New Mills

 New Mills

 July 31st, 2024.

NEW MILLS LEISURE CENTRE, TORRS RIVERSIDE PARK, PEAK FOREST CANAL, GREENSHALL LANE, CORKS LANE, LONG LANE, GREEN LANE, LYME PARK, DISLEY, GOYT VALLEY WAY

Distance: 9.68 miles.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Weather: Mainly dry, very warm/hot

Walkers: Peter Beal Alistair Cairns Mike Cassini, Chris Owens, Dean Taylor and Tommy 

Alternative walker: Jock Rooney with Milly.

Apologies: Andy Blease (Anglesey) Tom Cunliffe(Hospital appointment) Mark Enright (W##king)  Alan Hart (Funeral) Simon Williams(Taxi Duties) Cliff Worthington (?)

 Leader: Cassini. Diarist: Cassini

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

Starting time: 9.39am. Finishing time: 2.15pm.#

                                                          

                                                                            

 Last time this walk took place was on the last day of February when woolly hats were the order of the day so it was a big contrast with possibly the hottest day of the year. 

It was also the welcome return from an extended absence of Tommy who brought Dean with him to buy a birthday round in the Dandy Cock.

 

Starting at New Mills Leisure Centre, we descended steps from the car-park, turned right through the road tunnel emerging into the Torrs Riverside Park, where shortly we came across the small hydro-electric community scheme.

 The Torrs

Carrying on through the Torrs under the Leat, we turned right towards the Peak Forest Canal, noting how low the river Goyt was after just a few rain-free days.

 We passed New Mills Marina carrying on to where work on the canal path would mean a detour through the new housing estate. However our route took us up along Greenshall Lane towards a right turn onto Corks Lane past the Girl Guides outdoor pursuits centre coming out at Buxton Old Road.

We crossed the road after 400 yards taking a bridle path onto Long Lane and Green Lane where Pietime was taken just before coming into Lyme Park.  We met, at this point, Jock and Milly arranging our rendezvous at the Dandy Cock.

Shortly after and into Lyme Park through the East Lodge gate.

 We avoided the path up and down to the Cage and walked directly to it, then to the entrance booth and up Red Lane into Disley village and the Dandy Cock, where Dean bought his birthday round. We declined to take advantage of the exciting new beer garden as we had forgotten to bring breathing apparatus.

View towards Disley

 

After Unicorn and Dizzy Blondes, we left the pub and went via Hollinwood Road along the south side of the canal until going over a railway bridge through woods along Waterside onto the Goyt river path,  towards the Millennium bridge, through Mouseley Bottom. 

Next Week meet at Sutton Hall for a 9:40 departure towards Alan’s favourite pub the Harrington Arms, Gawsworth where tired walkers can get a bus to Macclesfield if required.

Bosley

 

July 24, 2024.

HARRINGTON ARMS, BOSLEY, THE CLOUD, SITE OF FATAL EXPLOSION, TIMBERSBROOK, COACH AND HORSES, SUBURBS OF CONGLETON, RAILWAY PUB IN CENTRE OF CONGLETON, DIFFERENT SUBURBS OF CONGLETON, A 54 BACK TO BOSLEY

Distance: 14 miles.

Difficulty: Strenuous.

Weather: Mainly dry but cloudy.

Bosley Locks

Walkers: Mike Cassini, Tom Cunliffe with Daisy*, Mark Enright, Alan Hart, Chris Owen, Simon Williams, Cliff Worthington.

Apologies: Peter Beal (foot injury), Alastair Cairns (playing golf), Mark Gibby (family visits), Dean Taylor (attending funeral)

Leader: Owen. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Lay-by opposite Harrington Arms at Bosley on the A523 Macclesfield to Leek road.

Starting time: 9.46am. Finishing times: Various.

To consider this walk in context it would be well to remember a site we passed 20 minutes into our journey. In July, 2015, a wood treatment works employing 50 people in Timbersbrook exploded.

Four employees were killed; four were badly injured; all the surviving workers lost their jobs. Firemen had been called to a blaze at the factory three years earlier.

