Disley

 22nd January 2025

DISLEY, BOLLINHURST RESERVOIR, MILLENIUM WOOD, BLACK ROCKS, BYRON HOUSE, GREENSHALL LANE, PEAK FOREST CANAL, GOYT VALLEY, HAGUE BAR, THE FOX AT BROOK BOTTOM, STRINES, PEERES SWINDELLS' COTTAGE, PEAK FOREST CANAL, HAGG BANK, THE DANDY COCK AT DISLEY

Distance: 9 miles.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Weather: fine and dry

Walkers: Tom Cunliffe, Daisy Cunliffe, Chris Owen, Cliff Worthington, Clive Rothell, Julian Ross, Mike Cassini, Russ Spencer and Simon Williams

Apologies: Unkown

Non Walking Drinkers: Jock Rooney and Milley

Leader: Cunliffe D Diarist: Cunliffe T

Starting point: Disley rail station car park.

Starting time: 9.45am. Finishing time: 2.15pm.

 

Having faithfully followed the diary of the identical walk written by Mr Hart on a previous occasion, I find myself plagiarising his carefully crafted effort from 6thApril 2022. His words and pics follow, interspersed with a few of my own  

 

From the station car park we walked past The Ram's Head on our right and turned right uphill, passing Red Lane. Just before we reached The White Horse we turned right up Ring O'Bells Lane and headed up to the building, a former pub, which gave the lane its name. The original pub sign is still there but the building is now a Quakers' meeting house.

We turned right in front of the building, crossed a footbridge over a stream and turned left (5mins). We continued along a path with graveyards from the parish church on either side.

We turned left and headed diagonally left along a well-trodden path which cut off a corner and emerged opposite a metal kissing gate which we went through to head diagonally right across a field with the distinctive Lyme Cage atop a hill in the distance (9mins)

At the corner of the field we left via another metal kissing gate to head up a track with Lyme Cage to our right until we reached the entrance to a farmyard. Here we turned left up steps through a wooden kissing gate (18mins). The path took us along the left of a drystone wall behind which was Bollinhurst Reservoir.

 

         The reservoir with Lyme Cage in the distance

 

As we walked towards the eastern end of the reservoirwe heard the first cries of a curlew. When we reached a wooden stile on our right (28mins) we turned right to enter a wood, following a path through a metal kissing gate and then headed right towards a metal gate (34mins)

Beyond the gate was a track and a sign directly opposite for Drake Carr. We followed this path and when we reached the picturesque cottage on our right after 50 yards we turned left up steps to enter Millenium Wood (36mins). The path brought us through a wooden gate to a road where we turned right (40mins)

After passing Bolder Hall Farm on our left we turned left to cross a stile by a wooden public footpath sign for Black Rocks (43mins). 

 

Having reached the ridge known as Black Rocks we turned left, soon climbing over a ladder stile marked with a white arrow. Pie time was declared.

Continuing along the ridge we went through a metal kissing gate and followed a yellow arrow (68mins) to the left of a copse of trees. We headed left to a new metal kissing gate which brought us to the rear of a cottage (78mins)

A right of way through the cottage garden brought us to the road. We crossed it and followed a footpath sign through the garden of Byron House. At a gate on the far side we were able to turn left and head downhill along a narrow pathway.

At the bottom of the path we turned right (83mins) passing Pear Tree Cottage on our left. We now followed this track, which became rocky, as it wound downhill. It was revealed as Greenshall Lane as it reached the A6 (95mins). We crossed the busy main road and entered Lower Greenshall Lane, walking through the tunnel under the Manchester-Buxton railway line and over Bridge 27 across the Peak Forest Canal.

 

We continued along the canal on our left as we headed in the direction of Marple.

The Upper Peak Forest Canal is 7 miles long starting from Whaley Bridge and Bugsworth Basin through Bridgemont, Furness Vale, New Mills and Disley on its way to Marple. It was opened in 1796 and was predominantly used to transport coal and limestone, using the Peak Forest Tramway and linking with other existing canals.

