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 !