Castleton

October 30, 2024.

CASTLETON, PEAK CAVERN, SPEEDWELL CAVERN, TREAK CLIFF CAVERN, BLUE JOHN CAVERN, MAM TOR, HOLLINS CROSS, BACK TOR, LOSE HILL, THE OLD MILL AT HOPE, PINFOLD, PEAKHOLE WATER, YE OLDE CHESHIRE CHEESE AT CASTLETON

Distance: 8.5 miles.

Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous.

Weather: Dry with gentle breeze but misty all morning.

Walkers: Peter Beal, Andy Blease, Steve Brearley, Tom Cunliffe with Daisy, Mark Enright, Alan Hart, Keith Welsh, Simon Williams, Cliff Worthington.

Alternative walkers: Mike Cassini, Colin Davison, Jock Rooney with Milly.

Apologies: Clive Rothel (back twinges), Alastair Cairns (overslept), Dean Taylor (in Spain)

Leader: Beal. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Road outside entrance to Peak Cavern, Castleton.

Starting time: 9.52am. Finishing time: 2.35pm.

As we fought our way through heavy mist to the starting point we were all hoping that it would clear by the time we reached the summits on The Great Ridge. Sadly there was still no visibility of the valleys below when we arrived at the Trig Point at Mam Tor shortly after 11am.

For more than an hour we had climbed up its 1,696 feet, only to find the valleys on either side still shrouded in mist.

The disappointing view from the summit of MamTor

Fortunately, as we continued along the ridge, it began to lift and we were able to admire the fruits of our endeavours with better views. By the time we descended into Hope, the mist had disappeared. At The Old Hall, we met the alternative walkers and Peter kindly bought us a round of drinks to celebrate his 76^th birthday. We wish him many happy returns.

Mike and Colin then joined us for the short walk back to Castleton to take our numbers up to 11. But only three of those opted for further refreshment in Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese. Rather a poor show, chaps.

The Peak Cavern, where we assembled at the start of our walk, is steeped in history and legend. In 1586 William Camden wrote in Britannia that the cave was known as The Devil's Arse, a claim later repeated by novelist Daniel Defoe.

This may have been the result of sounds like flatulence emanating from the bowels of the cave system when flood waters drained away.

The name was changed to The Peak Cavern in 1880 to save giving offence to Queen Victoria during a visit to a concert. In recent times it has been the venue for pop concerts.

In 1959 Peak Cavern was the scene of a drawn-out tragedy when Neil Moss, a 20-year-old Oxford University student, became trapped 1,000 feet from the entrance while exploring a shaft. All efforts to rescue him failed. At his father's request Neil's body was sealed in with rocks to prevent further deaths.

After walking through the Peak Cavern car park past the entrance we reached a junction where we turned right uphill. The road became a footpath which emerged at a road leading to Speedwell Cavern (20mins). We crossed in front of this and followed a green public footpath sign which led us to Treak Cliff Cavern (29mins)

Steps led us to the back of the cavern and we turned right to follow the footpath. At a wooden gate, we turned right (37mins), passing Blue John Cavern on our left (53mins). We had now passed all four of Castleton's show caverns.

Turning right away from the final show cavern we reached the remnants of a road and turned left (54mins).

This was a section of the A625 road between Chapel-en-le-Frith and Sheffield which finally closed in 1979. Over many decades the road had been closed and repaired after landslides caused by unstable layers of shale. This gave Mam Tor (Mother Hill) the alternative name of Shivering Mountain.

We turned right at a wooden gate marked with a yellow arrow (58mins) and reached another wooden gate and a flight of stone steps leading to a road. We turned right through a third wooden gate and climbed a path laid with flags which took us to the Trig Point at Mam Tor (70mins)

When the stragglers had arrived we took a team picture (75mins) but wasted little time admiring the view seen in the earlier photo.

Atop Mam Tor

(l to r) Steve, Pete, Mark, Andy, Tom, Keith, Cliff and Simon

Continuing along the ridge we started our descent, pausing for Pietime at a sheltered spot (82mins) before passing Hollins Cross (93mins). Beyond it, we went left through a wooden gate to begin the ascent of Back Tor (104mins).

