Poynton

February 27, 2019.

POYNTON SPORTS CLUB, PRINCES INCLINE, MACCLESFIELD CANAL, LADYBROOK TRAIL, MANCHESTER-BUXTON RAILWAY LINE, LYME PARK, LORD VERNON WHARF, MACCLESFIELD CANAL, THE MINERS ARMS AT ADLINGTON, HIGHER POYNTON, HOCKLEY, PARK LANE AND THE KINGFISHER (WETHERSPOONS) AT POYNTON

Distance: 10 miles.

Difficulty: Easy.

Weather: Warm with blue skies and sunshine.

Walkers: Andy Blease,  Alastair Cairns, Tom Cunliffe, Alan Duckworth, Mark Gibby, Hughie Hardiman, Alan Hart, Mark Kean, Chris Owen, Jock Rooney with Tip, and George Whaites.

Recovering invalids: Colin Davison and Lawrie Fairman.

B team walkers: Tony Job, Ken Sparrow, Geoff Spurrell and Barry Williams.

Non-walking drinker (and birthday boy): Terry Jowett.

Apologies: Mickey Barrett (Antipodean hols), George Dearsley (in Turkey), Julian Ross (mending door hinge)

Leader and diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Poynton Sports Club Car Park.

Starting time: 9.37am. Finishing time: 2.05pm.

Birthday boy Terry Jowett had a bumper turnout for this walk. Whether it was the glorious unseasonably warm weather or the promise of free food and drink at the end is a matter of speculation.The assembly of 13 walkers at the start might have been deemed unlucky by those of a suspicious nature, and so it proved.

Terry’s generous offer to treat us to chilli, rice and chips back at the Sports Club after the walk had to be cancelled because of a belated problem affecting the caterer. But the Wednesday Wanderers’ motto – Firm of Purpose: Flexible in Design – came into play. A switch of the final venue left us hungry but not thirsty as Terry bought drinks all round. We wish him many happy returns of his 73rd birthday on Friday.

There was also an unexpected reunion for debutant walker Andy Blease and relative newcomer Mark Kean. Andy had been hoping to be introduced to the group by his mate Julian, who was unable to attend. But he was surprised to find Keano among our numbers. Keano was best man at Andy’s wedding !

From the car park we set off at a spirited pace on the understanding that Colin and Lawrie would take a slightly shorter and more leisurely route. We turned right along London Road North and right again at Woodside Lane before taking the left fork at the start of the new houses to head up Princes Incline.

This took us past Towers Yard Farm on our left and Davenport Golf Club on our right before we crossed Middlewood Road (29mins). We followed Prince Road across the bridge over The Middlewood Way to reach the Macclefield Canal (37mins). Here we turned left with the waterway on our right until we reached Bridge 13 (43mins)

Turning left and left again to cross the bridge we reached a colourfully-decorated and extended World War 11 pillbox and we left by the side of it to reach the opposite bank of the canal with the water now on our left. After passing a few moored barges we turned right following a green public footpath sign for Lyme Park (45mins)

We were now on the Ladybrook Trail which took us over stiles, across wooden footbridges, over ladder stiles, across the Manchester-Buxton railway line and through a tunnel under it until we reached Lyme Park itself (70mins). When we reached the entrance hut (73mins) we broke into two separate groups as six walkers opted to climb uphill to Lyme Cage while the other five followed the road before turning right to reach picnic tables for Pietime (93mins)

Suitably refreshed with port and damson gin kindly provided by Chris, we continued by circling to the left of the lake and following the lane which swung right. After a brief uphill section this then levelled off and we made a gradual descent out of the park, eventually reaching Lord Vernon’s Wharf by Bridge 15 (124mins)

We now swung right to go under the bridge and walked in the direction of Macclesfield with the canal of that name on our left. When we reached Lyme Marina at Bridge 18 (150mins) we left the towpath by a kissing gate on the right which led to a lane downhill. This soon brought us to Wood Lane North where we turned right with The Miners Arms on our left (152mins)

I regret to inform you that this pub is another example of a missing apostrophe. It has changed hands several times in recent years as a procession of licencees have tried to operate a successful business. Perhaps potential customers have been put off by the sloppy grammar.

