New Mills

 September 13, 2023.

NEW MILLS LEISURE CENTRE, BEARHOUSE FARM, HAGUE BAR, DANE VALLEY, PEAK FOREST CANAL, SPOUT HOUSE FARM, ROMAN BRIDGE, MELLOR AND THORNCLIFFE GOLF COURSE, THE DEVONSHIRE ARMS AT MELLOR, TARDEN FARM, THE FOX AT BROOK BOTTOM, THE TORRS

Distance: 10-11miles.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Weather: Dry and warm with sunny spells.

Walkers: Mike Cassini, Tom Cunliffe with Daisy, Mark Gibby, Alan Hart.

Alternative walker: Jock Rooney with Milly.

Apologies: Mickey Barrett (leg injury), Peter Beal (recuperating from injuries during holiday in the Greek islands), Andy Blease (in Anglesey), Alastair Cairns (walking in Lake District), George Dearsley (in Turkey), Mark Enright (w*^king), Hughie Hardiman, Chris Owen (in Leek), Dean Taylor (motor-cycling), Simon Williams.

Leader: Cassini. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: New Mills Leisure Centre, Hyde Bank Road, New Mills (SK22 4BP)

Starting time: 9.34am. Finishing time: 2.57pm.

                                                         

                                                                                Tom's map

This was a new route devised by Mike from his home town which began with a climb through the suburbs and became increasingly picturesque throughout the journey. We visited wooded paths, rolling hills, canal towpaths, and a cracking country pub which provided great service.

Unfortunately, having used up our allotted alcohol units in The Devonshire Arms at Mellor, we abandoned plans to finish at The Masons Arms in New Mills. There is always a next time.

En route, we also bumped into an old friend and erstwhile Wednesday Wanderer we had not seen for many a year. Phil Welsh, armed with a massive chainsaw and looking like a genial psychopath from a horror movie, was working as a volunteer at the Mellor and Towncliffe Golf Course. It was good to see him post-retirement and we hope he will return to our ranks again one day.

We were also treated to a round of drinks by Mike to celebrate his 67^th birthday in two days' time. The small turnout meant our debutant leader got away with a modest bill but we wish him many happy returns of September 15.

We also raised a glass to wish good health to Peter Beal. He is recovering from his injuries after he was flattened by a tree during a thunderstorm in the Greek islands where he is on holiday with his wife Jackie. Luckily for Peter, the tree landed on his head so he wasn't seriously hurt but it has been a painful holiday for him.

The following directions are for posterity so wanderers can try to follow them on future rambles. If you wish to cut to the chase now details of next week's walk appear, as ever, in the final paragraph.

From the car park we passed the entrance door to the leisure centre on our left and soon crossed a road to join the start of the Sett Valley Trail.

This is a linear leisure facility for walkers, cyclists and horse riders linking New Mills with Hayfield. It follows the trackbed of the branch line of a railway through Birch Vale, Thornsett and Ollersett which opened in 1868. It closed in 1970.

After heading up a zigzag path (4mins) we turned left at a road and immediately right through a graveyard (5mins). We exited by a gate and headed down to the end of Dye House Lane, where we turned right (7mins). We crossed the road and headed up Spring Bank (10mins)

Turning left at Whitle Road (14mins) we went left again at a green public footpath sign (17mins). Just before we reached Bearhouse Farm we turned left down a flight of steps (20mins), went through a wooden gate and over a wooden stile marked with a yellow arrow (21mins)

Our view back over Disley

We followed the path through a wooden gate and over a wooden stile marked with a yellow arrow (25mins). After crossing a road we went through an alley (27mins) and reached a road where we turned left downhill (29mins). At the end of The Crescent we turned right uphill (31mins). Just before the crest we went left over a wooden stile (35mins) into a field and crossed a stone step stile (36mins).