The fatal explosion and subsequent fire which destroyed the four-storey factory was heard for miles around and rocked houses, Wood Treatment Ltd admitted a health and safety charge and were fined £75,000. The manager was handed a nine-month suspended prison sentence and fined £12,000. A charge of manslaughter by gross negligence against the company was dropped, The manager was acquitted of a similar charge.

Timbersbrook explosion

The prosecution said the firm had cut costs at the expense of safety. The judge described the manager as woefully inadequate.

This was a terrible tragedy and a catastrophe for the families of those who died.

What happened on our walk was that a route which was predicted to be 12 miles became two miles longer after Chris first lost his way and then his followers.

*In fact Tom, who decided unilaterally to leave us when we arrived at The Coach and Horses at Timbersbrook shortly after noon to find it closed, revealed later that his alternative route was 11.6 miles. (NB: This pub opens at 4pm on weekdays)

Nobody died, nobody was injured and none of us had any jobs to lose !

So there was no reason for Chris to fall on his sword and to announce that he will no longer lead any walks. We all make mistakes and the important thing is to learn from them and try to improve our performance. And never, never surrender.

There is, therefore, little point in giving the directions taken on this walk which involved Chris disappearing from view ahead of us, Tom deserting us and your diarist catching a bus. We move on.

Addendum from Tom Cunliffe: Alan, your diary stated that I unilaterally decided to leave the group. That’s false. In fact, I was busy trying to work out a route back to the cars, in the meantime I was deserted by the group. When I’d finalised my route I set off but the group had disappeared, I was left alone.

Next week's walk will start at 9.40am from New Mills Leisure Centre, Hyde Bank Road, New Mills SK22 4BP and head through Lyme Park to reach The Dandy Cock, Market Street, Disley SK12 2AA for a bracer around 12.20pm. We aim to finish at about 2.30pm with an optional drink at The Masons Arms, High Street, New Mills SK22 4BR.

Happy wandering !

Deep Dale

 

DEEP DALE

July 17, 2024

ASHFORD-IN-THE-WATER, MONSAL HEAD, MONSAL DALE, WHITE LODGE ON A6, DEEP DALE, COCK AND PULLET IN SHELDON VILLAGE, KIRK DALE, BULL’S HEAD IN ASHFORD

Distance: 8 miles Ascent/descent: 1,385ft

Difficulty: Easy.

Weather: Dry, warm and mainly sunny

Walkers: Peter Beal, Mike Cassini, Tom Cunliffe with Daisy, Mark Gibby, Chris Owen, Simon Williams

Alternative walkers: Jock Rooney with Milly

Apologies: Alan Hart (at grandson’s graduation in London), Andy Blease (domestic duties), Mark Enright (hols), Alastair Cairns (too far from Silverdale), Keith Welsh (dog training), Dean Taylor (cash-and-carry duties), Cliff Worthington (hols), Julian Ross (unclear)

Leader: Beal Diarist: Beal

Starting point: Outside Holy Trinity Church, Ashford-in-the-Water, near Bakewell.

Starting time: 9.52am Finishing time: 2.37pm

                                              

For once, in this so-far pretty miserable summer we were met with warm (nay, almost hot) sunny weather for a walk into two of Derbyshire’s more scenic dales.

We met in front of the church in the centre of the attractive village of Ashford-in-the-Water and walked past Rafters Hotel, a restaurant with rooms where a stay with dinner can cost £500 a couple.

We bore right at the foot of Vicarage Lane and after a short distance took a footpath on the left signed Monsal Head. This went uphill up stone steps between gardens and houses to emerge in a field.

The path crossed the fields and bore slightly right to cross a stone stile and emerge on Pennyunk Lane, a substantial track where we turned left. This took us past a farmhouse conversion where renovation work that was going on on our last visit a year ago was still underway. Shortly after this the track ended and we were taken on to a narrower and in places somewhat overgrown footpath. The rampant vegetation was to be a feature of today’s walk.

A short distance along the path we came across Jock and Milly, on their way to Monsal Head before joining us later. After around half-a-mile, the path swung left and then sharp right to bring us to the hillside above Monsal Dale (45 minutes). The path turned right with the foot of the valley far below us and became increasingly overgrown and eroded, calling for some care.