Here we joined Colin and Lawrie, who had arrived a little earlier, to sit in the sunshine at tables outside, enjoying pints of Wainwrights or, in some sad cases, glasses of lime and soda. Colin, sporting a waistcoat and brown fedora, had turned back the fashion clock by several decades.

Continuing our perambulations we turned left to pass the pub car park and climbed a stile on our left to follow a footpath which took us between fields until it reached a T junction at a lane (165mins). Here we turned right for 20 yards before going left and following a winding path which brought us to a wooden footbridge.

The Wednesday Wanderers stop for pie time in Lyme Park

pic by Alan Hart

We crossed this and reached a road with a green public footpath sign opposite us (171mins). We followed this over a wooden stile marked with a yellow arrow, going over two further wooden stiles to enter and exit two fields. Another wooden stile took us across a road (179mins) and past allotments on either side of our path.

After turning right at a green public footpath sign we turned left at a path which headed towards the distinctive steeple of St George’s Church, Poynton. We headed left through a field (185mins) and reached Coppice Road by the side of a shop called Timeless Brides. Here we turned right (187mins and headed downhill to reach the start of Park Lane at its junction with Towers Road at Hockley (191mins)

Our journey then took us past Poynton’s main commercial road, with its wide array of shops, pub, club, wine bars, supermarket and restaurants. At the end of Park Lane at the double roundabout we turned left, soon reaching The Kingfisher Wetherspoons on our right (207mins). Here we enjoyed a selection of cask ales costing less than £2 a pint.

Next week’s walk will start at 9.45am from the car park of Sutton Hall, Sutton, Macclesfield, aiming to reach The Harrington Arms at Gawsworth around 12.30pm for a bracer. We expect to return to Sutton Hall for a final drink at about 2.30pm.

Happy wandering !

Topley Pike

February 20,  2019.

TOPLEY PIKE, WYE VALLEY MONSAL TRAIL, BLACKWELL MILL, CHEEDALE, CHEE TOR, BLACKWELL HALL FARM, FIVE WELLS FARM, BANK PIT SPRING (ILLY WILLY WATER), THE CHURCH INN AT CHELMORTON, SHEPLEY FARM, DEEP DALE, TOPLEY PIKE QUARRY

Distance: 8 miles.

Difficulty: Moderate with one strenuous climb.

Weather: Mainly cloudy and dry.

Walkers: Alastair Cairns, Tom Cunliffe with Daisy, Alan Duckworth, Alan Hart, John Jones, Chris Owen and George Whaites.

Invalid walkers: Colin Davison and Lawrie Fairman.

Apologies: Mickey Barrett (Antipodean hols) ,Peter Beal (walking in Lake District), George Dearsley (in Turkey), Mark Gibby (frozen shoulder), Hughie Hardiman (filial duties), Julian Ross (celebrating birthday with wife)

Leader: Cunliffe. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Lay-by next to entrance to Topley Pike Quarry, three miles south east of Buxton.

Starting time: 9.50am. Finishing time: 2.33pm.

Forecasts of rain failed to materialise so The Magnificent Seven who turned out for this walk were rewarded with some spectacular views in ideal weather conditions. Overnight rain had left a film of water on top of the limestone rocks strewn along the pathways and a heightened sense of vigilance prevailed after an early faller.

Chris slipped on a highly polished step as we walked along the Wye Valley and was saved from serious injury by his rucksack, which broke the fall. This alerted us all to the perils and the only other victim was George, who, while carefully checking where he was putting his feet, banged his head on an overhanging rock. It is hard not to laugh at such misfortunes and we must all try harder.

My apologies to those who read last week’s report and looked forward to helping Julian to celebrate his birthday during this one. Inexplicably he chose to spend the day with his wife Dee instead of his real friends. Nonetheless we wish him many happy returns.

The good news is that next week Terry Jowett is celebrating his imminent birthday by laying on chilli, rice and chips at Poynton Sports Club at the end of the walk. He has asked me to invite all Wednesday Wanderers to join him for the meal at 2.30pm.

