Alderley Edge

November 29th 2023

THE WIZARD TEAROOMS ALDERLEY EDGE, THE BUTTS, DEAN GREEN FARM, FIRTREE FARM CHELFORD NETHER ALDERLEY, BRADFORD LANE

Distance: 9.43 miles

Difficulty: Comfortable though weather condition underfoot meant mud and frozen ground

Weather: Cold but clear dry sunny day

Walkers: Mickey Barrett, Andy Blease, Mike Cassini, Alistair Cairns with Daisy ,Tom Cunliffe with Daisy, Chris Owens Keith Welsh, Simon Williams, Cliff Worthington

 

Apologies:   Alan Hart (still in former colonies) George Dearsley (in Turkey), Mark Enright (wxxking), , Hughie Hardiman, Mark Bibby, Julian Ross, Dean Taylor

Leader: Owens. Diarist: Cassini 

Starting point: B5087 Macclesfield Road Wizard tearooms.

Starting time: 9.am. Finishing time: 2.30pm.

 

A certain degree of confusion will permeate this diary,beginning with the parking arrangements which Andy described as the perfect example of female logic! We were advised by our Leader Chris to park in the not-really-a –layby on Artists lane which after several drives up and down the lane, 4 drivers decided that actually it was a layby towards the top of the road after all. Chris (leader) however agreed it wasn’t a layby and parked in an obvious layby on the main road, Alistair in the Tangerine Dream used the National Trust car park as that too was obviously a car park.

We assembled where Chris parked, crossed the road and passed through a gate immediately opposite the actual layby. Continuing downwards through the woodland on a muddy path that occasionally became a stream causing some issues for the Daisies with us.

Tom asked our leader how difficult the walk was and Chris said it was mostly downhill so relatively easy; applying male logic Tom asked the not unexpected question that surely we must come uphill at some point which Chris reluctantly agreed would be a slight climb at the end up Bradford lane- which actually proved to be the case although not a major incline it did prove a challenge to some of us –about an 800ft climb.

Meandering through the wood we came back onto Artists laneto try and get firmer footing, although throughout the walk a lot of the road surfaces were still frozen and proved hazardous on several occasions though without serious falls.

We passed by The Butts in Nether Alderley which is a National Trust Farmstead with history possibly stretching back to the 17th century and then across the A34 by Dean Green and Fir tree farm, having Pie time at the Clover Patch an agricultural business and then on to the Egerton Arms- a Pub and Chophouse at Chelford where we arrived 20 minutes before opening but the bar staff took pity and responding to Mickey’s beating on the front door with his walking stick opened early for us.

Tom was celebrating his birthday (71) and bought teas (5) and beers (4) all round. Following refreshment we returned through Chelford up the B5359 where we turned right on a path through the Quarry Lakes and then through St. Mary’s churchyard were a stone commemorating Tim Brook (!) Taylor was laid in the ground, although born in Buxton it is not likely to be for the famous Goodie as his association was with a Sheffield St Mary’s church and his full name is Tim Julian Brooke-Taylor. From St Mary’s churchyard we walkedup Bradford Lane, former home of the Beckhams, each to our respective car parks. Next week we meet outside the Boars Head Higher Poynton to leave at 9:40.

                                 Pie time at this venue

Rushup Edge

November 22nd 2023

RUSHUP EDGE, LORD’S SEAT, MAM TOR, HOLLINS CROSS, UPPER BOOTH

Distance: 9.02 miles

Difficulty: Much climbing.

Weather: Dense mist occasional drizzle, very windy to very very windy

Walkers: Andy Blease, Mike Cassini, Tom Cunliffe with Daisy, Dean Taylor, Dave Willetts, Simon Williams, Cliff Worthington

Apologies:  Alan Hart (still in former colonies) Mickey Barrett, Chris Owens (foot golf), George Dearsley (in Turkey), Mark Enright (wxxking), Alistair Cairns , Hughie Hardiman, Mark Bibby, Julian Ross

Leader: Cunliffe. Diarist: Cassini

Starting point: Lay-by on Chapel-Castleton Road next to Rushup Edge, Derbyshire.

