Whaley Bridge

 May 29, 2024.

WHALEY BRIDGE CANAL WHARF, CROMFORD AND HIGH PEAK RAILWAY LINE (DISUSED), GOYT VALLEY, HORWICH END, CROSSHILL, WINDGATHER ROCKS, PYM CHAIR CAR PARK, 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: 10 miles.

Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous.

Weather: Mainly dry: cloudy in the morning and brighter in the afternoon.

Walkers: Mike Cassini, Tom Cunliffe with Daisy, Alan Hart, Simon Williams, Cliff Worthington.

Alternative Walker: Jock Rooney with Milly.

Apologies: Mickey Barrett (foot injury), Peter Beal (foot injury), Andy Blease (in Anglesey), George Dearsley (in Turkey), Mark Enright (marking), Chris Owen (medical appointment), Julian Ross (in Vienna), Keith Welsh (in Cornwall), Alastair Cairns (working on community project)

Leaders: Hart and Cunliffe. Diarist: Hart.

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

Starting time: 9.42am. Finishing time: 2.35pm.

                                                

Once again the weather forecast which might have reduced our numbers was unduly pessimistic. Occasional light showers were predicted. In reality, we had five minutes of light drizzle throughout the entire journey and that was quickly dispersed when your diarist donned his magic waterproof pants.

Although it was a predominantly dull cloudy day our spirits were lifted by first the sound and then the sight of circling curlews with their distinctive curved beaks. They are the harbingers of summer so we hope for sunnier times ahead.

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. In the past we have turned left for 30 yards then turned right opposite Glebe House across a wooden stile to climb relentlessly uphill to Taxal Nick.

On this occasion, we sought respite by taking a longer route which contained some flat and downhill breathers during the remorseless climb. We carried on past Glebe House, following a lane which eventually swung right uphill to reach a junction. Here we carried on across and slightly diagonally right to follow a well-trodden path through moorland.

This brought us to a gate where we entered a wood and continued to follow the path which emerged at Windgather Rocks, where mountaineers were honing their climbing skills.

Our view from Windgather Rocks

We turned left along a track which led to a sheep fold on our right where we stopped for Pietime in its shelter (87 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.

Approaching Kettleshulme from Dunge Valley Gardens

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. Here we joined Jock and Milly.

The Swan is a traditional country pub which was saved from closure two decades ago when villagers pooled resources to keep it going. A noble effort, although to survive the pub has become food-orientated with drinks prices higher than average.

Two pints of bitter and a half pint of lemonade cost £13-50. As the beer was £4-85 a pint, this meant the lemonade was £3-80 (or £7-60 a pint !!)

Resuming our journey we crossed the road opposite the front door of the pub and walked through a garden centre.

An attractive display in the nursery

We left the garden centre 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 your diarist stopped for lunch (174mins).

Todd Brook

Tom, who had earlier complained about the brisk pace being set, now took over as leader and became a man in a hurry. Three of us were left on the bridge as he and Mike forged onwards. The abandoned trio 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. We clambered over a makeshift bridge and 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. We crossed it and made our way back to the car park to de-boot. Your diarist then drove to The Cock for a final drink with Jock.

Next week's walk will start at 9.50am from the Wyedale car park at the start of the Monsal Trail on the left off the A6 heading south east out of Buxton (SK17 9TE). As this is a pay-and-display car park wanderers are advised to either park at the free layby on the right 250 yards before reaching this car park or drive past it for 600 yards and park on the left in another free layby. We will be heading through Chee Dale to The Church Inn, Main Street, Chelmorton (SK17 9SL) for a stiffener around 12.30pm. We hope to return to our cars at about 2.30pm and discuss where we might have a final libation.

Happy wandering !

Litton

Walkers: Jock Rooney, Kieran Rooney, Millie Rooney.

Route: Litton, Tideswell Dale, Litton Mill, Millers Dale, Rubicon Wall, Water cum Jolly and back.

Distance: circa 7 miles.

Difficulty: Easy Peasy.