On arrival at one of our favourite pubs for a livener, we were joined at The Church Inn, Chelmorton, by our wounded comrades, Colin and Lawrie, who had arrived by a different route from Taddington and Flash. This account, following the directions of our hike on July 18 last year, covers the journey of the larger main group.

From the Topley Pike Quarry lay-by we crossed the A6 and turned right through the Wyedale Monsal Trail car park to reach the right bank of the River Wye.

The Monsal Trail was formed from a section of the Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midlands Junction Railway, built by Midlands Railway in 1863 to link Manchester with London. It closed in 1968 but 8.5 miles of the track were reopened in 1981 for use by hikers, cyclists and horse-riders.

It starts at Topley Pike junction in Wye Dale and runs to Coombs Viaduct one mile south-east of Bakewell. It follows the Wye Valley through Blackwell Mill, Millers Dale, Cressbrook, Monsal Dale, Great Longstone, Hassop and Bakwell, using six tunnels.

After passing the Blackwell Mill Cycle Hire shop on our right we crossed a footbridge over the Wye following a Pennine Bridleway sign for Wormhill (15mins) and turned right along a path into Chee Dale with the Wye on our right. After Chris had his stumble, leaving him shaken but not stirred, George suffered a bang on the head as we crossed a row of stepping stones next to a cliff wall.

Wednesday Wanderers shrug off these misfortunes and we continued along the path, at one point crossing a wooden footbridge to the right bank (40mins) and then crossing another back to the left (42mins). A third wooden footbridge on our right took us across a tributary of the Wye (58mins) and we reached another footbridge with a wooden footpath sign pointing across it to Blackwell (70mins). Here we paused for pies, port and damson wine kindly provided by Chris.

After crossing the footbridge on our right we began a long ascent of Chee Tor, once an Iron Age fortress with commanding views over two valleys. After stopping to admire the views and catch our collective breath we turned left at the drystone wall ahead of us until we reached a five-barred wooden gate (86mins).

We turned right through this and headed for the right corner of a field before turning right and then left through a seven-barred metal gate (94mins). Yellow arrows guided us along a lane through Blackwell Hall Farm  (101mins) and we swung left beyond the farm to reach a main road (104mins)

Crossing this we were following a sign for Priestcliffe and Taddington until we reached a stone step stile and a wooden public footpath sign on our right (106mins). We crossed the stile and walked through a field until we reached a main road (113mins)

We went straight on over a stone step stile to enter a spinney with a path alongside a drystone wall on our left. We exited the copse by another stone step stile (114mins) and proceeded through a field which we left via a stone step stile to reach a farm track (120mins). We followed the track right until we reached a path on our right just before a metal gate.

The path led us through Five Wells Farm (131mins) beyond which we swung left along a lane. At the end of this track we dog-legged left and right to follow a wooden public footpath sign for Chelmorton (135mins). This led us down to Bank Pit Spring on our right (144mins), which a plaque informed us was known locally in bygone days as Illy Willy Water.

In the past it has been impossible to find a volunteer to taste the water to seek an explanation for its unusual name. But on this occasion Corporal Jones sprang forward and declared it to be delicious. We look forward to his report of any symptoms next week if he is still with us.

Fifty yards beyond the spring we reached The Church Inn at Chelmorton on our right (145mins) where we enjoyed a selection of cask beers including Marstons’ Pedigree which were priced from £3-40 to £3-70 a pint. Tom was outraged to discover that the sign awarding the pub the Wednesday Wanderers’ seal of approval had been removed from the premises.

On leaving the pub we turned right and after 50 yards turned right towards Shepley Farm. However the disappearance of a wooden public footpath sign which used to indicate the way caused some confusion, followed by to-ing and fro-ing which added some ten minutes to our journey time.

Once we had established we were heading the right way the route back was straightforward: a straight line – apart from a dog-leg right and left (169mins) - through fields and gates and over stiles. We paused for lunch by the side of a drystone wall (178mins) before crossing a wooden stile prior to the steep descent into Deep Dale (186mins)

When we reached level ground we were walking along a path to the right of the fenced off quarry and reached our cars (199mins). Nobody seemed interested in having a final pint at Wetherspoons in Buxton as planned.

