Brabyns Park

 June 26, 2024.

BRABYNS PARK, ROLLINS WOOD, ETHEROW COUNTRY PARK, ERNOCROFT FARM, BROWN LOW, MELLOR CHURCH, THE DEVONSHIRE ARMS AT MELLOR, LINNET CLOUGH, MELLOR AND TOWNCLIFFE GOLF COURSE, OLD HALL FARM, SITE OF MELLOR MILL, THE NORFOLK ARMS AT MARPLE BRIDGE

Distance: 8-9 miles.

Difficulty: Moderate with one long steep climb.

Weather: Warm and sunny.

Walkers: Andy Blease, Mike Cassini, Alan Hart, Julian Ross.

Apologies: Alastair Cairns (domestic duties), Tom Cunliffe (sciatica), Chris Owen (in Kirkby Steven), Jim Riley (stuff to sort out), Dean Taylor (cashing and carrying), Keith Welsh (new puppy to train), Simon Williams (dog-sitting), Cliff Worthington (away)

Leader: Blease. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Free car park in Brabyns Park, Marple Bridge.

Starting time: 9.37am. Finishing time: 2.10pm.

When we took this route in August, 2022, there were no fewer than 16 walkers and four dogs in our party. This time, despite lovely sunny summer weather, we could only muster four bipeds and no quadrupeds.

It is a shame because although tough climbs were involved the steepest of them took place through a wood where the canopy of trees gave us shade. When we did reach open fields a cool breeze sent ripples through the Yorkshire fog grass as we strolled over meadows strewn with wild foxgloves, buttercups and daisies.

A pair of nesting curlews sent out their “keep off” cries as they circled overhead and at one stage we encountered two goats who wanted petting and food – not necessarily in that order.

Brabyns Park was formerly the grounds of Brabyns Hall, a Georgian mansion built in 1749 by Elizabeth Brabin and her husband Henry who also landscaped the estate. Its last private owner was Fanny Hudson who died in 1941.

The grounds were bought by Cheshire County Council for public recreation and the derelict hall was demolished in 1953.

From the car park we followed the path into the park keeping to trees on our left with the wide open spaces on our right. After passing a whitewashed cottage on our left we crossed a bridge over the Goyt and follow a path through Rollins Wood.
This brought us to the main A626 road (14mins) where we turned left, soon crossing a bridge across the River Etherow and reaching Etherow Country Park on our right (17mins)

We walked to the right of the lake and then, at its end, we went left until we reached the river feeding it and turned right with the water now on our left. En route we passed an impressive display of lily pads. Continuing we passed a weir on our left (32mins) created by Samuel Oldknow to power his cotton mill - of which more later.

The weir at Etherow Country Park

We now headed right along what proved to be a relentless path uphill through a wood. Where the path forked we swung left (37mins) and it became remorselessly steeper until we reached the A626 again (50mins). Turning right we now looked back with relief not anger down on Compstall on our right.

Our view from the main road

After reaching a bus stop on our left we crossed the road and went over a wooden stile to head uphill again, swinging left after we emerged from trees (55mins). The path took us through the yard of Ernocroft Farm (59mins). Beyond it, we turned left up a gravel track (62mins) and through a metal gate.

We went right to cross a ladder stile (64mins). From here we should have headed diagonally left across a field, exiting via a wooden stile and turning right (66mins). This would have taken us along a path over two wooden stiles which we crossed and stopped for Pietime at 11am sharp by a drystone wall. On this occasion, instead of crossing the field we followed a trodden track right and erroneously kept to the right of the field. Three of our group, whom I will not name, crawled under a fence to reach the track before we all stopped for Pietime (83mins)

Resuming we kept to the left of the field we had just entered, crossing a wooden stile and turning left along a lane. We passed Brownlow on our left before turning right into Smithy Lane (90mins). Turning left up a rocky path (98mins) we swung left uphill (104mins) and turned right at a lane (107mins)

This took us past Chatterton End Farm on our left (109mins) and we went straight on along a path where the road swung right, passing a sign for Horsepool. After going through a wooden gate marked with a yellow arrow (114mins) we went through another wooden gate (117mins) to enter a tarmac lane. As we reached the outskirts of Mellor along a narrow lane we passed some chocolate box cottages beautifully decorated with flowers.

