March 4, 2020.
THE MINERS ARMS, FOUR LANE ENDS, ADLINGTON, LYME VIEW MARINA, SKELHORN STUD FARM, COFFEE TAVERN, BIRCHENCLIFFE, KEEPER'S COTTAGE, SPONDS HILL, BRINK BROW, POTT SHRIGLEY, GRITSTONE TRAIL, HARROP BROOK, CHESHIRE HUNT HOUSE, BOLLINGTON, THE VALE, MIDDLEWOOD WAY, THE MINERS ARMS AT FOUR LANE ENDS
Distance: 9 miles.
Difficulty: Moderate.
Weather: Dry with blue skies, some cloud and good visibility.
Walkers: Peter Beal, Alastair Cairns with Daisy, Tom Cunliffe, Alan Hart, Chris Owen, Julian Ross, Dean Taylor, George Whaites.
Alternative walkers: Colin Davison and Lawrie Fairmasn.
Apologies: Micky Barrett (in Silverdale), Andy Blease (driving father to medical appointment), George Dearsley (in Turkey), Mark Gibby, Hughie Hardiman, Jock Rooney and Tip (walking with SOBs), Graham Stone.
Leader: Beal. Diarist: Hart.
Starting point: Outside The Miners Arms, Four Lane Ends, Adlington.
Starting time: 10am. Finishing time: 2.50pm.
We welcomed Julian back from his six-week expedition to Australasia although we had to wait for his much-anticipated return as his chauffeur-driven Maserati got lost in flood diversions. The eventual arrival of Julian and Alastair was accompanied by a dramatic spin of wheels and scattering of gravel seen more often in action movies than at Wednesday Wanderers' starting points.
Patient leader Peter started 20 minutes late but we were blessed with excellent weather as we climbed continuously for the first hour.
We were rewarded with excellent views from the summit of Sponds Hill, from where we could see White Nancy and Shutlinsgloe in the distance. There was also some splendid locally-brewed cask ales at The Vale and the Wainwrights at our finishing post, The Miners Arms, was also in top form, as was the waitress who caused jaws to drop as she brought a pot of tea for Chris.
At our first watering hole we rejoined alternative walkers Colin and Lawrie, who had set off from The Miners Arms at 9.30am on a different route. Lawrie, “freshly” returned from working as a lecturer on an Arctic cruise, declared it to be ffffreezing cold and bloody windy. Who'd have thought ?
Facing away from The Miners we turned right and immediately left following a sign for Lyme View Marina. We crossed a bridge over the Middlewood Way and went over Bridge 18 of the Macclesfield Canal. The lane took us past rows of caravans to the Skelhorn Stud (13mins)We skirted left of the farm, then turned right behind it, crossing two wooden stiles to reach a field which we crossed diagonally right. A gate led us to a footpath which brought us out on the road linking Higher Poynton with Pott Shrigley (20mins)
Turning right we passed The Coffee Tavern before turning left at a green public footpath sign to head up Birchencliffe (22mins). This lane took us past Birchencliffe Farm Cottages (29mins) and we continued uphill to a wooden signpost where four paths crossed. We turned left (37mins) and just before reaching Keepers Cottage on our right (41mins) we turned right at a sign for Bowstone Gate and Kettleshulme.
On reaching a metal kissing gate marked with a yellow arrow (53mins) we continued uphill until we reached a path with Bowstones to our left and the summit of Spond Hill on our right (74mins).
We turned right, reaching a Viewfinder (84mins) from where we could see White Nancy on our right and the distinctive cone of Shutlingsloe peeping out of the hills to our left.
On reaching a depression to the right of the footpath (95mins) we took shelter from a stiff breeze to enjoy pies, port and home-made damson gin kindly supplied by Chris. At this point there was an outpouring of grief when Tom left us to head back to his car for a dental appointment in New Mills. Resuming, we soon reached a road at Brinks Brow (97mins). While the main party turned right passing the sign for Pott Shrigley, Chris decided to plough a lone furrow by crossing the road and following a public footpath sign leading down to a valley. The six remaining walkers passed Brink House on our left before turning left through a metal kissing gate following signs for The Gritstone Trail (102mins)
Where the farm track swung right we left it on the left to follow a marker post which led to a metal kissing gate (108mins). We crossed another metal kissing gate and a cattle grid (115mins) then continued downhill with a drystone wall on our left. At an open gate we turned left to head more steeply downhill, following footpath signs with yellow arrows which took us to the left of a farm.
After passing a pond on our left which contained an elaborate home for water fowl (129mins) we navigated a series of kissing gates and a footbridge over Harrop Brook to reach a lane (141mins where we were rejoined by Chris.
A right turn took us past Cheshire Hunt House, once The Cheshire Hunt pub. This was closed and converted into a house and cottages in 2001/2. In the late 19th Century it had been known as The Quiet Woman. Its inn sign showed a woman's head inside a dome-shaped cage. Her large tongue was caught in a mousetrap.
After passing the former pub we reached the end of Hedge Row and turned left towards Bollington (142mins), passing The Poachers Inn on our left (149mins). The main road through Bollington took us underneath the canal aqueduct to the path on the right leading down into Bollington Recreation Ground (162mins). On the right beyond the tennis courts and bowling green, a path ran to the right of the soccer pitch and cricket square to the car park at the rear of The Vale (167mins) where we enjoyed pints of Long Hop, White Nancy and Bollington Best for £3-50.
The Vale Inn was bought in 2005 to make it a community pub selling locally-brewed beer and good food. Three years later The Bollington Brewery, sited opposite The Vale, created its debut beer, First Brew. In 2011 the brewery reopened The Park Tavern and a year later they upgraded their brewing equipment, increasing its capacity of casks per brew from 16 to 45. In 2013 they bought a former wine bar in Park Lane, Poynton, and renamed it The Cask Tavern.
On leaving the pub we turned left and soon crossed the Bollington Recreation Ground car park on our right, exiting by the rear to join The Middlewood Way (169mins).
This was once the Macclesfield, Bollington and Marple Railway Line,opened in 1869 and running ten miles with five stations – Marple (Rose Hill), High Lane, Higher Poynton, Bollington and Macclesfield. The station at Middlewood was added later. The line closed in 1970 and was converted into a leisure trail for horse riders, cyclists and ramblers in 1985, when it was opened by environmentalist and TV personality Dr David Bellamy.
We exited the Middlewood Way at Bridge 12 after a ten-minute lunch break en route (219mins) and walked downhill from Lyme View Marina to reach The Miners Arms on our right (220 mins)
Next week's walk will start at 9.45am from roadside parking at Danebridge, Wincle, with Chris leading participants to The Ryles Arms at Sutton around 12.30 for a snifter. He aims to be back at The Ship at Wincle for a 2.30pm finish.
Happy wandering !
Pictures by Alan Hart
