Little Hayfield

THE LANTERN PIKE, LITTLE HAYFIELD, HAYFIELD VILLAGE, KINDER SCOUT, KINDER DOWNFALL, RED BROOK, WHITE BROW, HAYFIELD VILLAGE

Distance: 10 miles.

Difficulty: Difficult

Weather: Sunny

Walkers: Colin Davison, Alan Hart, Phil Welsh, George Dearsley, Nigel Crank, Chris Corps and Fergus, Julian Ross, John Jones, John Laverick

Apologies: Lawrie Fairman (lecturing on a cruise ship), George Whaites (Spanish holidays), Peter Beal (hiking), Mickey Barrett (sailing in Turkey), Tom Cunliffe (in Rhosneigr, allegedly), Jock Rooney (Isle of Man)

B walkers: Tony Job, Peter Morrall, Ken Sparrow, Geoff Spurrell and Mike Walton

Leader: Hart. Diarist: Dearsley

Starting point: Outside the Lantern Pike

Starting time: 9.38am. Finishing time: 2.45pm – 3.15pm

Walks designed by Tom Cunliffe are always challenging and this week’s was no exception. In fact it was so tough that Tom decided to absent himself, meeting the gathering Wanderers with a flimsy excuse about going to Rhosneigr. There were many who believed he was upstairs peeping from a window when the Wanderers returned.

In sunny weather, with temperatures touching 24 degrees Celsius (over 75 in old money), the group set off from the Pike, turning right down Slack Lane and taking the relatively newly built path on the left towards Little Hayfield.

Our goal was Kinder Scout, at 2,087 feet the highest point in the Peak District and also the highest point in Derbyshire and indeed the East Midlands.

Some wondered whether little Fergus’s tiny legs would take him there. But in the event the dog performed a good deal better than some of the humans, your diarist included.

Clearly, 10 weeks on a Turkish beach is not ideal preparation for your first wander back.

On reaching the bus turnaround, we crossed the main Chinley to Glossop road at the pedestrian crossing, entering Hayfield via the side of the Skillet restaurant and turned left towards the Pack Horse pub.

Just before the Pack Horse, we turned right and soon found ourselves outside the greengrocers made famous in the BBC TV series The Village, set before, during and after World War One.

My library photo below doesn’t make it clear but the TV producers kept the name – Hankins – unusual because there is no apostrophe.

Hankins in The Village

                                                                        Hankins today

Hankins today sported some hanging animals, a pheasant, a chicken and a rabbit.

There was more televisual memorabilia not 250 yards further on, the Blue Plaque that commemorates the career of actor Arthur Lowe. Who can forget that line: “Don’t tell him Pike!” when a German officer asks for the name of a member of Dad’s Army who recites a silly poem about Hitler?

                                                                     Arthur’s Blue Plaque

Another point of interest is the tiny former grammar school on the right, which probably couldn’t hold half of today’s average class size.

Just past the school we took a track on the left which led us on a steepish climb to the shooting cabin. The Wanderers have been here many times before. This time we turned right and began to circumvent Kinder Reservoir below.

For between 15 and 20 minutes we descended a tricky slope with a mixture of loose stones and awkwardly projecting stones.

Pie Time was declared at 10.52am at the bridge over a stream, adjacent to a sign which read “William Clough”.

At 11.02am we set off again and began probably the most taxing climb your diarist has ever undertaken with the Wanderers. (The second and third most taxing were also on Tom Cunliffe walks by the way). At 11.40am the track briefly levelled out. But it quickly returned to terrain more suited to a mountain goat than someone with a bus pass.

Looking back down the steep climb from near the top of Kinder

The climb afforded some truly spectacular views, which I enjoyed despite gasping like a drowning man and thinking murderous thoughts of Mr Cunliffe.

By the way, as I understand it, when Benny Rothman and chums executed the mass trespass in April 1932 they had the good sense to use the gentler William Clough route to the summit of Kinder.

I hope the Wanderers will excuse the lack of detail in my chronicle at this point but my leg muscles were resembling a wet towel being wrung dry by a 17 stone washerwoman.