Julian, Andy and Mike

One of a pair of friendly goats

We headed downhill and turned left into Church Road (134mins), emerging on the left side of The Devonshire Arms (138mins). Here we enjoyed pints of cask bitters and shandies served by a waitress in the beer garden.

We now crossed the road opposite the pub and entered Gibb Lane. Where it forked we turned right and continued to a T-junction where we turned left (145mins). We soon forked left towards the car park of Mellor and Towncliffe Golf Club (146mins) where we stopped for lunch at a convenient wall. At one point we passed Linnet Clough scout camp where we observed armed police taking part in a training exercise on our right.

It was interesting to note that when a voice of authority shouted “Stop right there. Don't move. The game's up.” all four of us instinctively stopped in our tracks before we realised what was happening on the other side of the trees.

It was tempting to shout “Let him go. He's innocent” but that might have been interpreted as interfering with a policeman in the performance of his duty. So we resumed walking until we reached Old Hall Farm on our left (163mins)

This was previously called Bottom's Hall (Mellor Mill was known locally as Bottom's Mill) and it was here that millowner Samuel Oldknow housed his orphaned apprentices.

After passing the hall we continued along the path shaded by trees on either side until we reached the site of the once mighty Mellor Mill (165mins).

A plaque showed the size of the mill in its heyday

Mellor Mill was built by Samuel Oldknow in 1793. It was a six-storey cotton mill originally driven by a Wellington water wheel after the River Goyt, which marked the boundaries of Cheshire and Derbyshire, had been diverted and a weir built to maximise the power of the water wheel. At its peak in 1804 the mill had 10,080 spindles operating and employed 550 people. It was destroyed by fire in 1892.

We continued along the path until it emerged on the road between Mellor and Marple Bridge. Turning left we entered the latter and reached the Norfolk Arms on our right at the traffic lights. Here two of us enjoyed a choice of cask bitters in the beer garden outside.

Next week's walk will start at 9.40am from Kinder Road, Hayfield, outside The Sportsman Inn (SK22 2LE). We will head via South Head towards The Lamb Inn at Chinley (SK23 6AL) where we intend to stop for a livener at about 12.20pm before returning to the Sporty for a final drink around 2.30pm.

Happy wandering !

High Lane

 June 19, 2024.

HIGH LANE VILLAGE HALL, MACCLESFIELD CANAL, MIDDLECALE FARM, PLATTWOOD FARM, ELMERHURST WOOD, LYME PARK, GREEN FARM, MACCLESFIELD CANAL, THE COPPICE, MIDDLEWOOD WAY, THE BOAR'S HEAD AT HIGHER POYNTON, JACKSONS BRICKWORKS NATURE RESERVE AT MIDDLEWOOD, MACCLESFIELD CANAL

Distance: 10 miles.

Difficulty: Easy.

Weather: Dry and moderately warm with cloud and sunshine.

Walkers: Andy Blease, Alastair Cairns, Mike Cassini, Alan Hart, Julian Ross, Keith Welsh.

Leader: Hart. Diarist: Hart.

Apologies: Micky Barrett (on the Danube), Peter Beal (Skiathos hols), Tom Cunliffe (sciatica), George Dearsley (in Turkey), Mark Enright, Chris Owen and Dean Taylor (at Royal Ascot), Mark Gibby (monitoring Royal Ascot), Jim Riley (w*^king), Jock and Keiran Rooney (in Austria), Simon Williams (Lake Garda hols), Cliff Worthington (fluttering heart)

Starting point: High Lane Village Hall car park, off Windlehurst Road (SK6 8AB), High Lane, Disley.

Starting time: 9.40am. Finishing time: 2pm.

From the car park, we walked away from the car park entrance, passing the village hall and a children's playground on our right before going through a gap in the hedge to reach the bank of the Macclesfield Canal. We turned right with the waterway on our left and walked along the towpath beneath the A6.

At Bridge 13 (20mins) where a Second World War pillbox has been disguised with a collection of ornamental knick-knacks, we turned left to cross the canal and headed up the lane, passing Middlecale Farm on our right.

The decorated pillbox

We turned left at a T-junction (23mins) aiming for Lyme Cage in the distance and then turned left again at Plattwood Farm (35mins)

The tarmac lane swung first right and then left, then right again as we went through a gate into Lyme Park (52mins). After 50 yards we went right over a wooden ladder stile and entered Elmerhurst Wood (54mins).