                                                

Shortly before reaching the Monsal Head Hotel, we took a sharp left turn downhill, signed White Lodge. Below us, we could see walkers and cyclists on Headstone Viaduct, part of the Monsal Trail. The eight-and-a-half mile trail is on the trackbed of the former Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midland Junction Railway, built in 1863 to link Manchester and London and closed in 1968.

It was open to walkers in 1981 but involved long diversions until six formerly-closed tunnels, some of them a quarter of a mile long, were opened in 2011 and lit during the day, making the trail fully accessible to walkers and cyclists. There have been local calls for the route to be reopened as a railway, but so far the idea does not seem to have built up much steam (ho!ho!).

The going underfoot improved after the path junction and we dropped gently at first and then more steeply to reach the foot of the valley at a large weir. We crossed the River Wye on a footbridge and pietime was declared on the grassy riverbank in the sunshine (76 min).

The 15-mile-long river, which rises above Buxton on Axe Edge Moor before flowing under the town, is renowned for being crystal-clear and clean and well-known for its abundance of brown and rainbow trout.

Resuming, we followed the broad, if at times muddy, path up the river bank before scaling a stone stile to emerge on the A6 (101 min). We crossed this to reach the picnic area at White Lodge. A well-signed footpath here pointed us towards the Deep Dale nature reserve.

We followed the path through limestone, crossing a rocky stream to ascend a stile before climbing gently to a junction of paths, signed Ashford and Sheldon to the left and Monyash and Deep Dale to the right. It was here on our last visit almost a year ago that two-thirds of our 12-strong party were misled into following the wrong turning, thus avoiding Deep Dale altogether.

                                           

There was no such deviation today and we followed the path into the Deep Dale nature reserve, winding its way between limestone outcrops. The path became gradually less rocky and more grass-covered and nearing the top of the dale we exited the nature reserve by a gate, soon reaching a steep stone stile on the left (128 min).

Ahead of us was a very steep climb up a grass path which, as we tackled it, felt like a monster but which in fact was dispatched in around six minutes. This brought us to a stone stile at the top, leading into a series of fields of lush grass which led us to the minor road just above the small village of Sheldon.

Half-way down the quiet village street is the Cock and Pullet (168 min), a small and pleasant pub run by two landladies and a barman not known for their smiling welcome and jovial repartee. Their beers however were on excellent form with Landlord, Farmer’s Blonde and Doom Bar on offer.

We were joined here by Jock and Milly, having walked around 5 miles from Ashford to Monsal Head, then through Little Longstone, Great Longstone and back to Ashford via the Monsal Trail.

Leaving the pub, we turned right down the village street and just after the end of the village took a gate on the left, just past a white cottage, leading into fields. After around a mile a steep descent brought us back down to the River Wye at the foot of Kirk Dale, where we turned left on the minor road to Sheldon, to soon emerge on the A6. We turned right along the roadside footpath and after a few hundred yards crossed the road at the old river bridge to enter Ashford Village near our cars (213 min). Your diarist, Tom, Mark and Chris enjoyed a further refreshment at the Bull’s Head, a pleasant Robinson’s pub near the church.

Next week’s walk up Bosley Cloud, through Congleton and back down the Macclesfield Canal, will start at 9.40am in Bosley in the lay-by opposite the Harrington Arms. A previous report records this as 12 miles.

Happy Wandering!

Four Edges

FOUR EDGES

July 10, 2024

CURBAR GAP, BASLOW EDGE, WELLINGTON’S MONUMENT, BIG MOOR, WHITE EDGE, GROUSE INN ON A625, FROGGATT EDGE, CURBAR EDGE

Distance: 8 miles Ascent/descent: 1,080ft

Difficulty: Easy

Weather: Cloudy but dry, and breezy

Walkers: Peter Beal, Mike Cassini, Chris Owen

Alternative walker: Jock Rooney with Milly

Apologies: Andy Blease, Alastair Cairns, Julian Ross (all on outside broadcast assignment at Spanish golf), Tom Cunliffe (hospital appointment), Alan Hart (getting burst blood vessel in eye checked), Dean Taylor (diabetic review), Keith Welsh, Simon Williams (unspecified), Cliff Worthington (away), Mark Gibby (visitors)

Leader: Beal Diarist: Beal

Starting point: Curbar Gap

Starting time: 10.00am Finishing time: 2.37pm

A combination of medical appointments, other commitments, and in the case of Andy, Alastair and Julian, an exciting engagement at a golf tournament in Spain, saw our numbers reduced to a mere three for today’s outing.

