Mount Famine

 

June 29, 2022

MOUNT FAMINE

SPORTSMAN INN IN KINDER ROAD, HAYFIELD, VALLEY ROAD, ELLE BANK WOODS, ‘DRAGON’S BACK’ RIDGE, FOOT OF SOUTH HEAD, LAMB INN, ASHEN CLOUGH, PEEP O’ DAY, PHOSIDE FARM, KINDER LODGE AT HAYFIELD

Distance: 7 miles

Difficulty: Easy

Weather: Sunny intervals, few spots of rain

Walkers: Micky Barrett, Peter Beal, Mark Enright, Hughie Hardiman, Dean Taylor with Tommy, Cliff Worthington

Alternative walkers: Tom Cunliffe with Daisy, Jock Rooney with Milly, Keith Welsh with Mia

Apologies: Alan Hart (hospital duties), Chris Owen, Simon Williams (both medical appointments), Julian Ross (Cornwall), Andy Blease (Anglesey), Alastair Cairns (household duties), Mark Gibby (shielding prior to family wedding), George Dearsley (Turkey)

Leader: Taylor Diarist: Beal

Starting point: Sportsman Inn, Hayfield

Start time: 9.46am Finishing times: Various

Holidays and other commitments reduced our walking band to six, but we enjoyed a splendid relaxing outing,led by Dean, in largely sunny weather in the hills around Hayfield, including the impressive ‘Dragon’s Back’ ridge of Mount Famine.

Frisky and intimidating bands of cattle disrupted our progress twice, once causing Micky to become detached from the group. But otherwise the walk was marked by the nowadays rare phenomenon of all of us walking as a compact group, rather than being strung out over the countryside.

Traffic problems on the A6 delayed our departure for a short time. We left the Sportsman towards Hayfield and soon took a narrow footpath through the drystone wall on the left taking us down to the River Sett. We turned right here along Valley Road before taking another, very overgrown footpath on the left. This emerged at a very smart house where the path bizarrely crossed the immaculate lawn to a gate on the other side.

The path emerged at a track much used by cattle before we took another path on the left that took us through a field to come to a gate at the top of Elle Bank woods. We followed a track along the top of the woods, not marked on the OS maps, which brought us to the start of the Mount Famine ridge. There were extensive views to our left from here of the Sett Valley and the Hayfield camp site immediately below us.

The path wound through trees before emerging on open countryside at the start of the dramatic ridge known locally as the ‘Dragon’s Back’ (35 minutes), which speaks for itself. On the right hand side of the ridge across the wall are gently sloping fields. But on the left far more spectacular scenery looks down steep drops and over to the Kinder Scout plateau.

A short way along the ridge Dean pointed out a plaque commemorating Howard Jones from Hayfield, known as H, who had walked with the Wanderers on a number of occasions. He sadly died at the early age of 59 last year. The brass plaque, describing him as ‘our special friend’, was so hidden in a cleft in the rocks on a precarious slope that no-one could possibly find it without knowing it was there.

We continued along the undulating ridge until descending to a gate on our right which we went through to follow a path to bring us out on a bridleway junction. We turned left here with the bulk of Mount Famine on our left and followed the track uphill.

The name of Mount Famine dates back to the 19^th century Enclosure Acts, which basically allowed large landowners to dismantle the existing farming system around villages and allocate land. Hence those given unproductive land such as this would be, were given to attach names such as ‘famine’ and ‘desolation’ to them.

At the top of the track we bore left through two gates and followed the path uphill before reaching a wall stile on the right. We crossed this and dropped steeply downhill to another stile, at the other side of which pietime was declared (89 min).

Resuming, we bore right across a sheepfield towards a gate and descended sharply right, through a clump of gorse bushed that brought us out on the Hayfield to Chapel road just south of the Lamb Inn.

We crossed this and took a track immediately opposite, descending to a farm where we turned right through a gate,along a short grass path and to a gate on the left leading in to a field.

The action started here as a herd of very young cattle (gender unknown) became excited by the presence of Tommy, who was only slight smaller than them. Dean wisely let Tommy off the lead, as the guidance says, prompting much charging about the field from both Tommy and beasts.

The cattle became so excited that one had the effrontery to prod your diarist in the bum. Fortunately none were of the size to case any real harm.

We gained the safety of a gate at the bottom and went through it up an overgrown path to reach Maynestone Road. We turned right here and after a steepish climb came to the converted farmhouse at Peep o’ Day. We went left through a gate and immediately right through a second one to follow a path through fields.