Elmerhurst Wood just outside Lyme Park

A well-trodden path took us across a pair of footbridges to a stone step stile over a wall to return to Lyme Park with the distinctive Lyme Cage above us 200 steep yards away (69mins). Turning right along a footpath we reached Lyme Park cafe on our right and stopped at a picnic table for Pietime (79mins)

Our view heading for Pietime

Resuming we passed the lake on our right and the car park on our left before going right across a cattle-grid and swinging right at decorative rocks. A few yards later we turned left along a dark gravel path (88mins). After 250 yards we turned right (91mins) and started to descend a path of well-trodden grass to a wooden ladder stile.

After crossing this we went right over a wooden stile and followed the footpath signs through Green Farm.

At a T-junction (97mins) we turned right towards Green Farm House. Opposite the house, we turned left downhill (98mins). Just before a farm we turned left at a footpath marked with a yellow arrow (101mins) and followed this path through a metal kissing gate until it emerged through another gate into a field.

Turning left downhill we reached the Macclesfield Canal and crossed it by a footbridge (106mins). We turned right but instead of following the towpath we immediately followed a footpath on its left which swung left away from the canal,

After passing a large house on our left and finding the public footpath towards a footbridge still closed without minor repairs after two years, we walked a further 30 yards and turned right at a stile. Another stile brought us out on a road where we turned right. On our left we entered The Coppice car park (120mins)

At the far end of it we turned left to enter a public footpath, taking the right fork and passing above a verdant valley on our left below. At a kissing gate we carried on along the path until it emerged with a tarmac road where we turned left just before a barrier blocking the road to traffic (128mins)

We walked past the barrier and continued until a footpath sign on our left indicated a footbridge over a stream. Opposite was another footpath sign showing a narrow path uphill between two houses. We followed this path, crossed a wooden stile and followed a well-trodden path across a field. In the middle of the field was the remains of a tree which had been struck by lightning (133mins)

We passed the tree and crossed another wooden stile to enter another field and followed another well-trodden path leading to a footbridge which brought us out on Coppice Road (138mins)

Here we turned right along the road until we reached a sign for kennels on our right (142mins) where we turned right. Following a lane we reached a footpath on our left which took us past the kennels and back to the kissing gate which was the exit/entrance to The Coppice. We entered (147mins) and soon turned right down a flight of steps into the valley we had previously admired from above. Another flight of steps tooks us back up the Coppice car park (157mins). We turned left along the Middlewood Way and left it at the former Higher Poynton railway station to enter the Boar's Head (169mins)

To celebrate the 59^th anniversary of his birth next month Keith bought a round of drinks which included excellent pints of Wainwrights and Timothy Taylor Landlord at £4-75. There were also two limes and soda and a pot of tea! We wish Keith many happy returns as he and Simon now represent the Wednesday Wanderers' youth policy.

Suitably refreshed we headed out of the pub to join the Middlewood Way, turning left towards Marple. After going under three bridges we turned off diagonally right beyond the fourth bridge to enter Jacksons Brickworks Nature Reserve (189mins). After exiting we turned left through two gates before swinging right to reach the Macclesfield Canal (204mins) at Bridge 13.

A pair of Canada geese with three goslings

Turning left with the canal on our right we retraced our earlier footsteps, going under the A6 then turning immediately left to skirt a children's playground on the way back to our cars.

Next week's walk will start at 9.40am from the car park of Brabyn's Park, Marple Bridge (SK6 5LB). The entrance is opposite The Midland pub. We will be aiming to reach The Devonshire Arms at Mellor (SK6 5PP) around 12.20pm for a bracer with an optional final drink at The Norfolk Arms, Marple Bridge (SK6 5DS)

Happy wandering !

Topley Pike : Take 2

 June 12, 2024.

TOPLEY PIKE, MONSAL TRAIL, WYE VALLEY, CHEE DALE, BLACKWELL HALL FARM, PRIESTCLIFFE, BANK PIT SPRING, THE CHURCH INN AT CHELMORTON, SHEPLEY FARM, DEEP DALE, TOPLEY PIKE QUARRY

Distance: 8 miles.

Difficulty: Moderate with one strenuous climb.

Weather: Dry but cloudy.

Walkers: Andy Blease, Alan Hart, Cliff Worthington.