Heading up Back Tor

On reaching the summit at 1,765 feet we had a much better view of the valleys below.

Shafts of sunlight touch the valley below Back Tor

We now started another descent before another climb led us to a sign marked Losehill Pike - Wards Piece (122mins).

G.H.B. Ward was a local access activist who was given the land in appreciation by the Sheffield branch of The Ramblers Association in 1945. He subsequently presented it to the National Trust.

This soon brought us to the Trig Point (127mins) at 1,562 feet before we began our descent of the path leading down to the right. We went through a wooden gate on our right (136mins) and turned left to follow a series of gates and stiles marked with yellow arrows until we reached a path on our left marked Edale Road (173mins)

We turned left, soon reaching Edale Road and turning right (175mins). This brought us to the main road with The Old Hall on our left (180mins) to join our three companions for pints of Wainwrights cask bitter or cups of tea.

Departing later we crossed the road, turned right and then left before the Woodroffe Arms along a road. At a Pinfold on our right, where lost sheep were once penned, your diarist paused for a lonely lunch while the enhanced group continued (184mins). I followed turning right (185mins) at a green public footpath sign for Castleton.

This reached the left bank of Peakhole Water.

An autumnal scene on the bank of Peakhole Water

A series of gates and stiles led me through fields before I caught up with the main peloton just as they were reaching the main road between Castleton and Hope (207mins). We turned left and reached Ye Olde Cheshire Cheshire on our left (210mins)

Next week's walk will start at 9.40am from the higher car park at Brabyns Park, Marple Bridge (SK6 5LB). We will be aiming to reach The Fox Inn, Brookbottom (SK22 3AY) around 12.15pm, returning at about 2.30pm with the option of further refreshment at The Norfolk Arms, Town Street, Marple Bridge (SK6 5DS)

Happy wandering !

Hayfield

 October 23, 2024.

 

HAYFIELD, SETT VALLEY TRAIL, BIRCH VALE, OLLERSETT MOOR, BIG STONE, CRACKEN EDGE QUARRY, MOATS MEADOW FARM, THE LAMB AT CHINLEY HEAD, THE DRAGON'S BACK, THE SPORTSMAN AT HAYFIELD

 

Distance: 9 miles.

Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous.

Weather: Dry, warm and sunny later.

 

Walkers: Peter Beal, Steve Brearley, Hughie Hardiman, Alan Hart, Simon Williams and Cliff Worthington.

Alternative walker: Jock Rooney with Milly.

Non-walking drinkers: Mark Enright and wife, Dean Taylor.

Apologies: Andy Blease (in Anglesey), Mike Cassini (recovering from op), Alastair Cairns (on East Coast),Tom Cunliffe (with Stella), Chris Owen (recovering from hip replacement), Jim Riley, Julian Ross (decorating),Clive Rothel (strained back muscle)

Leader: Beal. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Outside Sportsman Inn, Kinder Road, Hayfield.

Starting time: 9.45am. Finishing time: 2.31pm.

 

    Dragon's Back: Photo: Cliff Worthington

 

What a fabulous day. The weather was better than we could have expected at the end of October. A new route back to Hayfield was spectacular in the sunshine. To top it all  birthday boy Mark Enright popped into our first watering hole and bought a round of drinks. It doesn't get much better than that !

Unfortunately we had quality rather than quantity in our numbers because there were many cry-offs, some of them convalescing after surgery. We wish them speedy recoveries.

 

This has always been one of our more challenging walks but there's no gain without pain and the effort was rewarded with a stunning return journey from Chinley Head to Hayfield. It is a route I have never experienced in 23 years of Wednesday Wandering and the view will last long in the memory.

After a sedate walk through Hayfield and along the Sett Valley Trail the hard work begins in Birch Vale with a relentless climb up to Ollersett Moor. The views there from Big Stone were picturesque but paled to insignificance when we left The Lamb to climb towards South Head and Mount Famine.

