Taddington

 May 17, 2023.

TADDINGTON PRIMARY SCHOOL, OVER WHEAL FARM, DEEP DALE, SHELDON, MAGPIE MINE, MONYASH, BARN CLOSE FARM, LIMESTONE WAY, FLAGG, HIGH STOOL HOUSE FARM, THE CHURCH AT CHELMORTON, BANK PIT SPRING (ILLY WILLY WATER), SOUGH TOP, TADDINGTON

Distance: 11 miles.

Difficulty: Easy.

Weather: Dry with Cloud, Sunshine and a Gentle Breeze.

Walkers: Alastair Cairns, Mike Cassini, Tom Cunliffe with Daisy, Alan Hart, Chris Owen, Julian Ross, Dean Taylor, Simon Williams, Dave Willetts, Cliff Worthington.

Alternative walkers: Jock Rooney with Milly.

Apologies: Mickey Barrett (hols), Peter Beal (sore foot), Andy Blease (in Anglesey),

George Dearsley (in Turkey), Mark Enright (marking), Mark Gibby and Hughie Hardiman (walking locally to return to watch York races on TV), Jonathan Hart (w^*king), John Jones (preparing for move to Arnside), Keith Welsh.

Leader: Taylor. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Road outside Taddington and Priestcliffe C of E Primary School, School Lane, Taddington, near Buxton SK17 9TW.

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

A creche for lambs ?

Dean used a booklet of Peak District walks to find this gem of a journey through five of Derbyshire's pretty villages as spring began to give way to summer. This was demonstrated by the numbers of cows with calves and ewes with lambs in the fields along our route.

There was also an uplifting amount of vibrant colour from wild flowers blossoming in the hills and dales. On an historical note we paused at a former lead mine where a row between rival miners in 1833 led to three deaths. On a cheerier note we were treated to a round of drinks by Simon to celebrate his 54^th birthday. Simon represents the junior branch of The Wednesday Wanderers and is part of our youth policy. We wish him many happy returns of the day.

Despite a record number of stiles to negotiate we kept up a brisk pace throughout only to find that our final watering hole, The Queens Arms at Taddington, was closed at 2.50pm. A disappointing end to an otherwise brilliant day.

With the school on our right we walked into the village on the road towards Ashbourne and Bakewell. As we were reaching the end of Taddington where the main road swung left we carried straight on for 100 yards then turned right at a wooden public footpath sign (12mins) and headed uphill.

At a T junction we turned left (19mins) and reached a lane where we turned right (22mins). This took us past Over Wheal Farm on our left (31mins) and we continued until we reached a wooden public footpath sign and turned left (35mins). We went through a wooden gate to enter Deep Dale, crossing a series of stone step stiles as we plunged steeply downhill and just as steeply back up again through two wooden gates.

Tom climbing up Deep Dale

We continued going over stiles through several fields before reaching a lane via a stone step stile and turning left (59mins). We soon passed the sign for Sheldon and walked through the village passing the comically-named Cock And Pullet on our right (62mins)

The Cock and Pullet

After passing The Byre on our right we turned right through a wooden gate at a wooden public footpath sign (65mins), crossed a stone step stile (69mins) and stepped over a broken wall to enter a field which we exited by another stone step stile (70mins) keeping next to a drystone wall on our left before crossing another stone step stile (72mins). We could now see the distinctive shape of our next target, The Magpie Mine, on the skyline ahead.

Part of the ruins of The Magpie Mine

On reaching the reasonably well preserved ruins of this once-thriving lead mine we paused for Pietime (76mins)

In its heyday in the 19^th Century the mine's main shaft was 728 feet deep although the bottom 160 feet were often flooded in wet weather. The Magpie Sough was a drainage tunnel more than a mile long which was completed in 1881 after eight years' work. It ran into the River Wye at Ashford-in-the-Water.

Originally there had been several separate and competing mines on the site which were governed by “Barmote Laws.” Trouble broke out in 1833 when Magpie miners working on the North Bole Vein underground were in collision with Maypitt miners working the Great Redsoil Vein.

