June 2, 2021.
PARK HALL WOODS, MIDDLE MOOR, THE KNOTT, MILL HILL, PLANE CRASH SITE, BURNT HILL, HOLLINWORTH HEAD, MATLEY MOOR, KINGS CLOUGH HEAD FARM, LITTLE MILL INN AT ROWARTH, HARTHILL, BLACKSHAW FARM, CLOUGH MILL APARTMENTS, THE LANTERN PIKE INN AT LITTLE HAYFIELD
Distance: 9 miles.
Difficulty: Moderate.
Weather: Warm and sunny with a gentle breeze.
Walkers: Peter Beal, Andy Blease, Tom Cunliffe with Daisy, Mark Gibby, Hughie Hardiman, Alan Hart, John Jones, Chris Owen, Dean Taylor with Tommy, Dave Willetts.
Apologies: Alastair Cairns (in Wensleydale), George Dearsley (in Turkey), Mickey Barrett and Julian Ross (domestic duties)
Leader: Beal. Diarist: Hart.
Starting point: Outside Park Hall Woods on A624 at Little Hayfield, Derbyshire.
Starting time: 9.33am. Finishing time: 2.27pm.
On a glorious early summer's day a new recruit made his debut for the Wednesday Wanderers. It was an impressive performance by a one-year old as Tommy Taylor showed both his fitness and friendliness.
The only time he let himself down was when he slid under the table during our pub stop and fell fast asleep. But he's not the first wanderer by a long chalk to do that.
Peter led us on this walk which included a visit to the site of a wartime plane crash and an historic watermill which has been converted into a pub. The route took us through some superb scenery around the foothills of the Kinder range.
Born in Barnsley, Taylor (1932-58) was one of six children who left school at 15 to work at the local colliery. He played for his pit team until in 1949 he signed for Barnsley, making his debut at 18. He continued to play for the 2nd Division team during his National Service with the British Army until he was signed for Manchester United in 1953 by Matt Busby for £29,999.
Taylor became a top scorer for United and netted 16 times in 19 games for England. In 1957 Busby rejected a £65,000 offer for him from Inter Milan. Tragically the following year he was one of eight United players killed in the Munich air crash.
The canine Tommy Taylor seemed slightly overwhelmed by the large number of strangers who greeted him as we walked into Park Hall Woods, but he was soon showing affection, especially at Pietime !
From the woods we went through a gate to enter Middle Moor and turned immediately left to ford a stream (7mins). The path took us along the south-east flank of The Knot, passing a series of grouse butts before we started the climb up Mill Hill.
When we reached a cairn (63mins) we turned left along flagstones until we reached plane wreckage on our right (69mins) and stopped for Pietime.
The remains of this US Liberator which crashed near the 1,785 summit of Mill Hill, in October, 1944, have been steadily reduced over the years by souvenir hunters. There is little left to remind us of the day when pilot Creighton Houpt and his navigator Jerome Najvar of the US 310th Ferry Squadron 27th Air Transport Group failed to negotiate the Peak District hills as they moved the aircraft from Burtonwood to Hardwick. They both walked away relatively unscathed.
Resuming we stopped to study the memorial stone for Ken Blakeman (1946-2016), chairman of Kinder Mountain Rescue, who died here aged 59 while attempting to save lives.
We crossed Burnt Hill and continued with the town of Glossop below on our right until we reached the A624 (103mins). We crossed and headed uphill. When we reached a gravel track on our left opposite a wooden public footpath sign on our right (109mins) we turned left and headed uphill to a fork where we went right (114mins)
As we approached a farmhouse we turned right at a public footpath sign (116mins) and went to the right of the farmhouse before crossing a stone step stile and heading left. The path took us over two wooden stiles and through a gate to reach a road (124mins)
We turned immediately left through a wooden gate with a yellow arrow and followed the path to our right. We exited the moor and turned right down a track until we reached tarmac (135mins). Here we turned left before passing The Kings Clough Head Farm on our right (137mins)
The road continued but where it swung left (139mins) we carried straight ahead along a track where we forded a stream (150mins) and took a left fork where the paths divided (142mins). Ignoring the first wooden footbridge on our left we continued to the second which we crossed (150mins)
We then forded the stream again and went left over a wooden stile (151mins) to head through a wooden gate and over a wooden stile (153mins). We emerged to the right of a red phone box where we turned left and after 20 yards turned right along a footpath. Another wooden gate brought us out in view of The Little Mill, its extensive beer garden, play area, car park, giant water-powered mill wheel, Pullman dining carriage and children's play area (156mins)
The Shipyard cask bitter was in good form but at £4-60 a pint it seemed to indicate that clients were paying top whack for all the amenities. Fair enough.
Our return journey involved retracing our footsteps to the red phone box where we carried straight on instead of turning right. Soon after we swung right at the end of a row of cottages (160mins) and followed a path across Matley Moor.
The route took us down the left shoulder of Lantern Pike, crossing one wooden stile (195mins) and then two in quick succession (217 and 218 mins) to reach the end of a road by a cottage on our right.
We turned left into a field and headed steeply downhill and crossed a footbridge over a stream to pass the former Clough Mill on our left. (It was here that blogspotter George had a penthouse apartment and became a Wednesday Wanderers as well as a customer of Tom's in the Lantern Pike Inn)
From the mill we climbed past the former rented cottage homes of Coronation Street creator Tony Warren and original actress Pat Phoenix, who played Elsie Tanner. They too used to drink in The Lantern Pike, as did your diarist and Corrie's executive producer Bill Podmore.
It was to the beer garden of this hostelry that we climbed up the hill for further refreshment (228mins)
Next week's walk will start at 9.30am from the end of Laneside Road, Low Leighton, New Mills. To reach it take the A6015 road off the A6 towards Hayfield from New Mills, turning right into Laneside Road opposite the Hare and Hounds pub on your left. Those approaching from Hayfield through Birch Vale should turn left at the pub on your right. Drive as far as you can for a mile to the end of Laneside Road.
PS From John Jones Next week's wander is as follows. 09.30 time, Booze (Arranged ) at Sportsman on Kinder Road, arr' tie 12 -12.30 hrs. All who enter pub ,Must wear a mask and give details for tracking purposes. meet point up the hill at top of Laneside, New Mills. at SK22 4LU.Driving n/east turn right opp' Hare and Hounds, up lane until very end of tarmac. Walk Chinley Churn, Blackshaws., pub then Hayfiled and Birch Vale return,,10 miles plus.
Happy wandering !
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