Brabyns Park

BRABYNS PARK, MARPLE BRIDGE, HOLLYWOOD, MELLOR CHURCH, DEVONSHIRE ARMS AT MELLOR, SNAPE HEY FARM, MELLOR AND TOWNSCLIFFE GOLF COURSE, LINNET CLOUGH SCOUT CAMPSITE, ROMAN LAKES, PEAK FOREST CANAL, RING O’ BELLS AT MARPLE, MARPLE LOCKS AND NORFOLK ARMS AT MARPLE BRIDGE

Distance: 8 Miles.

Difficulty: Strenuous.

Weather: Cool and cloudy but dry.

Walkers: Peter Beal, Tom Cunliffe, Colin Davison, Alan Hart, John Laverick and George Whaites.

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

Apologies: Mickey Barrett (hols), George Dearsley (w*^king in Istanbul), Lawrie Fairman (Riviera hols), Jock Rooney (w*^king in South Africa) and Julian Ross (no reason given but probably w*^king).

 Leader: Davison. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Brabyns Park at Marple Bridge.

Starting time: 9.32am. Finishing time: 2pm.

With starting time upon us, a car screeched to a halt and our leader for the day emerged spluttering protests about a change of venue.  He was under the illusion that a drunken conversation at the end of last week’s walk would be remembered in its entirety and that he would, therefore, not need to read the final paragraph of the diary WHICH FIRMLY STATED THAT THE WALK WOULD COMMENCE AT 9.30AM IN BRABYNS PARK.

Colin, you may recall, was returning on probation after his leadership qualities had been called into question as a result of a series of mistimings and misjudgements on earlier occasions.

Because he had not become aware of the clearly stated starting point until 9am, Colin had not prepared his walk and announced he would have to “wing it.” From past experience we rather feared this might be in the style of Icarus, but to give him credit we did reach our main targets (the two pubs) a few minutes ahead of schedule.

Colin’s love of hills involved us in another rollercoaster ride so although the walk was not long, it proved to be challenging.

After leaving the car park by walking back to the entrance and turning left, we crossed the River Goyt where a team of demolition men were working on a subsiding bank. Interestingly, one of these men supported by a safety harness and wearing a high-vis jacket, was trying to dislodge a massive rock above him.

We turned right at The Norfolk Arms up Town Street and then left up Hollins Lane, passing Marple Bridge United Reform Church on our left. Complaints about the first mile of the walk being purely along roads soon abated when, despite unseasonably dry weather, Colin found a succession of muddy paths and fields.

At the junction with Ley Lane we turned right (23mins) and then left at a public footpath sign (24mins). This took us up a gravel track for 30 yards and then we turned right, passing a row of cottages on our right.

We crossed a stile to turn right again and passed a pond on our right (28mins). We crossed a stile marked with a yellow arrow and then turned left down Hollywood Lane (34mins). Opposite Bridge House (35mins) we turned right across a wooden stile following a public footpath sign for Marple.

This brought us to a path between two drystone walls. We turned left at a wooden public footpath sign (41mins), crossed a wooden stile and followed a wooden public footpaths sign which pointed indistinctly in the direction of Longhurst Lane. On our right were a series of chicken coops which we surmised were for the purpose of breeding rare species. They were all fenced separately with chicken wire which Peter B decided were designed as “anti-hanky panky” to prevent cross-breeding.

Two ponds had been created on the right for ducks and geese, and to our left were a row of seven beehives. Somebody seemed to be emulating the much-loved sitcom “The Good Life.” We turned left at the beehives (48mins) along a path which took us through a gate and a stableyard (53mins), turning left at a public footpath sign towards Mellor Church (54mins).

St Thomas's Church, Mellor

After trudging up the steep hill to reach the historic church and graveyard, we were allowed no respite but herded along like American tourists “doing Europe.” There was deemed no time to catch our breath or even look at the replica of a Bronze Age house there as we plunged downhill again and after 100 yards turned right across a wooden stile (70mins).

After going through a gate and squeezing through a gap stile we turned left downhill (73mins) and emerged at a road with The Devonshire Arms on our right. Curly-top dismissed the idea of pausing for Pietime on the convenient benches outside the pub and pressed on across the road to follow a sign for Linnet Clough (77mins).

We turned left into Whetmorhurst Lane (82mins) and left again after 20 yards at a wooden public footpath sign which took us up a muddy path into a farmyard. After turning right through a gate (89mins) we stopped by a wall for our pie break (90mins). Not for the first time on our journeys, Tom disappeared from our sight (but sadly not our hearing) after borrowing some tissues.