Starting time: 9.38am. Finishing time: 2.05pm.

 View from Chapel Gate track into Edale 

From the lay-by at Rushup Edge we headed towards Castleton for a few yards before turning first left and then immediately right through two gates. We were now walking along a parallel footpath with the road on our right. The path took us through a series of metal gates and a sign pointing us towards Castleton and Hope (13mins), during this time and until our descent into Edale we were to use a poetic idiom ‘shrouded in the mist’ which meant we struggled to see ten feet in front of each other and any chance of a scenic view.

En route we passed Lord’s Seat, which stands 1,804 feet above sea level, we crossed two wooden stiles (37 and 41mins) and exited Rushup Edge to reach a road. As we crossed the road and started climbing Mam Tor the wind was at our back and helped guide us to the summit. But once we lost the shelter of the hill the crosswind increased in intensity and coupled with the mist/fog/drizzle, visibility was not great – Dave lost his footing and Cliff went up to perfect strangers on the summit firing expletives! – he thought they were Wanderers obviously!!

Mam Tor’s alternative name is Shivering Mountain, because of the landslips caused by its fragile shale surface. In 1979 the battle to maintain the A625 road linking Sheffield with Chapel-en-le-Frith on the crumbling eastern side of the hill was finally lost.

The remains of a late Bronze Age fort, from around 1200 BC, and an early Iron Age fort have been identified along with two Bronze Age bowl barrows. There are four show caves at the base of Mam Tor – Blue John, Speedwell, Peak and Treak Cliff Caverns where fluorspar and other minerals were once mined.

From its peak at 1,696 feet we descended in the mist strung out along the ridge path like polar explorers searching for Huskies none of the magnificent views could be seen and the walk was a test of our endurance as we battled the gale force wind towards Hollins Cross where we descended to Edale sheltered from the wind with the mist clearing – so I decided it was a good time to practice my forward roll on the slippery mudded surface.

Hollins Cross marks the middle of what was once known as The Coffin Road between Edale and Castleton. Before a church was built in Edale, the departed were carried over Hollins Cross through Castleton to Hope Parish Church for burial. The pall-bearers would stop for refreshment at the Cross, which disappeared mysteriously in 1905 (Merseyside Police were unable to trace the culprits)

Weather related we had a late Pietime at the Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity in Edale. This was just after 11:40 so we decided as the Old Nag’s Head wasn’t yet opened to walk to The Ramblers Inn where birthday boy Dave (58) bought a round of teas and some pints of Farmers Blonde and Kinder Fall, which have risen 20% since 2021.to £4.60 a pint (2021 £3.90 )

We now faced our ascent through Barber Booth and up back to the path towards the cars. Leaving the pub at just after 1pm we reached the summit at around 2pm a gruelling hour's climbing but as Tom said that’s what you signed up for. He said that a couple of hours before the climb and said something slightly different when he emerged from the mist at the top .

Next week’s walk will start at 9.30am in Alderley Edge on Bradford Lane hopefully Chris Owen can provide more details as the car park previously used may now charge for parking.

Happy wandering!

Whaley Bridge

November 15th, 2023.

 

WHALEY BRIDGE CANAL WHARF, CROMFORD AND HIGH PEAK RAILWAY LINE (DISUSED), GOYT VALLEY, TAXAL, TAXAL NICK, WINDGATHER ROCKS, DUNGE VALLEY GARDENS, ROUND KNOLL FARM, CLOUGH FARM, THE SWAN AT KETTLESHULME, HARDY GREEN, TODD BROOK, TODD BROOK RESERVOIR, THE COCK AT WHALEY BRIDGE

 

Distance: 9-10 miles.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Weather: Very Windy occasional drizzle,

Walkers: Mickey Barrett Andy Blease, Mike Cassini, Tom Cunliffe with Daisy, Mark Gibby, Hughie Hardiman , Dean Taylor, David Willetts.

