Hayfield

August 28, 2019.

HAYFIELD, BOOTH SHEEPWASH, KINDER RESERVOIR, MIDDLE MOOR SHOOTING HUT, MILL HILL, PLANE CRASH SITE, NEAR PLAINSTEADS FARM, KINGS CLOUGH HEAD FARM, THE LITTLE MILL INN AT ROWARTH, HEXT FARM, LOWER CLIFFE FARM,, THE CALICO TRAIL, THE SPORTSMAN AT HAYFIELD

Distance: 11 miles

Difficulty: Moderate

Weather: Misty with light drizzle turning to heavier rain.

Walkers: Peter Beal, Andy Blease, Alastair Cairns, Mark Gibby, Hughie Hardiman, Alan Hart, Chris Owen, Jock Rooney with Tip, Julian Ross, Graham Stone.

Alternative walkers: Colin Davison and Laurie Fairman.

Apologies: Mickey Barrett (hols), Tom Cunliffe (Iberian hols), George Whaites (medical appointment)

Leader: Beal. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Outside The Sportsman pub on Kinder Road, Hayfield.

Starting time: 9.41am. Finishing time: 2.40pm.

When we embarked on a similar walk on June 19, the weather was fine and sunny, but for various reasons only seven sallied forth. This time, in wet conditions, a commendable 12 participated.

We welcomed back Julian, who last walked on that occasion, and who has since been having trouble with a loss of hearing in one ear and tinnitus in the other:.a frustrating combination. We hope his improvement continues.

Unfortunately a low mist shrouded many of the fine views during the first stage of our journey, but we were able to enjoy the sight of the purple heather at close quarters. We also saw the wreckage of a USAAF Liberator bomber which crashed into Mill Hill during its delivery flight in 1944. The two-man crew escaped relatively unscathed.

Jock and Tip also emerged safely from an attack by three horses who surrounded them and aimed kicks towards them. The horses were no match though for Hughie, and Mark, two former officers with the Greater Manchester Police, who ran to the rescue and shepherded Jock and Tip to safety.

Both walker and dog were clearly rattled by their experience when they reached The Little Mill Inn. The shapely barmaid took Jock's mind off the unpleasant experience by pouring him an excellent pint of Cumberland cask bitter.

Passing The Sportsman on our left we headed up Kinder Road to reach Booth Sheepwash on our right (16mins). Here a plaque informed us that until the 1930s local shepherds brought as many as 500 sheep at a time to be washed individually in a man-made“bath” next to the River Kinder. An ash tree at the site is believed to be 150 years old – plus the age of the plaque which gives this information !

We continued to the end of Kinder Road, taking a public footpath to the left of the gates guarding the reservoir works building (22mins). When we reached another plaque about Kinder Reservoir we turned sharp left uphill (29mins). We turned left after a gate (34mins) and then headed right through the colourful heather towards the distinctive white shooting lodge.

The path took us to the left of the building (39mins). At precisely 11 am we reached a cairn (79mins) but Peter urged us to carry on by turning left where we would find shelter from the wind by the side of a plane wreck. We soon found the remains of the wreckage, which has been shrinking as a result of souvenir-hunters over the years, on our right (85mins). As we stopped for pies and port, a light drizzle became gradually heavier.

The B524J Liberator bomber was brand new in October, 1944, when it flew from Burtonwood Airfield near Warrington towards its destination in Norfolk. It was flown by Lt Creighton Heopt and navigated by Sgt Jerome Najvar of the 310th Ferry Squadron of the 27th Air Transport Group. They were flying at 2,800 feet when the plane crashed in the boggy moors of Kinder. Fortunately they were not badly injured and were able to walk to the main Chapel to Glossop Road nearby and summon help from a passing lorry.

