April 21, 2021.
RIDGEGATE RESERVOIR, MACCLESFIELD FOREST, NESSIT HILL, SHUTLINGSLOE, THE CRAG AT WILDBOARCLOUGH, OAKENCLOUGH, THE HANGING GATE AT POT LORDS, GRITSTONE TRAIL, LEES HOUSE FARM AND LEATHER'S SMITHY AT LANGLEY
Distance: 8 miles.
Difficulty: Moderate.
Weather: Dry with blue skies and sunshine but a chilly wind.
Walkers: Peter Beal, Andy Blease, Tom Cunliffe with Daisy, Mark Gibby, Hughie Hardiman, Alan Hart, John Jones, Chris Owen, Dean Taylor, George Whaites, Dave Willetts.
Apologies: Alastair Cairns (walking in Lakes), George Dearsley (in Turkey publicising his book), Jock Rooney (walking with B teamers), Paul Sidebotham (unspecified), Keith Welsh (in Cornwall)
Leader: Owen. Diarist: Hart.
Starting point: Lay-by next to Ridgegate Reservoir near Leather's Smithy, Langley.
Starting time: 9.42am. Finishing time: 1.15pm.
For 23 minutes there were 11 men and one dog on this attractive route among the hills and valleys of north-east Cheshire. Then Tom decided to take an alternative path, persuading George and Daisy to accompany him, and we saw neither hide nor hair of them again until they joined us at journey's end in the beer garden of Leather's Smithy.
This diary records the progress of the nine who decided to follow Chris as he led us over familiar and much-loved territory. It only lacked a midway pub stop for a livener to complete a perfect day. Sadly the newly-reopened Hanging Gate is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays until further notice. Rest assured we will leave no stone unturned as we research which local hostelries are available when the current restrictions end.
Waiting for JJ has become rather like Waiting for Godot, except that unlike Samuel Beckett's missing hero our wiry wanderer does eventually turn up. So when JJ finally found us we set off with the lake on our right as we headed uphill and swung right towards Wincle (13mins). We turned left at a barrier to enter Macclesfield Forest and immediately followed the right fork (15mins)
It was when we reached a path on our right (23mins) which passes Nessit Hill on the way to Shutlingsloe that Tom decided to tak' the low road signposted for Shutlingsloe. With his lockdown-length grey hair and bushy beard he resembled an Old Testament prophet.
The main peleton took the unmarked path on the right and climbed uphill until we reached a wooden gate in front of us (33mins). Here we turned left until we reached Nessit Hill on our left (38mins). This viewpoint gave us spectacular views across the valley and down on the reservoirs below.
After pausing to admire the scenery and take photos we proceeded, turning right at a wooden public footpath sign for Shutlingsloe (47mins). After going through a metal gate we turned right (56mins) along a row of flags on the left of a drystone wall. These took us all the way to a stile beyond which was the steep climb to the summit.
Shutlingsloe, at 1,660 feet, is the third highest peak in Cheshire behind Black Hill and Shining Tor. Its name derives from the old English Scyttel's hlaw, meaning Scyttel's hill. It is known as The Matterhorn of Cheshire, comparing it with the 14,692 feet Alpine mountain on the border of Switzerland and Italy where more than 500 climbers have died. It is not known how many mountaineers have been victims of Shutlingsloe but we emerged unscathed.
After pausing on the summit (64mins) for more photos we started the tricky descent down rocks initially until the going became easier as we aimed slightly right along the well-trodden path. It led us through two metal kissing gates to a lane (81mins) where we turned right.
The lane took us over a cattle-grid to a road (88mins) where we turned right, passing the Crag Inn on our right (90mins). A sign informed us that the pub is now only open from noon till 4pm on Saturdays and Sundays. We stopped for Pietime and tried in vain to ring Tom and George.
Proceeding we turned right immediately through a metal gate with a yellow arrow to enter a field and follow the well-trodden, well-marked path through several more until we crossed a stone step stile to emerge on a lane (110mins). We turned left with Piggford Moor Nature Reserve on our right.
After passing Heron Crag on our left we turned right at a metal kissing gate (124mins) and followed the path through a wooden gate with a yellow arrow and over a new footbridge (129mins). We went through a metal gate and forded a stream beneath an imposing house which was once the constituency home of former Chancellor George Osborne.
As we swung left away from the building we passed a flock of exclusively black sheep on our left and a host of golden daffodils before we turned left at a green public footpath sign (137mins). The path then took us through a wooden gate and over a wooden stile before reaching a road with The Hanging Gate on the far side (149mins)
We followed a right of way between the pub on our left and its toilets on our right before turning right along the footpath through a metal gate marked with a yellow arrow. This led us to a road where we turned left (154mins). We soon came to a public footpath sign with the Gritstone Trail symbol of a footprint on our right (155mins).
The distinctive trail signs then led us through improved gates and markings, passing Gritstone Barn on our right (165mins) and through two metal kissing gates to cross a lane (169mins). At a sheltered dip in the next path we paused for lunch (172mins) before continuing through metal kissing gates to a farm track where we turned left (174mins)
We passed the former home of Sale, Cheshire and England rugby captain Fran Cotton on our right with a pond on our left (176mins). As the Gritstone Trail swung left beyond the house we followed it for a few yards then headed right at a yellow arrow down to a wooden footbridge (178mins)
After climbing steps uphill on the far side of the bridge we reached the tip of Ridgegate Reservoir, turning left to follow a gravel track in a clockwise direction. This soon brought us to Leather's Smithy on our left where we enjoyed pints of Black Sheep cask bitter in the beer garden.
Next week's walk will start at 9.50am from the main square in Longnor, near the Staffordshire-Derbyshire border. Courtesy of a phone call from JJ we have established that Ye Olde Pack Horse at Crowdecote will be open and expecting us when we stop for a bracer before returning to our cars.
Happy wandering !
Pictures by Alan Hart
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