Sportingly, some of the Wanderers hung back and waited for the stragglers, including me, Mr Crank (suffering a key problem) and Mr Laverick.

When we finally reached the summit and I initiated a team photograph, Mr Davison managed to scramble into shot and blot out Mr Laverick, who can now not prove to his grandchildren that he conquered the highest peak in the East Midlands. Shame.

                                  

                                        Colin Davison helpfully blots out John Laverick in our team photo

 We now embarked on a horse shoe trek around to the right, with Kinder Reservoir in the distance.

We negotiated some huge rocks and soon found ourselves at Kinder Downfall.

                                

                                                                          Kinder Downfall

Some Wanderers may well have seen Kinder Downfall in winter, when it produces stalactites of ice.

It also creates a sensation when water flows upwards as this short You Tube film shows.

We passed Red Brook and began our descent. There were two or three comforting stops before we came to the copse of trees and a path that eventually took us to a metalled road. 

We reached the road (with the sign White Brow behind us) at 1.45pm. We, being the remainder of the Wanderers left behind by our turbo-charged leader Mr Hart and the equally energetic Mr Welsh.

We (the true rearguard) made it to the Sportsman at 2.10pm. Mr Hart and Mr Welsh (who arrived at 1.32pm) had already slaked their thirsts and soon were on their feet again to proceed to the Pike, which they entered at 2.45pm.

Your diarist, alas, wimped out and arranged to be collected by his wife from the Sportsman. John Jones, who lives nearby, went home.

The remaining Wanderers ultimately returned to the Pike at 3.15pm where they  were delighted to find our old friend Frank Dudley, and his driver John Eckersley, sitting alongside the B walkers - Tony Job, Peter Morrall, Ken Sparrow, Geoff Spurrell and Mike Walton.

                                                                          Frank Dudley

The B walkers crossed the canal to Gowhole, passed the large electricity sub-station, and turned  left on a track for Brownhill Farm. After elevenses, we followed Overhill Rd to Moor Lodge, turned right for the TV mast, and descended via Meadows Farm to the Kinder Lodge for excellent Timothy Taylors at £2.80. Only 4.5 miles, but a lot more hilly than usual, so we got the Glossop bus to the Lantern Pike. Both this bus and the one back to Newtown were 15 - 20 minutes late.

They arrived around 2pm and had demolished several bowls of chips with buttered balm cakes before the arrival of the vanguard of the A team in the form of Alan Hart and Phil Welsh.

 While pints of excellent Timothy Taylor Landlord cask bitter at £3-30 were quaffed, two more bowls of chips and buttered balm cakes arrived from Stella with the instruction to "eat them while they're hot."

Needless to say the advance party, with the help of Frank, obliged and had just finished when the remnants of the A team, Colin, John, Nigel, and Julian staggered inside.

Next week's walk will start at 9.30am from the free car park opposite The Spinners Arms at Bollington. Led by Lawrie, we shall walk along the newly-opened ridge towards Charles Head before a livener at The Robin Hood at Rainow around 12.30pm prior to finishing at The Dog and Partridge, Bollington, around 2.20pm.

Little Hayfield

LITTLE HAYFIELD, BIRCH VALE, OLLERSETT MOOR, BIG ROCK, CRACKEN EDGE, PEEP-A-DAY, KINDER VALE, BOWDEN BRIDGE, THE SPORTSMAN AT HAYFIELD, SNAKE PASS TRAIL, MIDDLE MOOR, PARK HALL POOL AND THE LANTERN PIKE AT LITTLE HAYFIELD

Distance: Nine miles.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Weather: Dry but mostly cloudy.

Walkers:  Mickey Barrett, Chris Corps, Nigel Crank, Russell Crank, Tom Cunliffe, Lawrie Fairman, Alan Hart, John Laverick, Julian Ross and George Whaites.

Apologies: Peter Beal (narrow-boating), Colin Davison (sailing to Holland), George Dearsley (w*^king), Malcolm Halley (long-distance cycling) and Jock Rooney (w*^king in Turkey).

Leader: Cunliffe. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Car park of Lantern Pike at Little Hayfield, High Peak.