 

When we reached Bridge 25 we turned right through a gap marked with a green public footpath sign (113mins). The path led us down a flight of steep wooden steps and across a footbridge (119mins). After climbing uphill on the far side of a stream we turned right up a steep flight of wooden steps to cross a wooden stile (124mins)

Turning left at a yellow arrow we crossed a wooden stile (128mins) and walked to the left of a pond to enter a car park. As it emerged on a road at the far side we turned right for 10 yards then went left following a green public footpath sign(131mins)

This brought us to the banks of the Goyt where we walked with the river on our left.

The path led us back to the road where we turned left and crossed a bridge over the Goyt. We were now heading relentlessly uphill, passing a children's playground on our right at Hague Bar and crossing a main road (141mins)

This minor road became progressively steeper as it passed Lower Hague Fold Farm on the right just before it swung left in front of a row of cottages. 

Beyond the cottages the path swung right and came to a minor road (148mins). Turning left past a memorial bench to Eric Burdekin we arrived at The Fox at Brook Bottom, we were joined by Jock and Milly. 

 

On leaving the pub we retraced our footsteps for a few paces before turning right at a sign marked Goyt Valley Way, it was a rocky descent. We continued past Strines Station and Strines Hall on our left and passed a former millpond with its own dovecote on our right.

                      The millpond and dovecote at Strines  

 

 

 

We crossed Strines Road and headed uphill along a rough track. As it levelled we came to an ancient cottage on our right with a stone transcription above its door 

 

informing us that “Peeres Swindells purchest this land and built this house in the yeare 1694.”

 

          Built to last 326 years ago

 

On reaching an overhead bridge we turned left, climbed up the banking to reach the Peak Forest Canal. 

We exited at Bridge 24 and climbed steadily uphill before descending to pass Hagg Bank Allotments on our left.

One last climb under the railway bridge brought us to the A6 at Disley with The Dandy Cock a few yards to our left. Here, Mike C and your diarist enjoyed a pint of Unicorn and Dizzy Blonde whilst the rest of the party chose to forego the pleasure of a pint of Robbies and headed staright back to their vehicles. On emptying our glasses we heading back to our cars. From the pub is was a five minute walk across the A6 and right through the traffic lights to reach our cars at the station.

 

 

 

 

 

Next week’s walk will start at 9.50am from the A623 in Castleton, park on the roadside between the tight right turn and the tight left hand turn to Winnats pass indicated thus:

 

 

The wander will be led by Cliff who expects to reach the Old Hall at Hope around 12:30. We anticipate debootingaround 2:30 or thereabouts. 

 

Happy wandering !

 

New Mills

New Mills

 January 28th, 2024.

 

NEW MILLS LEISURE CENTRE, TORRS RIVERSIDE PARK, PEAK FOREST CANAL, GREENSHALL LANE, CORKS LANE, LONG LANE, GREEN LANE, LYME PARK, DISLEY, GOYT VALLEY WAY, MILLENIUM WALKWAY

Distance: 8.97 miles.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Weather: Mostly Dry, Occasionally Sunny, wet but mainly firm underfoot.

Walkers: Andy Blease, Steve Brearley, Alistair Cairns, Mike Cassini, Tom Cunliffe and Daisy, Mark Enright, Hughie Hardiman, Chris Owens, James Riley with Flossie Jasper and Olive, Julian Ross, , Clive Rothell, Russell Spencer, Dean Taylor and Tommy, Keith Webb, Andy White and Berta, Cliff Worthington.

Non Walking Drinkers: Colin Davison. Alan Hart, Jock and Kieran Rooney with Milly.

Apologies: Simon Williams car problems en route

Leader: Cassini. Diarist: Cassini

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

Starting time: 9.46am. Finishing time: 2.15pm.