Continuing our journey we followed the route probably taken by the airmen to reach the A624 (115mins) and head up the road opposite in the direction of Charlesworth. When we reached Near Plainsteads Farm on our right, we turned left uphill along a track (122mins) This brought us to a farm with a well-marked footpath to the right (135mins)

After crossing a stile and turning left we passed three horses, one of which was a young shire horse. They left us unmolested but clearly took a dislike to Jock – or more probably Tip - bringing up the rear. As they surrounded man and dog, Hughie and Mark sprang to the rescue and drove them away.  And all the ranks of Wednesday Wanderers could scarce forbear to cheer.

When the path led to a road we turned left (145mins), passing Kings Clough Head Farm on our right. Where the road swung left (155mins) we carried straight on through a gate to take a footpath which emerged on a road by the side of a red phone box (157mins)

We turned left for 40 yards then turned right along a footpath by the side of a Sunday school memorial stone. The path criss-crossed a stream by ford and footbridge until we emerged opposite The Little Mill Inn at Rowarth (168mins) to join Colin and Laurie. The Cumberland cask bitter AT £3-30 was in excellent form – as was the barmaid !

Suitably refreshed and impressed we turned right out of the pub and forked right to climb a steep rocky path (178mins), swinging right at the summit and pausing for a quick lunch (185mins). When we reached a T-junction after resuming (205mins) we turned left, passing Hext Farm on our left and Lower Cliffe Farm on our right. We then passed Hayfield Water Treatment Works on our right (218mins) and turned right through the May Queen park on our right (223mins).This led to The Calico Trail with the River Sett on our right, emerging opposite The Pack Horse (227mins) and turning right.

A left turn  into and up Bank Street soon brought us to the Kinder Road (228mins) and we reached The Sportsman on our left (237mins) for further refreshment.

Next week's walk will start at 9.30am at The Miners Arms in Wood Lane Ends, Adlington. Before disappearing to the Greek islands for four weeks, Peter will lead us to The Vale at Bollington, aiming to arrive around 12.15pm to knock the froth off a couple of pints before returning to The Miners Arms around 2.20pm.

Happy wandering !  

    

  

Bosley

Bosley

August 21, 2019

BOSLEY, ST.MARY THE VIRGIN CHURCH, RIVER DANE, TUNSTALL ROAD, BOSLEY CLOUD, CLOUD SIDE, MACCLESFIELD CANAL, QUEEN'S HEAD NR CONGLETON STATION, CANAL, DANE AQUEDUCT, BOSLEY

Distance: 10.5 miles

Difficulty: Moderate with one very steep climb.

Weather: Sunny and warm. Some slight cloud later.

Walkers: Peter Beal,  Andy Blease, Alastair Cairns, Hughie Harriman, Graham Stone

Apologies: Alan Hart (Majorca), Tom Cunliffe (Portugal), Mark Gibby (monitoring York races), Mickey Barrett (Turkey), Julian Ross and Chris Owen (both domestic duties).

Leaders: Cairns and Beal​​Diarist: Beal

Starting point: Lay-by on the A523 Macclesfield-Leek road at Bosley, near the Harrington Arms

Starting time: 09.35am​Finishing time: 2.32pm

Having been deprived of our intended leader Chris at fairly short notice today's route had something of an improvised nature about it. We were helped by Alastair having some recollection of the way followed on a previous occasion and your diarist for some reason having packed a map of the area (but sadly not his sandwiches).

We were rewarded with a summit with magnificent views, achieved after a very sharp climb, and very pleasant walking weather in the Cheshire countryside.

Four of the Wanderers left the lay-by at the appointed hour, walking a short distance down the road towards Leek to reach the Queen's Arms, where we crossed the road and took a path to the left of the St Mary the Virgin church.

The path, muddy in places, emerged in to a field which we crossed downhill before taking a track that emerged at factory buildings (17 minutes). This was the site of an explosion at a wood treatment works in July 2015 that claimed the lives of four people.

