Bollington

October 29th, 2025.

 

BOLLINGTON REC CAR PARK, PALMERSTON STREET, CHURCH STREET, INGERSLEY VALE, WHITE NANCY, KERRIDGE HILL, KERRIDGE END, BULL HILL LANE, BRINK FARM, WALKER BARN, HORDERN FARM, LAMALOAD ROAD, TOWER HILL RAINOW, SUGAR LANE, FLAGG COTTAGE, VIRGINS' PATH, INGERSLEY VALE, CHURCH STREET, THE VALE PUB IN ADLINGTON ROAD

 

Distance: 8.22 miles as recorded by the OS Maps App

Ascent/descent: 1453 ft

Difficulty: Moderate with one sharp climb

Weather: Dry cloudy becoming clear perfect autumn day, occasionally wet underfoot slippery and muddy.

Walkers Mike Cassini, Mark Enright, Mark Gibby, Hubert Hardiman, Greg Owen, Cliff Worthington, Keith Webb.

Alternative Walkers: Jock Rooney and Millie, Colin Davison.

Leader: Communal(MainlyHughie)Cassini. 

Diarist: Cassini

Starting point: Bollington Rec car park circular to the Vale public house

Starting time: 9.40am. Finishing time: 1.20.pm

This is a well walked route by the Wanderers with a number of copies in the diaries so a communal approach to the walk provided ample guidance along the way. 

The only point worth noting is that the ascent to White Nancy followed after a climb through Bollington past the pie shop heading right along Ingersley road towards the Poacher where right again took us to the steps and footpaths to the top. We then followed the route well documented with no deviations but the occasional slip I managed a pike and half turn well worth a 7/10 on a path down towards Rainow.

No wildlife of note though we did disturb a Kestrel; beer again very good value at the Vale at £3 a pint Long Hop and White Nancy from Bollington Brewery sampled.

Next week meet for a 9:40 start at the Boars Head Higher Poynton through Lyme Park and back for a pint at the Boar.

Happy Wandering!

From the archives

In the mid-1940s, the Royal Signal Corps Trials Unit based at Catterick would drive a truck-mounted dish-shaped transmitter/receiver up to White Nancy. Here they tested cathode-ray tube transmission and reception (data-based, not images), to a mobile receiving station on another truck. The receiver would be driven further and further south over time, until eventually the lads at White Nancy were sending a signal to the south coast of the country.

We set off at 10.15am, passing Quarry Bank on the left. At the top of the hill we turned left and faced Endon Quarry. It might have been renamed Endon Quandary because the trail appeared to go cold and with no Tonto to help we initially relied on Jock Rooney’s confident assertion that there was no point entering the quarry. (Incidentally, before I go on, did you know that the phrase Tonto used to call the Lone Ranger “Kemo Sabe” actually means “soggy bush” in Navajo? Well, you do now).

In best Tonto fashion Leader Hart went ahead to scout the route, turning right out of the mouth of the quarry and going right again about 300 yards further down the road, trailed by Whaites and Dearsley.

New Mills

 

 

October 22nd, 2025.

 

NEW MILLS LEISURE CENTRE, EAVES KNOLL ROAD, NEW MILLS GOLF CLUB, MELLOR AND TOWNCLIFFE GOLF CLUB , LINNET CLOUGH ACTIVITY CENTRE, ROMAN LAKES, STRINES, PEAK FOREST CANAL, TORRS RIVERSIDE PARK

Distance: 9.7 miles.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Weather: Drizzle and showers followed by clouds and occasional sunshine, 

Walkers Andy Blease, Steve Brierley, Mike Cassini, Mark Enright, Mark Gibby, Russell Spencer, Simon Williams, Cliff Worthington, Keith Webb.

Alternative Walkers: Jock Rooney and Millie, Colin Davison, Tom Cunliffe

Leader: Cassini. Diarist: Cassini

Starting point: New Mills Leisure Centre, Hyde Bank Road, New Mills (SK22 4BP)

Starting time: 9.40am. Finishing time: 1.30.

For a change the weather was true to form and after a very few minutes we were forced to stop for wet weather gear due to the downpour which fortunately proved to be a shower and as predicted, apart from the occasional drizzle, the weather gave us a pleasant autumn day. We began walking through New Mills and up Hall Street past the former Police Station where the original Mass Trespassers were held after their arrest in April 1932 their actions beginning the freedom to roam legislation allowing walkers to use footpaths on private property. 

We then began our major ascent up Eaves Knoll Road where at the top we took a stile and a diagonal path across a field and onto and across New Mills Golf Course. Down a short path we came to Shaw Farm, home of Shaw Farm holidays a working farm with a 6 static caravans, a website and a 4.9 review rating!! From the farm and another diagonal path across a field, another field crossing soon took us to Mellor and Towncliffe Golf course, where the path edged the Course eventually taking us past Linnet Clough and a gaggle of school children either arriving or leaving not unlike a string of young migrants with their worldly possessions on their back.

Our descent towards the Roman Lakes was on a rocky and wet path which probably formed a bigger stream after more persistent wet weather. Passing by the Roman Lakes we spotted a number of cormorants in a tree on the lake and shortly stopped by the weir for pie-time.

