Danebridge

 September 7, 2022

DANEBRIDGE, WINCLE, HAWKSLEE, SUTTON COMMON, CROKER HILL, GRITSTONE TRAIL, THE RYLES ARMS AT SUTTON, LITTLE PETHILLS FARM, CLEULOW CROSS, BROOM HILL, WINCLE GRANGE AND THE SHIP AT WINCLE

Distance: 10 miles.

Difficulty: Easy.

Weather: Early cloud followed by blue skies and sunshine.

Walkers: Mickey Barrett, Andy Blease, Alan Hart, Chris Owen, Jock Rooney with Millie, Dean Taylor, Keith Welsh, Dave Willetts and Simon Williams.

Non-walking drinker: Tom Cunliffe with Daisy.

Apologies: Peter Beal (Greek island hols), Alastair Cairns (dental appointment), George Dearsley (walking in Georgia), Mark Gibby (injured), Hughie Hardiman, Eric Jackson (prior engagement), John Jones (medical appointment), Cliff Worthington.

Leader: Owen. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Roadside near Danebridge, Wincle, Macclesfield.

Starting time: 9.55am. Finishing time: 2.45pm.

After a delayed start caused by the late arrival of your diarist, Chris led this walk impeccably through some of the prettiest hills and valleys of East Cheshire. A series of roadworks and two sets of temporary traffic signals in Adlington had been the major source of trouble but a road closure on the outskirts of Wincle added to the problem. I apologise profusely and thank my fellow wanderers for their patience.

There had been forecasts of occasional showers but Chris skilfully directed us to the safety of The Ryles Arms before the only rain of the day – a sharp five-minute downpour – fell outside.

Tom, who has been hors de combat due to a painful heel condition in recent weeks, made a welcome reappearance at the pub with his toy poodle Daisy. He hopes to walk with us next week and be fit enough to join the Wednesday Wanderers' international synchronised drinking team in Turkey next month.

From Danebridge we walked uphill passing The Ship on our right before crossing a stile on our left at a wooden public footpath sign marked with a yellow arrow (4mins). We crossed a field, exited by a step-over stile and turned left along a lane, passing a house called The Bagstones on our right.

A cloudy start

The lane took us through a farmyard and into fields leading to tall wooden kissing gates designed to contain a herd of deer (32mins). We turned right and followed a path through fields.

It was so overgrown with high brambles and nettles that we regretted failing to pack a machete and wondered whether we might encounter members of the

legendary Fekawe tribe.

On reaching a lane we turned right past Hawkslee Farm on our right (59mins) and a comic sign with a warning.

Beware of the dog – French style

Passing Kisswood Farm on our right (62mins) we climbed a ridge opposite Croker Hill to our left with a valley between. When we reached a convenient drystone wall as the path swung left we stopped for pies and port (93mins).

Croker Hill and its telecom mast: Note the improving weather

Looking back we could clearly see Teggs Nose, Shining Tor and Macclesfield Forest with Shutlingsloe to their right as we resumed and headed for the telecom mast. Reaching a road we turned left (96mins) and then right (97mins) at a public footpath sign bearing the Gritstone Trail logo.

The Gritstone Trail runs for 35 miles from Disley Station in Cheshire to Kidsgrove Station in Staffordshire via Lyme Park, White Nancy, Tegg's Nose, The Cloud and Mow Cop. There are 5,900 feet of ascent. The trail is marked with a bootprint logo on a series of wooden public footpath signs.

The path led us through a series of metal kissing gates to a lane (108mins) where we turned right in front of the fenced-off mast. Taking the path towards Upton Fold Farm we went through another series of gates and along the stone-flagged section of a field (144mins)

When we reached a road we turned right (146mins) and reached the Ryles Arms on our left (150mins). Here we enjoyed pints of Sir Philip cask bitter from the nearby Wincle Brewery at £4-20 and were joined by Tom and Daisy.

On leaving with the pub on our left we continued up the road to Little Pethills Farm (164mins) where we paused for lunch, followed by the unexpected but much appreciated dessert provided by a tree ripe with plums.

Continuing we passed the now completed roadworks which had held us up earlier

and could only wonder how two new sections of tarmac totalling 20 square yards could have occupied five men and three vehicles.

We merged into the A54 at Cleulow Cross (176mins) and headed uphill before turning right at a sign for Wincle (181mins). As we began our descent we turned right (182mins) over a stone step stile and headed diagonally left through a field. Our group then entered and exited a series of fields via stone step stiles until we reached a gravel track through a gate and turned left over a cattle-grid (192mins).

This brought us to a lane where we turned right (193mins), passing Wood Cottage Farm on our left and Broomhill Farm on our right. We crossed another cattle-grid (201mins) and bore left along a track (203mins) then turned right over a stone step stile (207mins)

Wincle Grange

This took us down through a wood which we left via a stone step stile, keeping a drystone wall to our right as we continued our descent through a field (215mins). We now crossed a lane and stepped over another stile to enter a field and retrace our earlier footsteps to the road leading to The Ship at Wincle on our right (218mins).

A choice of cask ales was available at £3-80 a pint. Suitably refreshed we returned to our cars to de-boot and head home (219mins)

Next week's walk will start at 9.40am from the car park of The Little Mill Inn at Rowarth, from where we will aim to reach The Kinder Lodge at Hayfield around 12.15pm for a livener, returning to The Little Mill at about 2.30pm.

Happy wandering !