Longnor

October 23, 2019.

LONGNOR, CROWDECOTE, BRIDGE END FARM, PARSLEY HAY, DARLEY FARM, HIGH PEAK TRAIL, HURDLOW CAR PARK, THE ROYAL OAK AT SPARKLOW, HURDLOW HALL FARM, ABBOTS GROVE, ALDERLEY CLIFF, CROWDECOTE AND THE CHESHIRE CHEESE AT LONGNOR

Distance: 11 miles.

Difficulty: Easy.

Weather: Dry with early mist giving way to sunshine.

Walkers: Micky Barrett, Andy Blease, Peter Beal, Tom Cunliffe with Daisy, Lawrie Fairman, Mark Gibby, Hughie Hardiman with Coco, Alan Hart, Chris Owen, Jock Rooney with Tip, and Graham Stone.

Apologies: George Dearsley (in Turkey), Alastair Cairns (forgot boots), Julian Ross (w*^king)

Leader: Rooney. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Main cobbled square in Longnor, Staffs.

Starting time: 9.57am. Finishing time: 3.15pm.

It is my sad duty to inform you that the day after this walk took place one of our long-suffering comrades lost his brave battle against cancer. Stevie Kemp only joined the Wednesday Wanderers some seven years ago but his cheerful disposition brightened our days and it was a pleasure to have known him.

Although he was unable to join us for walks in recent times, I know he took a keen interest in our perambulations and had fond memories of his times with us. We shall raise a glass to him next week.

On a cheerier note another wanderer, Andy, announced the birth of his first grandchild and we welcomed the return of three long-term absentees - Tom from his prolonged safari through the Iberian peninsula; Micky from his lengthy sailing holiday off the coast of Turkey; and Lawrie from his journey to the other side of the world where he visited relatives in New Zealand.

We set off in misty conditions and were unable to fully enjoy the spectacular scenery of the hills and dales in the Dove Valley where we criss-crossed the Staffordshire-Derbyshire border. When the sun finally forced its way through after lunch we saw some of what we had missed because of mist !

From the main cobbled square in Longnor we turned left, passing our ultimate destination, The Cheshire Cheese, on our left as we exited the village. By crossing the River Dove (16mins) we left Staffordshire for Derbyshire and entered Crowdecote. Just before we reached The Pack Horse Inn we turned right at a green public footpath sign and turned right again at Bridge End Farm (19mins)

Our journey then took us through a series of metal and wooden gates through fields until we reached a wooden public footpath sign towards Hartington and Parsley Hay (60mins). Here we stopped for pies, port and humbugs from Chris.

Continuing, we crossed a stile to follow the signpost, crossing a series of stone step stiles until we reached a road (89mins). We crossed this to enter a farmyard and carried on following a sign for Parsley Hay. The well-trodden paths over fields took us through gates and over stiles to another road (101mins) which we crossed and followed a wooden public footpath sign through Darley Farm. After crossing more fields we went up a flight of steps to reach a lane where we turned left (109mins).

This was a section of the High Peak Trail, a 17-mile stretch of the former Cromford and High Peak railway line, completed in 1831, which was once used to carry minerals and goods from the Cromford Canal Wharf to the start of the Peak Forest Canal at Whaley Bridge Basin. The line closed between 1963-7 under the Beeching Axe. 

In 1971 the Peak Park Planning Board and Derbyshire County Council bough most of the trackbed. In partnership with The Countryside Commission they adapted it for leisure use by hikers, cyclists and horse riders. At nearby Parsley Hay it is joined by the 13-mile Tissington Trail, which was formerly the branch line to Ashbourne. The High Peak Trail and part of the Tissington Trail are designated as a section of the 130-mile Pennine Bridleway.

We followed the trail, passing a wooden public footpath sign for Hurdlow (133mins) and reached Hurdlow car park (140mins). By taking a left fork we reached a main road with the Royal Oak at Sparklow on the opposite side (143mins)

Here Andy kindly bought a round of drinks to celebrate the birth of his granddaughter and we toasted six-day-old Juliana Blease with a mixture of pints of excellent Doombar, limes and soda and tea. We wish her a long and happy life and send our congratulations to proud parents John and Jenny.

Suitably refreshed we exited the pub, turning right and right again downhill, eventually passing Hurdlow Hall Farm on our right (160mins). We stopped at a sign for a Public Bridleway on our right for lunch (171mins). We followed the bridleway for a short distance before going left over a stone step stile (173mins) into a field. We then used three wooden kissing gates to enter and leave fields before wading through ankle-deep mud to reach and leave a copse of trees (181mins)

After going through a wooden kissing gate we turned right along a well-trodden path through a field  where we were charged repeatedly by an angry cow. We turned her away but she somehow summoned reinforcements from the sisterhood's bovine branch. By the time we left the field by a wooden kissing gate seven or eight other cows had joined the ringleader in a show of solidarity.

As we walked through the next field the mist-shrouded but distinctive shapes of Parkhouse Hill, Chrome Hill and Axe Edge could be seen in the distance ahead.

We reached a lane via a wooden gate, crossed it to go over a stone step stile marked with a yellow arrow (194mins) and reached another lane where we turned left (199mins). This took us past Abbots Grove on our left and Alderley Cliff on our right. The lane brought us back into Crowdecote (216mins), passing The Pack Horse Inn on our left (218mins) before swinging right across the Dove back into Staffordshire (219mins). A steady climb brought us to Longnor and The Cheshire Cheese on our right for pints of  Robbies' Unicorn bitter (234mins)

Next week's walk will start at 9.50am from the car park on waste land opposite The Wheatsheaf pub in Old Glossop. Tom will lead us to The Anchor in Hadfield for a bracer around 12.15pm and we aim to return and de-boot at about 2.20pm before further refreshment round the corner at The Queens.

Happy wandering !