Apologies: Alastair Cairns Alan Hart , Chris Owens, Peter Beal, George Dearsley (in Turkey), Mark Enright (w^*king), Cliff Worthington Julian Ross Simon Williams

Leaders:  Cunliffe. Diarist: Cassini

Starting point: Tom Brad's Croft free car park, Whaley Bridge (SK23 7LX)

Starting time: 9.40am. Finishing time: 2.30pm.

 7ZL.

  

 

There had been forecasts of rain throughout the morning and apart from the odd shower it was mainly dry but very blustery particularly on the appositely named Windgather. Our route took us through some stunning scenery and we received a warm welcome at The Swan, where unlike in August, we sat inside by the conveniently placed bar hatch.

Most of the route description has been lifted from August as it wasn’t until our ascent to Taxal Edge that Tom asked me to write this so without pen, paper or much technical knowledge most of the salient points have been cribbed from a more experienced writer currently resting in the former colonies, so apologies in advance for errors omissions and ballsups.

From the car park we walked across the bridge over the River Goyt to reach the public footpath along the trackbed of the disused Cromford and High Peak Railway Line.

 

This 33-mile stretch linked Cromford Canal Wharf at High Peak Junction with the Peak Forest Canal at Whaley Bridge. Designed by Josias Jessop it included a climb of more than 1,000 feet to Ladmanlow and was one of the highest railway lines in Britain at that time.

Originally powered by horses it was later pulled by steam engines taking minerals to the canal wharfs for onward transportation. It closed in 1967.

 

When we reached Buttercup Cakes premises on our right (5mins) we turned right downhill to the main road where we turned left under a railway bridge. After passing The Cock pub on our left we turned immediately left over a narrow bridge across a stream to head uphill, turn right and continue along the former trackbed (9mins). 

As we reached Alpha Mews on our right (15mins) we turned right at a footpath sign and followed the well-beaten track uphill through a field. It emerged on a road where we turned right downhill.

At the end of Mevril Road we reached and crossed the main road (21mins) and continued down a gravel track until we reached a wooden footbridge on our right (25mins). 

We used this to cross the River Goyt. The path took us steeply uphill to St James' Church, Taxal, on our right at a T-junction.

We turned left for 30 yards then entered a field on our right at a public footpath sign (28mins). Keeping to the right of the field we reached a gate, went through it with a drystone wall on our left, and continued uphill until we reached a track.

Here we turned left and walked along the track until we reached a green public footpath sign indicating the way to Windgather Rocks on our right (42mins) 

 

 

 

We climbed steeply up this path, passing a memorial tree to keen hiker Terry Lardner (48mins) on our way up Taxal Nick to reach the drystone wall on Taxal Ridge (53mins). From Taxal Nick the distinct formation of Windgather Rocks was clearly visible and we proceeded towards them. We reached the summit of the cliffs (77mins) which are often popular with rock-climbers literally learning the ropes.

        

  

 

We turned left along a track which led to a sheep fold on our right where we stopped for Pietime in its shelter (80 mins). Continuing we walked along the minor road in the direction of Pym Chair. At a T-junction we turned right towards Salterford (93mins) and headed downhill.

At a wooden public footpath sign (100mins) we turned right over a broken wall and soon crossed a short ladder stile to head through a field. When we reached a farmhouse (107mins) we walked right across its frontage and then turned left up a path to the right of the building.

     

 

After crossing a stile with a yellow arrow (113mins) we passed a derelict farm building and followed a series of posts marked with yellow arrows which led us to two metal gates. These took us into Dunge Valley Gardens (119mins), a former nursery specialising in rhododendrons. 

After leaving the gardens (130mins) we continued to a crossroads and went straight across into Clayholes Road (137mins). Bearing slightly left we passed Round Knoll Farm on our right and reached Clough Farm on our left (144mins). Next to its entrance was a wooden gate on the right which we walked through and headed left downhill through a copse.