We continued past Moorhead Cottage on our left, where Colin bought six free range eggs for £1, and turned right at a public footpath sign to go through Snape Hey Farm (96mins). Two wooden stiles brought us to Mellor and Townscliffe golf course (102mins) which we crossed along a right of way and then passed Linnet Clough scout camp on our right.

Our group entered Roman Lakes Leisure Park (116mins) and crossed the Goyt by a road bridge before heading up steps on our left marked with a yellow arrow (118mins). This took us uphill to a footbridge across the Manchester-Sheffield railway line (122mins). At the top of a set of steps on the far side we turned left, crossed a main road and continued to climb uphill (127mins).

This brought us out at The Peak Forest Canal. This is a 15-mile waterway which was started in 1794, first used in 1796 and completed in 1805. The main shareholder was Samuel Oldknow and the principal engineer was Benjamin Outram. The Lower Peak Forest Canal runs from Dukinfield Junction, where it joins the Ashton Canal, to the foot of Marple’s 16 locks. The Upper Peak Forest Canal runs from Marple, where it is linked to the Macclesfield Canal, to Bugsworth Basin, from where a branch leads to the centre of Whaley Bridge.

The canal was another victim of the success of the railway system. In the 1920s the Peak Forest Tramways and Buggy Basin closed and by the 1960s the canal had become impassable. But after restoration work it was reopened in 1974 for the use of pleasure craft.

After joining the canal at Bridge 19 we walked along the towpath with the water on our right to reach its junction with The Macclesfield Canal at Bridge 1. We continued along the left bank until the first exit opposite The Ring O’ Bells (137mins).

Here the Robbies’ mild at £2-60 a pint and the bitter at £2-85 were deemed to be in excellent form. We drank in The Bell Room where a photo of the many men of Marple who fell during World War 1 was updated with a separate photo of Corporal Danny Winter, aged 18, who was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2009.

We rejoined the canal at Bridge 2 and walked along its right bank  before leaving at Bridge 3 to walk down Marple Locks, pausing for lunch on Lock 12 (142mins). 

Continuing we carried on along the canal until reaching Station Road (150mins). We crossed and joined the right bank of the canal, leaving it at Lock 7 and crossing a bridge over the Manchester-Sheffield line with Marple Station on our right (163mins).

On reaching a point overlooking a football pitch at Brabyns Park below us, we turned right (169mins) to return to our cars (172mins). After debooting, we joined the B walkers in The Norfolk Arms.

They had arrived at Brabyns Park by car and caught a bus to Shiloh Road, near Rowarth, from where they had walked to Mellor Church and the village of Hollywood before pausing for drinks in The George at Compstall. 

They had then walked back over the iron bridge through Brabyns Park, an estate of 95 acres.

The land had contained Brabyns Hall, built in the 1740s for Dr Henry Brabin, a local surgeon. During World War 1 it served as an auxiliary hospital and convalescent home for wounded soldiers. 

Iron Bridge

Its last owner was Miss Fanny Hudson, who died in 1941 aged 90, leaving the hall and estate to be bought by local councils.

There were plans to convert the hall into an art gallery, museum, library or assembly hall when it was bought in 1949. Three years later it was found to be riddled with dry rot and the hall was demolished.

Several cask beers brewed in Sheffield were available at The Norfolk Arms at £3 a pint.

Next week’s A walk will start at 9.30am from the car park of The Horseshoe on the A6 at High Lane, with a half-time stop at The Dandy Cock around 12.15pm before returning to The Horseshoe at about 2.20pm.

  

Disley

DISLEY, BOLLINHURST RESERVOIR, MILLENIUM WOOD, BOLDER HALL FARM, BLACK ROCKS, OWLS’ NEST, PEAK FOREST CANAL, GOYT VALLEY, HAGUE BAR, THE FOX AT BROOK BOTTOM, WOOD END LIFT BRIDGE AND THE DANDY COCK AT DISLEY

Distance: Nine miles.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Weather: Dry with early sunshine and good visibility.

Walkers: Micky Barrett, Peter Beal, Tom Cunliffe, Lawrie Fairman, Alan Hart, Julian Ross and George Whaites.

B Walkers: Geoff Spurrell and Mike Walton.

Non-walking drinkers: John Eckersley and Tony Job.

