Danebridge

DANEBRIDGE, WHITELEE, BARLEIGHFORD FARM, THOMPSON, WALLHILL, RUSHTON SPENCER, WORMHILL, DANE VALLEY WAY, GIG HALL, BEARDA, DANEBRIDGE.

Distance: 12.03 Kms or 7.5 miles, alternatively 16647 tc steps

Difficulty: Easy Peasy.

Weather:  Bit of a chill, around Zero degrees misty to begin but it soon burnt off giving lots of sunshine, blue skies and no wind.

Walkers: Tom Cunliffe, Chris Owen

Apologies: Daisy, George Dearsley, George Whaites, Alan Hart (mincing in Barbados), Mike Barrett (swanning round South Africa), Hugh Hardiman, Mark Gibby, Alan Duckworth, Peter Beal (wintering in Las Palmas), Steve Kemp, Julian Ross, and Uncle Tom Cobbly and all

Secondments: Colin Davison, Laurie Fairman neither did walk, apparently they turned over pulling their duvets over their heads, just a wild guess!

Leader: Chris Owen

Diarist: Tom Cunliffe

Starting point: from the bridge in Danebridge opposite Wincle Brewery.

Starting time: 10:05am. Finishing time: 2.30pm.

Once again the weather had the last say in who turned up for today’s wander with all but the hardiest of wanderers making the journey to Danebridge. Shame really because the weather and the walk were outstanding. It must be said, however, the traffic played a very unwelcome part in the day in that it took your diarist two hours to get from Cheadle to Danebridge, a journey that should take around 50 minutes.

It was fortuitous that this particular morning Chris was carrying out his local School Caretaker duties, spreading grit and generally making the school a safe place for the little darlings. I’m sure the staff, mothers and kids appreciate Chris’s efforts.

Today’s walk turned out to be an “off the cuff” walk from Chris in the form a figure of eight with several lucky guesses getting us to the pub and back again with only one error.  Bravo, sadly, it won’t count towards his Leaders Badge (mistakes not tolerated at the dizzy heights of WW leadership)

Like greyhounds from a sprung trap we set off uphill on the tarmac road passing the Ship Inn (unlike some of our stay-at-home absentees who more akin to a mouse in a sprung trap).

                                                     

We took the first lane on our left, from here we made our way across several fields made difficult by the virgin snow producing a complete “white-out” with no guidance from worn footpaths. As I looked back at our solitary footprints in the snow I was reminded of the famous quote attributed to the Baltimore Grotto Caving Club  “Take only pictures, leave only footprints”

One hour in to our wander we stopped at the bridge which crosses the River Dane and which leads up to Barleighford farm.

Suitably refreshed, Chris consulted his map, he turned it this way………. then he turned it that way……. and back again, eventually folding it up and declaring we should retrace our steps for 200 yards. I dutifully followed but as we approached the chosen route the sign said “no public access”. 

Back to the bridge and another consultation of the map Chris then said that he’d remembered the route after all, which we duly followed error free all the way to the Knott Inn at Rushton Spencer arriving at 12.30. After quaffing a couple of acceptable pints of Courage Directors Ale we returned to Danebridge popping in to the Wincle brewery for a pint of indifferent slop.

Back to our vehicles, debooting then home.


Meanwhile at Kinder Downfall......you can see more pictures here....(click on the word "here")

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-derbyshire-47116409

Next week's walk will start from the Cock at Whaley Bridge taking in Cromford Railway, Taxal Church and Edge, Windgather etc to the Shady Oak for 12.15.

Happy Wandering