Starting time: 9.36am. Finishing time: 2pm.

Another Wednesday: another debutant. This week we were happy to welcome a new member to our group for a guest appearance. Russell Crank, brother of Nigel, lives on a working farm in Hayfield and was able to break away from the world of double-glazing to enjoy some of the sights in his neighbourhood previously unseen.

Tom was our leader for the day and, despite a technical fault for crossing a barbed wire fence, he managed to fulfil the main criteria of reaching the two pubs not only on time but a little ahead of schedule. Whether the leader’s badge sub-committee will overlook the illegal manoeuvre on Ollersett Moor remains to be seen. (They will probably sit on the fence)

From The Lantern Pike we headed downhill past the former rented homes of Coronation Street creator Tony Warren and actress Pat Phoenix on our right to pass what was once Clough Calico Printing Mill on our right. It has been converted into luxury apartments, one of which is occupied by George D, to whom we gave a wave as we passed by.

After swinging left beyond the mill we crossed a brook (4mins) and followed a wooden footpath sign to our left (8mins). This took us past a row of cottages (14mins). After passing Lower Cliffe Farm, built in 1713, on our left, we turned left at a wooden public footpath sign (18mins) to emerge by a farmhouse.

We are indebted to Tom for pointing out a washing line surrounded by netting which keeps off flies and dust. Much to his chagrin we were left somewhat underwhelmed by this information, wondering whether this was to be the highlight of our journey.

After heading right along a lane for 50 yards we turned left over a stone step stile, passing a field occupied by hens and guinea fowl. During the course of the day we also saw herons, lapwings and curlews.

We crossed a bridge over the River Sett (24mins) and passed a mill lodge on our left before crossing the Sett Valley Trail and emerging at a main road opposite The Grouse at Birch Vale. After crossing the road and with The Grouse to our right, we entered Morland Road (28mins) to start a long climb up Ollersett Moor. 

We carried straight on at a public bridleway towards Chinley (39mins) and we heard some rebellious mutterings as the ascent continued from a Wanderer sporting a beard and a Geordie accent.

When we reached a three-way crossroads (62mins), Tom consulted his map before leading us straight ahead across moorland in the only direction not indicated by the three fingerposts. This brought us to a low wall and a barbed wire fence (69mins).

Taking a leaf from his former metallurgy tutor’s book, Tom took the obstacle in his stride, showing no hint of surprise or hesitation. A year ago Lawrie might have had great difficulty in surmounting the wire without serious danger of partial castration. But on this occasion, mercifully,  he did not need to find a friend willing to disentangle him.

After clearing the wall and barbed wire, we turned right through an open gateway (71mins) and continued to head upwards until we reached Big Rock on Cracken Edge (74mins) where we stopped for pietime.

Resuming, we dropped down to a path 50 yards below and turned left (76mins) downhill. This brought us past Peep-A-Day, the 200-year-old landmark house, on our left (95mins). A few yards later we turned left on the main road to Glossop and then right uphill following a wooden public footpath sign (97mins).

After a short climb we followed a public footpath sign for the Kinder Valley. After passing Russell’s farm on our left, at a T-junction we turned left (125mins) and crossed Bowden Bridge. We turned left again (131mins) and reached The Sportsman on our right (136mins) just after its noon opening.

Here we enjoyed pints of Thwaites’ Original cask bitter at £2-90. We were persuaded to stay for a second pint, generously bought by Nigel to celebrate his birthday two days earlier. Age seems to have dulled Nigel’s memory for he described himself variously as 47, 53, and, somewhat optimistically, 39. At this point we bade farewell to Russell, who was returning to his farm.

On leaving the pub we turned right along Kinder Road towards Hayfield, then right again at a green public footpath sign (139mins) indicating the way to The Snake Inn. This took us past Twenty Trees, and at a bank by a drystone wall we stopped for lunch (153mins). It was at this point that the familiar cry of the curlew was heard and a pair of lapwings tried to scare us away from their nests on the moor by solicitous flights across our bows.

 After passing through a gate leading on to Middle Moor (164mins), we turned left downhill and emerged at the driveway to Park Hall. This took us past a dazzling display of a variety of rhododendron bushes which were the legacy of an expert, now dead.

