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.
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 !
No comments:
Post a Comment