I have dubbed the route the Four Edges walk, taking in as it did Baslow Edge, White Edge, Froggatt Edge and Curbar Edge in a scenic circular trip from Curbar Gap. Occasional rain was forecast, but as so often it never happened, except for a few isolated drops.

White Edge is the least known of the edges, lacking any striking rock formations the others offer, or any reputation among the rock-climbing fraternity. But it is the highest at just over 1,200 feet and rewards the gentle climb with panoramic views over the Derbyshire and Yorkshire hills.

Our small band rendezvoused at the three lay-bys close to each other just below Curbar Gap and set off in the direction of Baslow Edge. We stayed a short distance away from the escarpment and after passing a lone prominent boulder took a track on the left which soon brought us to the gritstone cross of Wellington’s Monument (20 minutes).

   Curbar Edge

                                      

This modest edifice was erected to commemorate the Duke of Wellington’s 1815 victory at Waterloo by Dr Wrench, a local Army man. It was intended to complement a memorial to Admiral Nelson on Birchen Edge, just over a mile to the east.

At the time it seems the two monuments could have been seen from one another. But trees and bushes have obscured the Wellington memorial so it only becomes visible from close-up. Some of the fading lettering on the base can still be made out, with the words ‘Wellington. Born 1769 Died 1852. Erected in 1866 by E M Wrench.’

Birchen Edge

Leaving the monument we followed the track across the open moorland, passing highland cattle with two very young calves, and crossed the minor road that runs between Curbar and Chesterfield to the east (38 min).

Your diarist made a mental note here to do his best to try and comply with the sign requesting walkers to do as little as possible to disturb the adders that apparently lurk on this moorland – Big Moor.

We followed the path, vague in places where it had become overgrown, up a steady climb of around 400 feet to reach the trig point on White Edge, a short distance from which we declared pietime, delayed because of our rather late start (80 min).

Resuming, we continued along a more distinct path along the edge, towards the true top of the moor around half a mile distant at 1,204 feet. Splendid views were on all sides and the outskirts of Chesterfield and Sheffield could be made out to the east.

As we made our way along the edge Chris decided to throw in one of his customary bursts of speed and disappeared from view, not to reappear until the bar of the pub shortly after.

Around a mile-and-a-half from the top of the edge we reached a broken stone wall where a sign marked Grouse Inn pointed downhill to the left. We followed down a distinct track.

Some way down here your diarist suffered a rather crashing face-first fall after tripping on a rock. He was scraped off the floor by Mike, suffering nothing more serious than a badly bruised finger. This, he lately discovered to his alarm, badly affected his ability to clutch a pint glass.

After a short, rocky stretch down through a copse we came to a field, on the other side of which was the Grouse Inn, across the A625 (125 min). Chris was awaiting us and we were soon joined by Jock and Milly, who had walked along Froggatt Edge.

Beers were Marston’s Pedigree (£4-80) and, we later discovered hiding around the bar, excellent Farmer’s Blonde from the Bradfield Brewery near Sheffield (£4-60). Chris most generously supplied out second round of drinks.

Under way again after a 75-minute break, we turned right down the main road for a few hundred yards, taking a footpath sign to Froggatt Edge on the left at a lay-by. This soon led to the start of Froggatt Edge, where we swung left to follow it and then Curbar Edge for

just over two miles of mainly level walking before reaching Curbar Gap a short distance away from the cars (202 min).

Next week’s walk will start at 9.45am at Ashford-in-the-Water. This can be reached on the A6 through Buxton, or following the A623 through Peak Forest and following a sign to the right down the B6465, fairly soon after the Tideswell turn. The meeting point will be outside the church in Ashford-in-the-Water. There is usually street parking opposite or nearby. Or there is a small car park next to the WCs round the corner (£2 donation).

We will walk for around 8 miles through Monsal Dale and up through Deepdale, calling at the Cock and Pullet in Sheldon. Further refreshment is possible at the Bull’s Head in Ashford.

