Sutton Hall

Sutton Hall, Sutton Reservoir, Croker Lane, Croker Hill, Higher Sutton, Ryles Arms, Fox Bank, Ridge Hill, Judy Lane, Hollin Lane, Sutton Hall.

Leader: Owen

Minutes: Owen

Weather: dry and initially chilly but sunny

Attendees: Andy Blease, Mike Cassini, Chris Owen, Mark Gibby, Dean Taylor, Dave Willet, Mark Enright, Simon Williams

Apologies: Tom Cunliffe (Camping), Alistair (Camping), Julian(Camping), Alan (jollies) Jonny (working) Cliff (mortgage for son),

Difficulty: one hill, a long one!

Sutton Hall

At precisely 09.40hrs we set off down Sutton Hall drive and turned left onto Bullocks Lane. After about 300 yards we went over a stile on our left and walked diagonally across a field exiting the field onto Walker lane at the ‘Old Poor House’. Going left along Walker Lane we passed the Post Office turning right onto Cop Meadow and exiting turning right onto Symondly road. We passed through a gate and passed through a number of fields and woods coming out onto Leek Old road opposite Sutton Reservoir.

We turned left and went uphill until we reached Croker lane where we again turned left. We continued to go uphill, uphill, uphill, uphill…. until we arrived at the BT premise aka Sutton Tower.

Turning left we were briefly on the Gritstone trail and commenced going downhill through a series of kissing gates and fields until we exited onto the A52 and turned left. 200 yards further on we went left through a kissing gate and again going downhill passed a number of farm premises on route to pie time being taken on an embankment.

                                                                      

Undulating terrain, Alpacas, sheep, horses, chickens and farmyards led us to Hollin Lane where we turned right heading for the Ryles Arms where we met Jock and Milly coming towards us.

Andy has an immediately pending significant birthday (60) and kindly bought a round of drinks for the ‘band of brothers’.

Post refreshments we left the pub and went down a lane behind the Ryles Arms and turned left again onto the Gritstone trail. A series of fields led us back onto Hollin lane where we turned right turning right again after some 300 yards. The last incline beckoned and we went up Fox Bank going through an attractive settlement coming out onto Ridge Hill and turned left. We continued along Ridge Hill turning left at Judy Lane going downhill. 

Church road, Hollin Lane, and entering the rear of Sutton Hall concluded the walk where further drinks were taken.

Next week's walk will start at 0955 from the free New Mills Leisure Centre car park off Hyde Bank Road, New Mills (SK224BP). Alan will lead us through The Torrs Riverside Park before a steady climb up Ollersett Moor, reaching the summit at the telecom mast before descending into Hayfield for a bracer in The Kinder Lodge around 12.10pm. We will then return along the Set Valley Trail back to the car park at about 14.10pm. Those still thirsty will find the nearby Masons Arms open.

Happy wandering !

Longnor

  

Longnor

19/04/2023

 

LONGNOR, FOLDS END FARM, RIVERSIDE, BRUND, STEEN, DOVE VALLEY, THE DEVONSHIRE ARMS ATHARTINGTON, BANK TOP FARM PILBURY CASTLE, CROWDECOTE, LONGNOR.

Distance: 10.1 miles

Difficulty: Largely Easy

Weather: Dry with occasional sunshine

Walkers: Tom Cunliffe, Chris Owen, Mike Cassini, Hughie Hardiman, Mark Gibby, Julian Ross, Andy Blease, Simon Williams, Keith Welsh, Cliff Worthington

Alternative Walkers: Jock and Kieran Rooney with Milly

Apologies: Alan Hart parental duties, Dean Taylor illness, Alastair Cairns vaccination app. George Dearsley (in Turkey), Jonathan Hart (w**king) and Peter Beal mentioned something last week but I don’t recall what.

Leader: Tom Cunliffe. Diarist: Cliff Worthington

Starting Point: Main square opposite The Crew and Harpur pub in Longnor, Staffs.