Two gates further on we entered a field with a large number of large cows and several calves. We became very wary here and gave them a wide berth, so much so that Micky’s wide berth took him out of the field and down through the nearby Far Phoside Farm on the main road.

The rest of us carried on to ford the stream at Phoside Farm and followed the track down to the main road where we arrived at exactly the same moment as the errant Micky.

A short walk dwn the main road brought us to the Kinder Lodge, where the Thornbridge Brewery Peveril IPA was excellent. We were joined by Tom, Jock and Keith, and their canine friends. They had completed a quite arduous walk of more than 5 miles from the Sportsman around the Kinder reservoir.. Keith was most generous in supplying drinks to mark his 57^th birthday and Micky supplied refreshment to those who had missed his birthday the previous week.

We tarried here and walkers made their own way back to the Sportsman – hence the description of the finishing time as ‘various’.

Next week’s outing will be (a new one, I think) the Mellor Boundary Walk. It’s 10.5 miles but not arduous. Starting from the car park in Brabyn’s Park, Marple Bridge at 9.40am and calling at the Fox, Brookbottom around 12.45pm.

Happy Wandering!

Bollington

 June 22, 2022.

BOLLINGTON RECREATION GROUND, MACCLESFIELD CANAL, BRIDGE QUARRY, KERRIDGE RIDGE, RAINOW, THE PLEASANCE GARDENS, THE VIRGINS' PATH, INGERSLEY VALE WATERFALL, SMITH'S PIE SHOP, THE VALE AT BOLLINGTON, MIDDLEWOOD WAY, WHITELEY GREEN

Distance: 8-9 miles.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Weather: Warm and sunny.

Walkers: Mickey Barrett, Alastair Cairns, Mark Enright, Hughie Hardiman, Alan Hart, Chris Owen, Dean Taylor, Simon Williams, Cliff Worthington.

Alternative walkers: Tom Cunliffe with Daisy, Colin Davison, Jock Rooney with Milly, Keith Welsh with Mia.

Apologies: Peter Beal (late return from Greece hols), Andy Blease (painful foot), George Dearsley (in Turkey), Mark Gibby (isolating prior to daughter's wedding), Julian Ross (Cornwall hols), Dave Willetts (in France)

Leaders: Hart and Owen. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Free car park overlooking Bollington Recreation Ground.

Starting time: 9.46am. Finishing time: 2.08pm

The day after the summer solstice we enjoyed glorious weather and the sun brought an encouraging crop of walkers who had been notable by their absence in recent weeks for a variety of good reasons. We also welcomed a Wednesday Wanderers debutante who joined two other bitches on the alternative walkies.

By devising a figure-of-eight route we had hoped to share drinks and swap yarns with the quartet taking a shorter trip, but the best laid schemes o' mice an' men gang aft a-gley, as they say in the northern colonies. In the event the main group left The Vale ten minutes before the alternative walkers arrived. The latter were punished – with one notable exception - for their tardiness by missing out on Mickey's generous round of drinks to celebrate his 72^nd birthday six days earlier.

As we assembled in the car park Keith introduced us to Mia, his friendly golden labrador who was making her debut just short of her 13^th birthday. There was much tail-wagging and bum-sniffing as she met her canine colleagues.

    Keith with WW debutante Mia

The main group left first leaving the car park and heading for the right corner of the recreation ground next to the River Dean. We exited the sports fields and crossed the road, turning left and then right up a flight of steps built into the bridge holding the Macclesfield Canal aqueduct. At the top we reached the waterway and proceeded with the canal on our left as we walked under Bridge 27 (9mins)

Various proposals to connect Macclesfield to the national network of canals were discussed from 1765 but it was not until 1824 that a scheme came to fruition and the 26-mile canal finally opened in 1831. It linked Marple in the north through Macclesfield and Congleton to the Trent and Mersey Canal in the south.

However the embryonic railways were starting to take business from canals and by 1954 the Macc Canal was no longer commercially viable. Spirited campaigning succeeded in revitalising the canal as the leisure facility it is today.

After passing the converted Adelphi Mill on our right we reached Bridge 28 and exited the canal by heading right up the cobbles and swinging left over the bridge.