Tideswell Dale

It was only a bit of rain and only for a couple of miles and it's my only day off and Millie looks forward to it and never complains about the weather.

We set off from Litton in light rain which dried on contact with our kags . After walking down the always very pretty Tidser Dale we debouched onto the River Wye just before Litton Mill and proceeded downstream amid increasingly heavy rain which lasted circa 30 mins before easing off again. By this time the footpath was an increasingly raging torrent which became an impassable flood along Rubicon Wall just before Water cum Jolly. The rain eased off on our return to the car and we made our way back to Buxton where we were joined by sometimes Wednesday wanderer Sean Rooney in Weatherspoons where we couldn't give a toss whether it was on form or not (it was!) we enjoyed pints of Ruddles at £1.79 a pint.

It was there that we decided that in future the logo W.W. should no longer represent the Wednesday Wanderers but the Wetweather Wimps.!!!!

Bollington

  

May 1, 2024

 

BOLLINGTON RECREATION GROUND, HOLE IN THE WALL HERITAGE STEPS, MACCLESFIELD CANAL, KERRIDGE RIDGE, RAINOW, BULL L, TEGGS NOSE COUNTRY PARK, LANGLEY,  MACCLESFIELD GOLF COURSE, THE JOLLY SAILOR IN MACCLESFIELD, MACCLESFIELD CANAL, MIDDLEWOOD WAY AND THE VALE AT BOLLINGTON

 

Distance: 12 miles.

Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous.

Weather: Dry with sunny spells.

 

Walkers: Andy Blease, Alastair Cairns, Mike Cassini, Tom Cunliffe with Daisy, Alan Hart*, Chris Owen*, Cliff Worthington.

 

Alternative walkers: Jock and Keiran Rooney with Milly.

 

Apologies: Mickey Barrett (Holland hols), Peter Beal (foot injury), George Dearsley (in Turkey), Mark Enright (marking backlog), Mark Gibby (Rhodes hols), Jim Riley (w^*king in Hull), Dean Taylor (repairing motor home), Simon Williams (Paris hols)

 

Leader: Cairns. Diarists: Hart and Cairns.

Starting Point: Free car park in Adlington Road, Bollington, overlooking recreation ground.

 

Starting time: 9.47am. Finishing time: 2.58pm

 

This was our last walk before the Wednesday Wanderers' Formation Drinking Team set off on May 8 for our cultural visit to the Czech Republic. It may be no coincidence that all the participants today are heading for Prague and were perhaps honing their fitness skills. If so they certainly had a good workout as they climbed two of Cheshire's toughest hills.

 

Alan Hart is the writer of the first part of this diary and confesses at the outset that he was guilty of a sin for which he has often criticised others – striding out ahead when I did not know the route. As a result of this, and unfortunate timing as I tried to reunite with the main peloton, I parted company in Rainow and made my way to The Jolly Sailor in Macclesfield to await the arrival of my comrades. Chris only joined our group at the Macclesfield Canal, after walking there from his home in Sutton, and remained in Macc when we made the return leg of our journey.

 

Before setting off, and for the second week running, Alastair gave a good impression of a trendy version of Arthur Daley as he dispensed tour shirts from the boot of Tom's car. From the car park we headed for the right side of Bollington Recreation Ground, crossing the River Dean and climbing steps to exit the park on our right. We then turned left, crossed the road and climbed a long flight of steps in the middle of the aqueduct to reach the right bank of the Macclesfield Canal (7mins)

 

 

 

After soon passing under Bridge 27 we met Chris on Bridge 28 (19mins) where we turned right, crossed the bridge on our left, then headed right along a path. This brought us to a T junction where we turned right and immediately left up Higher Lane (28mins) After passing a house with a giant working clock on its wall we turned left (33mins) at a green public footpath sign on our right pointing up a flight of endless steps.

