Wednesday Wandering: Higher Poynton

February 12, 2010.

THE BOAR'S HEAD CAR PARK AT HIGHER POYNTON, MACCLESFIELD CANAL, LOCKGATE FARM, SKELLORN STUD, BIRCHENCLIFFE, KEEPER'S COTTAGE, SPONDS HILL, BOWSTONES, MONKHOUSE MEMORIAL, LYME PARK, EAST LODGE, GRITSTONE TRAIL, THE WHITE HORSE AT DISLEY, RED LANE, LYME PARK, THE LADYBROOK TRAIL, MACCLESFIELD CANAL, THE BOAR'S HEAD

Distance: 10+ miles.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Weather: Dry with early cloud giving way to blue skies and sunshine.

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

Alternative walkers: Colin Davison and Lawrie Fairman.

Apologies: George Dearsley (in Turkey), Jock Rooney and Tip (with B team), Julian Ross (Antipodean hols)

Leader: Hart. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Car park of The Boar's Head at Higher Poynton.

Starting time: 9.42am. Finishing time: 2.57pm.

Fortune favoured the brave once again as the stormy weather which has buffeted much of the British Isles during the past four days subsided. Cold winds were minimal in strength and we even enjoyed some unexpected sunshine.

This was a new route covering familiar territory. As a result some of our fitter members tended to race ahead, sometimes in the wrong direction, whilst others were left in their slipstream. Leading such a disparate group has always been a challenge and so it proved. In the end chasing after the leading pack while keeping in touch with the back markers proved impossible. It is therefore a relief to report that the resourcefulness of the Wednesday Wanderers once again prevailed and we all reached our prime destinations – The White Horse at Disley and The Boar's Head at Higher Poynton (albeit a few minutes later than planned)

What debutant John Wigley made of it all remains to be seen although he is welcome to join us again on future adventures. We were also rejoined by Peter after a three-week absence because of his holiday in warmer climes. He played a key role, much appreciated, in shepherding the flock.

From outside The Boar's Head we crossed the road diagonally left, passing the Nelson Pit Museum on our left before swinging right uphill to reach the Macclesfield Canal at Lord Vernon's Wharf (4mins). We turned right with the canal on our left and walked in the direction of Bollington until we reached Lyme Marina (26-28mins)

Here we left the canal by turning right and then left over Bridge 18 (30mins) to head towards Lockgate Farm. When we reached Skellorn Stud (38mins) we crossed a wooden stile to its left, then one to the right and a third to the left. It was at this stage that your diarist and leader caught his right foot in brambles and fell sprawling in the mud to the amusement of all concerned.

We crossed a field diagonally right and exited it on the left to follow a path to a road where we turned right toward Pott Shrigley (46mins)

We soon passed the Coffee Tavern on our left and turned left at a footpath towards Birchenclough (49mins). After passing through a wooden gate to reach a crossing in the footpaths we turned left along a lane (65mins). Just short of Keepers Cottage on our right (69mins) we stopped for pies, port and home-brewed damson gin provided once again by Chris.

Continuing we turned right uphill along a footpath leading to both Sponds Hill and Bowstones. On reaching a gate (85mins) we paused for a team photo (12 wanderers and one photographer) with the snow-capped hills of the Kinder Range just visible in the background.

When we reached Spond Hill (90mins) we turned left short of the Trig Point on our right and went through a metal gate (104mins) to reach the whitewashed landmark of Bowstones Farm (108mins).

Here to the right of the farm we examined the two shafts of Saxon crosses which give the farm its name. At one time they would have been objects of devotion later used as boundary markers.

After crossing a stile and a ladder stile we turned right (113mins) with a drystone wall on our right, passing the radio receiving masts and an air raid shelter in the farm garden. We then reached the memorial to Allan Monkhouse, playwright, novelist and literary editor of the Manchester Guardian (119mins). He and his distinguished family were born in Disley and loved these hills.

Beyond the memorial we climbed a ladder stile to enter Lyme Park (125mins) and a wood which we walked through and exited by another ladder stile (129mins)

Turning left we headed downhill in the direction of Lyme Cage but after crossing a wooden stile and reaching a lane we turned right (142mins)

The lane took us to East Lodge (154mins) where we exited the park and followed a diversion round a broken bridge (159mins). We turned left at a metal gate to follow the Gritstone Trail sign (161mins) and passed a kennels on our left.

In the garden was a red phone box where Clark Kent had recently morphed into Superman. A sign on a tree warned “ No Trespassing. Violators will be shot. Survivors will be shot again.” (Such signs are common in Texas and should be taken very seriously)

Where the Gritstone Trail swung left we turned sharp right for St Mary's Church car park (181mins) following a public footpath behind the church and between two graveyards. It led to a footbridge which we crossed, passing an old pub sign to indicate the building was once The Ring O' Bells, but is now a Society of Friends Meeting House - informally known as Quakers (186mins)

We turned left down Ring o' Bells Lane and at the bottom on the right we reached The White Horse (190mins) where your diarist washed and changed his muddy paramos. The first three pints of Robbies did not pass muster but were gladly exchanged after the barrel had been changed.

While we were drinking the replacement cask bitters Lawrie and Colin appeared having failed to gain entry half an hour earlier. The barmaid suggested they might not have pulled the door-handle hard enough but one suspects she might have put the bolts across when she saw them approaching.

Suitably refreshed one group of hikers sallied forth while their diarist and leader was donning his now-dry paramos in the gents' toilet. What follows is the route to and along The Ladybrook Trail which some others by-passed.

After turning left out of the front door for 50 yards we turned left again into Red Lane and walked to the end to enter Lyme Park (203mins). After passing the entrance hut on our left we swung to the right of a cottage and crossed a ladder stile to exit Lyme Park (207mins). We turned left and crossed a footbridge over the brook.

This was the start of the Ladybrook Trail back to the Macclesfield Canal. The Ladybrook Valley stretches for 9.3 miles and falls 902 feet from its source above Bollinhurst Reservoir. At various points it is called Bollinhurst Brook, Norbury Brook, Bramhall Brook, the Ladybrook and the Mickerbrook. It is a tributary of the River Mersey and its confluence is below the weir at Cheadle. South of Hazel Grove it marks the boundary between Greater Manchester and Cheshire.

With Ladybrook on our right we followed the well-trodden path as it swung right through a tunnel under the Manchester-Buxton railway line (210mins). Turning left we crossed a wooden stile and went across the railway to reach a road where we turned right and crossed a ladder stile on our left (220mins). After passing a derelict summer cottage on our left we crossed a wooden stile and a footbridge before climbing uphill to reach the Macclesfield Canal while the Ladybrook flowed under it (229mins)

On reaching Bridge 13 and a gaily decorated World War 2 pillbox we turned right across the bridge and swung back to the right bank of the canal heading towards Bollington (232mins). When we reached the Nelson Pit car park on our right (247mins) we turned right and walked down to the Boar's Head (249mins) for pints of excellent Wainwrights' cask bitter at £3-80.

Meanwhile Colin and Lawrie, having called at The Dandy Cock in Disley, returned to The Soldier Dick at Furness Vale. This used to be known as The Phallic Walk but following a suggestion by Lawrie it will now forever be known as The Two Pricks Walk.

Next week's walk will start at 9.40am outside The Navigation at Bugsworth Basin. It is planned to arrive at around 12.15pm for a livener at The Old Hall at Whitehough before returning to The Navigation for any further refreshment required about 2pm. There are free car parking spaces available on the road leading to the pub.

Happy wandering !

Picture by Alan Hart