Whaley Bridge

  

 

February 12, 2025.

 

WHALEY BRIDGE CANAL WHARF, GOYT VALLEY, TAXAL, TAXAL NICK, WINDGATHER ROCKS, DUNGE VALLEY GARDENS, ROUND KNOLL FARM, CLOUGH FARM, THE SWAN AT KETTLESHULME, HARDY GREEN, TODD BROOK, TODD BROOK RESERVOIR

 

Distance: 9.73 miles as recorded by the OS Maps App

Difficulty: Stiff start, becoming moderate after reaching Windgather Rocks

Weather: Dry, cloudy, cold with chilly winds on the tops.

Walkers: Peter Beale, Andy Blease, Steve Brearley, Alastair Cairns, Mike Cassini, Clive Rothel, Russ Spencer

Non Walking Drinkers: Alan Hart, Dean Taylor, Colin Davison, Mark Enwright

Alternative Walkers: Nil

Apologies: Mickey Barrett (leg injury), Tom Cunliffe (knee injury), Jock Rooney (knee op recovery), Simon Williams (foot injury) – have lower limb problems become the new bad back? George Dearsley (in Turkey), Cliff Worthington (NZ holiday), Hughie Hardiman (away), Chris Owen (funeral), Julian Ross (London), Keith Welsh (taxiing duties)

Leaders: Blease and Beale. Diarist: Blease.

Starting point: Tom Brad's Croft free car park, Whaley Bridge (SK23 7LX)

Starting time: 9.40am. Finishing time: 2.45pm.

 

I was somewhat thrown into the leadership role today after receiving a call from Tom the day before, his knee was giving him jip and he couldn’t make the walk. I hurriedly printed out a diary of the walk written by Mr Hart on August 23. Alan’s notes proved to be accurate as we appeared to get around without getting lost. A special mention to Mr Beale whose subtle route guidance throughout kept us on track.

 

A short discussion on the route took place in the car park before we set off, Peter suggested that we take a slightly more direct and less vertiginous route to Taxal, the group agreed.

 

From the car park we walked across the bridge over the River Goyt and headed to the main road where we turned left. We followed the main road before turning right up Macclesfield Road. We walked for about ten minutes and took a footpath on the left, this led us through fields onto LingLongs Road where we turned left. Walking for a short distance St James Church in Taxal appeared on our left. It was at this point we joined the route documented by Alan in his August 23 diary. From here on in these notes have been almost entirely copied from the aforementioned diary.

 

Passing Taxal Church on our left we walked for 30 yards before entering a field on our right at a public footpath sign. Keeping to the right of the field we reached a gate, went through it with a drystone wall on our left, and continued uphill until we reached a track. Here we turned left and walked along the track until we reached a green public footpath sign indicating the way to Windgather Rocks on our right.

 

We climbed steeply up this path, passing a memorial tree to keen hiker Terry Lardner on our way up Taxal Nick to reach the drystone wall on Taxal Ridge. From Taxal Nick the distinct formation of Windgather Rocks was clearly visible and we proceeded towards them. We reached the summit of the cliffs which are often popular with rock-climbers literally learning the ropes.

 

We turned left along a track which led to a sheep fold on our right where we stopped for Pietime in its shelter. Exiting the sheep fold via a gate we turned left and walked along the minor road in the direction of Pym Chair. At a T-junction we turned right towards Salterford and headed downhill.

 

At a wooden public footpath sign we turned right over a broken wall and soon crossed a short ladder stile to head through a field. When we reached a farmhouse we walked right across its frontage and then turned left up a path to the right of the building.

 

After crossing a stile with a yellow arrow we passed a derelict farm building and followed a series of posts marked with yellow arrows which led us to two metal gates. These took us into Dunge Valley Gardens, a former nursery specialising in rhododendrons. 

 

After leaving the gardens we continued to a crossroads and went straight across into Clayholes Road. Bearing slightly left we passed Round Knoll Farm on our right and reached Clough Farm on our left. Next to its entrance was a wooden gate on the right which we walked through and headed left downhill through a copse. We then went through a field which we exited through a metal gate marked with a yellow arrow. After crossing a stone step stile we reached a track and swung right to the left of a farmhouse, ignoring two wooden stiles marked with yellow arrows. On reaching a crossroads we went forward, passing Stocks Bank Cottage on our right and turned left at a flight of steps to reach The Swan immediately on our left.

 

On entering the pub we were delighted to join Alan, Dean, Mark E and Colin for drinks and merriness.

 

Resuming our journey we crossed the road opposite the front door of the pub and walked through a garden centre to exit opposite a church. Here we turned right and then left into Kishfield Lane. This took us past Hardy Green on our left and Kishfield Croft on our right. Before reaching the bridge over Todd Brook (where previously we have stopped for lunch) we turned right over a wooden stile to enter a wood.

 

Ignoring paths to our right we kept Todd Brook in sight on our left until the path led us down to it. 

Ignoring the path closure and danger of death signs we made our way over a makeshift bridge to reach the far side where we went through a metal gate which had been broken open. We now walked with the sluice channel on our left and the reservoir on our right as we made our way back into Whaley Bridge. After passing Brookfield Pond on our left we arrived at the main road through Whaley Bridge and returned to our cars.

 

Next week's walk will start at 9.40am from the free car park overlooking Bollington Recreation Centre (SK10 5JT). We have the option of calling in at Smith’s orgasmic pie shop before heading up to White Nancy and then following Kerridge Ridge into Rainow. We will call in at the Robin Hood Pub (SK10 5XE) at around 12.20pm in Rainow for drinks before returning to our cars at around 2.15pm via The Virgins Path and the Ingersley Vale Waterfall. There is the option of further refreshment at the Vale Inn pub where it will be Wings Wednesday (Wings and Fries £7, Cask Ale £3)

 

Happy wandering !