Leaving those summits untouched Peter led us along a ridge known as The Dragon's Back because of its undulations. It provided wonderful views across the valleys below before we started our steep descent through a wood to reach Hayfield.

 

From outside The Sportsman we walked downhill back into Hayfield, crossing the main A624 linking Glossop with Chapel-en-le-Frith. On the far side of the pelican crossing we passed the bus station and entered The Sett Valley Trail (12mins)

 

This is a 2.5 mile linear park for hikers, cyclists and horse-riders linking Hayfield with New Mills via Birch Vale, Thornsett and Ollersett. It follows the trackbed of the former railway line which opened in 1868 and closed in 1970.

 

                      A herd of alpacas

 

 

In a field on our left was a herd (or is it a flock ?) of ten alpacas. On our right was Lantern Pike, the hill which overlooks Little Hayfield and gave its name to the pub there, once run by Tom and Stella.

 

 

 

 

 

 

                      The view on our right towards Lantern Pike

 

On reaching a sign pointing towards Chinley (28mins) we left the trail and headed up a flight of steps to reach the A6015 between Hayfield and New Mills. We crossed the main road and headed up Morland Road as it aimed itself remorselessly upwards until we reached Ollersett Moor. Sadly our climbing was by no means over as we continued through one wooden gate (43mins) and turned left just before a wooden five-barred gate (69mins).

The well-trodden path took us through a wooden gate (83mins) and immediately right over a wooden stile. This led us to Big Stone (88mins)

 

                 (L to R on Big Stone – Steve, Cliff, Simon, Hughie and Peter

 

 

 

 

Beyond the rocky outcrop we continued with the valley on our left below until we reached a drystone wall and turned left towards a small stone-built hut (93mins). Here we paused for pies and port before continuing our descent. This soon brought us to a lower path (96mins) where we turned sharp right and followed the well-trodden route. Where it divided (100mins) we took the upper path and reached a stone step stile (114mins) which we crossed. The path now took us through a metal kissing gate  (116mins) to a lane (119mins)

We turned left and continued beyond a large house on our right to reach a wooden public footpath sign (130mins). We turned right here and a series of paths led us round fields and farm buildings to emerge on the left of a farmhouse (139mins). Now we turned left up a lane away from Moats Meadow Farm back to the A624 we had crossed earlier.

After turning left for a few yards we crossed and reach The Lamb on our right (144mins). Jock had just arrived at the bar. Minutes later Mark arrived with Rachel and Dean to invite us to join him for a drink to celebrate his 57th birthday.

                   Rachel, Mark and Dean in The Lamb

 

After arms had been twisted and an unexpected round of drinks bought by Mark, we left for the final leg of our journey.

 

 

 

      A weather check

 

With a last check on the weather prospects we left The Lamb and turned left along the A624 for 30 yards before heading left through a open gate and then right through a wooden gate marked with a yellow arrow. The path weaved through gorse bushes and we aimed uphill towards a drystone wall where we turned left keeping the wall on our right (154mins)

It was another tough climb but briefer than our earlier ascent of Ollersett Moor. We went though a wooden gate and swung left before metal gate (165mins). When we reached another gate before a farm we stopped for a brief lunch (171mins). The gate took us round the farm to a lane and through a five barred wooden gate.

We were now enjoying the sights from The Dragon's Back (186mins) as we followed a footpath sign for Kinder Valley. The ridge meandered through gates and over stiles.

 

                

  Another gorgeous view

  

 

As we approached Hayfield we entered a wood and started a steeps descent which brought us out on the banks of the River Kinder (224mins). We turned left with the river on our right and soon crossed a footbridge to the far side (226mins). We now had one last climb up a steep flight of steps before we emerged on Kinder Road opposite The Sportsman (228mins)

 

Next week's walk will start at 9.50pm from the road next to The Peak Cavern in Peak Cavern Road, Castleton (S33 8WS). Approaching Castleton town centre from Winnats Pass there are free parking places on the right of the road before you reach Peak Cavern. We will be aiming to climb Mam Tor and head towards Hope via Hollins Cross, Back Tor and Lose Hill before reaching The Old Hall, Market Place, Hope S33 6RH at about 12.45pm. We will return around 2.30pm for the option of a final drink at Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese Inn, How Lane, Castleton S33 8WJ.

