Dean Row

Bollin Valley

Dean Row – Unicorn Pub

July 16th, 2025

DEAN ROW, MOTTRAM HALL GOLF COURSE, BOLLIN VALLEY TRAIL, WATER TREATMENT PLANT, BULLS HEAD, MOTTRAM HALL, UNICORN AT DEAN ROW

Distance: 8.72 miles Ascent/descent: 405 ft

Difiiculty: Easy

Weather: Fine & dry

Walkers: Steve Brearley, Mike Cassini, Hughie Hardman, Stuart Kitchen, Greg Owens, Russell

Spencer.

Alternative walkers:

Leader: Hughie, Diarist: Russell

Starting point: Car Park of Unicorn Pub, Dean Row. SK9 2LN

Starting time: 9.40am Finishing time: 13.30 pm

This Weeks Route:

https://explore.osmaps.com/route/27856228/wednesday-wanderers--dean-row?

lat=53.3029&lon=-2.18281&zoom=14.0019&style=Standard&type=2d

I have saved this walk for public consumption. Anyone can follow the route using the OS app, providing you have a registered account (Free) in future.

The day started fairly overcast but brightened up for this walk. We had a new walker, Stuart Kitchen, (welcome Stuart). The plan was to have an easy one due to a temperature forecast of 30 degrees last week but this seemed to have fizzled to a mere 20 degrees on the day. The walk is fairly unremarkable, and takes in some of the (overgrown) footpaths around Mottram Hall and Bollin. 

Bollin Valley Trail

On this day our leader decided to walk the second half of the leg first, going past the Water Treatment Plant, which unfortunately brought us into Prestbury too early for the Admiral Rodney, so after a quick pie time (and Samosas offered by new walker Stuart) we made headway back to the Unicorn for refreshments, where we were entertained by a Elton John (well a tribute singer) who was entertaining the local retirement home residents who were out for lunch.

From the archives.

Back in May 2012 the Wednesday Wanderers' walk that week took in the Admiral Rodney pub. Alan Hart, the diarist wrote: 

 George Brydges Rodney

As we enjoyed excellent pints of Robinsons’ Unicorn cask bitter at £2-75, a plaque informed us that the rear of the pub was once the front and Pearl Street had been the old turnpike road. We were further informed that the pub had been called The Board and was built in 1730. In 1745 the bells rang joyfully when the Duke of Cumberland rode through the village, pursuing the retreating Jacobite army of Bonnie Prince Charlie, whom he subsequently defeated at Culloden. The pub was renamed The Admiral Rodney after George Brydges Rodney, who was born in London in 1719, joined the navy in 1732, was promoted to captain in 1742. He later became governor of Newfoundland. He enjoyed an illustrious career in the West Indies, leading to his promotion to admiral before his death in London in 1792.

 “His love of women and play carried him to many excesses,” read the plaque. In short, a man after our own hearts. 

Next week’s walk we will be meeting at Rowarth Car Park, SK22 1EB, 9.40am, and walking over to Hayfield and back via Giggle Gaggle Lane.

Happy Wandering!