 

We emerged for a brief respite at a road, turned left for 50 yards along its flat surface and then turned left again uphill towards Bridge House and a further stiff climb to reach the ridge which gives Kerridge its name (42mins). Here we turned right with the Hurdsfield Industrial Estate including Astra Zeneca below on our right and the village of Rainow below on our left. After passing through a kissing gate your original diarist wrongly took the higher path to the Trig point from where he took this photo looking down on Rainow.

  Looking down on Rainow in the valley below

 

As I waited in vain for the main peloton to rejoin me, I saw them taking the path 100 yards below. There was no phone signal at that point and my efforts to rejoin them in Rainow failed as we passed like ships in the night. I walked along the road from Rainow through High Hurdsfield Village into Macclesfield, pausing for Pietime at trestle tables outside the unopen Flower Pot pub (90mins) and taking a stroll around the town centre waiting for The Jolly Sailor to open at noon.

 

The remainder of this diary will be written by Alastair who led the rest of the wanderers from Rainow to the pub via Tegg's Nose Country Park.

 

Unlike Mr Hart the main body of the Wanderers followed the leader’s chosen route avoiding the trig point by turning left at the kissing gate and following the path down on the far side of the ridge, passing through another kissing gate and a five bar gate before reaching the A5002 near Rainow.  

 

During our descent, we mused over why, despite my request for Alan to wait for the last men to finish their climb to the ridge at Kerridge, he chose to isolate himself from the main peloton of walkers. Many opinions were offered, some polite, some not so, but in the end, we agreed that it was most probably the last minute route change predicated by the late arrival of Mr Owen which resulted in Alan’s bizarre behaviour, oh and being starved of theopportunity to make a purchase from Bollington’s orgasmic pie shop. Anyway, after speaking with Alan who seemed very confused and was loitering in a bus stop in Rainow he advised he would be making his own way to the half-way house. Clearly carbohydrate deprivation hit hard, not only was Alan displaying signs of severe disorientation, but on our arrival at the Jolly Sailor he was seen to be drinking a mug of tea in favour of his regular pint of draught Bass….What has the world come to?

 

 

Turning right on the A5002 and after 60 yards as we turned left up stone steps at a public footpath sign to enter a field keeping to the right of an electric fence. The path took us to a road where we turned right uphill. We walked to the end of Bull Hill Lane turning left along the A637 for 30 yards before turning right at a Gritstone Trail marker to head up stone steps and a wooden gate to enter a field. After crossing a wooden stile, we carried on uphill, through a metal gate, crossing a stone step stile and turning left for five yards to reach a road. Turning right we walked along the road before turning left into Tegg's Nose Country Park for a belated pie time. Suitably refreshed we proceeded to a path called Saddlers Way and started our descent along the rocky track to turn right and cross a stream by stepping stones before reaching Bottoms Reservoir. 

 

 

From the reservoir we continued walking downhill until we reached a road and turned right, passing the St. Dunstan Inn (closed at lunchtime) and Langley Village Hall on our right before turning right onto The Hollins where we climbed through fields and came to Macclesfield golf course. We descended on a track to reach a lane, where a narrow path took us across the canal and through the Windmill recreation ground and on to The Jolly Sailor on Sunderland Street.

 

 

 

As always, The Jolly Sailor proved to be a most welcoming little pub with an excellent range of cask ales (Bass, London Pride and Farmers Blonde) and mugs of tea. All of which were reported as being on form save the Farmers Blonde, which according to Tom was a little too tarty.

 

 

Turning right out of The Jolly Sailor we took the first road left and crossed the traffic lights over the main road to Leek. After passing the wharf on our right we also went past the former Hovis factory before joining the right bank of The Macclesfield Canal at bridge 37. In anticipation of making last orders at The Vale Inn we decided to forgo lunch and push on along the towpath where Mr Heron was spotted. Leaving the canal at bridge 30 where, after a short diversion we turned left to join the Middlewood Way back towards Bollington and The Vale Inn.

 

 

As the majority of wanderers will be away on May 8 and 15 there will be no formal walk until May 22, details of which will be announced later.  

Happy wandering!