Next week’s walk will start at 9.30am from Poynton Sports Club car park. Because there is considerable doubt about the opening hours of The Boar’s Head at Higher Poynton, we will be heading to The Miners Arms at Lane Ends, Adlington, to knock the froth off a couple around 12.15pm before returning to the club at about 2.15pm.

Happy wandering !

Hope

February 13, 2019.

HOPE, THE GRAND RIDGE (LOSE HILL, BACK TOR, HOLLINS CROSS AND MAM TOR), THE BLUE JOHN CAVERN, TREAK CLIFF TAVERN, SPEEDWELL CAVERN, GOOSEHILL HALL, PEAK CAVERN, THE CHESHIRE CHEESE AT CASTLETON, PEAKHOLE WATER, HOPE PINFOLD AND THE OLD HALL AT HOPE

Distance: 7-8miles.

Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous.

Weather: Blue skies and sunshine.

Walkers: Peter Beal, Alastair Cairns, Steve Courtney with Luna, Tom Cunliffe with Daisy, Mark Gibby, Hughie Hardiman, Alan Hart, John Jones, Chris Owen and George Whaites.

Apologies: Mickey Barrett (in Australia), George Dearsley (in Turkey), Alan Duckworth (in Kent), Jock Rooney (in the Isle of Man)  and Julian Ross (family illness)

Leader: Beal. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Edale Road, Hope, Derbyshire, near The Old Hall.

Starting time: 9.46am. Finishing time: 2.05pm.

The Hope Valley is regarded as one of the most picturesque landscapes in Derbyshire’s Peak District because of the splendid sights from The Grand Ridge. Last month only two stalwarts attended and were rewarded for their stoicism by driving rain and poor visibility. This time ten A team walkers were given the benefit of unseasonably warm weather and fabulous views.

As we assembled Tom arrived with Daisy wearing a cute bow around the neck. For the purposes of clarification it was the black miniature poodle who was wearing the adornment. Steve Courtney also returned to our ranks with his black Labrador Luna for their first outing of the year.

Next week we are confidently expecting an even bigger turnout when Julian celebrates his birthday. Sadly he was unable to attend this walk because of injuries sustained by his mother-in-law in a car crash. We send our best wishes to Julian, his wife Dee and her mother, hoping for a speedy recovery. Our thoughts are with them.

Heading up Edale Road, Hope, away from the village centre, we turned left at a green public footpath sign (4mins) which led us through gates and over stiles until we crossed a footbridge over the Hope Valley railway line linking New Mills with Sheffield (calling en route at Chinley, Hope, Bamford, Edale, Grindleford, Hathersage and Dore)

After crossing the track we started a steady climb up Lose Hill until we reached a cairn of stones (44mins). At this point the main group continued up to the top of Lose Hill before turning left at the summit and heading along The Grand Ridge passing Back Tor on the way to Hollins Cross.

George and your diarist turned left at the cairn, crossing three wooden stiles and watching a pair of hunting kestrels before entering the wood called Brocket Booth. On the far side we joined The Grand Ridge and made our way to Hollins Cross (79mins).

We were soon joined by our colleagues at the point where two pathways cross. A circular stone memorial was built here in 1964 to commemorate Tom Hyett of Long Eaton by his friends from the Long Eaton and District Rambling Group. Here we paused for pies, port and damson gin kindly provided by Chris.

Continuing we followed the ridge to Mam Tor, meaning Mother Hill, which stands at 1,696 feet and was once the site of a late Bronze Age and early Iron Age hill fort (98mins)

Just before our descent reached the road (108mins) we turned left at a wooden public footpath sign and headed downhill in the direction of the distinctive eyesore in the area, Hope Cement Works. We turned right to pass The Blue John Cavern (119mins) before passing Treak Cliff Cavern on our left (132mins), Speedwell Cavern on our right (138mins) and passed the sign for Castleton (145mins)

As we did so the ruins of Peveril Castle were on our right. This 11th Century fort was the main settlement of the feudal barony of William Peverel, founded between the Norman Conquest of 1066 and The Domesday Book of 1086. The surrounding land was a gift from William the Conqueror. In 1223 the castle returned to the Crown but towards the end of the 14th Century the barony was granted to John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster. It fell into ruin in succeeding centuries and in the 19th Century Sir Walter Scott featured the castle in his novel Peveril of the Peak. It is now in the care of English Heritage and is a Grade 1 listed building.

