Crocker Hill

 

December 2, 2020

DISLEY STATION, BOLLINHURST RESERVOIR, DRAKE CARR, MILLENIUM WOOD, FOOTHILLS OF BLACK ROCKS, THE MURDER STONE, SOLDIER DICK AT FURNESS VALE, PEAK FOREST CANAL, NEW MILLS, DISLEY

Distance: 7 miles.

Difficulty: Thick mist caused chaos.

Weather: Persistent drizzle, some heavy.

Leader (Theoretical): Hart. Leader (Practical): Owen. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Disley Rail Station car park.

Starting time: 9.30am. Finishing time: 12.55pm.

 

This was an omni-shambles on a colossal scale. It may be no coincidence that the last time we experienced such a catalogue of catastrophes was some 16 years ago when your diarist was attempting to lead a party of 11 around this area. Could it be that we have discovered our very own version of The Bermuda Triangle ? 

On that occasion an unexpected mist descended and nine of the group disappeared. This time only one of our wanderers vanished but our efforts to find our bearings let alone our missing member only exacerbated the problems. To make matters worse relentless rain fell throughout the early proceedings. When we managed to reassemble in Furness Vale, another wanderer soon joined the original on the missing list.

Unsettling signs of what was to follow became apparent when we met at Disley Station car park. Someone appears to have spread false rumours of a parking charge. Of six followers only Julian Ross joined your diarist in the free car park. Andy Blease, Tom Cunliffe with Daisy, Chris Owen, Dean Taylor and Dave Willetts parked elsewhere and walked to the meeting point. Jock Rooney arrived by bus.

Light drizzle was falling as we set off with Chris and I in front, going up a long, steep flight of steps opposite the station to reach a sign for St Mary's Church on our left. The rest of the group separated themselves into a sextet to follow at a respectable distance. We proceeded forward along a lane, turning right at a new metal kissing gate to cut diagonally across a field (5mins) towards the distant landmark of Lyme Cage. As we did so your diarist dropped and lost his treasured indelible pen. Was this an omen ?

We exited the field by another metal kissing gate and walked ahead along the lane towards a distant farmhouse. Just before we reached it we turned left at a green ;public footpath sign (15mins). The path led us along the left of a drystone wall. On its far side was Bollinhurst Reservoir.

Mud was beginning to deepen as we crossed a wooden stile on our right (25mins) to enter woods. The path took us over another wooden stile and to a gate at the end of the woodland. We went straight across toward Drake Carr following a sign for Kettleshulme (30mins). With the cottage to our right we turned left up steps and through a wooden kissing gate to enter Millenium Wood (31mins)

We exited the wood via a similar gate and reached a road where we turned right (36mins). After passing Bolder Hall Farm on our left we turned left across a wooden stile following a footpath sign for Black Rocks (40mins). This proved to be our last sighting of Tom and Daisy for the next 70 minutes.

Tom later described how he had stopped to put on a waterproof coat after crossing the stile, allowing others to pass him. The last of those ahead of him were still in sight as he set off but as he climbed towards the ridge the mist grew thicker and visibility reduced. “The people ahead of me just vanished,” Tom explained later. “I kept going hoping to catch you up.”

Meanwhile, initially unaware that one of our chums was missing, we followed a lower path parallel with the ridge for a few minutes before we stopped to carry out a head count. 

Julian contacted Tom, who was unable to explain where he was. An arrangement was made to meet him at Byron House. However that proved easier said than done. When we reached a road Chris expressed his confidence that we should head right. What we did not know at that stage was that Chris believed our destination was The Soldier Dick at Furness Vale rather than The Fox at Brook Bottom. By the time this was established we were near enough to Furness Vale to make that a better option. Tom, who had found his way back to civilisation, was informed of our new destination and arranged to meet us there.

Our revised route took us past The Murder Stone (76mins), a memorial to William Wood, an Eyam merchant who was battered to death in 1826 by three men as he walked towards his home from Whaley Bridge. At the next path on our left we stopped for Pietime (80mins) before following the track which emerged in Yeardsley Lane (95mins). We turned left, reached the A6 and turned left. The pub was on our left after 50 yards (98mins) 

Ironically, by the time we reached a bus shelter outside The Soldier Dick the persistent rain had stopped. Tom and Daisy arrived (108mins) and shared a late Pietime together. Then we set off across the A6 to the road which leads under the railway line and emerges to the right of the bridge over the Peak Forest Canal.

We crossed the bridge and turned left on to the towpath with the canal on our left. As we gathered for the flat walk back to Disley it became clear that Tom and Jock had decided upon an alternative route or form of transport.

The remaining six continued walking by the side of the canal until we reached Disley and headed up the road which emerges by the side of The Dandy Cock on the A6. We crossed the main road, turned right and returned to our cars. 

Next week's walk will start at 9.40am from the roadside parking next to Ridgegate Reservoir, Langley, Macclesfield, near the Leathers' Smithy pub. We are hoping to go via Macclesfield Forest to Shutlingsloe, passing The Crag Inn on the way to The Hanging Gate before making our way back to our cars.

Happy wandering !

 

 

 

 Pictures by Tom