We crossed the factory yard and joined a road, Tunstall Road, at a bridge crossing the River Dane. We turned right and climbed steadily uphill and soon afterwards bootsteps behind us heralded the arrival of Hughie, who had spent some time earlier awaiting the arrival of companions at the other Harrington Arms in Gawsworth, a few miles away. He had apparently followed his satnav. Expecting a solitary walk he had guessed the first part of the route, then fortunately spotted rucsacs ascending the hill.

At the crest of the hill we turned left on a small lane and almost immediately found a footpath on the right leading us in to a field full of a large number of baleful bullocks.

We climbed quite steeply through two fields with a futuristic residence with picture windows above us on our right, in to a narrow path which emerged on a minor road (42 min).

We turned left here. On previous expeditions we have continued further along this lane before reaching a well-defined track turning left to the summit of Bosley Cloud. This time we took a path to the right almost immediately. This proved to be an extremely steep ascent through at times head-high bracken. 

The final steps brought us between two crags on the edge of the escarpment, where a last scranble brought us to the main path only a short distance from the summit of The Cloud, as it is more properly titled, on our right (54 min).

There were magnificent views here of the Cheshire plain, with the Jodrell Bank radio telescope prominent, of the highest point of Cheshire - Shining Tor - as well as Shutlingsloe and, further afield, the Shropshire and Welsh hills.

A nearby stone-mounted viewfinder, built to commemorate the Queen's Golden Jubilee, pointed us towards - among others - Liverpool Cathedral (38 miles), the Berwyn mountains (55 miles), and less helpfully London's Charing Cross (143 miles).

Bosley Cloud, despite its modest 1,125 foot height, has the distinction of being rated among the 176 English Marilyns (a pun on the Scottish Munros), which are hills classfied not by their height but their relative height to the terrain around them, requiring an ascent of 150 metres (571 feet) on all sides.

It is also famously renowned for its 'double sunset', an astro-geographical phenomenon. The science involved was not covered by your diarist in his O-level studies, but suffice it to say that at the solstice the sun can be seen to set behind the summit, partially reappearing from the steep northern slope, then setting again over the horizon.

It was historically observed  from the churchyard of St Edward the Confessor in Leek, but trees have intervened and the best view is now from a point on the A523 above Rudyard reservoir.

After a lengthy break to admire the views, we carried on past the trig point on a delightful descent through heather before reaching woods and a track that the map revealed to be the strangely-named Gooberryhole Lane. We turned right here and soon after stopped at a gate for pie-time (76 min), sadly without port or damson gin.

We followed the track around a bend to the right and soon reached a road, where we continued across along a bridleway to soon reach another road. Here we turned left and very soon took a footpath on the right, leading us through fields for almost a mile to emerge at a footbridge over the Macclesfield Canal.

A brief episode here where we had to resort to Alastair's compass to check our bearings will be glossed over.

Having crossed the canal, we turned right along the towpath towards Congleton and reached the Queen's Arms near Congleton station, accessed from steps up from the canal (121 min). Your diarist recalls that in the mists of time the Wanderers had started a walk from here.

The pleasant barmaid confirmed that it being 12.01pm we were the first customers of the day so we thought it wise to shun the impressive array of eight real ales (who knows when they had last been shifted?) and opted for Guinness, lager and soft drinks. Your diarist can record that a pint of Estrella (from Barcelona) was £3-85.

We retraced our steps to the point where had joined the canal (138 min) and continued briskly and uneventfully for almost four miles before reaching an aqueduct over the River Dane, shortly before the start of the flight of the 12 Bosley Locks (213 min).

Here we took steps to the left, crossed a bridge to the other side of the canal and followed a path above the river and then through fields to reach the bridge over the Dane we had crossed on our outward route. We retraced our steps to the church and the parked cars (242 min).

Next week's walk will be with the aim of viewing the heather in short-lived full bloom, hopefully, on Mill Hill. We will start from the Sportsman Inn on Kinder Road, Hayfield, at 9.45 am, calling en route at the Little Mill Inn at Rowarth. We hope to return to the Sportsman at 2.30pm. 