The Macclesfield Canal

A View From The Bridge

We swung right on the far side of the bridge (21mins) and followed the track until we reached a road at Dawson Farm and turned right (29mins) before soon swinging left uphill on Higher Lane. When we reached a flight of steps on our left indicated by a green public footpath sign on our right we ascended them (34mins)

It was a tough climb and we had momentary respite when we reached a road at Bridge Quarry. There was a flat stretch when we turned left for 40 yards before turning left towards Bridge House and heading for another steep ascent to Kerridge Ridge (46mins)

At the top we turned right and to our right was the Astra Zeneca factory on the Hurdsfield Industrial Estate. To our left were views across the hills with the pretty village of Rainow nestling in the valley below.

Looking down on Rainow

When we reached a metal gate we turned left and took the lower route (50mins). At the next metal kissing gate we followed the direction of a yellow arrow pointing diagonally left downhill. Through two more gates with yellow arrows we continued downhill until we reached the main road through Rainow (63mins). Here we turned left.

The road took us down Tower Hill until we saw Stocks Lane to the left of the main road running off Chapel Lane (74mins). On this corner was a beautifully kept garden for weary travellers such as ourselves. It was called The Pleasance and it was here we paused for Pietime.

After a well-earned rest we continued down Chapel Lane and turned right into Sugar Lane as we headed back towards Bollington,

Leaving Rainow

As we walked along Sugar Lane we could see Kerridge Ridge on our left with the distinctive White Nancy folly at its far end in the distance. We turned right following a green public footpath sign and the stone-flagged path at the back of Flagg Cottage (79mins)

This was the start of the historic Virgins' Path (also known as The Brides' Path) which was built in the 18^th Century when there was no church in Rainow. Village maidens were obliged to walk through sometimes muddy fields to the nearest church in Bollington to marry. Local farmers, seeing their daughters arrive in church with their white dresses besmirched, laid rows of flags through the fields to spare their blushes.

We followed this trail until we reached Ingersley Vale waterfall on our left. The normally impressive cascade had been reduced to little more than a trickle by the recent dry spell but it still made a pretty picture.

Ingersley Vale's rain-starved waterfall

We continued past the derelict Ingersley Clough Mill (97mins) and passed the old millpond on our left. Beyond the pool we turned right and passed a church on our left as we walked to the roundabout (104mins). Here we turned left and some were seduced by the temptation of the delicious hot meat and potato pies from Smiths' Bakery which were quickly consumed on a bench opposite (115mins)

From here we continued along the main road, passing the aqueduct tunnel and turning right to once again enter Bollington Recreation Ground. By crossing the cricket field we were able to emerge at the rear of The Vale Inn (125mins).

Inside we enjoyed free pints of White Nancy and Long Hop cask ales from The Bollington Brewery thanks to the largesse of birthday boy Mickey. We wish him many happy returns.

At this point your diarist handed the leadership reins to Chris for the final leg of our journey.

From the front door of The Vale we turned right and headed uphill for 20 yards before going left over a wooden stile marked with a yellow arrow. We turned left at a sign for Four Winds Farm (129mins). We crossed a wooden stile and turned right along a footpath (131mins)

We swung left to reach The Middlewood Way (135mins) and here, just 10 minutes after accepting the poisoned chalice of leadership, Chris did a remarkable impression of The Grand Old Duke of York trying to learn the Okey Cokey.

He halted those of us who were walking under Bridge 7 of the Middlewood Way while he consulted his map. Then he instructed us to come back, cross the former railway line, climb the far bank and turn left along a footpath. After five minutes instructed us to stop and reverse before leading us through brambles and nettles in the opposite direction.

There was a certain inevitability about the way Chris finally led us 15 minutes later back to Bridge 7 (150mins). We walked under it and after 50 yards we turned left (151mins) up a flight of wooden steps and turned right. We went through a gate marked with a yellow arrow and crossed a field diagonally left and continued through the next field. We exited this field (158mins) by a wooden stile and turned left along a minor road.

At a passing point in front of a metal gate we turned left (168mins) and walked down a farm track before turning right at a metal gate with a yellow arrow (172mins). We went though a wooden gate (174mins) and crossed a field with a fence on our immediate left.

After negotiating a metal kissing gate (177mins) with a council tip on our left we turned right along a road before stopping for lunch (181mins) at a fenced-off field on our left. Continuing we reached Waterwheel Way on our left (195mins) and turned right into Leat Place. We headed uphill then swung left before turning right over a wooden footbridge (198mins).

