywood superstars Laurence Olivier, John Gielgud, Fred Astaire and Jack Nicholson.

In real life he was a bumbling, pompous alcoholic, but I concede this is all too long for a plaque.

We reached The Sportsman on our left (201mins), de-booted and enjoyed pints of Wainwrights’ cask bitter for £3-40.

Next week’s walk will start at 9.35am from the upper car park at Brabyn’s Park, Marple Bridge. We intend calling for a bracer at The Ring O’ Bells, Marple, around 12.25pm and returning for a final drink at The Norfolk Arms, Marple Bridge, at about 2.15pm.

Happy wandering !