Starting time: 09.55 am, Finishing time 3.55pm

My day started with a debate between the Oak Drivers as to who was driving. Julian stood up to the plate (decision later regretted) and Andy Blease providedassertive and authoritative directions from the back seat to lead us on a tour of the back roads and farm tracks of Potts Shrigley. It took well over half an hour to reach the A537 and consequently we arrived at Longnor a few minutes late and, as if to provide a source of punishment, yours truly (totally innocent in all this) was selected to draft the blog. Armed with no note pad or pen I’m relying on the blog from the last time we did this walk – which will not be of much help as we regularly made directional mistakes. I have omitted the timings as these would be completely inaccurate.

From the cobbled square we turned left towards Crowdecote, we passed Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese and 50 or so yards later we turned right at a public footpath sign for Brund.

This took us through Fold Ends Farm where we walked straight past the gate with the word ‘footpath’ painted on it and set off into the wrong field. Realising our mistake we doubled back (after calling to Chris who by now was over 100 yards ahead).

After passing through the gate we initially got lost and couldn’t find the way out of the next field. Eventually we went across a stile assuming it to be correct – it may or may not have been. We turned to our right and proceeded down a steep bank to an impassable stream and riverbank so after some debate retraced our steps to another sign we had walked past. By this time Chris was bleating more than the many newborn lambs we saw on the day. The constant bickering between Tom and Chris provided a backdrop of entertainment for the wanderers throughout the day but I got the impression Tom wasn’t seeing the funny side of it.

Is this the right way?

 

We proceeded to cross field after field of long wet grass and passed through multiple stiles and gates. We stopped for pietime in the second last field where we found a reasonably dry grassy bank to sit on. After continuing we emerged onto a road opposite St Luke’s Church.

Here is an extract from the last blog which details the route we should have been taking. Note in the last line it states we should pass the church on our left but we emerged almost directly opposite the church.

We crossed a gravel track and exited the field via a wooden stile. We went through a wooden gate then followed a wooden public footpath sign for Pool and Brund. After passing through a gap stile and a metal gate we entered a field over a wooden stile and crossed a stream by a footbridge.

The onward path led us through a wooden gate marked with a yellow arrow to a gap stile, and a stone step stile which we crossed and turned left. We opened a wooden five-barred gate to reach a road and turned right. This brought us to a crossroads where we continued by going straight on across the four-way junction which brought us to a T-junction where we turned right to enter the village of Sheen. 

St Luke’s Church had served the parish for many centuries before it was rebuilt in 1851. Soon after passing it on our left we turned left at a wooden gate on the right side of a driveway (80mins). 

 

Note also that in the last line we were to pass through a gate to the right of a driveway but we were faced with a drive with a gate on the left! At this point we phoned for the cavalry and in a few minutes said cavalry appeared in the shape of Jock and Kieran who advised we were 50 years short of the correct turning. Sure enough, 50 yards on was a drive with a pedestrian gate on the right.

With Kieran now directing we went through the side gate and on to two further two wooden gates and a double stile, through a gap stile and a wooden gate where we could see Hartington in the distance.

We approached by going down a gully, over a wooden stile, and crossing a farm track to go through a wooden gate. A footbridge took us over the River Dove and thereby into Derbyshire. A gap stile and four wooden gates later we turned left at a road to enter the pretty village of Hartington.

We soon reached The Devonshire Arms, where we were able to sit outside in pleasant sunshine. After this we discovered the real reason Tom had selected this walk as he took a few of us over the road to the famous Hartington Cheese shop. After sampling a few of the cheeses last night I would particularly recommend the Smoked Wensleydale, the Hartington Chili Bomb and the Harlech with horseradish.

Kieran advised us to leave the village by passing the duck pond which we did, heading in the direction of Pilsbury. At this point we should have forked right up a hill but true to the form of the day we went straight on! At least we were traveling in the right direction so we were able head largely straight on for several miles enjoying pleasant views of the valley to our left. We remarked that it looked rather like a golf course.

