Kinder Reservoir

 October 26, 2022

KINDER RESERVOIR

SPORTSMAN INN HAYFIELD, HAYFIELD VILLAGE, GIGGLE-GAGGLE PATH, FIVE-LANE ENDS, MATLEY MOOR, HOLLINWORTH HEAD, CARR MEADOW, MIDDLE MOOR, WHITE BROW, FOOT OF WILLIAM CLOUGH, KINDER RESERVOIR, BROAD CLOUGH, FARLANDS BOOTH, HILL HOUSES, BOWDEN BRIDGE, SPORTSMAN INN

Distance: 10 miles Total ascent/descent: 2,145ft

Difficulty: Fairly strenuous

Weather: Dry, sunny and mild with some wind

Walkers: Peter Beal, Mark Gibby, Hughie Hardiman, Jock Rooney with Milly, Keith Welsh, Simon Williams, Cliff Worthington

Apologies: Turkey Lycian Way walkers (details elsewhere on blog), Tom Cunliffe (sorting recent house move)

Leader: Beal Diarist: Beal

Starting point: Sportsman Inn, Kinder Road, Hayfield

Starting time: 10.48am Finishing time: 2.12pm

Today’s outing could be called the Not The Turkey Walk Walk. We enjoyed a fairly rigorous

10-mile trip in brilliant weather including a circuit of the Kinder Reservoir and finishing at the welcoming Sportsman Inn.

Six walkers who had not made the Turkey journey turned out – joined by Cliff, who had done the Turkey walk but returned earlier than the others. He was pumped for information and entertained us with accounts of our chums’ epic adventures, walking and otherwise.

Your leader’s original plan had been to complete an anti-clockwise circuit of Kinder Reservoir and call on the way back at the Lantern Pike, the former domain of our friend Tom. But enquiries found they were not open Wednesday lunch. They are so on the ball that their website lists their contact email as Tom and Stella @ Lantern Pike. One fears for its future.

Plan B saw us leave the Sportsman to turn right down into Hayfield village, and opposite the Pack Horse pub take the track left under the relief road into the May Queen field to emerge on Swallow House Lane. We turned left here and after a short walk swung right to pass the football pitch (1 mile).

At a group of houses, we turned left, following a sign for the Giggle-Gaggle Path. This path between Hayfield and Little Hayfield takes its name from the groups of girl mill workers who would use it to go to work from Hayfield to the Clough Mill at Little Hayfield, presumably giggling all the way.

We climbed up a narrow path and at a gate turned right with Hollinworth Brook far below us on the right. We continued up a track to a house and crossed a stile to take a narrow path that brought us to the open moor at a stile below Lantern Pike (2 miles).

We bore right here across open land, reaching a gate at the junction known locally as Five Ways. We turned left along a track, reached the farmhouse of Matley Moor, turned right and then left and crossed a stile to reach open moorland again. We swung right, crossed the moor and came to a stile where we turned right onto a track that took us down to the Monk’s Road (3.5 miles).

A right turn here on the road for a short distance brought us to the main Hayfield to Glossop road, which we crossed precariously to reach a stile. We turned right down a path that brought us to a small quarry where pietime was declared.

Continuing down, we came to the bridge crossing the stream at Carr Meadow (4.5 miles) and carried on over the moorland on a gentle climb to reach the white-painted shooting cabins on Middle Moor (6 miles).

Here we could have turned right to descend to Hayfield village for an early finish but chose to complete the circuit of Kinder Reservoir. We carried on down a footpath to the left, ignoring a bridleway sign on the right and took a narrow path through the heather, descending with the much-depleted reservoir below us on the right.

At a junction of tracks where we could have descended steeply to the foot of William Clough we took the easier option and carried on, descending more gently to reach the stream bed, where we turned right downstream to reach the footbridge at the foot of the clough (7 miles), a spot where in times long ago a smith called William plied his trade in a small forge.

We crossed the bridge and followed a narrow path through a copse with the head of the reservoir on our right. This brought us to a stream, which we crossed on a bridge and climbed on a path ascending diagonally on the far bank. Near the crest of the hill we took an unsigned path on the left which soon brought us to a gate at the top of a steep descent on a grassy path. During the descent, your leader for the day took a rather crashing fall after slipping on mud but escaped with nothing worse than a bruised shoulder.