Apologies: George Dearsley (working), Colin Davison (crewing a Caribbean yacht), Frank Dudley (in hospital), Tony Job (central heating problems), John Laverick (on union business in Paris) and Jock Rooney (diving).

Leader: Hart. Diarist: Hart.

Starting Point: Disley Station car park.

Starting time: 9.33am. Finishing time: 2.15pm.

Another newcomer joined the ranks of the Wednesday Wanderers in the chunky shape of Micky Barrett, former amateur footballer, retired business entrepreneur and all round good egg. 

He warned us he is unlikely to be a regular member of our ad hoc hiking team, but we look forward to seeing him again soon.

If he can bring such glorious weather with him he will be all the more welcome as we enjoyed our first dry day for several weeks, enabling us to have magnificent panoramic views from the ridge along Black Rocks.

A good day ended on a downbeat note when we learned from John that Frank had been taken to Macclesfield Hospital after suffering a series of falls at his home. 

Wally reported they had happened in the early hours of Sunday morning after Frank had enjoyed a convivial night at Poynton Sports Club.

While voicing our concern and hopes for Frank’s speedy recovery, we also expressed the hope that we might all live to fall over pissed at the age of 96 !

Lawrie was uncharacteristically adamant that your diarist should lead this walk – despite Tom’s protests (He recalled a shambolic performance by your diarist four years earlier when we got lost in the fog while attempting the same route).

On this occasion there were no such failures (well hardly any) as we set off in bright sunshine and managed to reach our main targets, The Fox and The Dandy Cock, with military precision.

From the car park we walked past Disley Station on our right and climbed a flight of steep steps on our left. At the top we followed the sign for St Mary’s Church before turning right uphill (6mins). This brought us a view of Lyme Cage.

Heavy rain in recent days had created a giant puddle on the far side of a wooden stile which we would normally have crossed to walk diagonally through a field. Instead we carried on along the road, then turned first right and then left along a lane leading to a farm.

Just before we reached the farm we turned left at a gate marked with a yellow arrow which guided us to the drystone wall in front of Bollinhurst Reservoir. We turned left at the wall and where it ended we went right over a wooden stile into a wood (25mins).

We exited through a gate and went straight ahead, turning left just before a picturesque cottage to enter Millennium Wood through a gate. We emerged through another gate to reach the road at Higher Disley and turned right (56mins) for 200 yards.

After passing  Bolder Hall Farm on our left we turned left over a wooden stile at a public footpath sign marked Black Rocks (58mins). Heading uphill at a steady pace we reached the summit (77mins) and took a five-minute time-out to regain our collective breath and to admire the views (82mins).

On the far side we could see Crowden Tower, Edale Rocks, Kinder Low End, Ashop Head and Mill Hill etched distinctly against the skyline. Looking back we could see Bowstones opposite, then to its right Bollinhurst and Horse Coppice reservoirs. To the left of Bowstones were Teggs Nose, Croker Hill, Sponds Hill and Shutlingsloe.

We headed north along the ridge, crossing a ladder stile and passing to the right of The Owls’ Nest, a wooden dormitory which pupils of Manchester Grammar School use as base for outward bound activities (and who knows what else?) during school holidays and weekends.

Our route took us to the right of a farmhouse and across the road back down to Disley. We went to the left of Byron House (102mins), then turned left along a path marked with a yellow arrow. At the end of this path we paused for pies and port at a convenient stack of building stones (105mins).

There was some discussion about the progress of Tom’s diet – “I’m still eating the same old sh*t but less of it,” he explained. Some experts have destroyed rain forests selling books and devouring airtime with garrulous expansions of this basic principle.

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 should buy one.

Resuming, we turned right, passing Pear Tree Cottage and walked downhill to the A6 (116mins), which we crossed to enter Lower Greenshall Lane. After walking over a bridge across the Peak Forest Canal (120mins) we turned left to walk along its right bank.*

Shortly after passing a swing bridge we turned right (134mins) down a steep path. We followed this down to a footbridge over a stream (139mins). The path brought us to a T-junction where we turned right to head up a flight of steps and over a wooden stile.

We turned left at a stile marked with a yellow arrow which had been obscured by the trunk of a tree (144mins) and the path took us into the car park of the Disley Tissues factory (145mins). We reached a road and turned right uphill (147mins).

While others took a short cut by following a path along the right bank of the River Goyt, the main group negotiated a hairpin bend and crossed the Goyt by a road bridge before passing The Torrs Riverside Park and Hague Picnic Site on our right (157mins).