We passed an old mine entrance labeled Ludwell Mine level 1862 before reaching Pilsbury Castle which is no more than a pile of rock. Pilsbury Castle probably dates from the late 11th or early 12th century, just after the Norman Conquest. It was presumably built by the Ferrers family, later the Earls of Derby, perhaps as part of the Norman response to the unsuccessful rebellion in the north.

We continued on until we reached the road with the Pack Horse Inn 20 yards to our right. Given the late time we didn’t stop there but carried on up the road to our lefttowards Longnor. This was around ¾ of a mile up a quite steep hill to finish the day off. We arrived back at Longnor at just before 4.00pm.

Next weeks walk will be led by Chris Owen starting at Sutton Hall, Macclesfield at 9.40am

 

 

Edale

 EDALE

 

April 12, 2023

 

 

 

 

CAR PARK ON ROAD BETWEEN BARBER BOOTH AND UPPER BOOTH, CHAPEL GATE, RUSHUP EDGE, LORD'S SEAT, MAM TOR, HOLLINS CROSS, THE OLD NAGS HEAD AT GRINDSBROOK BOOTH, COOPER'S FARM, BARBER BOOTH

 

 

Distance: 7.5 miles​Ascent/descent: 1,440 ft

 

Difiiculty: Moderate. Hard in wind.

 

Weather: Fine at first. Fierce wind and rain on The Great Ridge.

 

Walkers: Peter Beal, Andy Blease, Mike Cassini, Tom Cunliffe and Daisy, Julian Ross, Cliff Worthington.

 

Alternative walkers: Jock and Keiran Rooney with Milly (Barber Booth to Nags Head and return).

 

Apologies: Alan Hart (weather concerns), Alastair Cairns (car battery problems), Micky Barrett (country estate management duties), Chris Owen (car MoT), Dean Taylor (chest infection), Simon Williams (daughter back from uni).

 

Leader: Blease​​Diarist: Beal

 

Starting point: National Park car park on minor road between Barber Booth and Upper Booth, Edale

 

Starting time: 9.44am ​Finishing time: 2.06pm

 

 

 

 

Alan was the one Wanderer to own up to his absence being down to the dire weather forecast but who knows how many other absentees were put off by the predictions of strong winds and rain?

 

Six of us decided to brave the elements and were rewarded with 90 minutes of fine and dry conditions before the weather gods took their revenge on the ascent of Mam Tor and the walk along the Great Ridge to Hollins Cross. Our ordeal was limited to three-quarters-of-an-hour before we reached the calm sanctuary of the Edale valley.

 

Today’s walk marked the leadership debut of Andy Blease. He arrived well-prepared with a previous walk report, impressive digital mapping and a good memory that saw him put not a foot wrong. He should do this again.

 

This could also be one of the last times we were able to enjoy free parking at the small National Park car park on the road to Upper Booth. The park authority have an application in to turn it and several others in to pay-and-display, when a day’s parking would be £6.

 

Leaving the car park we turned left towards Edale and after passing under the viaduct carrying the Manchester to Sheffield railway line took a stile on the right leading in to fields. Just before Manor Farm we crossed a track and followed the path through a series of gates and stiles with the steep slope of Rushup Edge immediately ahead of us.

 

We climbed to reach a gate that brought us to the broad track of Chapel Gate, originally the main route between Edale and Chapel-en-le-Frith (.5 miles). We turned right here uphill, with the bulk of Rushup Edge above us on our left and started a sustained climb of nearly a mile. This brought us to the junction with a flagged path on the right, leading to the summit of Brown Knoll (1.5 miles). We bore left on level ground and, just before reaching the Chapel to Castleton road, turned left uphill on the start of the climb up Rushup Edge.

 

Steady but fairly gentle climbing brought us to the highest point of Lord’s Seat (1,804 feet), the summit of which is marked by a large Bronze Age burial mound(2.5 miles). From here it was a gentle descent to reach the Edale road at the pass of Mam Nick. A lack of shelter here from a freshening wind caused us to postpone the planned pietime and to press on up the stone staircase ahead leading to the summit of Mam Tor (1,695ft).

