Wednesday Wandering: Furness Vale

January 8, 2020.

THE SOLDIER DICK AT FURNESS VALE, RINGSTONES CARAVAN PARK, THE DIPPING STONES, WHALEY MOOR, COCK KNOLL, LYME PARK, RED LANE, ST MARY'S CHURCHYARD, DISLEY, THE DANDY COCK, HAGG BANK, PEAK FOREST CANAL, SWIZZELS MATLOW SWEET FACTORY, NEW MILLS, FURNESS VALE MARINA AND THE SOLDIER DICK

Distance: 8-9 miles.

Difficulty: Easy.

Weather: Dry and mild, mainly cloudy with outbreaks of sunshine.

Walkers: Peter Beal, Andy Blease, Alastair Cairns, Tom Cunliffe with Daisy, Mark Gibby, Hughie Hardiman, Alan Hart, John Jones, Chris Owen, Jock Rooney with Tip, Graham Stone, Dean Taylor, George Whaites.

Alternative walkers: Colin Davison and Lawrie Fairman.

Apologies: Mickey Barrett, Daisy Cairns, George Dearsley (in Turkey), Julian Ross.

Leader: Cunliffe. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Outside The Soldier Dick on the A6 at Furness Vale.

Starting time: 9.40am. Finishing time: 2.15pm.

The Phallic Walk, which takes its name after the two pubs visited, reached new heights of popularity when 13 A walkers joined forces with the two alternative walkers for the middle section of this route. We were not only rewarded by fine weather and some attractive views, but also by Mark buying a monster round of drinks to celebrate the forthcoming 59^th anniversary of his birth. We wish him many happy returns and his bank balance the hope of a speedy recovery.

Our journey took us into Lyme Park where we heard the distinctive call of a curlew, which is normally a harbinger of spring. The park is renowned for its herd of red deer, but we failed so spot any, finding a pair of Highland cattle instead. We were also joined for lunch by a donkey.

With our backs to The Soldier Dick we turned right along the A6 and right again into Yeardsley Lane and headed uphill. At the end of the lane, and the entrance to Ringstones Caravan Park, we turned right (10mins) along a lane. This eventually swung left towards a farmhouse, where we went through a gate by the side of stables (15mins)

After climbing uphill for 30 yards we turned right into a field and walked with a drystone wall on our right. We crossed a wooden stile (23 mins), reached a road (29mins) and turned left for 50 yards. Then we turned right at a public footpath sign and headed uphill along a well-trodden path (30mins). After reaching a wooden stile which we later crossed, your diarist took Dean downhill to The Dipping Stones (which he had never seen before). These are reputed to be the rocks with indentations where money in vinegar and food were exchanged several centuries ago by neighbours afraid of contracting bubonic plague (The Black Death)

We returned to the stile, now on our left and crossed it (41mins) to follow the path on Whaley Moor over a ladder stile until we reached a lane and turned right (56mins). This took us past the former Moorside Hotel, which a few decades ago had hosted celebrity parties. It is now called High Peak School, a boarding establishment for wayward youngsters.

The footpath emerged on a main road at the school entrance (62mins) which we crossed and headed uphill towards Hill View House. We passed the large well-appointed house on our right and then turned right at a green public footpath sign (66mins). This led us up Cock Knoll to a new stone step stile and an adjacent ladder stile which took us into the grounds of Lyme Park (79mins). We sheltered from a chilly wind in the woods, where Chris generously gave us samples of his newly-brewed damson wine during Pietime.

Continuing we went downhill through the woods and exited by a ladder stile (84mins). We turned left and continued to head downhill towards Lyme Cage in the distance.

The tower known as Lyme Cage was originally built around 1580 as a hunting lodge where aristocratic ladies could admire the prowess of their menfolk as they hunted stag on the slopes below. It would become a banqueting hall to celebrate their successes.

In later years the tower was used by the park gamekeeper as his residence, with one room strengthened to hold poachers. The original tower lasted until 1734 when it was dismantled and rebuilt in 1737.

It is now a Grade 11 listed building. It has three sundials on its walls. One is inscribed “Remember now the creator in the days of thy youth.” Two others have the same Latin inscription “Vive hodie. Cras minus aptus erit.” Latin scholars among you will realise this means “Live today. Tomorrow will be less seasonable.” I think we can all agree that Horace put it more succinctly when he said “Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero,” which, as every schoolboy knows, means “Seize today and put as little trust as you can on the morrow.”

We reached Lyme Cage (100mins) and after pausing to admire the view and have our photograph taken we turned right to head downhill to the entrance hut (120mins). Turning right we exited the park (121mins) and walked uphill along Red Lane. This brought us to the churchyard of St Mary's, Disley (133mins), where many of the Legh family, who were the owners of the Lyme Hall estate, are buried.

We exited the churchyard to reach the main traffic lights in Disley and turned right along the A6 towards Buxton before crossing it and entering The Dandy Cock (140mins). It was here that Mark treated us to excellent pints of Robbie's Unicorn along with some soft drinks.

On leaving we turned right out of the pub door and right again to head downhill, passing Hagg Bank Allotments on our left. We turned left into Sherbrooke Road (146mins) and reached the bank of the Peak Forest Canal. We turned right (148mins) with the waterway on our left until we soon reached Bridge 26. We left the canalside, turned left over the bridge and left again to reach the opposite bank. With the canal now on our right we walked under the bridge and stopped at a bench for lunch (153mins). Our presence attracted a donkey which was grazing in the field behind us. It came over to investigate and to share an apple.

Resuming our walk we continued with the canal on our right, passing fragrantly-scented Swizzels Matlow sweet factory in New Mills (171mins). After passing Furness Vale Marina we reached Bridge 31 (195mins) and left the canal. We turned right to cross the bridge and headed back to the A6. We reached The Soldier Dick on the far side of the road (200mins) where some of our group departed and some de-booted to enjoy a choice of two cask ales.

Next week's walk will start at 9.40am from the free Bollington Recreation Ground car park. I have confirmed that The Robin Hood in Rainow will be open on Wednesday lunchtime so we would expect to be there by 12.30pm. Regardless we will return to Bollington Recreation Ground Car Park in time to be in The Vale nearby at 2.30pm.

George Whaites has offered to drive us to Bollington for the 0930am start. Andy and I have booked return tickets from my house at 0900 so there is one spare seat. First to respond secures a place.

Happy wandering !

Pictures by John Jones