Happy Wandering!

Birchen Edge 

At the time it seems the two monuments could have been seen from one another. But trees and bushes have obscured the Wellington memorial so it only becomes visible from close-up. Some of the fading lettering on the base can still be made out, with the words ‘Wellington. Born 1769 Died 1852. Erected in 1866 by E M Wrench.’

Leaving the monument we followed the track across the open moorland, passing highland cattle with two very young calves, and crossed the minor road that runs between Curbar and Chesterfield to the east (38 min).

Your diarist made a mental note here to do his best to try and comply with the sign requesting walkers to do as little as possible to disturb the adders that apparently lurk on this moorland – Big Moor.

We followed the path, vague in places where it had become overgrown, up a steady climb of around 400 feet to reach the trig point on White Edge, a short distance from which we declared pietime, delayed because of our rather late start (80 min).

Resuming, we continued along a more distinct path along the edge, towards the true top of the moor around half a mile distant at 1,204 feet. Splendid views were on all sides and the outskirts of Chesterfield and Sheffield could be made out to the east.

As we made our way along the edge Chris decided to throw in one of his customary bursts of speed and disappeared from view, not to reappear until the bar of the pub shortly after.

Around a mile-and-a-half from the top of the edge we reached a broken stone wall where a sign marked Grouse Inn pointed downhill to the left. We followed down a distinct track.

Some way down here your diarist suffered a rather crashing face-first fall after tripping on a rock. He was scraped off the floor by Chris, suffering nothing more serious than a badly bruised finger. This, he lately discovered to his alarm, badly affected his ability to clutch a pint glass.

After a short, rocky stretch down through a copse we came to a field, on the other side of which was the Grouse Inn, across the A625 (125 min). Chris was awaiting us and we were soon joined by Jock and Milly, who had walked along Froggatt Edge.

Beers were Marston’s Pedigree (£4-80) and, we later discovered hiding around the bar, excellent Farmer’s Blonde from the Bradfield Brewery near Sheffield (£4-60). Chris most generously supplied out second round of drinks.

Under way again after a 75-minute break, we turned right down the main road for a few hundred yards, taking a footpath sign to Froggatt Edge on the left at a lay-by. This soon led to the start of Froggatt Edge, where we swung left to follow it and then Curbar Edge for

just over two miles of mainly level walking before reaching Curbar Gap a short distance away from the cars (202 min).

Next week’s walk will start at 9.45am at Ashford-in-the-Water. This can be reached on the A6 through Buxton, or following the A623 through Peak Forest and following a sign to the right down the B6465, fairly soon after the Tideswell turn.

We will walk for around 8 miles through Monsal Dale and up through Deepdale, calling at the Cock and Pullet in Sheldon. Further refreshment is possible at the Bull’s Head in Ashford.

Happy Wandering!

Hayfield

 HAYFIELD

July 3, 2024

SPORTSMAN INN AT HAYFIELD, SETT VALLEY TRAIL, BIRCH VALE, MORLANDS ROAD, OLLERSETT MOOR, CRACKEN EDGE, MAYNESTONE ROAD, MONK’S MEADOWS FARM, CHINLEY HEAD, LAMB INN, VORPOSTEN FARM, HIGHGATE HEAD, HIGHGATE ROAD, VALLEY ROAD, SPORTSMAN

Distance: 9 miles Ascent/descent: 1,880ft

Difiiculty: Moderate

Weather: Cloudy but dry

Walkers: Peter Beal, Andy Blease, Mike Cassini, Tom Cunliffe, Mark Gibby, Simon Williams, Cliff Worthington

Alternative walker: Jock Rooney with Milly

Apologies: Alan Hart (car problems), Dean Taylor (cash and carry duties), Chris Owen ( preparing for golf), Keith Welsh (dog training duties), Alistair Cairns (domestic duties), Julian Ross (unspecified), Mark Enright (w#?king)

Leader: Cunliffe at first, then Beal Diarist: Beal

Starting point: Sportsman Inn, Kinder Road, Hayfield

Starting time: 9.40am Finishing time: 3.10pm

The Sportsman Inn

Despite a forecast of some rain, we enjoyed dry weather throughout today’s walk except for a few short-lived drops as we enjoyed drinks on the outside terrace of the Lamb Inn, one of our favourite lunchtime watering holes.