Tom offered to take our group to the derelict Park Hall Pool, which was once a commercial, open-air swimming baths. This involved two false starts which clearly lost the confidence of some of his followers, who returned smartly to The Lantern Pike. Those of us who kept faith were rewarded with a fascinating glimpse into the past.

From the side of the bus stop opposite Tom’s pub, we headed uphill, before stepping over a low barbed wire fence and becoming trespassers for the second time. Here in a woodland glade was a remarkable sight. On two levels were the abandoned pool which was still being fed by fresh water from Kinder, with its overflow continuing down and under the main road. The changing rooms and toilets appeared to be still intact, although coated in grease and grime from more than 40 years of neglect.

The deeper of the two pools was occupied by a dozen bright orange carp – an example of what can happen if you give a goldfish a bit more room.

Here, in a microcosm, was a perfect example of the changing face of Britain. In the post-war years, Park Hall Pool had been a magnet for swimmers who came from far and near to visit this beauty spot. But when the Beeching axe fell on Hayfield railway station in 1970, the number of visitors fell into sharp decline and the pool was abandoned.

A subsequent attempt to revive it, Tom informed us, was stymied when a neighbour objected to planning permission being granted and the council upheld his view.

The village of Hayfield has suffered a similar fate. In 1901 it was a boom town with a population of 2,817. Of its 1,351 active workers, 788 were engaged in manufacturing , predominantly at the calico and print works and in weaving; 308 were in the service industries of which 140 were in the retail trade, 69 were quarrying and 46 farming.

The population was served by 17 pubs, eight grocers’ shops, seven greengrocers, seven butcher, two bakers, two tripe dealers, two confectioners, two newsagents, two chemists, one bookseller, one hairdresser and a yeast dealer. There were 15 dressmakers’ shops, 12 boot and shoe retailers, eight tailors, four drapers, six laundries, two milliners and one clogger.

Today, with a population of 2,615, Hayfield has eight pubs, two restaurants, two hairdressers, two antique shops, two surgeries, two motor dealers, one fish and chip shop, one butcher’s, one florist, one greengrocer, one general store, one health food shop, one gift shop, one art gallery, one newsagent, one chemist, one post office and one estate agent.

The arrival of the railway in 1868 seems to have brought about the rise in Hayfield’s fortunes. Its closure in 1970 seems to have marked its commercial decline. Discuss.

Despite the reduction in amenities, however, Hayfield’s popularity as a rural retreat has continued to grow. Its house prices continue to soar and are among the dearest in The High Peak area.

After our visit  to Park Hall Pool, we rejoined the rest of the nine-strong party at The Lantern Pike for pints of Timothy Taylor’s excellent Landlord cask bitter and chip butties generously provided by Tom.

Walkers; Wally, Tony, Ken.    Apologies: Pete (domestic duties) and Geoff (taking Gill to Oswestry for another mini op.

Route: Bollington Rangers' car park - F.Smith pie shop - Ingersley Vale - Virgins' path - Flagg Cottage - Kerridge Ridge - White Nancy - Kerridge - Bollington.

Wally had printed off 2 different walks, but Ken needed a pie, so when we reached the pie shop, we were not on one of Wally's routes. Ken suggested White Nancy; after chatting to a younger couple, we decided to attempt the ascent of Kerridge Ridge by a zig-zag path starting by the dam below Rainow. Ken would have led us back to Ingersley Vale, but we stayed put until he came back. After lunch at White Nancy, we descended towards Kerridge, and hit on an open Bulls Head. Emerging after a single pint (beer OK), we turned right, then headed left downhill, which brought us via the canal to the public library opposite the rec, and hence to the D & P., where we were joined by Geoff.

Stats:

Stats.

Mileage 4.75

Elevation 1116 feet

Average speed 1.46 mph

Fastest 3.73 mph

Time 2.55 hours

Next week’s walk will start at 9.55am from the main square in Longnor, Derbyshire, with a break at The Hartington Arms, Hartington, around 12.30pm. Our final watering hole has still to be decided, depending on whether Frank Dudley can be tempted out to celebrate his 97^th birthday.