Workers on both sides lit fires to smoke out their rivals. Three Maypitt miners were killed by inhaling sulphurous fumes. Widows of the victims put a curse on the Magpie Mine, but it continued to be worked until the 1950s.

We carried on by turning right at the foot of a flight of steps and passing to the left of a building with a corrugated roof and through a small wooden gate before crossing a stone step stile (79mins). We crossed another stone step stile to reach a road where we turned right (86mins)

Wild flowers provided colourful scenery

We soon swung left and after 100 yards turned left at a wooden public footpath sign to enter a field (87mins). We continued over stiles and through gates before following a sign for Monyash. At one point as we were crossing a field a herd of heifers came galloping over to inspect us.

Our route continued through fields until we crossed a stone step stile to reach a lane and turned right (105mins). We passed a sign for Monyash (111mins), reached a road and turned left (113mins)

Turning right at a wooden public footpath sign (115mins) we went right again through a gap stile, reaching a lane through another gap stile and turning right to pass Barn Close Farm on our right (123mins).

Just before we reached a metal gate we turned left at a wooden public footpath sign (126mins) and crossed a stone step stile signed for Flagg (129mins)

After crossing another stone step stile and going through a small wooden gate we picked up a sign for The Limestone Way (138mins). We passed the sign for Flagg and before entering the village itself turned left through a gap stile (140mins). We crossed two stone step stiles to reach a road and turned left uphill (145mins)

After passing Edge Close Farm on our right (147mins) we turned left ignoring the road on our right signposted for Chelmorton (152mins). Turning right at High Stool House Farm (154mins) we walked unmolested through a field of grouchy cows with calves and crossed stone step stiles to reach a road where we turned left (167mins)

After passing a sign to Taddington on our right, we took the next lane right (171mins). We reached a T junction and turned right with St John the Baptist's Church at Chelmorton on our right and the welcome sight of The Church Inn on our left (179mins)

By now we had been joined for the last half mile by Jock with Milly, and were delighted to be treated to a round of drinks by birthday boy Simon.

It was interesting to note that the £4-20 price of a pint of Marstons' Pedigree here was greater than your diarist received in 1961 in his first week's pay packet. For a five and a half day week, with two weeks annual holiday, I was paid the equivalent in pounds, shillings and pence of £3-90 after deductions for tax and insurance. As was the custom I gave my mum £2 for my keep, paid 77p for my weekly rail fare: the remaining £1-13 was mine to squander !

After enjoying our drinks in the sunlit beer garden, we left the pub, turning left uphill to pass Bank Pit Spring on our left. (181mins). According to local folklore this was known as the Illy Willy Water for reasons too disturbing to even contemplate. Further on, after climbing uphill, a wooden gate brought us to a lane which we crossed (189mins) and proceeded forwards via a stone step stile.

Our route now took us along well-trodden paths through fields using stone step stiles until we reached a man-made mound which proved to be an underground reservoir (209mins). Here, at Sough Top, we paused for lunch.

Afterwards we continued in a north-easterly direction along paths through fields, crossing stone step stiles and a broken wall until we could see the village of Taddington directly below us.

The descent into Taddington

The well-marked path brought us to the outskirts of the village via a wooden stile which we crossed and turned left to walk back to our cars. Sadly the hopes of some still thirsty wanderers to call in The Queens Arms were dashed when they found the pub shut at 2.50pm.

Next weeks' walk will be led by John Jones on his last Wednesday before relocating to Arnside, It starts at 9.40am from the end of Laneside Road in Low Leighton, New Mills (SK22 4LU). To reach it follow the road between New Mills and Hayfield, turning into Laneside Road opposite The Hare and Hounds pub. Drive till the end of the lane and park at the side of it.

JJ will lead us via Big Stone to Peep-a-Day, Mount Famine and South Head before stopping to knock the froth of one or two at The Sportsman Inn, Hayfield, around 12.40pm. We continue along The Sett Valley Trail and Ollersett Moor back to our cars – a journey just short of 10 miles.

Happy wandering !