We crossed into Hague Fold Road for the long final ascent towards Brook Bottom. As we swung left at a row of houses Lawrie, not for the first time in his life, pointed out Liverpool Cathedral some 40 miles away on the distant skyline.

After swinging right at the end of the row we reached a road and turned left (168mins). This brought us to The Fox (170mins) at precisely 12.15pm. A pint of Robbies’ mild and one of bitter came to £5-70 (presumably £2-80 and £2-90 respectively).

Tom declared, somewhat loudly, that the bitter was not to his liking. Lawrie also expressed the view that it was under par. Nonetheless most of us bravely risked a second pint.

Meanwhile the B team had caught two buses from Hazel Grove to Birch Vale, passing through Thornsett, the Shiloh Road and New Mills Golf Club on a rollercoaster route of four miles to The Fox. They arrived just as we were leaving.

From The side of The Fox car park we headed downhill going under the railway line at Brook Bottom Road Bridge (181mins) and crossing the Goyt (186mins). At a main road we crossed and went straight on to reach the Peak Forest Canal (196mins) where we stopped for lunch.

Continuing our journey we turned left with the canal on our right until we turned right at Wood End Lift Bridge (204mins) to cross the canal. This path took us past allotments on our left before we reached the A6 with the Dandy Cock on our left (216mins). It was widely agreed that the Robbies’ bitter here was in fine fettle, as was the mild at £2-50 a pint.

Julian regaled us with the story of his first day as a 21-year-old Pc at Cheadle Hulme police station, where his inspector gave him a clue as to what lay ahead. “So you’re a graduate are you,” the inspector remarked. “They remind me of street lamps in the jungle. Bright but completely useless.”

*Historical note: The Peak Forest Canal, running 15 miles from Ashton-under-Lyne to Whaley Bridge, was authorised by an Act of Parliament in 1794. Its main promoters were the redoubtable Samuel Oldknow and Richard Arkwright Junior with the aim of providing an outlet for the vast limestone deposits around Dove Holes.

The canal, which formed part of the English-Welsh inland waterway network, was completed in 1805. It went into decline with the invention and expansion of railways, and by the 1920s the Peak Forest Tramway and Bugsworth Basin closed. The Peak Forest Canal Society campaigned for its restoration which finished in 1974. Buggy Basin reopened for navigation in 2003.

Next week’s walk (Dec 5) will start from the car park of The Little Mill Inn at Rowarth at 9.40am. We aim to reach The Grouse at Chunal for a livener around 12.30pm and expect to be back at The Little Mill for further refreshment around 2.20pm.

Our attempts to organise a ladies’ dinner or lunch have been somewhat thwarted by unforeseen events so it was decided to announce that members with their wives or girlfriends (but not both) would have lunch next Sunday (Dec 2) at Poynton Sports Club at 1.30pm. This follows a walk which Geoff holds every first Sunday of the month at 10.30am starting from the club, for those who wish to participate.

We know some of you are unable to attend. So that the chef can know the numbers involved, would you please let Geoff or Yvonne know (0161-483-8316) whether you will be there?

Finally, in the absence of Colin’s customary largesse, the Christmas lunch day will start at 9am on Wednesday, December 19, at the home of your diarist, 68, London Road North, Poynton, SK12 1BY.

After bacon butties, mince pies and a stirrup cup of mulled wine or two, we will sally forth around 10 am passing Poynton Pool, heading up Princes Incline to Higher Poynton, through Lyme Park up to Bowstones and back past Lyme Hall to The Dog and Partridge at High Lane for a traditional lunch. We will then complete the day with a 2 ½ mile walk across fields back to my house.

    

Marple

MARPLE

Distance: 9.5 miles

Difficulty: Moderate

Weather: Overcast but dry

Walkers: Alan Hart, George Dearsley, Colin Davison, Lawrie Fairman, George Whaites, Peter Beal

Apologies: Jock Rooney(abroad)

B Walkers: Geoff Spurrell, Tony Job, John Laverick, Mike Walton

Non-walking drinkers: John Eckersley. Frank Dudley

Leader: Davison Diarist: Dearsley

Starting Point: Top car park, Brabyns Park

Starting Time: 9.35am. Finishing Time: 2.25pm

From famine to feast. After last week’s paucity of A walkers, a sextet duly assembled for a trek around Marple.

We exited Brabyns Park onto Station Road and crossed over into Town Street, Marple Bridge, made famous by the local woman who hit Mrs Thatcher with a bunch of daffs.

