Wednesday Wandering: Bollington

BOLLINGTON, CHURCH STREET, THE CROWN, INGERSLEY VALE, WHITE NANCY, KERRIDGE RIDGE, RAINOW, BULL HILL LANE, BRINK BARN, WALKER BARN, HORDERN FARM, PEDLEY HILL, HOLY TRINITY CHURCH, RAINOW, STOCKS LANE, THE ROBIN HOOD AT RAINOW, THE VIRGINS' PATH, INGERSLEY VALE WATERFALL AND THE VALE AT BOLLINGTON

Distance: Eight miles.

Difficulty: Steep early climb then easy.

Weather: Mild, dry and mostly sunny.

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

Alternative walkers: Colin Davison and Lawrie Fairman.

B walkers: Phil Burslem, Tony Job, Ken Sparrow and Barry Williams.

Apologies: George Dearsley (in Turkey), Julian Ross (Antipodean hols)

Leaders: Various. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Bollington Recreation Ground Car Park.

Starting time: 9.40am. Finishing time: 2.20pm.

For the second successive week we had a large turn-out and unseasonably mild weather for this ever-popular walk around the prettiest hills and valleys of East Cheshire. For some wanderers this was a maiden voyage and the feedback was encouraging. We were also happy to discover that one of our regular watering holes, The Robin Hood at Rainow, was now open again on Wednesday lunchtimes.

There was some confusion as to who was actually leading the walk with various members of our group in front at different times. It didn't really matter but if you enjoyed the walk I blush to tell you I was the leader: if you didn't it was Tom.

At one point this misunderstanding resulted in two separate groups taking two different routes back from Rainow to Bollington. The following diary records the journey of those who were following your diarist (who was at different stages in front, middle and rear).

From the car park overlooking Bollington Recreation Ground we walked to the right of the field and crossed a bridge over the River Dean, turned left and climbed up to the main road, where we turned left again. At this stage JJ was still searching for the car park and we must make allowances as motoring is a relatively new experience for him.

After passing The Spinners' Arms on our right we reached Smith's orgasmic pie shop, where some bought supplies as we awaited JJ's belated arrival. Appropriately this brought the numbers of our main group up to a baker's dozen.

As we left the pie shop (20mins) we turned right and continued uphill to a mini-roundabout where we turned right up Church Street, passing a derelict church on our right. On reaching The Crown pub we turned left along Ingersley Vale, passing the old mill pond on our right (25mins). About 100 yards after passing an impressive display of birds boxes dangling from a tree we turned right at a public footpath sign and started our steep ascent of White Nancy.

This summer house or folly was built in 1817 to commemorate the British victory at The Battle of Waterloo two years earlier. It was constructed under the orders of John Gaskell Junior, whose family lived at Ingersley Hall. At first it had a semi-circular seat and window overlooking Andrew's Nob across the valley. For the best part of a century it has been sealed and painted white to create a local landmark.

Various stories explain its name. One suggests it was named after one of Gaskell's daughters. Another claims it was given its title in tribute to a white horse called Nancy which hauled building materials to the 250 metre summit. Most likely is that an early map showed the location as Northern Nancy.

On reaching the summit, we paused for breath and photographs as we reassembled (48mins) for the walk along Kerridge Ridge. This took us past the Trig Point at 313 metres (69mins) before we began our descent to Lidgetts Lane on the outskirts of Rainow village for pies, port and delicious damson gin provided by Chris (84mins)

Continuing to our right along Lidgetts Lane we walked for 100 yards and then crossed the road left opposite Brae Cottage (85mins) to climb a flight of steps and enter a field. We crossed this to reach Bull Hill Lane and turn right uphill (90mins). At the T-junction at the top we turned left and after 30 yards crossed the main road to follow a public footpath sign and head uphill into a field (98mins). As we did so we met Colin and Lawrie coming downhill.

After crossing a wooden stile (102mins) we turned left, crossing more stiles as we headed in a straight line to Brink Barn Farm (108mins). We followed the footpath through the farmyard and rejoined the main road at Walker Barn (113mins). We crossed the road, turned right and swung left with the road as it passed a house which was once a pub called The Setter Dog. Beyond it we turned left down a lane (115mins). This brought us to a metal kissing gate where we turned left (123mins)

The path then took us through the yard at Hordern Farm (133mins). We ignored a footpath sign for the Gritstone Trail and continued for another 50 yards before turning left over a stile (137mins)

The path then took us over a ladder stile (141mins) followed by a series of gates and stiles leading downhill to a road (147mins)

After crossing the road we entered a field where two molecatchers were at work setting traps. We went through a white gate and turned left uphill for 30 yards before crossing a wooden stile on our right and following the track over a wooden footbridge and a ladder stile (153mins). The path took us up to a stone step stile which we crossed (156mins) to reach a lane and turn left.

When we reached a road at Pedley Cottage (159mins) we turned right, passing Holy Trinity Church on our right. After crossing the road we entered Stocks Lane (163mins), passing the original village stocks on our right before reaching The Robin Hood (166mins). Here we joined the alternative walkers and the B team for a choice of Wainwrights, Timothy Taylor's Landlord, or Marstons' Pedigree cask ales at £3-40 a pint.

As we were leaving one group turned right whilst another group went instinctively left down Stocks Lane before turning right into Chapel Lane (168mins). We then turned right into Sugar Lane (171mins) and headed right again at a wooden public footpath sign sending us to the rear of Flagg Cottage (173mins).

This was the start of The Virgins' Path, a footpath created by stone flags which crossed the farmers' fields and was laid three centuries ago when there was no church in Rainow. Young brides-to-be had to walk to Bollington to marry and the flagstones prevented their arrival with mudstains on the hems of their white dresses.

When we arrived at Ingersley Vale Waterfall (187mins) we paused for lunch. Continuing we walked towards Bollington and after 100 yards reached the other group who had just stopped for their lunch. We were soon retracing our footsteps past the birdbox tree, the millpond, The Crown, the pie shop and The Spinners' Arms as we returned to our cars to de-boot (210mins). Some of us then reassembled in The Vale, a pub owned by the Bollington Brewery opposite, where its variety of cask ales were available at £3-40 a pint.

Next week's walk will start at 9.30am from the road outside The Cock at Whaley Bridge. The route will be up through Taxal to Windgather Rocks, down to Fernilee Reservoir and a livener at The Shady Oak around 12.15pm before returning to The Cock at about 2.20pm.

Happy wandering !

Pictures by Alan Hart