Wednesday Wandering: Old Glossop

May 1, 2019.

OLD GLOSSOP, BLAKE MOOR, COCK HILL, CLOUGH EDGE, PENNINE WAY, LONGDENDALE TRAIL, HADFIELD RAILWAY STATION, THE ANCHOR AT HADFIELD, PADFIELD, BLACKSHAW FARM, SWINESHAW RESERVOIR AND THE QUEENS AT OLD GLOSSOP

Distance: 10 miles.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Weather: Dry but cloudy with some mist.

Walkers: Tom Cunliffe with Daisy, Mark Gibby, Alan Hart, Chris Owen and George Whaites.

Alternative walkers: Colin Davison and Lawrie Fairman.

Apologies: Mickey Barrett (unpacking), Peter Beal (walking in Lakes), Andy Blease (hols), Alastair Cairns (Hartington hols), George Dearsley (in Turkey), Alan Duckworth (gout), Hughie Hardiman (filial duties), John Jones (unable to reach start), Julian Ross (w*^king)

Leader: Cunliffe. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Car park opposite The Wheatsheaf at Old Glossop.

Starting time: 9.55am. Finishing time: 2.42pm.

It has been a long time since we last visited Old Glossop and followed this route over Glossop Low. After an entertaining start when we passed a farm full of exotic birds, the steady climb through the moorland was rather bleak and featureless. But when we reached Clough Edge overlooking the valley with Torside and Rhodeswood Reservoirs below we were rewarded with spectacular views.

The walk began with a long, steady climb, followed by a lengthy, steady descent, followed by a flat walk along the Longdendale Trail into Hadfield. Our return journey involved a gentler rise and fall and we passed a total of five reservoirs.

The start had been delayed by 15 minutes because Chris had been held up at home. He arrived in the car park with a screech of tyres and a cloud of dust like some stunt driver from The Dukes of Hazard.

From the car park we went up Blackshaw Road opposite and turned right to walk under a block of flats before turning left to follow a green public footpath sign at a path on our right (2mins). This brought us to a farm which has always stocked exotic birds and poultry.

I am advised by our ornithological expert, Professor Lawrie Fairman, that the bird who joined us for lunch at Chinley last week was an emu and not an ostrich. This week he identified the birds we photographed as rheas, who are natives of South America.

There was also a peacock, but despite my best efforts he refused to put on a full display of his exotic feathers even though we were at the height of the mating season. Perhaps I wasn’t his type.

Another rhea was trying to hide by putting his head in a bush. This comical avian version of peek-a-boo did not show the bird off to its best advantage as my picture shows.

We continued past the farm, going through an unusual roundabout-style iron gate (19mins) before crossing a wooden stile on our left (21mins) to follow a farm track. Passing Blackshaw Farm on our right (26mins), we turned right uphill. This took us past Swineshaw Reservoir below on our right. The path continued to climb through a six-barred metal gate and two more metal gates to reach the summit at Cock Hill (57mins).

We continued to a derelict building (72mins) where we paused for pies, port and home-made damson wine kindly provided by Chris. Resuming we passed a cairn and a row of grouse butts before we reached a path overlooking the valley below (80mins). Here we turned left along a path which had a sheer drop to its right.

We reached a track by a sign pointing back to Bleaklow Head (107mins). We turned left along the Pennine Way (140mins). When we reached a road we turned left (146 mins). We then crossed the main road and turned first right and then left to follow a footpath sign for Hadfield along a disused railway line. We reached the end of the Longdendale Trail (192mins) after passing Valehouse and Bottoms Reservoirs on our right.

After crossing the main road we turned left passing Hadfield Station on our left and the town’s war memorial on our right. We headed up Railway Street and at the top turned right to reach The Anchor on our left (199mins)

Colin and Lawrie, who had met us earlier in the car park, were already ensconced and we joined them for excellent Tetley’s cask bitter at a modern-times bargain price of £3-07 a pint. A warm welcome from the landlady increased our favourable impression of this village pub.

For the return route we retraced our steps back to where we had left the Longdendale Trail and turned right under a railway bridge (206mins) which brought us into Platt Street and past a sign for neighbouring Padfield. When Platt Street changed its name to Redgate (214mins) we turned left at a wooden public footpath sign.

After a false right turn at a green public footpath sign (217mins) we retreated and passed Padfield Brook Cottage before turning right (220mins) at a second green public footpath sign. We crossed a stone step stile and paused for lunch (223mins)

Continuing we followed a sign for Allman’s Heath and Swineshaw over a wooden stile (225mins) passing a cemetery on our right. At posts creating a gap stile we turned left (229mins) and went through a junkyard to reach a main road. We turned right and swiftly left over a stone step stile opposite Allman’s Heath Holiday Cottage (231mins)

When we reached a drystone wall we went through an iron gate and turned right with Swineshaw Reservoir a few feet away on our left. We crossed a stone footbridge on our left and walked down a flight of stone steps (238mins). We turned right with a stream on our right and emerged on a lane (240mins).

Here we turned right and retraced our earlier footsteps back to the cars to deboot (252mins) before walking downhill to The Queens, where pints of Wainwright’s cask bitter cost £3-60.

Next week’s walk will start at 9.40am from the lay-by next to Ridgegate Reservoir 400 yards beyond The Leathers’ Smithy in Langley, Macclesfield. We shall be aiming to reach the Ryles Arms, Sutton, around 12.30pm for a tincture or two before returning to The Leathers’ Smithy for our final refreshment at about 2.30pm.

Happy wandering !

Pictures by Alan Hart