Topley Pike

 

July 20, 2022.

TOPLEY PIKE, MONSAL TRAIL ALONG WYE VALLEY, CHEEDALE, BLACKWELL HALL FARM, PRIESTCLIFFE, BANK PIT SPRING (THE ILLY WILLY WATER), THE CHURCH INN AT CHELMORTON, SHEPLEY FARM, DEEP DALE AND TOPLEY PIKE QUARRY

Distance: 8 miles.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Weather: Warm, dry but cloudy.

Walkers: Alastair Cairns, Tom Cunliffe with Daisy, Mark Enright, Martin Evans, Mark Gibby, Hughie Hardiman, Alan Hart, Dean Taylor, Keith Welsh, Cliff Worthington.

Apologies: Mickey Barrett (sailing in Turkey), Peter Beal (domestic duties), Andy Blease (Anglesey caravan), George Dearsley (in Turkey), Chris Owen (in Germany) Jock Rooney (in the Isle of Man), Dave Willetts (in France)

Leader and Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Land adjoining quarry entrance on A6 at Topley Pike, near Buxton.

Starting time: 9.45am. Finishing time: 1.45pm.

This walk has often suffered a delayed start because of traffic conditions in and around Buxton. On this occasion fears of roadworks saw all expected walkers arriving early and we were able to begin five minutes ahead of schedule: a new record for a start which produced a new record for an early finish.

Last time this route was attempted earlier in the year heavy rain had swollen the River Wye and the stepping stones in Cheedale were under water. On this occasion, after a lengthy dry spell and the highest temperatures on record the day before, we enjoyed warm weather with a gentle breeze.

The river, in which several brown trout were visible, was at a low level but its course through the gorge is always spectacular.

Although your diarist was theoretically leading the group this route is so well known that he was often seen trailing behind the eager front runners.

Happily we arrived in perfect time for the opening of one of our best-loved pubs, The Church Inn at Chelmorton, and basked in the sunshine breaking through the clouds while drinking a choice of cask ales in the beer garden.

From our free parking spots we crossed the A6 to enter the pay-and-display car park at the start of the Monsal Trail where motorists were paying £4-65 for the privilege.

The Monsal Trail follows the trackbed of the former Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midland Junction Railway which was built in 1863 to link Manchester with London. It closed in 1968.

The trail opened for hikers, cyclists and horse riders in 1981 starting at Topley Pike 3 miles east of Buxton and running to Coombs Viaduct one mile south east of Bakewell. It follows the Wye Valley through Blackwell Mill, Chee Dale, Millers Dale, Cressbrook, Monsal Dale, Great Longstone, Hassop and Bakewell.

Start of Monsal Trail

We walked along the trail with the River Wye on our left until we reached the Blackwell Bike Hire shop on our right. Here we turned left to cross a wooden footbridge (13mins) and turned right. The well-trodden but overgrown path now led us along the left bank of the Wye into a gorge where the cliffs on either side grew higher as we progressed.

It was a jungle out there

At one point we crossed a footbridge over the Wye to walk along the right bank before another footbridge brought us back again.

The surrounding cliffs grew taller

Large brown trout were visible below the shallow surface

After making our way along a row of stepping stones we followed the path over duckboards until we reached a footbridge on our right with a sign pointing to Blackwell (72mins). Here we stopped for Pietime.

Stepping stones in the River Wye

Resuming we crossed the bridge and headed diagonally right up a steep hill until we

reached a drystone wall at its summit. Historians have found artefacts which indicate this was once a Bronze Age fort.

Turning left at the wall we proceeded to a wooden gate on our right which led us into a field. Keeping right we followed the path through a farmyard (96mins) before exiting Blackwell Hall Farm and crossing a road to follow signs for Priestcliffe and Taddington (100mins).

At a wooden public footpath sign (101mins) we turned right to enter a field and kept to the left as we continued uphill. We left the field through a wooden gate marked with a yellow arrow (105mins) and reached the A6 (111mins). We crossed this and entered a spinney by a stone step stile, keeping to a wall on the left as we climbed uphill. After crossing two more stone steps stiles we headed diagonally left through fields.

On reaching a gravel path we turned right and followed it as it swung left before reaching a stile on our right and a wooden public footpath sign. Tom, who had taken the lead with Daisy, ignored this and despite our best efforts to correct him insisted on proceeding forward, persuading five misguided souls to follow him.

Our remaining group of four proceeded over the stile, turned diagonally left towards a metal gate and headed for a farm. We walked through the farmyard (127mins) and turned left as we exited.

As the track swung left we saw a wooden public footpath sign for Chelmorton and turned right to follow it (131mins). Tom's breakaway group was approaching from another direction 100 yards behind us.

The path led us down past Bank Pit Spring (139mins) on our right. For reasons not made clear this was known in the days when lime was mined in the area as The Illy Willy Water.

Plaque at Bank Pit Spring

We resisted the temptation to test it and walked another 100 yards to reach The Church Inn on our right (141mins). Here we sampled a variety of cask ales, including Wainwrights, Moonshine and Pedigree for £4 as the sun came out in the beer garden.

Suitably refreshed we turned right out of the pub and right again after 80 yards at a wooden public footpath sign towards Shepley Farm (142mins) and then crossing a road (152mins).

Homeward bound

When we reached an electrified fence across the forward path we turned right and when the fence ended turned left into a field (156mins) and stopped for lunch.

Continuing our journey we carried on along the path and then headed diagonally right to the edge of a wood. After crossing a wooden stile we entered the wood and began a tricky, twisting descent along a path into and through Deep Dale (170mins)

The path emerged on the right of a stream coming from the quarry and led us back to our cars (191mins)

Next week's walk will start at 9.35am from Tom Brads Croft free car park next to the canal wharf at Whaley Bridge (SK23 7SR). We plan to climb up to Taxal Ridge, head up to Windgather Rocks, then walk via Dunge Valley to The Swan Inn at Kettleshulme for a tincture around 12.15pm. We aim to return via Todd Brook Reservoir, reaching our cars at at about 2.30pm, having completed a route of 9-10 miles.

Happy wandering !