September 14, 2022.
ROWARTH, MATLEY MOOR, HOLLINGWORTH HEAD FARM, HOLLINGWORTH CLOUGH, MIDDLE MOOR, TWENTY TREES, THE KINDER LODGE AT HAYFIELD, WETHERCOTES FARM, ASPENSHAW HALL, LANESIDE FARM AND THE LITTLE MILL INN AT ROWARTH
Distance: 10 miles.
Difficulty: Easy.
Weather: Dull cloudy start: sunny finish.
Walkers: Andy Blease, Alastair Cairns with Daisy, Tom Cunliffe, Hughie Hardiman, Alan Hart, Jonathan Hart, Chris Owen, Jock Rooney with Milly, Dean Taylor with Tommy, Keith Welsh, Dave Willett, Simon Williams, Cliff Worthington.
Apologies: Micky Barrett (Turkey hols), Peter Beal (Greek island hols), Daisy Cunliffe (on heat), George Dearsley (in Turkey), Mark Gibby (sore back), Julian Ross (Portugal hols)
Leader: Cunliffe. Diarist: Hart.
Starting point: Car park of The Little Mill Inn at Rowarth, High Peak.
Starting time: 9.44am. Finishing time: 2.21pm.
After a dull start in unpromising weather we inadvertently split into two groups after seven minutes and it took an hour before we were reunited. But once modern mobile communications had been restored the splinter group created unwittingly by your diarist rejoined the main peloton and we enjoyed a splendid walk.
It was led by Tom, making a comeback after several weeks' absence through a heel injury, and the day ended amid blue skies and warm sunshine in a beer garden.
It was enjoyed by 13 wanderers and three dogs. However Dave's journey may have been spoiled when a sheep defecated on him at Pietime ! Read on for the squalid details.
From the car park of the Little Mill Inn we walked back along the road from which we had arrived for some 10 yards before turning right up a gravel track, passing a cottage on our left and emerging at the end of a cul de sac. We turned left and went immediately right past a red phone box to follow a path into woods (5mins)
After crossing a wooden stile (7mins) and turning right we approached a shallow ford on the lane ahead. While Tom led a group of seven over a stile on the left I wrongly assumed they would be returning to the original lane beyond the ford. I attracted five followers who were either of the same opinion or simply following the man immediately in front.
However the seven members of the main contingent and the six members of the splinter group diverged and there was no mobile signal available. The details which follow describe the route taken by the minority.
Continuing steadily uphill we reached Higher Harthill Farm on our left (15mins) and swung right, crossing a wooden stile (18mins), a stone step stile (25mins) a wooden gate (35mins) and two metal gates (39mins). We went through a wooden gate (45mins) and immediately turned right through a metal gate.
We then crossed a wooden stile (46mins) and headed uphill keeping a drystone wall on our right. After crossing two stone step stiles and passing a farmhouse we reached a lane and turned left (52mins). At this point a mobile signal became available and arrangements were made for a reunification of our group. We reached a road (57mins) and turned right, following Camp Road until it reached the main Glossop-Chapel road (63mins)
By crossing the A624 and a wooden stile we linked up with our colleagues and turned right along the footpath towards Middle Moor, going through a wooden gate (74mins). We stopped for Pietime (76mins) at 11am sharp just before the Thomas Boulger memorial footbridge at Hollingworth Clough.
As soon as we halted Dave asked if anyone had hand sanitiser because he had been slobbered over by Dean's Italian mastiff Tommy. The irony of this request came moments later when a horned sheep ventured unsheepishly into our group apparently wanting to join Pietime.
At one point it thrust its entire head into Simon's rucksack searching for whatever it is sheep prefer to their routine diet of grass. Then the animal turned its attention to the seated and freshly cleansed Dave. When our comrade told the sheep in no uncertain manner to go away (or words to that effect), the unwelcome intruder responded by crapping down Dave's back.
Jonny then gave the sheep what appeared to be a round of applause but explained later that he had been clapping to scare the sheep away from us and had meant no disrespect to Dave.
After this extraordinary episode we continued across the bridge and along a footpath which brought us to a cairn (90mins). We carried straight on until we reached a junction (105mins) where a sign informed us we were at an altitude of 1,090 feet. Here we turned right, heading on through a wooden gate (112mins) and a metal kissing gate (122mins) before passing Twenty Trees on our right (This landmark continues to be known by this name even though there are only 19 trees in the group)
We kept right and crossed a wooden stile (130mins) before descending to Kinder Road where we turned right towards Hayfield town centre (134mins).
En route we passed the old Hayfield Grammar School, which was founded in 1604. The current building, now a house for sale, was built in 1719.
Further along the road, on our right was a blue plaque to Hayfield-born actor Arthur Lowe (1915-82) who lived on the terrace.
Lowe became famous from 1960-66 when he played Leonard Swindley, a draper and lay preacher, in Coronation Street. But he was best loved for his role in the sitcom Dad's Army, where from 1968-77 he played the pompous Home Guard leader Captain Mainwaring. Strangely he is least known by the public for his role in the movie O Lucky Man for which in 1973 he won a much-coveted BAFTA as Best Supporting Actor.
Beyond the plaque we turned left down cobblestones (140mins), turned right past the parish church (141mins) and crossed the A624 (142mins) to walk to the left of Hayfield bus station. We turned left on the A6015 to reach The Kinder Lodge on our left (144mins). Here we enjoyed a choice of cask ales at £3-80 a pint.
For the return journey we left Dave and Dean behind as they had walked from Hayfield to Rowarth that morning to meet us at the starting point. We turned right out of the pub and retraced our footsteps back to Hayfield bus station where we turned left passing picnic tables to follow The Sett Valley Trail (146mins)
The trail is a 2.5 miles cycling path and bridleway running from Hayfield west through Birch Vale, Thornsett and Ollersett to New Mills following the trackbed of the railway line which opened in 1868 and closed in 1970.
After passing Slacks Crossing (153mins) we reached a sign on our right pointing towards Lantern Pike (162mins) and followed the path across a footbridge over the Sett (164mins), We crossed a field and followed a path between fences to cross a stone step stile and turn left (168mins)
A close up of the lake
Following the lane as it swung right uphill (170mins) we reached a road (175mins) where we turned left passing Hegginbottom Farm on our left and Hext Farm on our right (178mins). At a gravel track we turned right towards Wethercotes Farm (180mins) and stopped for lunch on a low wall (183mins)
Continuing we took the left fork downhill (196mins) and followed a rocky path as it descended past derelict farm buildings (206mins). The lane soon brought us back to The Little Mill Inn (211mins) which stands like a licensed oasis in the Derbyshire desert. Here we enjoyed another choice of cask bitters which we quaffed in the sunny beer garden.
Our attention was drawn to a building next to the pub called The Love Shack. We learned it was the quarters of the inn's amorous chef. The sign had been erected while he was on leave in his native Yorkshire.
Next week's walk will start at 9.45am on the higher car park of The Rose and Crown, Allgreave, which lies on the A54 linking Congleton and Buxton. Our aim is to pass the former youth hostel at Gradbach, Lud's Church and Hanging Stone before arriving for a bracer in The Ship at Wincle around 12.30pm. We hope to return to The Rose and Crown for a departing drink at about 2.15pm.
Happy wandering !
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