Little Hayfield

LITTLE HAYFIELD, CALICO TRAIL, RIVER SETT, HAYFIELD, SNAKE PASS TRAIL, MIDDLE MOOR, CARR MEADOW, CHUNAL MOOR, MATLEY MOOR, KNARRS FARM, KINGS CLOUGH HEAD FARM, LITTLE MILL AT ROWARTH, CLOUGH MILL AND LANTERN PIKE AT LITTLE HAYFIELD

Distance: Nine miles.

Difficulty: Easy.

Weather: Occasional snow showers mingled with blue skies and sunshine.

Walkers: Mickey Barrett, Peter Beal, Tom Cunliffe, Malcolm Halley, Alan Hart and John Laverick.

B walkers: Tony Job, Peter Morrall and Geoff Spurrell.

Apologies: George Dearsley (w*^king), Lawrie Fairman (proper poorly), Jock Rooney (w*^king in South Africa, Julian Ross (w*^king at home), Ken Sparrow (domestic duties), Colin Davison (Brittany) and George Whaites.

Leader: Beal. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Car park of The Lantern Pike, Little Hayfield.

Starting time: 10.02am Finishing time: 2.40pm.

Despite the official arrival of spring, the weather conditions were still wintry with The Peak District under a blanket of snow. Consequently the proposed venue of Errwood Reservoir car park was transferred to Little Hayfield, where conditions were deemed to be more conducive to walking.

Lawrie’s wife Wendy had informed your diarist that our Geordie boy was suffering from reflux problems and was unable to come out to play. It was therefore agreed that Peter B should take over the mantle of leader as a local lad who understands the mysteries of maps.

The change involved a delayed start while your diarist rang around informing people of the new venue.

The list of apologies shows that three of our regulars were w*^king, a disgusting habit that most of us gave up years ago, so our numbers were down from the record levels of recent weeks. Those who did sally forth were rewarded with a mixture of sunshine and snow showers.

                                                               Kinder with its white mantle

                

From the Lantern Pike we turned right and then right again after 100 yards into Slack Lane. We went left (4mins) at a public footpath sign which was the start of The Calico Trail. This took us through theMay Queen playing fields and over the River Sett (15mins) near the start of the Sett Valley Trail.

We crossed Market Street to the right of The Pack Horse (20mins) and passed shops which had undergone a retrospective for filming a new six-part series called “The Village” starting on BBC next Sunday

Arthur Lowe's plaque. I wonder who lived here???   Don’t tell him Pike!

The series, starring Maxine Peake and John Simm, and written by Bafta-winner Peter Moffatt, begins in 1914 when the first bus to stop in the village arrives to great excitement. It continues to tell the story of succeeding generations to present day. It has been filmed in Hayfield and Chapel-en-le-Frith.

The television theme continued when we passed a row of terraced cottages on our left which overlooked Hayfield Cricket Club. On the wall was a blue plaque erected by Derbyshire County Council dedicated to Arthur Lowe (1915-1982), who was born and raised in one of the cottages. He was known and loved by millions in his role as Captain Mainwaring in the BBC sitcom “Dad’s Army.”

Although this was featured on the plaque, no mention was made of an earlier part he played with distinction which brought him to the attention of TV audiences. From 1961 until 1966 he appeared in Coronation Street as the pompous shopkeeper and lay preacher Leonard Swindley.

His biographer reveals that Lowe despised Corrie but even when he left the show it was to appear in a spin-off from the soap entitled “Pardon The Expression,” which was Swindley’s catchphrase.

Lowe started his acting career with the Manchester Repertory Company earning £5 a week, later appearing in West End musicals “Call Me Madam”, “Pal Joey” and “The Pyjama Game.”

He also had a small part in the movie classic “Kind Hearts and Coronets” (1949) in which he played a reporter from Tit Bits magazine !

Dad’s Army ran from 1968-1977, and between filming Lowe continued to tread the boards with his actress wife Joan. When they toured coastal theatres, the couple used an 1885 former steam yacht called Amazon, which they had bought as a houseboat and converted into a sea-going vessel, as their floating base.