We then went through a field which we exited through a metal gate marked with a yellow arrow (149mins). After crossing a stone step stile (150mins) we reached a track and swung right to the left of a farmhouse, ignoring two wooden stiles marked with yellow arrows.

On reaching a crossroads we went forward, passing Stocks Bank Cottage on our right (158mins) and turned left at a flight of steps (159 mins) to reach The Swan immediately on our left. 

 

Unlike in August the first choice of a light cask ale from the local Storm Brewing company proved to be a winner for most of the party at £4.35 a pint excepting Mickey who was drinking Marston Pedigree even though Beermeister Dave declared this an Old Man’s drink, being a spring chicken I partook of Wincle brewery’s Hen Cloud which was delightful.

Resuming our journey with Tom now leading we crossed the road opposite the front door of the pub and walked through a garden centre to exit opposite a church (159mins). Here we turned right and then left into Kishfield Lane. This took us past Hardy Green on our left and Kishfield Croft on our right (170mins) before we reached a bridge over Todd Brook where we stopped for lunch (174mins)

Afterwards, we retraced our steps for 30 yards and turned left over a wooden stile to enter a wood (175mins)

 

        

 

Ignoring paths to our right we kept Todd Brook in sight on our left until the path led us down to it.  With Tom leading the way over a makeshift bridge we reached the far side where we squeezed through a gap in a metal fence (192 mins). We now walked with the sluice channel on our left and the reservoir on our right as we made our way back into Whaley Bridge.

After passing Brookfield Pond on our left (202mins) we arrived at the main road through Whaley Bridge 

 

 

Next week's walk will start at 9.40am from the lay-by at what3words ///respect.pits.handrail


It’s the first lay-by after taking first left exit off the A6 at Chapel en le Frith.

 

Monyash

 November 8, 2023.

THE BULL'S HEAD AT MONYASH, LATHKILLDALE NATURE RESERVE, LATHKILL HEAD CAVE, CALES DALE, RIVER LATHKILL, TUFA DAM WATERFALL

Distance: 8 miles.

Difficulty: Easy

Weather: Cloudy but dry.

Walkers: Micky Barrett, Mike Cassini, Tom Cunliffe with Daisy, , Alan Hart, Jock Rooney, Dean Taylor, Dave Willetts.

Apologies: Peter Beal, Alastair Cairns, Mark Enright, Mark Gibby, Julian Ross, Simon Williams, Cliff Worthington.

Leader: Hart. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Outside Bull's Head, Monyash, Derbyshire (DE45 1JH).

Starting time: 12 noon. Finishing time: 3.40pm.

Because of forecasts of early rain, we took the unprecedented step of calling for a livener before the walk began. Heavy rain had been predicted and duly arrived until shortly before opening time.

You cannot be too careful in these situations and we had taken a decision 24 hours earlier to postpone our start until the rain had cleared. We therefore toasted our fallen comrade Laurie Fairman at The Bull's Head in Monyash before setting off on the Memorial Walk dedicated in his name.

Lathkilldale was one of Laurie's favourite walks because of the scenery, the fishing, and the birdlife. It is a picturesque walk best attempted in summer because of the slippery limestone and the swollen river breaking its banks at this time of year.

Having started late we therefore foreshortened the route to avoid finishing in darkness.

With the Bull's Head on our left we walked up Church Street until we reached public toilets on our right (10mins). Just beyond them was a kissing gate through which we entered Lathkilldale Nature Reserve via a wooden gate.

Starting out in Lathkill Nature Reserve

This was Cales Dale and the Lathkill Head Cave from which springs later emerge above ground to form the River Lathkill. This is believed to be the only English river where rainbow trout breed naturally.

The Lathkill had flooded its banks

Because of earlier rain the limestone rocks on the trail were in a slippery state but we managed to negotiate them without incident. After the river appeared we ignored one wooden bridge which crossed it. At another (70mins) we stopped for lunch.

By now we had walked four miles out of Monyash and it was decided to retrace our footsteps all the way back to the village.