After meandering past the shops we turned right opposite the GPs’ surgery and before the road rises and crossed the cobbles that link several tastefully renovated cottages.

This track also rises and at 9.51am Mr Davison called our attention to a hole. This one was rather special. It led to a tunnel and nearby there were much larger excavations which turned out to be the remains of a mill built by the famous entrepreneur Samuel Oldknow.

The Wellington wheel-pit, dating back to 1793, has been dug out mainly by volunteers. The wheel itself was 22 feet in diameter, once the world’s largest. You can learn more here.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-17320765

Tunnel vision

Where there’s (not) a wheel

The road we were on turned out to be Bottoms Mill Road and at the end we turned left, passing a sign to Prescott Old Hall Farm.

We went right onto Lakes Road and passed the Roman Lakes.

A few hundred yards on we turned right over the impressive stone bridge. When we reached the road that links Marple and New Mills we turned left and then right at a white house called Spouthouse Farm.

We turned left, negotiating a stile with a spooky looking red house in the distance.

Then we went diagonally across a field to a stile.

We embarked on a gentle climb that took us to the Peak Forest canal (10.23am) where we turned right.

We left the canal at bridge 21 dropped down and followed footpath 175 towards Marple.

At the road we turned left and right.

We passed the Crown at Hawk Green at 10.42am onto Barnsfold Road. Moments later Colin decided we should view Hawk Green cricket ground. Yes. It was green and empty.

With no sound of leather on willow we set off again only to find ourselves in a nearby cul de sac.

Howzat? Colin was caught out.

Retracing our steps we soon reached the main road and as we passed the Goyt Mill Mr Davison decided to remonstrate with three dubious looking individuals about a large van which was parked on the pavement forcing pedestrians into the road.

The pleadings of one of the trio that they had no knowledge of the van or its owner cut no ice with our leader who grumbled on, as another of the accused rather unkindly called him: “Knobhead”

Anyone for bridge?

After Goyt Mill we rejoined the canal at stopped for Pie Time at 10.55am.

We set off again at 11.07am cutting right onto the golf course from the spot where Colin once fell into the canal.

We crossed the Middlewood Way, passing Marple Rugby Club’s and Mellor Football Club’s pitches, eventually emerging onto Torkington Road.

We were about 15 minutes early for the pub, so Colin recommended we turn left and we sauntered past some expensive houses emerging at the entrance to Bosden Fold Estate and onto the road linking Marple and Stockport.

We turned right and soon picked up a tricky, muddy and slippery path that led us to the Hare and Hounds at Otterspool.

We arrived at 12.08pm. Already there were the B Walkers who had met in Brabyns and walked about 2.5 miles along the canal to Chadkirk.

Most chose Hyde’s Original at £2,65. Your diarist drank a guest beer Caskablanca at £2.90.

We left the pub at 1pm turning left towards Chadkirk.

We went onto Vale Road and turned right onto a path that led us to the new shiny green bridge, which we had seen being built on a previous walk a few months back.

We stopped for lunch at 1.20pm setting off again at 1.28pm.

Lucheon

After the bridge the track became quite muddy for a while.

It followed the Goyt river and the collective thinking (and hope) was that if we followed the river it would eventually bring us to Brabyns Park.

Unfortunately at an intersection we decided to go straight on passing the Marple Canoe Club’s premises and ignoring a cleaner and tidier path.

The one we chose followed the river closely but soon the path almost petered out in undergrowth.

At around 1.50pm the group split up.

Your diarist and Mr Hart followed a plastic pipeline that climbed upwards, while the remaining Wanderers tried to find a better path.

Soon they were met with a cliff like escarpment and retraced their steps to the pipeline, which eventually led to a road that goes right to Marple Dale care home.

We turned left and took the road into Marple.

At the shops opposite the Texaco Station we turned left, picking up Station Road and reaching the cars at 2.25pm.

After de-booting your diarist reached the Royal Scot at 2.35pm.

The breakaway quartet were not far behind.

Our gathering, augmented by Messrs Dudley and Eckersley, enjoyed the largesse of Mr Beal and Mr Whaites who celebrated their birthdays (64 and 70 respectively) in the usual Wanderers way with free ale.

Next week’s walk will start in the main car park at Bollington at 9.30am. We hope to reach the half way point the Robin Hood at Rainow at 12.30pm and finishing at the Dog and Partridge.