 

Here the wind became fierce and driving rain, with some hail, started to assail us from the right. We barely paused at the summit (3.5 miles) and forged on downhill to a dip in the ridge at the stone column of Hollins Cross (4.5 miles). This was once the highest point of the coffin road along which the Edale villagers carried their dead to the churchyard in Castleton, before Edale built its own church in the 17th century.

 

We turned left here on a steepish rocky track downhill and within a matter of yards the wind disappeared and we were in the sheltered calm of the Edale valley. We crossed a stile to join a muddy farm track that emerged on the Edale valley road (5.5 miles). We crossed this, then took a footpath immediately in front. At a gap stile we turned left across a field and under the railway line. The path took us across another field, crossed a stream and climbed to join the road in Edale village opposite the church.

 

We turned right and at 12.20pm reached the welcome sight of the Old Nags Head (no apostrophe), which marks the southern end of the Pennine Way (6 miles). Your diarist enjoyed a pint of the Celtic Gold at £4-60. We were soon joined by Jock and Keiran, with Milly, who had walked from the Barber Booth car park and were to join us on our return.

 

We left the pub and turned right to the Cooper’s Farm camp site. Shortly before the farm buildings we took a stile on the left which lead us through countless small gates across fields to reach the hamlet of Barber Booth. We turned left down the road and soon reached the right turn towards Upper Booth and our cars (7.5 miles).

 

Next week’s walk, led by Tom, will start at 9.50am from the square in Longnor (free parking), calling at the Devonshire Arms in Hartington shortly after noon. We should be back in Longnor by 2.45pm. A previous report of this walk describes it as nine miles and easy.

 

Happy Wandering!

 

 

Bugsworth

 April 5, 2023.

 

BUGSWORTH BASIN, PEAK FOREST TRAMWAY, WHITEHOUGH, CHAPEL MILTON, SHIREOAKS FARM, SOUTH HEAD, THE LAMB INN AT CHINLEY HEAD, VALLEY VIEW FARM, CRACKEN EDGE QUARRY, THROSTLE BANK, COTEBANK, THE NAVIGATION AT BUGSWORTH

 

Distance: 9 miles.

Difficulty: Moderately strenuous.

Weather: Cloudy with light drizzle throughout.

Walkers: Andy Blease, Mike Cassini, Mark Gibby, Alan Hart, Jonathan Hart, John Jones, Simon Williams.

Alternative walkers: Jock and Keiran Rooney with Milly.

Apologies: Mickey Barrett (in Silverdale), Peter Beal (heavy cold), Alastair Cairns (bad weather forecast), Tom Cunliffe (bad weather forecast), George Dearsley (in Turkey), Hughie Hardiman (unspecified), Chris Owen (bad weather forecast), Dean Taylor (unspecified)

Leader: Jones. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Outside The Navigation Inn at Bugsworth Basin, near Whaley Bridge.

Starting time: 9.38am. Finishing time: 2.47pm.

 

After a warm and sunny Tuesday the forecasts of day-long rain had a marked effect on the turnout for this otherwise attractive walk led by JJ. The Magnificent Seven who did attend were rewarded with an undulating route in the lightest of drizzle.

We also encountered three llamas, a pair of emus and an unusual (and unrecognised) breed of goat as we wandered the hills and valleys of The Peak District. In addition we spotted a bird of prey which, in your diarist's opinion was a buzzard but in the view of our leader was a red kite.

 

The town once known as Bugsworth changed its name to Buxworth many years ago after a vote in which the Hyacinth Buckets defeated the Onslows of this world. However the branch of the Peak Forest Canal where we assembled will forever be known as “Buggy Basin.”

The basin was once at the core of a transport network connecting local quarries bringing lime, limestone and gritstone to the industrial northwest of England. It connected the Peak Forest Tramway to canals linked to such as Macclesfield, Huddersfield, Rochdale, Manchester Ship, Bridgewater, Trent and Mersey, Leeds and Liverpool.