 

Happy wandering !  

Poynton

 October 15, 2024

POYNTON, PRINCES INCLINE, MACCLESFIELD CANAL, MIDDLE WOOD, NORBURY HOLLOW, PARKGATE FARM, TOWER FARM, MILL HILL HOLLOW, HAPPY VALLEY, THE LADYBRIDGE AT BRAMHALL, BRAMHALL HIGH SCHOOL, BIRCH HALL KENNELS, POYNTON POOL

Distance: 11 miles.

Difficulty: Easy.

Weather: Dry with early cloud, giving way to sporadic sunshine.

Walkers: Peter Beal, Andy Blease, Alan Hart, Cliff Worthington.

Alternative walker: Jock Rooney with Milly.

Short walker: Mark Gibby.

Non-walking drinkers: Hughie Hardiman and Julian Ross.

Apologies: Alastair Cairns, Tom Cunliffe, Mark Enright, Chris Owen, Dean Taylor, Keith Welsh, Simon Williams.

Leader: Hart. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Poynton Pool free car park off Anglesey Drive, Poynton.

Starting time: 9.40am. Finishing time: 3.20pm.

This was a radical change of plan after weather forecasts showed it would be dry on Tuesday, October 15, and raining all day on Wednesday, October 16. Many wanderers were unable to walk on dry Tuesday and none wanted to brave the elements on wet Wednesday.

For my birthday hike, I had devised a new route by stitching together familiar paths which enabled us to stop for reasonably-priced food and drink at a dog-friendly pub.

There are few advantages to becoming old but one of them is the ability to buy a three-course pensioners' meal at The Ladybridge in Bramhall for £7-99. They also have a choice of cask beers.

From the car park, we headed into Anglesey Drive, turning right uphill to pass some of Poynton's more prestigious houses. Between two properties on the left (5mins) is a hidden public footpath under a canopy of evergreen trees with fenced gardens on both sides.

We followed this and emerged on the unadopted Towers Road, turning right. Just before the road became tarmaced we turned left uphill along a public footpath called Princes Incline.

This dates back to Poynton's coal-mining days when tubs laden with coal went via gravity down to a yard next to the main road through the village. Here the tubs were unloaded and the weight of the full tubs coming down took the empties back uphill on a parallel track.

The path went through fields and woods before crossing The Middlewood Way and reaching Macclesfield Canal (35mins), where we turned left with the waterway on our right.

Approaching Bridge 13 on the Macclesfield Canal

After passing Bridge 13 we continued towards Marple until we took a left fork in the towpath and turned immediately left into Middle Wood (47mins). The path brought us out on the Middlewood Way opposite Middlewood Station (57mins). We turned right and then left (59mins) at a public footpath which took us down to the Manchester-Buxton railway line.

After crossing this and heading down a flight of steps we turned right along a gravel track. Just before it reached a road we turned left with a stream on our right and crossed a footbridge. Opposite, on the far side of the road at Norbury Hollow, was a public footpath uphill.

The path took us over a wooden stile and through a field by the side of telegraph poles. At the far side was a stile which we crossed, passing a derelict building on our right to reach a lane. Here we turned right and followed it as it swung left towards a wooden stile (74mins)

We took the right of two forks in the footpath and went through a metal kissing gate marked with a yellow arrow to enter a field. Crossing to the far side of the field we reached another metal kissing gate where we paused for pies and port (82mins)

Continuing we went through the gate and headed downhill through another gate to reach a lane inside Park Gates Farm. We turned left passing two giant wigwams on our right (85mins)

No sign of injuns !

These are used for holding parties such as birthdays and wedding receptions by revellers seeking something different to impress their friends.

