Glossop

 October 2, 2024.

OLD GLOSSOP, MOORSIDE, COCK HILL, CLOUGH EDGE, PEAKNAZE MOOR, DEEPCLOUGH, LONGDENDALE TRAIL, THE ANCHOR AT HADFIELD, PADFIELD, GLOSSOP CEMETERY, SWINESHAW RESERVOIR, THE QUEENS AT OLD GLOSSOP

Distance: 9+ miles.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Weather: Wet windy start; dry sunny finish.

Walkers: Peter Beal, Alastair Cairns, Tom Cunliffe with Daisy, Alan Hart, Clive Rothel, Simon Williams, Cliff Worthington.

Alternative walkers: Jock and Keiran Rooney with Milly.

Apologies: Andy Blease (stubbed little toe !!), Mike Cassini (hospital appointment), Mark Enright (w*^king), Mark Gibby (hols), Keith Welsh (on way to Cornwall).

Leader: Beal. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Opposite The Wheatsheaf, Well Gate, Old Glossop SK13 7RS.

Starting time: 9.55am. Finishing time: 2.31pm.

We welcomed another debutant to this walk to make it a Magnificent Seven. Clive Rothel, a friend of Simon's, had a rather soggy introduction to the Wednesday Wanderers as light drizzle got steadily worse for the first hour. To make matters worse we were walking uphill into the wind.

The old adage that every cloud has a silver lining proved true, however, and the rain stopped at Pietime to be replaced by blue skies and sunshine. This gave us excellent views from Peaknaze Moor of three reservoirs below us and the hills beyond.

Our misty view back from Cock Hill

Damp but undaunted – Cliff, Simon, Tom, Clive, Alastair and Pete

Blue skies on the horizon half an hour later

From the spare lane opposite The Wheatsheaf we turned right and then headed left up Charles Lane. At its end with a house called Moorside on our right (6mins) we proceeded along what appeared to be an ancient packhorse route uphill.

The path took us remorselessly upwards through a gate and to the side of a copse. Only after your diarist put on his waterproof pants with the magical powers was the rain obliged to abate.

After pausing for a photo 1,398 feet above sea level by the Trig Point at Cock Hill (45mins) we stopped at a roofless refuge we have used many times before for Pietime (60mins). By now the rain had ceased, and when we continued the grey clouds were beginning to disappear.

As a consequence, we had views of Valehouse, Rhodeswood and Torside reservoirs below (74mins) and the weather further improved as we began our descent to the Longdendale Trail. This involved yomping diagonally left over the moorland heather to avoid the more vertiginous parts of the traditional footpath.

Eventually (100mins) we reached a level track with a farm on our right. Here we turned left to reach the B6105 on our right. Crossing it we went right for a few yards before turning left on to the Longdendale Trail (105mins)

The trail here follows the former Woodhead railway line which ran between Manchester and Sheffield. It closed east of Hadfield in 1981 and the trackbed was opened as a leisure trail for hikers and cyclists in 1992.

It is part of the Trans Pennine Trail which runs coast-to-coast from Liverpool to Hull. It is also part of the European path which runs for 2,900 miles from Cork in Ireland to Istanbul in Turkey.

Looking back down the Longdendale Trail

As we walked we passed reservoirs on our right on the three-mile journey into Hadfield. It ended in a car park (151mins) which we exited, turning slightly right to take the main road into Hadfield. From Station Road, we went to the left of the statue into Railway Street (153mins). At a T junction, we turned right and The Anchor was on our left (156mins)

 The Anchor pub

Here we joined Jock and Keiran for pints of Tetley's cask bitter at £3-95. They had walked along the far banks of the reservoirs before returning along the trail with Milly.

By the time we left the sun was shining brightly in a deep blue sky. What a contrast to our dull start ! We retraced our footsteps to the junction and carried straight on towards Padfield, passing the village on our left.

'Twixt Hadfield and Padfield

When we reached Glossop Cemetery on our left we entered and stopped on a wall by the gates for lunch (176mins). Continuing we followed the main drive into the graveyard and swung right at the end before turning left at a path where we could exit by a stone step stile (181mins)

Beyond the stile, we turned right, went through a wooden gate and a farmyard to reach the B6105. Here we dog-legged right for 30 yards before going left over a wooden stile and headed downhill towards Swineshaw Reservoir (184mins)

Swineshaw Reservoir

As we approached the reservoir 50 yards below us we went through a gap stile and turned right along a path which led us to other paths around fields protected by electronic fences. These paths led us downhill to Bute Street with a parallel passage on its right with a handrail. This brought us out to the right side of The Bull's Head, Old Glossop, with our cars parked to the left (203mins)

Three of us went to the nearby Queens for pints of Wainwrights or Rat Trap cask bitter.

The Queen's

Next week's walk will start at 9.40am from the free lay-by next to Ridgegate Reservoir at its furthest point from The Leather's Smithy pub on Clarke Lane, Sutton SK11 0NE. We will be heading through Macclesfield Forest, climbing Shutlingsloe before passing two pubs, The Crag Inn and The Hanging Gate, on our way to The Ryles Arms, Hollin Lane, Sutton SK11 0NN at about 12.30pm. We expect to return to our cars around 2.15pm with an optional final drink in The Leather's Smithy.

Happy wandering !