From here we walked along by the Goyt River almost up to Strines Station when we then passed more cormorants passing across the New Mills Marple road up a gentle climb onto the Peak Forest Canal.

We walked the canal past Swizzels, where houses were inexplicably still for sale despite the particularly attractive location, passing the marina to the right before descending down through the Torrs. We passed possibly spitting llamas to arrive at the Masons Arms where birthday boy Mark E. provided all but a few hardy souls with soft drink refreshments.

Next week we meet at the Bollington municipal car park for a communally led walk up to White Nancy and back for a pint afterwards at the Vale.

Whaley Bridge

Whaley Bridge Circular

October 15th, 2025

WHALEY BRIDGE, BUGSWORTH BASIN, HORWICH FARM, ECCLES PIKE, NAZE VIEW FARM,

TUNSTEAD MILTON, COMBS RESERVOIR, SHEPHERDS ARMS

Distance: 8.41 miles Ascent/descent: 1372 ft

Difficulty: easy with one steep climb

Weather: Fine & dry

Walkers: Steve Brearley, Mike Cassini, Mark Gibby, Hughie Hardman, Greg Owens, Russell Spencer,

Simon Williams, Keith Welsh, Cliff Worthington.

Alternative walkers: Jock Rooney with Milly, Tom Cunliffe with Daisy, Colin Davison

Leader: Russell, Diarist: Russell

Starting point: Canal Wharf Car Park, Tom Brads Croft Rd Whaley Bridge, SK23 7LX

Starting time: 9.50am Finishing time: 14.00pm

This Weeks Route:

https://explore.osmaps.com/route/29173156/wednesday-wanderers-whaley-bridge-circular?

lat=53.32636&lon=-1.97588&zoom=13.39&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.

Another Grey day proceeded the walk, which started a little late due to roadworks on the A6, which seem to be getting worse every week. We had a reasonable turnout, with holiday season over everyone seems to be getting back into it. We had a nice gentle start along the canal to Bugsworth Basin, where we crossed over the canal and headed toward Eccles Pike, a long

meandering uphill around Browne Hill with a steep finish to the top.

En-route we passed a peculiar perfectly round pitch, marked on the map which I believe is the old cricket ground (we passed the new one further down).

Pie time was had at the top of the Pike and after a group photo we set of, mostly downhill, towards Combs Reservoir, passing the Naze View Alpaca farm, we saw some peculiar looking Alpacas which the sign indicated ‘Girls’, these were shorter than ones we usually see. A quick cross of the Main Road at the bottom, we came to Combs Reservoir, where our resident twitcher (Mike C) announced some sort of bird floating on the water, it was so remarkable the name eludes me. We were running ahead of schedule, so I stopped to pass the information on to the ‘B team’ about a revised meeting time and left the others to follow their noses, which unfortunately took them downhill to a fenced off corner, Mike C and 2 other brave souls attempted to scale the barb wire

fence and in doing so making a mess of the local architecture. The rest of us backed up the field and found the correct path.

We descended into Whaley for refreshments at the Shepherds Arms, where the beer was exceptionally good and reasonably price. We were soon joined by the B Team, who had also

swelled in numbers.

B TEAM REPORT – BY TOM C

Start/finish point -

south end of Fernilee Res @ 11:45 - 13:45.

A wonderful WHB wander in figure of eight route around Fernilee reservoir and part of River Goyt; crossing bridges and dam heads See OS map.

On completion we drove to Whaley B to meet up with our A Team chums at the Shepherds Inn.

Ps beer was cock-on

Next Week’s wander for the B Team

Meet @ New Mills Leisure Centre 11:30 for a 4.8 mile loop around New Mills environs returning around 13:30 for light refreshments in a local hostelry yet TBA.

Anyone who can’t make A Team for any reason will naturally be welcome to join the B Team for a flatish WHB wander.

IMPORTANT – It was decided on the walk that the Wednesday Wanderers Christmas Walk around Manchester will be on 3rd December 2025. Start time and meeting point to be arranged at a later

date once itinerary has been decided.

Next week’s walk will be led by Mike C, starting at New Mills Leisure Centre, SK22 4PU, 9.40am, returning to the Masons Arms for approximately 1.30pm

Happy Wandering!

See below for “from the archives”

From the archives: 

From 2011

The pre-walk banter revolved around the purchase by Mr Davison of a new pair of Burma Boots for a cut-price of £104 against the recommended retail price of £180. His new (brown) boots were bought from the Cheadle Heath branch of Go Outdoors,

http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/stockport but your diarist wishes to point out that this report has been tainted by no pecuniary advantage for product placement. Mr Davison apparently already has an extensive a range of walking footwear.

Burma boot

Having duly establish himself as the Imelda Marcos of the Wednesday Wanderers the Famous Five set off for an invigorating perambulation. 

From 2012

The serious tone of the conversation was interrupted by the passing of two ladies on horseback who were wearing bibs on their backs warning “Wide and Slow. Please Pass.” It was unkindly suggested that Tom Cunliffe should buy one.