June 9, 2021.
LOW LEIGHTON, BIG STONE, PEEP-O-DAY, MOUNT FAMINE, SOUTH
HEAD, COLDWELL CLOUGH, TUNSTEAD HOUSE, BOWDEN BRIDGE, THE SPORTSMAN AT HAYFIELD, SETT VALLEY TRAIL, BIRCH VALE, OLLERSETT MOOR, LANESIDE ROAD
Distance: 10 miles.
Difficulty: Strenuous.
Weather: Dry, Warm and Sunny with Gentle Breeze.
Walkers: Mickey Barrett, Alastair Cairns, Tom Cunliffe with Daisy, Hughie Hardiman, Alan Hart, John Jones, Chris Owen, Dean Taylor and Dave Willetts.
Apologies: Peter Beal, Andy Blease, George Dearsley (in Turkey), Mark Gibby (swollen leg)
Leader: Jones. Diarist: Hart.
Starting point: End of Laneside Road, Low Leighton, New Mills.
Starting time: 9.38am. Finishing time: 2.52pm.
This tough walk was not for the faint-hearted as we endured four steep climbs in wonderful warm weather. But we were rewarded with spectacular scenery through The Dark Peak with its hills providing panoramic views for many a mile.
We also enjoyed a friendly welcome and excellent beer in one of our favourite country pubs. On the nature front we heard the familiar sound of a cuckoo – a rare treat these days – and spotted four alpacas in a Derbyshire field far from their native home in South America.
Mickey, recovering from a hamstring injury, made a happy return to the fold but this was balanced by the loss of Mark, who failed a late fitness test on a swollen and painful leg.
From the attractive starting point (above) we followed a green public footpath sign uphill. The path took us through three wooden gates. At the final one (19mins) we reached a wooden footpath sign and carried straight on uphill. We crossed a wooden stile and reached a cluster of boulders, with the largest known rather unimaginatively as Big Stone (27mins)
After admiring the view and gathering our collective breath we started the steep descent from the left of Big Stone. It got gradually easier as we reached a well-trodden path leading down to an even wider path where we headed left as we continued downhill through a wooden gate to reach the house called Peep-o-Day on our left (50mins).
Beyond this we continued for 50 yards to the A624 Glossop-Chapel road and turned left. After another 50 yards we turned right, crossing the road and going up a path with Hayfield View on our left (52mins). We soon dog-legged right and left to continue uphill (58mins)
A
s
we went through two wooden gates, keeping right after the second, we
crossed a ladder stile (62mins) and eventually reached the 1,552
summit of Mount Famine for Pietime (77mins)
It is believed Mount Famine was given its name because a number of Enclosure Acts were passed between 1750 and 1850 which allocated common land and moorlands to private landowners. They fenced and leased these fields to tenant farmers. Some of the land was of poor quality for planting or grazing and the families of some farmers went hungry. Their struggles were immortalised in place names like Mount Famine. Other notable examples in the English countryside include Starvation Hill, Famish Acre and Mount Misery.
Continuing our journey from the rocky outcrop where we had stopped, we crossed a wooden stile (78mins) and walked down to a gravel track (82mins). We turned left and soon took a path on our right (83mins) going uphill to South Head. We reached its 1,617 feet summit (89mins) which was marked by a cairn.
We descended on the far side, reaching a rocky path and turning left (93mins). At a public footpath sign we followed the path towards Hayfield via Coldwell Clough (95mins). After crossing a wooden footbridge we went through a wooden gate to turn left (112mins)
We passed a set of farm buildings (116mins) and carried on until we reached Blackshaws Farm on our right (124mins). The farmhouse, built in 1804, is distinctive because of the sculpture of a stone monkey on its roof. It is believed this was to remind the farmer's son of the responsibility of paying a mortgage (a monkey on his back)
Just beyond the farm entrance door we went right through a gate to enter the farmyard, exited it via a stone step stile (129mins) then crossed a wooden stile to turn left along a gravel track (131mins). We swung left before a farmhouse and then went right over a wooden stile just before we reached stables (133mins)
As we followed the path we heard a cuckoo in the woods to our left. We crossed a stone step stile (138mins) and reached Tunstead House (140mins). We turned left following the road downhill and carrying straight ahead at crossroads (146mins). Crossing Bowden Bridge on our right where the River Kinder becomes the River Sett, we turned left (150mins) and walked along Kinder Road until we reached The Sportsman on our right (156mins) Here we enjoyed Golden cask bitter in the sunny beer garden at £4-10 a pint.
Resuming our journey we crossed the road opposite the pub's main door and followed a public footpath sign directing us down steps to cross a bridge over the Sett. On the far side we turned right and walked into the centre of Hayfield, crossing a road to enter Fishers Bridge (166mins)
We crossed the A624 heading right then left into New Mills Road and passing Kinder Lodge on our right. After the pub we turned right and stopped for lunch at the former Hayfield railway station, now a bus terminus, at the picnic tables ON THE LEFT provided for the start of The Sett Valley Trail (169mins)
Continuing we joined the trail on the former trackbed leading to New Mills. As we did so we passed a field containing four alpacas on our left.
We left thr trail on our left at Birch Vale, crossing the A6015 and heading uphill on a lane to the left of the former pub called The Grouse (188mins). Our fourth relentless climb of the day took us to a wooden gate (203mins) where we turned right on to Ollersett Moor.
After crossing two wooden stiles and a ladder stile (220mins) we reached a lane where we turned left. This brought us to Laneside Road and our cars on the right (229mins)
Next week's walk will start at 10am from Curbar, which is off the A623 between Stoney Middleton and Baslow. As you approach from the northwest through the village of Calver turn left after The Bridge Inn and immediately left again uphill. At the top of this hill there are lay-bys to the right and left where we will assemble.
Happy wandering !
Pictures by John Jones
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