Happy Wandering!

Hayfield

Hayfield

August 14, 2019

SPORTSMAN INN AT HAYFIELD VILLAGE, VALLEY ROAD, CHURCH STREET, SETT VALLEY TRAIL, BIRCH VALE, MORLANDS ROAD, OLLERSETT MOOR, BIG STONE, CRACKEN EDGE, MAYNESTONE ROAD, THE LAMB INN AT CHINLEY HEAD, VERPOSTEN FARM, HIGHGATE ROAD, SPORTSMAN INN

Distance: 8 miles

Difficulty: Moderate

Weather: Rainy and very misty at first, clearer later

Walkers: Peter Beal,  Andy Blease, Alan Hart, Mark Gibby, Hughie Harriman with Coco, Chris Owen

Alternative walkers: Colin Davison, Laurie Fairman, Jock Rooney with Tip

Non-walking drinker: Tom Cunliffe

Apologies: Graham Stone (arrived late), George Whaites (awaiting home delivery), Julian Ross (w+*!ing), George Dearsley (Turkey)

Leader: Beal​​Diarist: Beal

Starting point: Outside the Sportsman Inn, Kinder Road, Hayfield

Starting time: 09.42am​Finishing time: 2.15pm

Atrocious weather blighted the first leg of this walk, with constant rain and thick mist rendering the normally magnificent views non-existent. We were rewarded however with brief sights of the summer's first purple heather, newly arrived on the surrounding moorlands.

Our six-strong party were accompanied by a canine debutante in the form of Coco, a lively and amiable cockapoo in the care of Hughie for the day.

After a thorough soaking we were given a warm welcome in the cosy bar of one of the Wanderers' favourite pubs - the Lamb Inn above Chinley.

We turned left in front of the Sportsman before immediately going right, through a gap in the wall to descend a flight of steps down to the River Kinder. We crossed a bridge at the foot and bore right in to Valley Road leading to Hayfield village.

Once a quiet backwater, Hayfield - originally Hedfelt or Hedfeld - blossomed during the Industrial Revolution, when it became a centre for the cotton and calico industries.

The parish once boasted more than 17 pubs - now reduced to seven - and dozens of shops and businesses. It is now best known as the scene of the Mass Trespass of 1932 on to the moors of Kinder Scout, an event credited with doing much to bring access to open spaces for walkers, and which led indirectly to the formation of the country's first national park in the Peak District.

My Peak District Companion tells me that its ancient fair was supposedly the inspiration for the traditional air 'Come Lassies and Lads'.

In the early 20th century the trains would bring thousands of Manchester factory workers each weekend to the village to enjoy their fill of rare fresh air. On one Good Friday 13,000 people alighted from the trains here.  Apparently drunkeness and fighting often ensued. On some Saturday nights it still does. 

We turned right down Church Street and at the bottom turned left at a sign for the Pennine Bridleway to cross the Glossop to Chapel-en-le Frith road at a pedestrain crossing. This brought us in to a car park that is the site of the former railway terminus. The line closed in 1972 and was later converted to become the Sett Valley Trail, which we joined at the far end of the car park.

A mile further on we arrived at a point above the Birch Vale reservoir where a path to the left, signed 'Chinley 4 miles', took us up to the Hayfield - New Mills road opposite The Grouse pub, which boasts a fine Chinese restaurant but is sadly in the process of being sold for housing development.

We turned up Morlands Road to the left of the pub and began a long, steady climb 0f 900 feet towards Ollersett Moor (31 minutes). Although ahead of us in the rain was only thick mist, a slope on our right showed a fine display of purple heather, the first of the summer.

After half a mile a gate took us from the rough track on to the open moorland with a TV and communications mast on our right.