 

With the Navigation Inn on our left and the canal on our right we joined the track of the Peak Forest Tramway and headed east through Whitehough to its end at Chapel Milton (40mins). Here we turned left along the A624 for 100 yards and then turned right at CJK Packaging (41mins). After going through a metal kissing gate we approached a double viaduct.

 

We walked under the bridge spans (47mins) to reach a road (48mins) which we crossed, turned left and after 20 yards headed right up a path. We then dog-legged left and right to follow a gravel track (50mins)

When we reached The Cottage we turned left through a gate to cross a field (51mins).  On the far side we emerged on a lane where we turned left and right to cross a bridge over The Hope Valley railway line (55mins). 

At a T-junction we turned right and then swung left (57mins) before taking the right fork and following the track towards Shireoaks Farm (70mins)

When we reached the farm (74mins) we followed the green public footpath sign for the Pennine Bridleway (79mins). After pausing for Pietime (89mins) we followed a wooden public footpath sign for South Head (107mins) going through a metal gate and passing the South Head sign itself (110mins).

A well-trodden path on our left led us to the summit (118mins) to admire the misty view and pose for a team photo round the cairn. 

 

 

 

Descending from its peak at 1,621 feet we took the first path on our right after the path from which we had ascended. This led down to a farm track where we turned left (125mins). After going through a metal gate we immediately turned left over a stone step stile (128mins) to head downhill through a field.

After crossing a wooden stile (133mins) we headed diagonally right (136mins) to aim for a gap in the drystone wall and turn left on its far side. The path was wide and flat leading to a wooden gate (140mins). 

Beyond it our route now went left, plunging steeply downhill and a gap in gorse bushes which led to first a wooden gate and then a wooden stile to reach the main A624 road linking Chapel-en-le-Frith with Hayfield (147mins). We turned right and immediately on our right was The Lamb Inn at Chinley Head (148mins) serving pints of Timothy Taylor's Landlord cask bitter in a cosy room in front of a warm fire.

Here we were joined by Jock and Keiran who were obliged, by the pub's dog ban, to leave Milly in their car.

On leaving the pub we returned to the main road, crossed it and turned left for 20 yards before following a wooden public footpath sign (150mins) down through trees

to reach the lane for Valley View Farm. Just before the farmhouse we turned left at a green footpath sign and followed a path alongside three fields containing creatures not often seen in Derbyshire.

 

 

The first of these to come over to inspect us was a llama, normally seen in the foothills of the Andes where South American farmers use them as beasts of burden.

Next to come bounding over was a friendly emu, more often seen in its native Australia.

 

 

 

 

After pausing for lunch (156mins) we crossed a stream called Otter Brook by a footbridge (163mins), reached a road and turned right (168mins). At a wooden public footpath sign (169mins) we turned left and began a steep climb up a field. Here again we encountered an unusual animal.

 

 

We crossed a stone step stile (174mins) and continued uphill to reach a grass track (184mins). After catching our collective breath we turned left with a valley below on our left.

             

 

We crossed two wooden stiles to reach a lane (206mins) where we turned left and immediately right towards Cotebank. After passing Tythe Barn Farm on our right (213mins) we took a left fork downhill (215mins). After crossing a wooden stile (216mins) we kept left and reached the outskirts of Buxworth (222mins)

At the end of Dolly Wood Close we turned left (223mins) to reach the B6062 road and turned right. This took us under a railway bridge and past Bugsworth War Memorial Club on our left before turning left to reach the Navigation Inn and our cars  (228mins). 

Four of us enjoyed a further pint of Timmy Taylor's here before de-booting and heading home.

Next week's walk will start at 9.45am at the car park at Barber Booth (S33 7ZL). To reach it from the A6 take the A625 east towards Castleton, turning left at the sign for Barber Booth. On the left of this winding road is a sign for Upper Booth which leads under a railway viaduct. The car park is beyond the viaduct on the left.

Andy will make his debut as walk leader taking us up to Rushop Edge, Mam Tor and Hollins Cross before descending into Edale for a bracer at The Old Nags Head around 1230. We expect to be back at the car park at about 2.20pm to discuss the venue for any further refreshment.

Happy wandering !