Your diarist for the day feels guilty for dodging the first mile-and-a-half of the walk and waiting near his home in Birch Vale for his WW companions to reach him.

After leaving the Sportsman and descending steps opposite to reach Valley Road, the initial band of six, led by Tom, went through Hayfield village to join the Sett Valley Trail towards Birch Vale.

The two-and-a half mile long trail between Hayfield and New Mills is the trackbed of the former railway branch line that closed in 1970. In the 1920s and 30s an estimated 5,000 workers from Manchester used the trains every weekend to escape the pollution of the city and enjoy the countryside. The record number of passengers was 13,000 on a Good Friday in 1926.

On reaching Birch Vale the walkers were joined by your diarist and climbed a narrow track to emerge on New Mills Road, opposite the former Grouse pub, sadly no more, which we crossed to start the 800-foot ascent of Morlands Road towards Ollersett Moor (31 minutes).

At the end of the recently-tarmaced track we went through a gate on to a path climbing the open moorland with a TV relay mast to our right.. After a stiffish climb to the crest of the hill we ignored a gate ahead of us to turn left and soon after went through another gate to take a stile on the right. This brought us along the escarpment leading to the distinctive rock outcrop of Big Stone (80 min).

A short distance further along we dropped left to seek shelter from the breeze in to a hollow formerly used by quarry workers and declared a delayed pietime (90 min).

We then dropped down to the nearby path running beneath Big Stone and turned right through a small gate to head towards the crags of Cracken Edge above us to the right. Evidence of the former quarrying and mining works was everywhere here, making for a striking landscape.

We turned right, then shortly after took a left down an incline to begin our descent from the Edge (120 min). In a slightly complicated manoeuvre, we continued dropping down until coming to a large stone stile, which we crossed in to a field. We took a metal gate below us and soon were able to go through two more small wooden gates to drop down by tricky steps on to Maynestone Road (140 min).

A walk over just over half-a-mile on the road brought us to the large stone house of Upper Lodge on our right (157 min) shortly after which we followed a footpath sign on the right through a gap in the wall.

This led us down a seriously overgrown narrow path and after an uncomfortable 300 yards we emerged through a small rickety wooden gate in to a field. We followed this up the left hand side, climbing slightly and came to a gate, where we turned right to soon come to a large metal gate bringing us to a lane near Monk’s Meadows Farm. A short but steep climb brought us to the main A624 Glossop to Chapel-en-le-Frith road, with the welcome sight of the Lamb Inn nearby on our left (180 min).

Jock and Milly joined us here, having walked 4-5 miles in the Goyt valley and along the Peak Forest canal. We enjoyed beers and teas on the pub terrace, particularly a new blonde beer called Summer Sovereign from the Peak Ales brewery in Ashford-in-the-Water at £4-60 a pint.

Here we had our only few spots of rain of the day but it was short-lived and the donning of waterproof jackets soon brought a speedy halt to it.

After a leisurely hour-plus here we resumed by heading back along the road for a few yards before taking a left through an open gate and right through another small gate to climb through gorse bushes in to a steep open field. We bore left at the top of the field along a path that took us through a gate along a grassy track.

We bore left again and struck off left once more to bring us to a junction at the foot of Mount Famine. We took a path left along a wall to reach a gate that saw us skirt Vorposten Farm. A track across a cattle grid saw us reach the top of a bridleway that descended to reach a junction. Here a discussion led to a vote to shun the dragon’s back ridge to the right and instead head directly downhill to join Highgate Road (220 min).

We headed down Highgate Road and as we reached Hayfield village took a right in to Valley Road, to retrace our steps to the short, sharp climb to emerge at the Sportsman. Your diarist, Tom and Mike enjoyed a further refreshment here.

Next week’s walk will start at 9.55am from the lay-bys just below Curbar Gap above the village of Calver in the Derbyshire Dales. This is reached by taking the A623 through Stoney Middleton and at the Bridge Inn at Calver turning right uphill. We will walk to the Wellington Memorial then along White Edge, stopping at the Grouse Inn and returning along Froggatt and Curbar Edges.

Happy Wandering!