Apologies: Peter Beal (Skiathos hols), Alastair Cairns (volunteer at Lancaster Castle Police Museum), Mike Cassini (chest cold and cough),Tom Cunliffe (sciatica), George Dearsley (in Turkey), Mark Enright (w*^king), Mark Gibby (unspecified), Chris Owen (changing caravan wheels), Jim Riley (w*^king), Jock and Keiran Rooney (Austria hols), Dean Taylor (cash and carry duties), Simon Williams (Italy hols)

Leader: Hart. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Free lay-by near entrance to Topley Pike Quarry on the A6 south east of Buxton.

Starting time: 9.51am. Finishing time: 2.30pm.

Only two of us turned up for this walk a week earlier so it was postponed as rain began falling. An electioneering politician might claim that a 50 percent increase in turnout for this week's hike was encouraging.

The truth is that once again we had an avalanche of apologies for absence and some unexplained no-shows. Perhaps it is time for a discussion about where we would prefer to wander at this time of year.

The trio who did attend enjoyed what has become a rare dry day this summer although it has to be said the temperature was disappointing for Flaming June !

Whatever happened to global warming ??

In the past, we have basked in bright sunshine outside the popular traditional country pub at Chelmorton. On this occasion, we opted to take a pew inside the Church Inn with all the other customers than to sit in the empty beer garden.

Anybody wanting to know the precise route taken should refer to George Dearsley's Blogspot for July 20, 2022. Suffice to say, we enjoyed the spectacular scenery, photos of which appear below.

Setting out on the bank of the Wye

Cliffs towered above us

Cliff and Andy cross the stepping stones

The Church Inn at Chelmorton

Returning from the pub

Supporting England in the EuroFinals ?

Next week's walk will start at 9.30am from High Lane Village Hall free car park off Windlehurst Road, High Lane SK6 8AB (turn left at The Horseshoe). We plan to walk along the Macclesfield Canal, through Elmerhurst Wood into Lyme Park and reach the Boar's Head, Shrigley Road North, Higher Poynton SK12 1TE for a tincture around 12.30 pm. We expect to return to our cars to de-boot at about 2.30pm

Happy wandering !

Topley Pike (cancelled)

 June 5, 2024

TOPLEY PIKE LAY-BY

Distance: 0 miles

Weather: Sunny with blue skies

Attendees: Mike Cassini and Alan Hart

Apologies: Andy Blease (in Anglesey), Alastair Cairns (Devon hols), Tom Cunliffe (touch of sciatica), Mark Gibby (adverse effect to shingles vaccine), (Jock and Keiran Rooney (Austrian hols), Simon Williams (stuck in traffic jam), Cliff Worthington (A6 closed at Disley); Mark Enright, Dean Taylor and Keith Welsh (unspecified)

Starting point: Lay-by on A6 at Topley Pike, south east of Buxton.

Starting time: 9.50am. Finishing time: 10am.

As the trickle of apologies for absence became a deluge your diarist wondered whether any wanderers would be joining him for this walk along the picturesque Wye Valley with a visit to one of our favourite pubs.

Some of the excuses given were on a par with “The dog ate my homework.” May I remind you that no reasons are necessary but some take an interest in the movements and welfare of their comrades and it is useful to know for whom we do not need to wait.

Absolved from any criticism is Simon who was gridlocked for an hour after a major crash on the A34 near Handforth Dean and kept sending bulletins about his (lack of )progress.

Because of the closure of the A6 at Disley your diarist took an alternative route to Buxton which went down narrow country lanes but proved to be far quicker than the dual carriageway. By heading towards Whaley Bridge from the main traffic lights in Disley it took just 41 minutes from Poynton to reach Topley Pike and only 38 minutes to return. For more than 20 years the journey via Doveholes has taken me 50 minutes. You live and learn.

It was also useful to note that a small layby on the A6 which can accommodate four or five cars was completely empty almost opposite the pay-and-display car park at the start of the Monsal Trail

Although Mike and I arrived in blue skies and sunshine by 10am the temperature had dropped, the blue turned to grey and it started raining. We decided to postpone the walk for one week.

So next week's walk will start at 9.50am from the pay-and-display Wye Valley car park at the start of the Monsal Trail opposite Topley Pike Quarry (SK17 9TE). We will be aiming for a livener in the Church Inn, Main Street, Chelmorton (SK17 9SL) around 12.30pm and returning to our cars at about 2.30pm, where we will discuss any desire for further refreshment.

Happy wandering !