We crossed a stile at the foot of the hill, forded a stream at the foot of Broad Clough, crossed another stile and took a track with woods on our right (8 miles). A large group of young cattle were approached cautiously but proved to be docile.

We dropped down across the field to reach a road facing the reservoir’s earth dam and had a brief lunch stop. We turned left through the hamlet of Farlands, took a track on the left past Booth Farm and arrived at the charming collection of cottages at Hill Houses (9 miles). A short descent here brought us to the road leading to Bowden Bridge and the Hayfield campsite.

It transpired that Jock and Keith, slightly adrift at the rear of the group, turned left instead of right here. They soon realised the error but your leader should have been paying more attention. Mea culpa.

From Bowden Bridge it was a short walk down Kinder Road to the cars outside the Sportsman(10 miles), where the beer drinkers among us enjoyed the Theakston’s Gold at £4-20 a pint.

Arrangements were being made for next week’s walk when it dawned on your leader and temporary diarist that he would not be available so no conclusion was reached. Stay tuned for further information.

Happy Wandering!

Turkey

THE DIRTY DOZEN

Pete

Chris

Alistair

Alan

Mark 

Micky

Julian

Dean

Lee

Andrew

George

For information about Turkey, why not read Twelve Canels For Your Wife….. http://tinyurl.com/kktvp25p

Styal

 October 12, 2022.

THE OLD SHIP AT STYAL, STYAL CROSS, BOLLIN VALLEY, CHAPEL WOODS, KINGFISHER BRIDGE, OXBOW BRIDGE, GIANT'S CASTLE BRIDGE, AIRPORT INN, MORLEY GREEN, NEWGATE NATURE RESERVE, LINDOW MOSS, LINDOW COMMON, THE KING WILLIAM AT WILMSLOW, BODDINGTON PLAYING FIELDS, THE CARRS, QUARRY BANK MILL, STYAL COUNTRY PARK

Distance: 10+ miles.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Weather: Mostly dry and bright with occasional drizzle.

Walkers: Micky Barrett, Andy Blease, Mark Gibby, Alan Hart, Chris Owen, Dean Taylor with Tommy, Keith Welsh, Simon Williams.

Apologies: Peter Beal, Alastair Cairns, (domestic duties), Tom Cunliffe (preparing to move house), George Dearsley (in Turkey), Mark Enright (w^*king), Hughie Hardiman (leg injury), Julian Ross, Dave Willetts, Cliff Worthington.

Non-walking drinkers: Colin Davison and Laurie Fairman.

Leaders: Micky Barrett and Chris Owen. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Road outside The Old Ship Inn at Styal.

Starting time: 9.34am. Finishing time: 2.05pm.

The start of this walk was a cross between a rural idyll and a Royal Marines commando exercise. In the most picturesque of settings, we endured a roller-coaster ride of climbs and descents as we successfully negotiated a difficult route along the lovely Bollin Valley.

It has never been an easy course because of the twists and turns of the river which can be disorientating as you find yourself first on one bank and then the other. Past failures were a useful guide as Micky and Chris managed to rise to the challenge and emerge triumphant. Not without some anxious moments.

The River Bollin

The second hour of the work involved a rather tedious hike through suburbia but we were rewarded with a surprise visit from Wednesday Wanderers' living legend Laurie Fairman, when we reached The King William in Wilmslow. He defied doctors' orders to sink a pint and demonstrate his independence of Geordie spirit.

Laurie under interrogation from Mark and inspection from Tommy

For the return journey we were soon back along the banks of the Bollin in the Cheshire countryside as we passed the historic Quarry Bank Mill on the return journey.

From the road outside The Old Ship we headed uphill and turned left at a sign for the Methodist Church, passing a thatched cottage on our left before dog-legging left and right to continue (1min). At the first path on our right marked with a red arrow we turned right and reached Styal Cross on our right (3mins)

Styal Cross was originally located at Cross Farm, Styal. Around 1860 it was moved to Holly Lane where it stood until 1980 when it was demolished by a runaway lorry.

The base, thought to be medieval, was rebuilt. The upper column remained a truncated stump until 2010 when the cross was restored to its original state.

Styal Cross

We turned left toward Chapel Woods taking the right fork marked with a red arrow and then turned left to walk down and cross a metal bridge (6mins). After heading up steps on the far side we turned right and crossed Kingfisher Bridge (10mins) and then Oxbow Bridge (17mins) before turning left and heading first up and then down steep flights of steps before walking along duckboards.