Lowe also appeared in movies, performing in a surreal film by Spike Milligan called “The Bed Sitting Room,” (1969) in which he mutated into a parrot; as a drunken butler opposite Peter O’Toole in “The Ruling Class,” (1972); and as one of Vincent Price’s victims in the horror film “Theatre of Blood” (1973).

Lowe also played Micawber in the BBC serialisation of “David Copperfield” and provided several voices for the children’s “Mr Men” series, which he also narrated.

He was a heavy smoker and his favourite tipple was gin and ginger ale with a slice of cucumber. In later years, he became an alcoholic, suffering a stroke in his dressing room at The Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham, where he was appearing with Joan in a tour of “Home At Seven.”

Lowe died the next day, aged 66. Surprisingly his wife Joan did not attend his low-key funeral because she was appearing in “Home At Seven” in Belfast and felt “the show must go on.”

In his youth, Lowe had been a member of Hayfield Cricket Club. During the hugely successful run of Dad’s Army he recruited his cast colleagues to appear in a charity match which was attended by thousands of fans. The ageing Private Godfrey fielded at third slip in an armchair. Happy days.

After passing the plaque we turned left at a public bridleway at the start of the Snake Pass trail (28mins). Thus began a steady ascent which took us on to Middle Moor. Before we reached the distinctive white shooting lodge, we turned left following a signpost towards Glossop (58mins).

                                                                   A bridge too far?

This led us to Carr Meadow and a wooden bridge over a stream called Hollingworth Clough. On the far side in the lee of the wind, we stopped for Pietime at 11.30am (88mins). Resuming, we turned right uphill on to Chunal Moor and reached the road between Hayfield and Glossop (115mins). We crossed it and followed the sign for Charlesworth.

After cresting a hill we turned left at a public footpath sign (122mins). As we turned we passed an intriguing wheelie bin which was tied with a strap marked “Girls On Tour” and a black feather boa. The path led us on to Mattley Moor.

Just before Knarrs Farm we turned right, crossed a stone step stile, and turned left (124mins). Another stile brought us to a road, where we turned left downhill (136mins). Passing Kings Clough Head Farm on our right (145mins) we crossed a stream and forked left (150mins).

Ignoring the first footbridge on our left we continued then crossed the second. After fording the stream to reach its left bank again, we turned left over a wooden stile marked with a yellow arrow (158mins).      

                                             “Pie times over you’ve had your 30 seconds!”

The path brought us out by a red phone box where we turned left for a few yards and then right to follow a public footpath sign by the side of large stone in the wall which was inscribed: “Sunday school for children of all denominations 1824.”

This path brought us to the Little Mill Inn at Rowarth (162mins) where the Banks bitter at £2-75 was not to everyone’s taste. This did not prevent a second pint from being consumed.

Leaving the Little Mill, we turned right uphill, passing the giant watermill on our right. Where the lane forked we went right (173mins) and continued a gradual climb until we went through a gate and turned immediately right (192mins). This route took us along the shoulder of the hill called Lantern Pike as we dropped down to the pub of that name, passing Clough Mill and w*^king George.

The pub was the third site of TV interest of the day, for it was here in 1960 that Tony Warren penned the early episodes of Coronation Street, while renting a house in Little Hayfield. One of the parts was for a character called Elsie Tanner which he had written for a local actress named Pat Phoenix.

Here the Timothy Taylor Landlord was deemed to be in fine form, as it should be at £3-22 a pint, and Tom kindly laid on a liberal supply of chips to sustain us.

We later learned that the B team had caught a bus to The Ram’s Head at Disley from where they had walked uphill into Lyme Park, past Lyme Hall and down to Higher Poynton, crossing the Macclefield Canal en route. After drinks in The Boar’s Head, they had then walked to Wilfred Wood Wetherspoons in Hazel Grove for further refreshment at the end of a walk of around five miles.

Next week’s A walk will start at 9.30am from The Soldier Dick at Furness Vale, with a midway livener at The Dandy Cock, Disley, around 12.15pm and an anticipated 2.15pm finish back at The Soldier Dick.