Just before The Peak Cavern on our right we passed Goosehill Hall, which is a 17th Century manor house and a Grade 2 listed building.

Our advance party reached The Cheshire Cheese on the main road through Castleton on our right (153mins), where Barnsley Bitter cask ale costs £3-60 a pint.

One of our group, John Jones, waited to be served by a waitress who found it necessary to watch a kettle while it boiled before she could make tea or coffee. John exhausted his reserves of patience before announcing he would take his custom to The Peak Hotel nearby. Here was proof, if needed, that John would have an argument in an empty room.

Continuing our journey we turned right out of the pub and after some 200 yards we turned right at a green public footpath sign towards Hope (155mins). When we reached the railway line linking Hope Cement Works with the Hope Valley Railway Line at Hope, we paused for lunch (185mins)

Continuing this footpath eventually brought us to the right bank of a brook called Peakhole Water. We followed this until we reached a wooden stile leading to a road where we turned left (194mins). Passing the pinfold on our left, where lost sheep were once held until their owners claimed them, we reached The Woodruffe Arms in Hope.

After crossing the road we turned right for a few yards before heading left up Edale Road and reaching our cars to de-boot. From there we walked back to The Old Hall where pints of excellent Wainwrights’ cask bitter were available for £3-65. Details of next week's follow follow the pictures.

                                                   Photographs by Hughie Hardiman

Next week’s walk will start at 9.50am from Topley Pike at a lay-by next to a quarry opposite the entrance to the Monsal Trail car park on the A6 road out of Buxton towards Bakewell. We will be heading for The Church Inn at Chelmorton, hoping to arrive around 12.15pm for a livener. After returning to our cars and de-booting we will drive to the Wye Valley House Hotel (Wetherspoons) in Buxton for further refreshments.

We look forward to birthday boy Julian rejoining our ranks.

Happy wandering !

Whaley Bridge

February 6, 2019.

WHALEY BRIDGE, MEMORIAL PARK, TODD BROOK RESERVOIR, TAXAL BEECHES, TAXAL EDGE, WINDGATHER ROCKS, PYM CHAIR CAR PARK, HOO MOOR, FERNILEE RESERVOIR, THE SHADY OAK AT FERNILEE, SHALLCROSS, SHALLCROSS INCLINE GREENWAY, THE CROMFORD AND HIGH PEAK RAILWAY LINE (DISUSED) AND THE COCK AT WHALEY BRIDGE

Distance: Eight miles.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Weather: Mild, dry with sun, blue skies and white clouds.

Walkers: Peter Beal, Alastair Cairns, Tom Cunliffe, Alan Duckworth, Mark Gibby, Alan Hart, John Jones, Chris Owen, Jock Rooney with Tip, George Whaites.

Recovering invalids: Colin Davison and Lawrie Fairman.

Apologies: Mickey Barrett (Australian hols), Daisy Cairns (supervising building work), Daisy Cunliffe (hairdressing appointment), George Dearsley (in Turkey), Hughie Hardiman (filial duties), Steve Kemp (recuperating), Julian Ross (suspected of w*^king)

Leaders: Hart and Cunliffe. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Road outside The Cock at Whaley Bridge.

Starting time: 9.35am. Finishing time: 2.09pm.

The icy conditions which shrunk our members last week were replaced by mild weather for this walk and a good turn-out. Our members were further swollen by a first appearance of the year from John Jones and a second outing by last month’s debutant Alan Duckworth.

There was little mud, clear visibility, two good pubs were visited and we spent little time in a chilly wind on the hilltops. What’s not to like ?

There was some controversy at the start when your diarist suggested a previously unexplored route to Taxal Edge, but after some misgivings it was agreed we should give it a try. We successfully located the ridge and Windgather Rocks, from where Tom led the rest of the way.