Under a railway arch was the car park where we de-booted and saw the alternative walkers who had just left The Vale and were heading home. Jock managed to resist this temptation and walked back to the pub with Milly whereupon Mickey bought Jock the tenth drink of his birthday round.

Next week's walk will start at 9.35am from outside The Sportsman on Kinder Road, Hayfield. Dean will lead the group past South Head on its way to The Kinder Lodge at Hayfield around 12.15pm for a tincture. The walk will finish back at The Sportsman at about 2.15pm.

Happy wandering !

Tideswell Dale

 

Starting point: River Wye at foot of Tideswell Dale.

Tme: 10:15

Present: Tom Cunliffe with Daisy, Jock Rooney with Millie.

Leader: Rooney.

Diarist: Rooney.

With regard to his recent op, Tom asked me to sort out a flattish easy walk for us. With this in mind I chose the bottom end of Tidser Dale as it has a good even path gently ascending the three quarters of a mile to the top car park so if Tom found the going too much we could turn around and have a gentle descent back to the car. The second option was a completely flat walk along the bank of the Wye which would be good for Millie as she could be off the lead as the path is bounded by the river on one side and a rock face on the other and is pedestrian only. I chose the latter thinking it would be easier for all of us and we could turn back at any point in the two mile stroll to Cressbrook. He lied about his condition.

Route: Tideswell Dale, Litton Mill, Millers Dale, Water-Cum- Jolly, 

Rubicon Wall, Cressbrook Mill, cross over the footbridge at Upperdale, 

up steep path onto the Monsal Trail, over the viaduct to Monsal Head, 

back down to the Wye crossing it by the downstream footbridge then 

retracing our route back along the river to our starting point. All in 

all a shade under 6 miles.

It was handbags at dawn initially between Daisy and Millie, the much 

smaller Daisy coming out decidedly on top! After de-booting and driving 

up the river to the Anglers Rest Millie, in the tradition of the 

WW's,generously bought all the members present a pint to celebrate her 

inaugural walk with the gang, the Farmer's Blonde was in good form at 

the albeit now expected price of 4£ a time.  After another brief handbag 

session the two girls settled down for a sleep under the table with 

noses three inches apart.

Furness Vale

 June 8, 2022

THE SOLDIER DICK AT FURNESS VALE, RINGSTONES CARAVAN PARK, WHALEY MOOR, LYME PARK, LANTERN WOOD, LYME CAGE, RED LANE, THE DANDY COCKAT DISLEY, PEAK FOREST CANAL, NEW MILLS, FURNESS VALE MARINA

Distance: 9 miles.

Difficulty: Easy to moderate.

Weather: Mainly dry with cloud and sunshine

Walkers: Alan Hart, Jonathan Hart, Chris Owen..

Non-walking Drinkers: Tom Cunliffe with Daisy; Jock and Keiran Rooney with Milly.

Apologies: Mickey Barrett, Peter Beal, Andy Blease, Alastair Cairns, George Dearsley, Mark Enright, Martin Evans, Mark Gibby, Hughie Hardiman, Julian Ross, Dean Taylor, Cliff Worthington, Dave Willetts.

Leader and Diarist: Alan Hart.

Starting point: Outside The Soldier Dick at Furness Vale.

Starting time: 9.33am. Finishing time: 2.20 pm.

 

For a variety of reasons from holidays to racing at Haydock Park our numbers were severely depleted for this popular walk known as The Phallic Trail. Starting at The Soldier Dick and calling at The Dandy Cock it is not hard to imagine how the route came by its title.

Weather forecasts warned us that showers could be expected throughout the morning but we managed to avoid the only significant rainfall by diverting to the folly which gives Lantern Wood its name and sheltering there for 15 minutes at Pietime. By the time we finished the rain had cleared away for the day.

When we arrived at our chosen watering hole for a livener we were delighted to welcome our wounded comrade Tom, who is looking forward to walking with us again after a successful prostate operation.

An added bonus came with the arrival of Jock and Keiran Rooney and our newest recruit Milly. This adorable border collie puppy has just finished her home isolation period and joined us from a trial walk along the nearby Peak Forest Canal.

From our assembly point outside The Soldier Dick we walked alongside the A6 towards Buxton for 80 yards before turning right into Yeardsley Lane. At its end we turned right just before the entrance to Ringstones Caravan Park (7mins) and followed a track which later swung left towards a farm. 