We ascended steadily until the slope eased and we reached another gate at a two-way bridleway fingerpost. We went through the gate and crossed an open pasture to the far right corner, where we rejoined the track at a small stream. Shortly after, at another fingerpost, we bore left uphill again and after a short descent, climbed to a stile. Soon afterwards we reached a rocky outcrop known as Big Stone.

Here there are often panoramic views of Kinder Scout and the Cheshire hills. Today there was only a veil of mist, as captued by Alan in a picture.

Pie time was declared near the ruins of some workings and an old quarrymen's hut that provided some shelter from the wind and continuing rain (88 mins).

We turned right here along the escarpment that marks the start of Cracken Edge with its extensive gritstone quarry workings. Little seems to have been documented about the workings of the quarries, which date back to the 19th century and probably earlier, but much evidence remains, including remnants of machinery. There are also shafts which were sunk when it became difficult to access the stone by tradition quarrying.

We resumed along the escarpment before dropping down to a slightly lower path continuing in the same direction. When we reached the highest point of the cliffs on our right we turned sharp left down a rocky rake to reach a path below. We slanted left here and crossed a stile. A steep path down through a field brought us to buildings and a flight a steps taking us down to Maynestone Road. We turned left here and shortly after we reached two houses on our right called Upper Lodge and Lower Lodge, where we took a footpath on the right leading us alongside some gardens (124 min).

This brought us to a gate and over a small stream uphill; to a second gate, which we went through to reach a field.

We continued up the field with a wall on our left to reach another gate, where we turned right, soon reaching a sheep pen and a large gate which brought us out on to a farm track.

We turned left up this and after a short, steep climb reached the main Hayfield to Chapel road almost opposite the Lamb Inn (136 min).

The sight of Tip waiting outside the door alerted us to the fact that his master Jock was inside, together with Colin and Laurie. They had walked from Chinley, across the slopes of South Head.

Your temporary diarist notes that on a previous visit here in November, 2016, the following was recorded on the Wanderer's blog site: 'Despite the friendly and welcoming, and indeed attractive, bar staff there was a tart reminder from their superior about not wandering on to carpeted areas in our boots. But most disappointing was the beer - the Marston's Pedigree and Ringwood Razor Back, both at £3-20, might not have been actually off. But they were certainly not spot-on.'

This time the welcome was indeed warm, the tart superior presumably gone, there were no admonitions about footwear and the Wainwright's was excellent at £3-40. Your diarist was pleased to invite the Wanderer's to join him in toasting the arrival of a grandson, his first, whose delivery he had only been told of minutes earlier during the climb to the pub. 

Resuming, we turned left outside the Lamb before almost immediately going through a gate skirting a stile on the left. The path wound through a clump of gorse and climbed up a field to a wall. Here it slanted left through more clumps of grouse until levelling out and coming to a small gate (144 mins).

Our objective of a farm over to our left was seen, but to save the descent and ascent we continued round the path and carried on left round the head of the small valley to reach the track to the farm near a stream (150 mins), shortly after which we stopped for lunch.

Resuming, we soon reached Verposten Farm, recently renovated. It's name is a mystery. In German if means 'outpost' and there was apparently a local theory that sheep and cattle never thrived on the adjoining slopes of Mount Famine. 

The footpath skirted the farm We rejoined the farm track, where we turned right, across a cattle grid and through a gate. 

This soon joined a track descending to our right from the direction of South Head. We turned left down it and descended to a junction of bridleways (166 mins).

We carried straight on here down the track and joined a minor road (181 min). We turned right here and continued downhill along Highgate Road. Shortly before the village the party turned right downhill on a small footpath leading back to Valley Road, from where they ascended to the Sportsman (198 mins). 

Next week's walk, to be led by Chris and taking in Bosley Cloud and the delights of Congleton, will start at 9.35 am at a lay-by on the A523 Macclesfield - Leek road at Bosley near the Harrington Arms.

Happy Wandering!

 Hughie with Coco, the cockapoo bitch belonging to his sister-in-law.