We crossed the road opposite The Cock and turned left for 50 yards before turning right into Wheatsheaf Road. This soon brought us across the River Goyt into Whaley Bridge Memorial Park where we headed diagonally right uphill. On reaching a skateboard park to our left, we turned right through a kissing gate with Todd Brook Reservoir on our right (5mins). Following the path with a hedge of trees on our left we reached Reddish Lane.

By turning left this brought us out at a main road (11mins) where we turned right. This soon took us to a dirt track on our left (14mins) and a wooden public footpath sign which we followed into Taxal Beeches (16mins). After going down a stone step stile we turned immediately right along a path which weaved its way upwards to a stone lane. We turned right to follow this and then turned sharply left at a wooden public footpath sign (24mins)

By swinging right uphill where there was a fork in the paths we reached Taxal Edge and followed the path left. This brought us to Taxal Nick (41mins) and the path on our left by which we normally make this ascent. We continued along the edge with Windgather Rocks now clearly visible in the distance. When we approached the track to a farm on our right, some of our group turned right towards the farm and then headed left opposite the farm at a sign for the rocks.

Others took the tried and tested (and slower) route to Windgather where we had views across Dunge Valley (58mins). We turned left along the ridge until we reached a sheepfold which offered some protection from the chilly wind. Here we stopped for Pietime (65mins)

Continuing we followed the path, keeping to the left of a drystone wall which separated us from the road. Once again we formed two distinct groups as some headed towards the car park at the foot of Pym Chair before turning left down a road. Our other group took a diagonal path (79mins) across the moorland to reach the road and await their arrival moments later.

Reunited (90mins) we descended until we could see the dam road separating Errwood Reservoir on our right from Fernilee Reservoir on our left. At this point we turned left following a wooden public footpath sign for Hoo Moor (113mins).  We followed the path, swinging right downhill to reach the road bordering the end of Fernilee Reservoir (147mins)

After turning left for a few yards we swung right along a lane which led to the main road linking Whaley Bridge with Buxton (150mins). We turned left (153mins) and reached The Shady Oak on our  right (158mins). Here we found our wounded comrades, Colin and Lawrie, who are recovering from knee and heart problems.

The new landlord was serving Marstons’ cask bitter at a bargain price of £3-20 a pint. He apologised for the fact this would shortly be rising but earned our gratitude by volunteering to take a group photo.

On leaving the pub we turned right and immediately right again uphill along a lane which brought us to Elnor Lane, where we turned left. This brought us to Shallcross, a stone monument surrounded by drystone walling, where we paused for lunch (167mins)

The original Shallcross, which gives the area its name, was made from wood and dates from 632 AD. It was replaced by the current stone replica during the 8th Century. The Danes, who invaded the area in the 9th Century, referred to it as a shackle-cross, because of its resemblance to a shackle pin in a cart.

After lunch we continued to head towards Whaley Bridge, turning left into Shallcross Road (169mins). At the end of the road we turned right along Shallcross Incline Greenway.

This is part of the route of the Cromford and High Peak railway line, which opened in 1831 linking Ladmanlow to Shallcross. Ladmanlow was the summit of the line at 1,266 feet, dropping in eight miles to 517 feet at Whaley Bridge Basin and the start of the Peak Forest Canal.

The railway, built by Josias Jessop, was designed to transport goods between the agricultural and mineral counties of Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire with the manufacturing towns around Stockport and the city of Manchester. It never reached its potential because of competition from other canals and the expanding rail network.

At the end of the incline we reached a road (182mins) and carried on when it became a track along the disused railway line. At its end we turned left across a brook and reached the main road next to The Cock (191mins) where pints of Robbies’ Unicorn were quaffed.

                                                             Pictures by Alan Hart

Next week’s walk will start at 9.45am from Hope. For those travelling from the Castleton direction the starting point is reached by turning left at The Old Hall in Hope and parking 100 yards further along the road towards Edale near a school. We intend to climb Lose Hill and Mam Tor, weather permitting, before dropping down for a livener in The Cheshire Cheese at Castleton around 12.30pm. We expect to return for a final drink in The Old Hall, Hope, at about 2.25pm.

Happy wandering !