Following a yellow arrow we swung first right then left downhill before crossing a wooden footbridge, entering a wood and turning left. As we walked Lady Brook was on our left. Exiting the wood by a metal kissing gate (90mins) we turned left and crossed a bridge over the brook with the new A555 by-pass on our right. At a metal kissing gate we turned left to cross a field, left it by another metal kissing gate and turned right to follow a sign for Poynton Lake (93mins)

This took us through Towers Farm, turning right beyond it to reach a metal kissing gate and Towers Road on its other side. Turning right we reached the T junction with London Road North and turned right (103 mins). After crossing the main road we reached a large metal gate on our left just before the by-pass (105mins). We went through this a followed a path with the stream on our left

After crossing a bridge over Lady Brook we turned right alongside the stream as it flowed through a tunnel under the A555. We swung left and then followed a yellow arrow on our right which indicated a path leading to the houses and cottages of Mill Hill Hollow (110mins)

At a T-junction, we turned right along a narrow but busy road linking Hazel Grove with Woodford. We crossed this and turned left at a gate by the side of a public footpath sign (116mins). The path went along the right edge of a field with trees on our right until it went right through the trees (127mins) and over a stile to a path. Here we turned left and crossed another stile leading on to duckboards.

Beyond was a path with Lady Brook on our left. We were in Happy Valley.

In Happy Valley with Lady Brook on our left

We followed the path until it divided, taking the left fork over a bridge and then turning right with the brook now on our right. This brought us to the exit in Valley Road which we crossed and walked uphill with impressive houses on our left. At the end, we turned right and followed the path down to Bramhall Roundabout (144mins)

Turning left we reached Fir Lane and turned left again. This brought us to The Ladybrook pub on our right (150mins)

Mark, Hughie and Julian were already in situ as we arrived to drink pints of Black Sheep bitter. We were soon joined by Jock and Milly as we ordered our pensioners' lunches while Hughie and Julian left to attend prior engagements.

Mark now joined the group on its homeward leg to Poynton and Andy departed to walk to his home nearby. From the pub entrance, we went diagonally left to enter Waterloo Road and set off uphill.

Just before the road ended in a cul de sac we turned right and took the second on the left to walk past Bramhall High School on our left (160mins). We continued until we reached Lytham Drive (169mins) and turned left. The drive swung right into a lane which we followed past Birch Hall Kennels on our right and emerged on Woodford Road by the left side of the bridge across the A555 (189mins)

We turned right and crossed the road. On the far side of the bridge, we swung sharp left to walk along the path by the right side of the bypass. We turned right at a metal kissing gate (194mins) and walked through a field, exiting by a metal kissing gate and turning left.

A road took us past houses to a lane on the left side of a field. When the lane crossed the confluence of two streams we went straight on before turning left along a path which ran parallel with Glastonbury Drive.

At its end (212mins) we crossed London Road North and went up a bank next to railings to reach Poynton Pool. We turned left with the lake on our right.

Nearly home

It led us back to the car park (220mins) to de-boot.

Next week's walk will start at 9.40am from Kinder Road, Hayfield, near The Sportsman pub (SK22 2LE). We will be aiming to reach The Lamb Inn on Hayfield Road, Chinley (SK23 6AL) for a livener around 12.30pm before returning to The Sportsman at about 2.30pm.

Happy wandering !

Ridgegate Reservoir

 October 9, 2024.

RIDGEGATE RESERVOIR, MACCLESFIELD FOREST, SHUTLINGSLOE, THE CRAG AT WILDBOARCLOUGH, OAKENCLOUGH, THE HANGING GATE AT POT LORDS, BROWNLOW, GREEN BARN, THE RYLES ARMS AT SUTTON

Distance: 7.3 miles

Difficulty: Moderate.

Weather: Moist with grey skies.

Walkers: Andy Blease, Tom Cunliffe with Daisy, Alan Hart, Julian Ross, Simon Williams.

Alternative walker: Jock Rooney with Milly.

Non-walking drinkers: Chris and Vanessa Owen.

Apologies: Peter Beal, Alastair Cairns (unmoveable appointment), Mike Cassini (awaiting operation and caring for sick wife), George Dearsley (in Turkey), Mark Gibby (hols), Clive Rothel (Whitby hols), Dean Taylor (not feeling himself), Cliff Worthington.