The swollen Lathkill had created a waterfall

On our return, we spotted a dipper and a waterfall which is often monitored by twitchers with their cameras as they film the dippers' nesting sites.

Further on we saw the cave from where the River Lathkill emerges from underground.

The Lathkill emerges

We continued to retrace our earlier route back to the road, where we turned left and reached our cars parked at The Bull's Head. As the cask Timothy Taylor

Landlord cask bitter was priced at £5-60 a pint there was little disappointment that the pub closes at 3pm.

Next week's walk will start at 9.45am from the road next to Broadbottom rail station (SK14 6AX) aiming to reach the Andrew Arms, George St, Compstall (SK6 5JD) around 12.30pm for a bracer and ending with a final drink at The Harewood Arms, Market Street, Broadbottom (SK14 6Ax) at about 3.15pm.

NOTE: The meeting point has now changed to the car park at Whaley Bridge, over to Windgather, Swan at Kettleshulme etc meet at 9:45. Please check.

Happy wandering !  

Styal

 August 16, 2023.

 

THE SHIP INN 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, TWINNIES BRIDGE, HERON'S POOL BRIDGE, QUARRY BANK MILL, STYAL COUNTRY PARK

 

Distance: 10 miles.

Difficulty: Moderately easy.

Weather: Dry and unseasonably warm with some sunshine..

Walkers: Andy Blease, Mike Cassini, Tom Cunliffe with Daisy, Mark Gibby, Alan Hart, Chris Owen, Dean Taylor

Alternative walker: Rooney,

Apologies: Micky Barrett, Alastair Cairns, Mark Enright.

Leader: Hart. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Road outside The Ship at Styal (SK9 4JE).

Starting time: 9.45am. Finishing time: 2.10pm.

 

 

Influenced by forecasts of wet weather our original plan to walk 12 miles from Monyash to Youlgreave in memory of one of Laurie Fairman's favourite routes was postponed. It was thought the predictions of rain would put many wanderers off travelling on a long journey to the starting point followed by a long walk in the rain.

As it transpired this rain which had also been forecast for the Wilmslow area never really materialised apart from a few spots which fell for 10 minutes on the final leg.

As mentioned previously three quarters of this route goes through picturesque countryside but the other quarter trudges through suburbia. We are considering the possibility of taking in Mobberley instead of Wilmslow next time after enjoying the first two miles in the Bollin valley.

 

From the road outside The Ship Inn 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.

River Bollin 

 

 

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)

 

 The Bollin Valley 

 

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 Pietime.

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)

On reaching a T-junction Tom attempted to plot an alternative route which would reduce the amount of time spent walking through Wilmslow's housing estates. We turned right (110mins) and then turned left at a path after 50 yards.

 

 

 

 

After another 150 yards we turned right, passing Maple Farm Nurseries and Beech House on our left (120mins) before reaching the outskirts of Wilmslow. We emerged at a major junction which we crossed. 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)

We were now in the heart of Wilmslow's shopping centre. At a pedestrian crossing we turned left, passing Waitrose on our right and then turned right uphill to reach the rear entrance of The King William (149mins) for pints of Dizzy Blonde cask bitter. 

Suitably refreshed we turned left out of the pub, turning left again to pass a sunken garden on our right and headed 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.

 The Carrs 

 

We crossed a footbridge and turned right following a sign for Lindow Common (161mins). After ignoring one bridge on our right we 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 turning left and 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 Ship Inn on our left (203mins). Four of us had our final drinks in this traditional pub.

Next week will be the postponed Laurie Fairman Memorial Walk. It will start at 9.50am from Monyash going through Lathkilldale to Youlgreave for a livener in The George on Alport Lane (DE45 1WN) at about 12.20pm and returning to the Bull's Head on Church St, Monyash (DE45 1JH) around 2.50pm.

To reach the start take the A515 out of Buxton towards Ashbourne and Monyash is signposted after six miles on the left. Pass the Bull's Head on your left and continue for 400 yards to a layby on the left opposite public toilets on the right. We will assemble there.

 

Happy wandering !