April 14, 2021.
BUGSWORTH BASIN, WHITEHOUGH, PEAK FOREST TRAMWAY, CHAPEL MILTON, SHIREOAKS, SOUTH HEAD, THE LAMB AT CHINLEY HEAD, MONK'S MEADOWS, CHINLEY CHURN, COTEBANK, BRIERLEY GREEN AND THE NAVIGATION AT BUGSWORTH
Distance: 9-10 miles
Difficulty: Strenuous.
Weather: Dry with blue skies, cloud and sunshine.
Walkers: Mickey Barrett, Peter Beal, Andy Blease, Alastair Cairns, Mark Gibby, Hughie Hardiman, Alan Hart, John Jones, Chris Owen, Jock Rooney, Julian Ross, Paul Sidebotham, Dean Taylor, Dave Willetts.
Apologies: Tom Cunliffe (tending sick wife), Keith Welsh (visiting Cornwall)
Leader: Jones. Diarist: Hart.
Starting point: Outside The Navigation at Bugsworth Basin, near Chinley, Derbyshire.
Starting time: 9.40am. Finishing time: 2.44pm.
Freed from the chains of Lockdown we had a bumper turnout for this tough but enjoyable walk from Buggy Basin. Although some Wednesday Wanderers have been keeping things ticking over, this was the first opportunity for a large group of us to walk together and visit pubs.
It was an opportunity to welcome back to our ranks after prolonged absence Mickey Barrett, Peter Beal, Alastair Cairns and Mark Gibby. We were also joined by a debutant, Paul “Siddy” Sidebotham, from Poynton, a friend of Alastair. It was a pleasure to meet Paul and great to see the return of our prodigals.
Although parts of the route chosen and led by JJ were familiar to some seasoned walkers, the journey in its entirety was a new venture and one which we will no doubt try again. To add to the enjoyment, the cask beer at The Lamb and The Navvy was in excellent condition. Not only that but for the second successive week we passed a field containing a llama and an emu. Is this another result of global warming ?
From the car park we passed the pub on our left and took a path on the right bank of Black Brook which took us past the Stephanie Works (16mins) and across two roads as we joined the Peak Forest Tramway (22mins). We reached the main A624 road to Glossop and turned left towards Chapel Milton (36mins)
At a public footpath sign on our right we turned right, passing CJK Packaging (39mins) to follow the path which led under a double railway viaduct (45mins) to reach a road (47mins). Here we dog-legged first left then right to head through a walled passage.
This led to a lane where again we dog-legged left and right, passing Oak House on our right. We turned left through a wooden gate at The Cottage (50mins) and crossed a field to go through another gate and turn left uphill. At a T-junction we dog-legged left and right for the third time in less than an hour to follow a road over a railway bridge (53mins)
After passing Breck Corner on our right we then swung right and left as the path headed towards a farmyard (58mins). We took a path to the left of the farmhouse, going through two gates to exit and head uphill. After a long climb we went through a metal gate, reached The Pennine Bridleway and stopped for Pietime (86mins)
As we relaxed we heard the familiar cry of a curlew which we then saw in the distance. Resuming we turned left along the bridleway. When we drew level with South Head on our left we turned left (107mins) to head steeply for the Trig Point on its summit (111mins)
Pausing for breath we looked back across the valley to Kinder Low, Edale Rocks, Swinesback, Pym Chair and Crowden Tower before starting our descent down the opposite side (117mins). After going through a metal gate we headed left over a stone step stile (126mins) and went diagonally right (133mins) to go through a gap in a broken drystone wall (135mins)
After walking through a wooden gate (137mins) we headed further downhill to cross a wooden stile and reach the A624. We turned right towards Hayfield and after 30 yards turned right at the entrance to The Lamb Inn (144mins) where we enjoyed pints of Wainwrights' cask bitter for £3-70.
The pace had obviously been too great for Peter and Hughie, who made excuses to leave us and take a direct route back to their cars.
Suitably refreshed the remaining dozen turned left out of the pub car park and after 50 yards followed a public footpath sign on the right of the A624. This led down towards a farmhouse but before reaching it we followed a footpath on our left (149mins).
This took us across a stone and wood stile where we stopped for lunch (159mins). In the adjacent field we had already been approached by a llama who was clearly used to posing for photographs. Our presence then attracted the attention of an emu.
Continuing our journey we followed a path on the left of a drystone wall then headed left up a steep hill to reach a lane through a wooden gate (167mins). We turned right for 50 yards then headed left at a wooden public footpath sign (168mins). After a steep climb we crossed a stone step stile (174mins) and turned right uphill.
As we walked in the direction of the summit of Cracken Edge we turned left off the track to reach another footpath over a broken drystone wall on Chinley Churn. Here we turned left (185mins). After crossing a wooden stile (190mins) we passed a wooden public footpath sign 50 yards before a wooden gate on our right led us to a farm track (198mins). We turned left and reached a lane (204mins) where we turned left again downhill (208mins).
At a public footpatgh sign we turned right towards Cote Bank (211mins) passing Tythe Barn Farm on our right (216mins) and 100 yards further on we headed left off the main track before crossing a wooden stile where a sign pointed us in the direction of Bugsworth (218mins)
Keeping a drystone wall on our left we continued to cross a wooden stile (223mins) and enter a road with houses on either side. Dolly Wood Lane led us left to a main road where we turned right (224mins). We walked through Brierley Green, through a railway tunnel and passed Bugsworth War Memorial Club on our left before turning left at Brookside to reach our cars (230mins).
After de-booting we sat outside The Navigation Inn drinking excellent Timothy Taylor Landlord cask bitter at an eye-watering £4-60 a pint.
Next week's walk will start at 9.40am from the lay-by nearest to Leather's Smithy pub at Ridgegate Reservoir. We are aiming to walk through Macclesfield Forest to Shutlingsloe and then drop down to The Crag Inn at Wildboarclough before heading back up to The Hanging Gate on Wincle Lane, Higher Sutton. It seems this is normally closed on Tuesday and Wednesdays but we are checking. In any event we intend to finish with drinks at Leather's Smithy.
Happy wandering !
pictures by Alan Hart
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