Leader: Hart. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Lay-by next to Ridgegate Reservoir, Langley.

Starting time: 9.51am. Finishing time: 12.50pm.

What a shower of pathetic snowflakes the Wednesday Wanderers have become ! This walk was foreshortened by two miles because one of our stalwarts had stubbed his little toe and we were having the odd drop of light drizzle.

When I was young, in the middle of the last century, we used to play football in monsoons. I'll always remember the day Gibbons Minor went in for a sliding tackle in thick mud. His body was never recovered.

Boys used to carry Swiss army knives in their rucksacks. If their toes or fingers were damaged they would simply cut them off without any namby-pamby anaesthetic and put on a field dressing. (We toted them along with our gas masks in case the Huns started another world war). Then we would carry on playing.

Who can forget the heroics of Tristram Wyckenham-Ffynes and Algernon Blashford-Snell as they tried to reach the North Pole? Suffering frostbite they gnawed off their own feet, and crawled the last ten miles to plant the Union Jack only to discover a Norwegian nonce had beaten them to it.

The unpredictability of British weather used to be character-building. If the events of this walk are anything to go by, it would appear that the era of fortitude, stoicism, and stiff upper lips is over.

No wonder the empire is crumbling. At this rate we'll be lucky to hang on to the Isle of Wight.

From the lay-by with the reservoir on our right, we swung right with the road and followed a signpost for Wincle. After 100 yards we turned left at a large gate to enter Macclesfield Forest, following the wooden footpath signs for Shutlinsgloe. Looking back towards Trentabank there were patches of mist above the trees.

On our way to Shutlingsloe

When we reached the final gate before turning right for the summit or left to go round its shoulder, none of the youngsters showed the slightest inclination to accept the challenge.

Shutlingsloe, at 1,660 feet, is the second highest peak in Cheshire, behind Shining Tor at 1,834 feet. Because of its similarity of shape it is known ironically as “The Matterhorn of Cheshire.”

The Matterhorn of Cheshire

After following the path around the left shoulder we went through a series of metal kissing gates and followed yellow arrows to reach a road. Here, we turned right and soon found The Crag Inn at Wildboarclough on our right (70mins). This pub has now been converted into a water-bottling plant, producing water that they claim is far superior to that emanating from our taps. Unlike tap water, however, it is not free.

We stopped for Pietime in the car park before turning immediately right at a public footpath sign to enter a field. By following a series of well-trodden paths and clear signs at the gates and stiles we walked steadily uphill through fields used for grazing sheep and cattle.

Grey skies over Wildboarclough

We exited the last field by a stone step stile and turned left with a nature reserve on our right (95mins). This lane merged into a wider road which we joined from the right. After passing Herons Reach on our left we turned right at a public footpath sign (108mins) and began another steady climb.

By now the donning of your diarist's waterproof trousers had temporarily stopped the light drizzle as we made our way through flocks of white and black sheep, crossing a stream by a wooden footbridge (105mins)

This brought us to the former home of George Osborne, the one-time MP for Tatton, who was Chancellor of the Exchequer in David Cameron's Conservative Government. The house was on the right of the public footpath.

Former home of George Osborne, ex Chancellor

We followed clear signs left and then right to continue climbing through Oakenclough. We then crossed a wooden stile to follow an enclosed path which emerged opposite The Hanging Gate (145mins). A sign outside informed us that this pub only opened for less than 30 hours in a four day week.

Sign of the times

It was at this point that Tom, who had described the weather as “atrocious,” and Andy,who had injured his little toe more than a week ago, decided to head straight back to the cars.

This involved turning right along the road with The Hanging Gate on our left, passing Brownlow and Green Barn Farm as we walked back to Ridgegate Reservoir (165mins). Here we debooted and three of us drove to The Ryles Arms at Sutton to join Jock, Chris and Vanessa for drinks, which included two cask ales at £4-50 a pint.

Next week's walk will start at 9.30am from the Poynton Pool car park off Anglesey Drive, Poynton. Your diarist will be celebrating his 79^th birthday and further details of our stopping points will be announced later when arrangements have been made.

Happy wandering !