After crossing another stone step stile (38mins) we turned right at a bench (40mins) to head downhill, crossing a stone step stile marked with a yellow arrow (41mins) and then going right at a similar stile (42mins)

On reaching a lane we turned right and then went left at a green public bridleway sign (45mins). This led us to a track where we turned left downhill (46mins). At the end of Hague Fold Road (51mins) we crossed the main road and then went across a bridge over the Manchester-Sheffield railway line.

We passed a playground on our left and then crossed a bridge over the River Goyt (57mins). At a wooden public footpath sign marked with a yellow arrow on our right (61mins) we turned right and followed the path around the garden of a house with the river on our right. This path emerged on a road where we dog-legged right and left (68mins) and then turned left along a track (69mins)

After crossing a wooden stile marked with a yellow arrow (70mins) we turned right. This brought us to another wooden stile which we crossed before descending a flight of steps (72mins). We turned left over a wooden stile with a yellow arrow (73mins) and crossed a wooden footbridge (74mins)

From here we climbed up several flights of steps and along a path which emerged through a gap stile opposite Higgins Clough Swing Bridge on the Peak Forest Canal (79mins). We turned right with the waterway on our left before stopping for pies and port at a convenient low wall (84mins)

The view to our right from the canal towpath

We continued along the towpath, passing Little Woodland Farm on our right and going under Bridge 23 (92mins) before turning right at a green public footpath sign on our right (103mins) pointing to Mellor, Werneth Low and Gee Cross. The path took us through a gap stile and three wooden stiles in quick succession to reach a lane (108mins) where we turned right.

We reached a main road with a cottage on our left bearing a date stamp of 1661. Turning left we immediately passed Spout House Farm (110mins) and headed uphill along Strines Road. We turned right at a green public bridleway post (112mins) and headed downhill to the bank of the River Goyt.

Turning left with the river on our right we reached the hump-backed bridge known as Roman Bridge on our right, crossed it and turned left (117mins). We walked with the Goyt now on our left for some 250 yards then branched right uphill to follow a sign for Mellor and Cobden Edge (119mins)

We crossed a stone step stile and headed up a flight of steps before crossing a footbridge over the railway line (122mins) and entering the grounds of Mellor and Thorncliffe Golf Club where we immediately encountered Phil Welsh.

Phil Welsh

After a catch-up chat (127mins) in which we discovered Phil was working as an honorary groundsman as well as being a golf member, we kept to the right of the course until we reached the second tee, which we passed and turned left (132mins). We left the course and entered Gill Lane (138mins), swinging first right and then bearing left (144mins) until we emerged opposite The Devonshire Arms at Mellor (149mins)

Here we enjoyed pints of Dizzy Blonde and Unicorn in the beer garden, bought first by birthday boy Mike and then by Mark. We were joined by Jock and Milly and the waiter service was so efficient that it seemed rude not to tarry a while longer.

Resuming we retraced our earlier footsteps up Gibb Lane, bearing right at a fork (153mins) and stopping for lunch at a convenient wall with magnificent views across the valley to our right (156mins)

Our lunchtime view

Continuing we passed Tarden Farm on our right (160mins) as we walked along a ridge which afforded us a continuous view across the valley. We passed The Fox Inn at Brook Bottom on our right (185mins) and passed the Eric Burdekin memorial bench as we reached the outskirts of New Mills. At a row of terraced houses on our left we turned right at a green footpath sign to enter a wood (203mins)

We emerged on St Mary's Road (210mins) and turned right before going left into Market Street, passing The Pride of the Peaks pub on our right. We walked down Rock St (212mins), crossed a road to enter Lower Rock Street (213mins) and then swung right under a tunnel and left up a flight of steps (216mins). This brought us to the back of New Mills Leisure Centre car park to de-boot (217mins)

Next week's walk will start at 9.45am from the layby alongside Ridgegate Reservoir, Sutton, near the Leather's Smithy pub (SK11 0NE). We aim to reach The Ryles Arms at Hollin Lane, Sutton (SK11 0NN) for a snifter around 12.30pm, finishing at The Leather's Smithy at about 2.15pm.

Happy wandering !