Proceeding through a metal gate with the farmhouse on our left and stables on our right (13mins) we followed the track to another metal gate which we went through and turned right, walking through a field with a drystone wall on our right. We crossed a wooden stile (22mins) and then a second stile brought us to a road (26mins)

Turning left we walked along the road for 100 yards before turning right to follow a green footpath sign for Bowstonegate. The path brought us to a wooden stile which we crossed (35mins) and followed the path across Whaley Moor.

 

       The The view across Whaley Moor

 

 

After climbing a ladder stile (46mins) we reached a lane and walked left for a few yards before turning right just before a cattlegrid (50mins). A path to the left of a drystone wall led us down to a footbridge which we crossed (55mins) and reached a minor road. Diagonally left across the road were a flight of steps leading into a field.

A well trodden path across the field emerged to the left of a house by a stile which we crossed and then proceeded over another minor road to follow a public footpath sign directly ahead of us (62mins) 

The footpath led us over two wooden stiles to a stone step stile (70mins). We crossed this and immediately on our right crossed a ladder stile which took us into Lantern Wood in Lyme Park. In the past we have often stopped here for Pietime but the brisk pace set by Chris had brought us here prematurely. A glowering collection of rainclouds was also approaching from the west so we made an inspired decision to divert to The Lantern for Pietime.

This is a belvedere (structure built to take in a view) comprising three storeys, the top of which is a spire which dates from 1580. The folly resembled a lantern in shape and is a Grade 11 listed building.

To reach it we turned immediately left along a path and then headed right when we saw a ladder stile exiting the park on our left. En route to the shelter afforded by The Lantern we spotted a deer in the woods.

 A deer in Lantern Woods

 

Rain had just begun to fall as we reached The Lantern and went inside for Pietime (79mins). It was a classic example of following the Wednesday Wanderers' motto – Firm of Purpose but Flexible in Design. While we enjoyed refreshments two more deer ran across our view of Lyme Hall below us.

When we emerged the rain had stopped and we were soon able to exit the wood by a ladder stile, although a horned Highland calf was standing directly under it on the far side. The docile animal was one of a herd nearby.

 

        A Highland calf

 

 

From the ladder stile we turned left downhill along a path leading to a wooden stile which we crossed. At a lane we turned left for a few yards before heading right towards the distinctive Lyme Cage. This involved going downhill to a stream, crossing it by striding across its narrow point and climbing uphill on the far side. On reaching the building (100mins), which started its life as a hunting lodge, Chris produced a set of binoculars and searched in vain for the Ethihad Stadium, home of Premiership champions Manchester City.

We continued now heading downhill towards the park's entrance hut (122mins) and turning right to exit the park (124mins) and start climbing Red Lane. 

 

 

       A colourful rhododendron bush in full bloom

 

 

The lane levelled off and then descended into the centre of Disley with The Ram's Head on our left.  Here we turned right, crossed the A6 and arrived at The Dandy Cock on our left for pints of excellent Robinsons' cask bitter (144mins). We were joined in the pub simultaneously by Tom, Jock, Keiran and their dogs.

Milly gave everyone a warm welcoming lick and seemed intrigued by the fully-grown but smaller figure of toy poodle Daisy. For her part Daisy, as befits her French ancestry, adopted a somewhat haughty pose and gave a warning bark if Milly ventured too close. The latter took the hint but they both gave the impression they would soon become firm friends as walking companions.

 

 

 

 

    Milly meets her future flock

 

Resuming we turned right out of the pub and then sharp right downhill along a road which took us under a railway line before we turned left into Sherbrooke Road (149mins). At the end of this we reached The Peak Forest Canal where we turned right along a path between the waterway and the gardens of houses (150mins)

On reaching steps we climbed up to a bridge over the canal which we crossed and turned left to reach the far bank. We turned left again to go under the bridge with the canal now on our right. Beyond it was a form where we stopped for lunch (156mins)

When we continued our route was a direct one, keeping the canal on our right as we passed the aromatic Swizzels' sweet factory in New Mills on our left and reached Furness Vale Marina. Here we exited at Bridge 31 (198mins) before turning right to cross the bridge.

On the far side we turned right for a few yards before following a footpath on our left which went through a tunnel underneath the railway line and emerged at the end of a cul-de-sac which we ascended to emerge opposite The Soldier Dick (200mins). We were alarmed to hear that this popular pub has closed and its future is in doubt.