Little Hayfield

April 3, 2019.

LITTLE HAYFIELD, PARK HALL WOODS, MIDDLE MOOR, SNAKE PATH, SHOOTING CABIN, WILLIAM CLOUGH,  PENNINE WAY, SANDY HEYS, KINDER DOWNFALL, RED BROOK, BROAD CLOUGH, TUNSTEAD HOUSE, BOWDEN BRIDGE, THE SPORTSMAN AT HAYFIELD, CALICO TRAIL, CARNIVAL PARK, THE COACH HOUSE AND THE LANTERN PIKE AT LITTLE HAYFIELD

Distance: 9 miles.

Difficulty: Strenuous.

Weather: Dry, cloud, sunshine and light wind.

Walkers: Mickey Barrett, Andy Blease, Steve Courtney with Luna, Tom Cunliffe with Daisy, Alan Duckworth, Alan Hart, John Jones, Chris Owen and Julian Ross.

Apologies: Alastair Cairns (visiting Turkey), George Dearsley (living in Turkey), Lawrie Fairman (Arctic cruise), Mark Kean (Bangkok hols), Jock Rooney (walking with SOBs), George Whaites (domestic duties)

Leader: Cunliffe. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Outside The Lantern Pike Inn, Little Hayfield.

Starting time: 9.40am. Finishing time: 2.50pm.

This is one of the most gruelling walks on the Wednesday Wanderers' calendar. It involves a long steep climb which always leaves your diarist wondering why he bothered. The answer lies in the spectacular views afforded from the Kinder Ridge.

On this outing we also heard the cry of the curlew signalling the start of the mating season and witnessed a brace of red grouse chasing a goose off their moorland. Some of our group also witnessed a lamb being delivered by a farmer who brought it back from the dead.

We were walking in the footsteps of the protestors who staged an historic Mass Trespass in 1932 which paved the way for the rights to roam which we enjoy today.

Our leader had been warned that his estimate of the time it would take to reach our first watering hole was unduly optimistic. So it proved. Tom submitted the somewhat feeble excuse that he was working off Greenwich Mean Time rather than the British Summer Time which began the previous Sunday.

From our meeting point outside The Lantern Pike Inn we headed in the direction of Hayfield for 60 yards before crossing the road to enter Park Hall Woods on our left. Just before we reached the hall we turned right through a gate to enter Middle Moor and took the path directly in front of us (6mins)

This took us through bracken and heather to the Snake Path (20mins) where we turned left towards the distinctive white shooting cabin. Some 100 yards before the cabin we followed a path to our right which took us to the left of Kinder Reservoir below on our right. We crossed a brook by using stepping stones and began our ascent of William Clough (46mins)

When we reached a cairn (76mins) we paused for pies, port and damson gin kindly provided by Chris and prepared ourselves for the final assault on Kinder Ridge along The Pennine Way.

On April 24, 1932, this same route had been taken by 400 hikers who had assembled at Bowden Bridge under the leadership of Benny Rothman, a member of The Young Communist League. Ignoring the civil laws against trespassing they had climbed William Clough where they were confronted by gamekeepers near Ashop Head. Scuffles broke out. Six of the protestors were arrested and subsequently jailed for periods up to six months for assault on the gamekeepers. Their “martyrdom” marked the start of a media campaign by The Ramblers' Association which led to The Countryside and Rights of Way (CROW) Act of 2000 which legislates rights to roam on mapped access land.

We reached the summit (83mins) turned right and posed for photos at Sandy Heys, which commanded magnificent views of the valley below. This spectacular vista was on our right continually as we crossed Kinder Downfall (108mins) This is where the embryonic River Kinder falls over the cliff edge and, on windy days, is blown back up again in gravity-defying loops which can be witnessed from below.

We progressed along the ridge until we reached Red Brook (123mins) and turned right along an ill-marked path. This led us down, with uphill undulations, to Broad Clough. We followed the by now well-marked path through fields to reach Tunstead Barn (193mins) and turned right following a wooden public footpath sign.

We crossed a road bridge over the River Kinder (200mins) and crossed Bowden Bridge to its right bank (206mins). We turned left and arrived at The Sportsman on our right (213mins) some 45 minutes behind schedule to enjoy pints of Wainwrights' cask bitter at £3-70. The main peloton of walkers arrived 15 minutes later.

Resuming we formed into three different groups for our return journey to The Lantern Pike. Your diarist crossed the road and followed a footpath opposite the pub to reach a bridge and cross the river before turning right towards Hayfield.with the river on his right. I went under the main road via a tunnel and followed signs for The Calico Trail which went over the River Sett to reach Carnival Park for lunch (230mins)

Continuing I exited the park and turned left to reach a country lane and turned right, passing The Coach House on my left and turning right at a green public footpath sign for Little Hayfield (238mins). This emerged at Slack Lane (246mins) where a right turn brought me to the main road.

Turning left I reached the pub on my left (248mins).

Here, over pints of Timothy Taylors' Landlord cask bitter at £3-65, Tom described the birth of a lamb they had witnessed. It had been delivered by hand by a farmer of his acquaintance. The new-born was not breathing, but by massage, swinging and unblocking nostrils, he had restored it and handed the lamb to its mother for cleaning. A charming springtime story to end our day. Details of next week's walk below after the pictures.

                                                                Pictures by Alan Hart

Pictures by John Jones

Next week's walk will start at 9.30am from the Bollington Recreation Ground car park. We will be embarking on fresh territory as Chris attempts to lead us to The Jolly Sailor in the heart of Macclesfield, trying to avoid any industrial estates or urban sprawl. We aim to be there to try their excellent draught Bass around 12.30pm and return to The Vale in Bollington for a final drink at about 2.15pm.

Happy wandering !