At a T-junction (26mins) we turned right and crossed Giant's Castle Bridge (28mins) before turning left up a flight of steps. No sooner had we stopped climbing than we went down another flight of steps to cross a footbridge (32mins), then passed a wooden bridge on our left to follow a red arrow with the Bollin on our left (40mins)

Ignoring a path on our right with a red arrow (47mins) we continued to keep the Bollin on our left as we left the woods and turned left across a bridge. On the left was The Airport Inn, formerly The Valley Lodge Hotel where Thursday night discos were once popular with ladies of a certain age.

Crossing the main road we turned left and proceeded until we reached Morley Green Road (61mins) where we turned right. When we reached a pair of benches on the village green at the end of the road (71mins) we stopped for pies and damson gin kindly provided by Chris.

Resuming we crossed the T junction to follow a green public footpath sign by the side of a lane marked “Except for Access.” Where it forked we went left (77mins) and entered Newgate Nature Reserve (82mins). We forked right (84mins) and reached a lane where we turned right (86mins)

This brought us to a junction where we carried straight on ahead with Sylvia Cottage on our right (89mins). After swinging left (92mins) we turned left before a farm (96mins), crossed a footbridge and then turned right (98mins). We crossed another footbridge and turned left (102mins)

After forking right towards woods (106mins) we turned left at a path leading into them (107mins). On reaching a T-junction we turned right (110mins) and soon began to approach the outskirts of Wilmslow. After passing Don's DIY store on the right we turned left into Moor Lane (115mins). Just before we reached The Farmers Arms on our right we turned left into Buckingham Road (128mins)

At its end we turned right (135mins) then headed left just before Water Lane Clinic to enter Hale Road (141mins). Turning right into Hawthorn Park (142mins) we then turned left just before Wilmslow Conservative Club into Kennerley Road. At its end we turned right (145mins)

With the HSBC ahead we were now in the heart of Wilmslow's shopping centre. We turned left, passing Waitrose on our right and then turned right uphill to reach the rear entrance of King William (This may be a treasonable offence one day !)

Inside (151mins) we found Colin and were soon joined by Laurie, who has been having chemotherapy treatment. He has lost some weight but was in good form.

Suitably refreshed we turned left out of the pub and crossed the busy roundabout to head left passing a church on our left before turning left into Boddington Playing Fields (154mins). Beyond the playground we turned right with the Bollin on our right and walked through an area known as The Carrs.

This comprises 70 acres of a picturesque linear walk linking Styal Country Park and Dean Valley. It was bought in 1935 by Wilmslow Urban District Council to mark the jubilee of George V.

We crossed a footbridge and turned right following a sign for Lindow Common (161mins) before pausing for lunch under the shelter of a tree (164mins). Continuing we ignored one bridge on our right and carried on until we reached Twinnies Bridge (176mins) which we crossed to enter a car park on the left.

Following a sign for Styal with the Bollin now on our left we went through a metal kissing gate (178mins) and crossed Heron's Pool Bridge (184mins) before reaching Quarry Bank Mill on our left (193mins)

This was a former cotton mill built in 1784 by Samuel Greg, where adults and children worked 72 hour weeks until 1847 when a new law made such long working weeks illegal. The National Trust now uses the mill as a museum.

Beyond the mill we turned left (197mins) towards Styal, then turned right (200 mins) to reach the road from where we had started (202mins). A short walk right brought us to The Old Ship on our left (203mins)

As most of the Wednesday Wanderers will be in Turkey from October 18-26 no walks for October 19 and 26 have been planned. Those not taking part in that adventure should liaise with each other to make any arrangements in the absence of our international formation drinking team.

Happy wandering !

Youlgreave

 October 5, 2022

YOULGREAVE

LAY-BY AT ALPORT NEAR YOULGREAVE, BRADFORD DALE, LIMESTONE WAY, MEADOW PLACE GRANGE, LATHKILL LODGE, LATHKILL DALE, CONKSBURY BRIDGE, ALPORT

Distance: 6 miles Total ascent/descent: 970ft

Difficulty: Easy

Weather: Wet throughout

Walkers: Peter Beal, Micky Barrett, Alastair Cairns, Chris Owen, Jock Rooney with Millie

Apologies: Alan Hart (hospital chauffeuring duties), Tom Cunliffe (preparing for house move), Andy Blease (wet weather), Dean Taylor (unwell), Cliff Worthington (simulated flight on Vulcan bomber), Simon Williams and Keith Welsh (both unspecified), George Dearsley (Turkey)

Leader: Rooney Diarist: Beal

Starting point: Lay-by at Alport near Youlgreave

Starting time: 10.45am Finishing time: 1.05pm

We were small in number for today’s walk from one of the Wanderers’ more far-flung starting points. But given the forecast which even included severe weather warnings, it was perhaps a surprise that as many as five of us chose to venture out.