The blooming heather as we approached Ollersett Moor

The non-view from Big Stone.

The descent into Hayfield

Monyash

August 7, 2019.

MONYASH, LATHKILLDALE, BANKS OF THE BRADFORD, THE GEORGE AT YOULGREAVE, ONE ASH FARM, THE BULLS HEAD AT MONYASH

Distance: 11 miles.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Weather: Cloud, sunshine and rain.

Walkers: Peter Beal, Alastair Cairns with Daisy, Tom Cunliffe with Daisy, Mark Gibby, Alan Hart, Jock Rooney with Tip, Graham Stone.

Apologies: Andy Blease (in Anglesey), George Dearsley (in Turkey), Laurie Fairman, Hughie Hardiman, Julian Ross and George Whaites (medical appointment)

Leaders: Various. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Outside The Bulls Head at Monyash, near Buxton , Derbyshire.

Starting time: 10.15am. Finishing time: 3.30pm.

Loss of memory caused this to be a test of memory. Having arrived without notebook or pen I was unable to find a volunteer to take over the diarist's role. Consequently this week's ramblings will be mercifully brief. 

Hopefully the accompanying photographs will give some idea of the beauty of this area of towering cliffs above a gently-flowing river alongside footpaths strewn with slippery limestone rocks.

The start was delayed by my late arrival after going on a circuitous route to avoid diversions which had blocked the A6 between New Mills and Chapel-en-le-Frith, along with several other routes which had been flooded by the previous week's torrential rain. Happily the restrictions which applied because of damage to the dam at Todd Brook Reservoir were finally lifted by the time we drove home.

At the start we were amazed to see Daisy, Tom's black miniature poodle, with her new summer haircut. She looked even tinier than usual in Tom's mighty paws. Once again we had a Magnificent Seven walkers along with three canine chums.

With The Bulls Head – still lacking its apostrophe – on our left we walked out of the village until we reached a lay-by on our left and public toilets on our right. At this point we crossed the road and went through a gate into Lathkilldale. The river runs underground for some distance before emerging  on the right of the public footpath. We followed it until we reached a bridge and stopped for a late Pietime, accompanied by tawny port.

Continuing we reached a building where we turned right to reach the far bank of the Lathkill and turned left. We carried on in this vein until we reached a road bridge where we turned right over the river. We followed the road as it swung left and went uphill before we turned left at a public footpath sign.

This brought us to a bridge where we turned right towards Youlgreave but crossed the road immediately, went through a gate and passed soaring cliffs on our left before reaching the left bank of the River Bradford.

Following the river on our right we reached a footbridge and crossed it to head up Church Lane into Yougreave, emerging to the left of the parish church and facing our destination, The George. By now the sun was shining and we enjoyed pints of Robbies' Dizzy Blonde cask bitter on the trestle tables outside the front door.

Our thirsts suitably quenched we turned right out of the pub's front door, crossed the road and passed The Bull's Head on our left before heading right at a distinctive round building. This was the start of a long uphill climb until we passed a car park on our left and reached a main road. 

We crossed this to our right and went over a stile – the first of many which led through fields, one of which was waving with barley. On reaching a flight of stone steps we plunged downhill into a steep valley before climbing the other side and following a path on the left for One Ash Farm.

After going through the farmyard we followed signs for Monyash, ignoring those for Lathkilldale, hoping to be led back to The Bulls Head and our cars. Sadly Alastair and I lost our way somehow and had to resort to some gymnastics  to scale walls and fences to find our way back. Our chums, who had been trailing behind us, arrived at The Bulls Head before us. We were happy to discover that the pub, which used to close at 3pm sharp, is now open all day.

Next week's walk will start at 9.35am from the road outside The Sportsman on Kinder Road, Hayfield. We expect to reach The Lamb at Chinley around 12.15pm for a bracer and be back at The Sportsman for a further tincture at about 2.20pm.

Happy wandering !