January 17, 2024.
HAYFIELD, SNAKE PATH, MIDDLE MOOR, CARR MEADOW, HOLLINGSWORTH CLOUGH, CHUNAL, NEAR PLAINSTEADS, MATLEY MOOR FARM, BULLSHAW FARM, THE LITTLE MILL INN AT ROWARTH, THORNSETT FIELDS FARM, ASPENSHAW HALL, HIGHWALLS FARM, SETT VALLEY TRAIL, THE SPORTSMAN AT HAYFIELD
Distance: 10.5 miles.
Difficulty: Moderate.
Weather: Crisp and dry with blue skies and wintry sunshine throughout.
Walkers: Andy Blease, Alastair Cairns,Mike Cassini, Tom Cunliffe with Daisy, Alan Hart, Chris Owen, Dean Taylor with Tommy, Simon Williams, Cliff Worthington.
Apology: Micky Barrett (knee injury), Jock and Keiran Rooney (collecting car)
Alternative walkers: Colin Davison, Mark Gibby, Hughie Hardiman, Julian Ross and Keith Welsh.
Leader: Cunliffe. Diarist: Hart.
Starting point: Outside The Sportsman, Kinder Road, Hayfield.
Starting time: 9.50am. Finishing time: 2.51pm.
Despite the seasonal cold weather unbroken sunshine in cloudless blue skies created ideal winter walking conditions. A blanket of snow covered the hills around Kinder creating scenery which was a miniature version of the Swiss Alps
As the day progressed the sun shrank the snowline and by the end of the walk only the highest hills remained white.
What might have been a record number of wanderers turning out in January was reduced by five members who, for various reasons, formed an alternative group led by Colin from Higher Poynton.
From outside The Sportsman pub nine men and two dogs walked back downhill towards Hayfield before turning right at a green public footpath sign (5mins) and passing the plaque commemorating the Mass Trespass.
The trespass was a coordinated protest involving three groups of walkers approaching Kinder Scout from different directions at the same time. It is thought about 400 took part. Some of them were arrested after a scuffle with gamekeepers and jailed, which evoked a wave of nationwide sympathy.
This led to the National Parks legislation, the establishment of long-distance footpaths and The Countryside Code relating to ramblers' behaviour.
It has been interpreted as the embodiment of working class struggle for the right to roam against the rights of the wealthy to have exclusive use of moorlands for grouse-shooting.
The rough path uphill took us past the landmark called Twenty Trees (there are actually 19) on our left (14mins) and the start of The Snake Path (29mins).
Carrying on along The Snake Path we crossed Middle Moor and aimed for the white shooting cabin, which was distinctive even against a snow-white background. Just before the cabin, where grouse shooting paraphernalia is stored during the season, we turned left to follow a footpath towards Carr Meadow (38mins)
The path led us across a footbridge over boggy ground.
When we reached Hollingworth Clough and the bridge commemorating footpath pioneer Thomas Boulger (70mins) we paused for Pietime. Continuing we crossed the A624 (80mins) and followed a sign for Charlesworth along a minor road. Just before we reached a farmhouse at Near Plainsteads on our right (86mins) we turned left along a track. Where the main track swung right we forked left (91mins) at a yellow arrow,
We followed this footpath through a series of fields, crossing stiles until we reached a lane and a sign for Matley Moor Farm (101mins). We turned right following the sign, went through a gate into the farmyard and swung left along a lane.
This brought us to junction of pathways (113mins) where we turned right. When we reached a metal gate (122mins) our numbers were reduced to eight. Dean, who is heroically attempting a dry January, wished to avoid the temptation of The Little Mill Inn. So he and Tommy set off back to Hayfield.
The remainers swung sharply right downhill as the track wound down to a lane where we turned left. This brought us to The Little Mill Inn at Rowarth on our left (135mins)
While Andy, Mike and your diarist drank pints of Little Mill cask bitter and Holts' Two Hoots at £4-20, our chums were seen sipping cups of coffee and soft drinks. This could mark the end of civilisation as we know it.
Suitably refreshed in different ways we turned right out of the pub to retrace our footsteps for 200 yards and turn right through a leaning metal gate (137mins). At this point Chris also decided to leave the group and make his own way back to Hayfield.
Crossing a field we reached a stone step stile marked with a yellow arrow (146mins) and then crossed a similar stile (152mins)
The path now took us down a flight of steps to reach a lane (155mins) where we turned left to reach Aspenshaw Hall on our left (156mins). Here we stopped for lunch.
Aspenshaw Hall was originally the seat of the Buckley family but in 1710 heiress Elizabeth Buckley married George Bower. He inherited the hall and its 195 acres in 1722.
The Bower family names appear on a Trust Deed of the first Hayfield Grammar School erected in 1719 in Jumble Lane. In 1700 they had built a fulling mill, a paper mill and a tanning yard in the gorge at The Torrs, earning great wealth to buy nearby land.
However descendants ran into financial difficulties and in 1836 the hall was sold at public auction. From 1861-63 it was modernised and renovated by Henry Lees. It has since had several occupants.
Resuming with the hall on our left we soon reached a wooden stile marked with a yellow arrow on our right (157mins). The path took us through a copse and continued to emerge at Highwalls Farm (175mins). We turned right downhill then immediately left to follow a public footpath sign to the right of Spring Vale.
We now turned right along a cobbled path (177mins), crossed a road and headed down another cobbled path. We then turned left at a cobbled path (179mins), going first down and then up to bring us out on the Sett Valley Trail.
The Sett Valley Trail is a 2.5 mile long former railway line linking the town of New Mills with the village of Hayfield. The line opened in 1868 and closed in 1970. It was bought in 1973 by Derbyshire County Council and reopened as a leisure facility for walkers, cyclists and horse-riders.
We turned left and followed the trail back to Hayfield. En route we passed a field containing four white alpacas and another containing three black ones.
Just before we reached the end of the trail in Hayfield we took a left fork (204mins) which took us to the left of the bus station. We used the pelican crossing to reach the far side of the A624 Glossop-Chapel road (206mins) and turned left to pass St Matthew's Church on our left. We then turned right up Bank Street (207mins) to reach Kinder Road.
On our way we passed a plaque to local actor Arthur Lowe, who lived in this terrace overlooking the grounds of Hayfield Cricket Club, where he was president.
After finding fame among millions of Coronation Street fans playing Leonard Swindley, he became a national treasure in the role of pompous bank manager Captain Mainwaring in the popular sitcom Dad's Army.
Thousands turned up for a charity match in which Hayfield CC entertained the show's cast. By special permission Private Charles Godfrey (played by Arnold Ridley) was allowed to field at cover point in an armchair.
A climb took us back to our cars (217mins) and The Sportsman.
Next week's walk will start at 9.30am from the car park of Disley railway station off the A6 (SK12 2AE). We will be aiming to reach The Fox Inn at Brookbottom (SK22 3AY) shortly after 12 noon for a tincture and finishing back in The Dandy Cock on the A6 at Disley (SK12 2AA) around 2.15pm.
Happy wandering !
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