There were difficulties from the outset. A combination of rail strikes causing more motorway traffic and the confounded Buxton roundabout roadworks saw Alastair’s journey from Silverdale, collecting Micky en route, take an epic near-five hour.

Jock’s original plan was for a ten-mile route taking us up into the mist-covered heights, but the weather and our late start meant his alternative of a six-mile lower walk was voted for unanimously. It was as well, for the rain never stopped, despite easing occasionally.

There was disappointment at the end as none of the three pubs in Youlgreave, described as one of the Peak District’s largest and busiest villages, was open for business.

Confusion surrounds the village’s name. The village sign has it spelt Youlgreave so we’ll go with that. Yet the road signs pointing to it omit the ‘e’. The OS Landranger map has it as Youlgreave. Yet the larger-scale OS Explorer uses Youlgrave, but inserts the ‘e’ to denote the parish. Businesses in the village all use Youlgrave in their title – but Youlgreave in their addresses. Most puzzling and there appears to be no explanation.

Anyway, we were parked just outside the village in the hamlet of Alport, close to the point where the rivers Lathkill and Bradford converge. We crossed the road and the River Bradford and headed west along a track close to the riverbank. We crossed the river (15 minutes) on a lane that would have taken us uphill into Youlgreave (or Youlgrave) village, but turned immediately left along the river bank. We were now on the Limestone Way.

We soon crossed to the southern bank and continued along the river, the bed of which was almost completely dry following the recent drought, as far as a stone bridge (43 min).

We crossed here, following a Limestone Way sign, and took a short but steepish climb through woods to emerge on a minor road.

We turned right here up the road and then took a stile on the left to climb briefly to another road crossing (60 min). Following a green footpath sign to Over Haddon we climbed gently through fields over five stiles to come to the minor road of Moor Lane which was covered in nearly a foot of water from the heavy rain. We crossed this and soon came to another road, which we crossed to follow a straight and well-marked footpath through fields to arrive at the muddy (and other stuff) farmyard of Meadow Place Grange (85 min).

A short walk through a field ahead saw us enter a wood and descend on a broad track that zig-zagged left to arrive at a small bridge over the River Lathkill at the house of Lathkill Lodge (105 min).

Lathkill Dale is one of the White Peak’s ‘occasional’ rivers, sometimes disappearing underground for stretches according to rainfall and the hidden water levels. This effect is added to by the many lead-mining workings along the valley.

My trusty Peak District Companion says of it: ‘Lathkill Dale’s striking yet restful loveliness inspires much affection. Its basic rocky format is impressive: the ancient seabed contorted and cracked by earth movements; the scree slopes created by the pulverising erosion of water, frost and general weathering; and the delicate dignity of the trees that clothe it.

‘And the heart of all this is the Lathkill itself – innocently clear water, trout pools behind little weirs, just-submerged mosses and mischievous disappearing acts. The charm of Lathkill Dale spans all the seasons.’

We turned right and continued downstream with the attractive river on our right to reach Conksbury Bridge, where we turned right to cross the river, climb uphill on a lane for a short while and then take a path on the left through fields to reach the road a short distance from our cars (140 min).

The late start and poor weather meant we had stopped for neither pietime nor lunch. But our hopes for refreshment in Youlgrave were dashed after driving there when we found both The George and Bull’s Head firmly closed, indeed looking rather abandoned.

We headed off in various directions and your diarist linked up with Chris, Alastair and Micky purely by chance at the Duke of York in Pomeroy on the A515, where the Robinson’s Dizzy Blonde and Cumbria Way were pronounced excellent.

Next week’s walk, which might be labelled by Tom as ‘white handbags’, will start at The Ship Inn at Styal near Wilmslow at 9.30am. There is roadside parking. Chris and Micky will devise a route taking in Styal Woods and Lindow Common to call at the King William in Wilmslow at 12.30pm to finish at The Ship around 2.30pm.

Happy Wandering!