Topley Pike

 February 16 2022.

TOPLEY PIKE, WYE VALLEY MONSAL TRAIL, CHEW DALE, BANK PIT SPRING, CHURCH INN AT CHELMORTON, DEEP DALE

Distance: Eight miles.

Difficulty: Challenging terrain: one strenuous climb: one tricky descent: otherwise easy.

Weather: overcast, cool.

Walkers:  Tom Cunliffe with Daisy, Jock Rooney, Kieran Rooney,  Dean Taylor, Andy Blease Chris Owen, Dave Willets, Martin Evans, Mark Enright, Simon Williams, Cliff Worthington

Apologies: Mickey Barrett, Andy Blease, George Dearsley, Mark Enright Gibby, Hughie Hardiman, Chris Owen, Dave Willetts.

Leader: Cunliffe Diarist: Cunliffe

Starting point: Outside entrance to Topley Pike Quarry, near Buxton.

Starting time: 9.50am. Finishing time: 2.30pm.

 

Standing in at the last minute as your diarist for the day I wasn’t in a position to take notes, I have therefore taken to plagiarising Mt Hart notes from the 21st July 2021 which was the last time the WW did this wander. I am indebted to Mr Hart for the detail as this is an identical route, names have been omitted and added as required.

With the BBC promise of a dreadful weather forecast we were all dressed appropriately, happily, the weather stayed dry during walking but chucked it down whilst we were in the pub (result!).

From the free parking on spare land next to the quarry entrance on the A6 road linking Buxton with Bakewell we crossed to the pay-and-display car park at the start of the Monsal Trail. We walked with the River Wye on our left until we reached a cycle hire shop where we crossed to the other bank. It is noteworthy that this river is normally quite slow, however, the rain over the last few days had turned the river in to a raging torrent with white water here and there.

We followed the footpath, made very slippy by the gelatinous mud, for the duration of our riverside walk.  

We intrepidly negotiated two sets of stepping stones most of which were submerged up to 100mm under the high water. Daisy, who normally skips along these stones, didn’t fancy it so she had to be  carried.  

 At one stage we crossed a footbridge to walk briefly back on the right bank of the river before criss-crossing back again to the left bank to continue. After a section of duckboarding we came to a stone footbridge on our right where we stopped for Pietime. 

Suitably rested we continued by crossing the footbridge and heading slightly right at the start of a long hard climb known as Lung Buster Hill following a scarcely visible path which brought us eventually to a drystone wall. It is believed this was once the site of a bronze age hill fort with views over the Chee valley below.

Our route took us through a farmyard and across a main road which we crossed and carried straight ahead for 100 yards before turning right at a wooden public footpath sign to enter a field. The route then brought us to the left of trees behind a drystone wall to a gate leading to another main road.

We crossed this and went over a stone step stile to enter a spinney with a drystone wall on our left. A stile led us into a field, crossing the field we emerged via a stile to a path we turned left and swung right and followed a footpath with a farm far away on our right. After going through a gate we turned right at a public footpath sign which took us to the left side of the farm. We crossed three stiles to enter and leave fields until we reached a track from the farm.

Turning left we emerged at a lane where we turned right for 30 yards before turning left at a public footpath sign for Chelmorton (115mins). We followed this, passing Bank Pit Spring on our right.

Here a plaque informed us: The spring on this site was historically the source of Chelmorton's water supply. It was known as the 'Illy-Willy Water', and lies at the end of Grove Rake, an important former lead mining site.

The trough is the first of what used to be a series of water supply troughs down the west side of Main Street. The supply was replaced in the late 19th Century by a 10,000 gallon tank – now redundant – below the trough.

After passing the spring we entered Chelmorton with St John the Baptist Parish Church on our left and The Church Inn on right. Here we enjoyed pints from a choice of bitters all in excellent condition especially the Abbeydale Moonshine (even though it was an earth shattering £4 a pint) which your diarist found in particularly good form. It was also a time to congratulate Cliff on the birth of his first granddaughter whom the parents have called Harlow Jean (no typo here fellow wanderers) and so there was a round of congratulations for Cliff followed by a round of drinks from Cliff. Bravo 

Resuming we turned right out of the pub and after 40 yards turned right at a public footpath uphill. This was the start of a route which went over stiles and gates in a north-westerly direction. Eventually we came upon the very tricky descent of Deep Dale with slippery limestone and scree to trap the unwary. Happily, we emerged unscathed for the last lap of the journey. Here the footpath took us to the right of the quarry and deposited us at its entrance to rejoin our cars.

Next week's walk will start at 9.50am from Curbar Edge:

Set your Sat Nav to find the Bridge Inn at Calver (S32 3XA). Behind the pub is Curbar Lane, follow the lane uphill until it bends sharp right at the top, the lane levels out, drive another 200 m, laybys 

  

Happy wandering !