                                                                           

 

An excellent turnout with 16 starters including new member Russ Spencer and an abundance of canine companions were able to enjoy a contrast to last week’s slog through the snow and mud, with generally good walking conditions and a sunny day. Additionally 4 non walkers joined in at the Dandy Cock some drinking Dizzy Blonde at £4.40 a pint

 

Starting at New Mills Leisure Centre in warmer conditions than in previous weeks we descended steps from the car park turned right through the road tunnel emerging into the Torr’s Riverside Park where shortly we came across the small hydroelectric community scheme. 

Following through the park towards a small climb to the Peak Forest Canal, we passed under the Hayfield Road supported by a Leat and another viaduct for the railway, the River Goyt was faster and fuller than normal due to the recent heavy snow and rain.

As on the last time we did this walk we had to allow a large group of female joggers to pass, last time they were in Lyme Park but this time they were just past New Mills Marina.

Once on the Peak Forest canal path we passed by New Mills marina and Swizzels before exiting at bridge 27 onto Greenshall Lane, crossing the A6 just past the service station where surprise, surprise road works on the A6 allowed us to cross and continue upwards to Corks lane.

Chris and Dean in the advance party continued on Greenshall Lane, which exits on to Mudhurst Lane and could have linked up with the planned route but for some reason I didn’t fancy the additional ½ mile climb and they were called back and we exited onto Buxton Old Road. We crossed the road after 400 yards taking a bridle path onto Long Lane and Green Lane where Pietime was taken outside a boarding kennels. The residents got very excited and noisy because of our four legged friends.

Shortly after and into Lyme Park through the East Lodge gate where a few yards later we came across Lyme Cage.

Passing by Lyme Cage, we exited the park continuing up Red Lane into Disley village and the Dandy Cock, where Alan, Colin, Jock and Kieran (and Millie) met up with us virtually taking over the pub for the hour we were there; dogs, non-walking drinkers, non-drinking walkers, drinking walkers altogether enjoying the fine day and conversation.

On leaving the pub we continued back along the Peak Forest canal through the relatively new housing estate. Plans to go down Waterside and onto Mousley Bottom were scuppered by Network Rail blocking passage onto the Goyt Way due to overrunning Rail repairs!

We carried on to just past Swizzels where we turned left into the Torrs, again going over the Millennium Bridge and into the Leisure centre.

STOP PRESS

Fellow WW, sadly our planned wander for tomorrow leaving from Carr Brow has been postponed for a few weeks. Our guide, Colin, has had to cancel due to illness. I’m sure we all wish Colin a speedy recovery.

All is not lost; we will now leave from the Ram’s Head Disley at 9:45. We’ll have a  wander over to the Fox at Brook Bottom arriving at say 12:15 returning to Disley for say 2:30. 

Be there or be square 🤷🏽‍♂️

 

Happy Wandering!

 

Dean Row

 

Dean Row

 

January 8, 2025.

 

DEAN ROW, HANDFORTH, BOLLIN VALLEY WAY, MOTTRAM ST ANDREW GOLF COURSE, NORTH CHESHIRE WAY, THE BULLS HEAD AT MOTTRAM ST ANDREW, LEGH OLD HALL, LOWER GADHOLE FARM, THE ADMIRAL RODNEY AT PRESTBURY, PRESTBURY SEWAGE TREATMENT WORKS, THE UNICORN AT DEAN ROW

 

Planned Distance: 8 miles. 

Actual : 11.3 miles 

Difficulty: Normally a WHB but weather conditions and a couple of mis-steps made it murderous for your diarist and leader

Weather: Cold but sun and blue skies.

Walkers: Julian Ross, Hughie Hardiman, Mike Barrett, Steve Brearley, Clive Rothell, Dean Taylor, Keith Welsh, Cliff Worthington, Tom Cunliffe, Daisy Cunliffe

Apologies: Unknown

Non Walking Drinkers: Alan Hart, Mike Cassini.

Leader: Cunliffe Diarist: Cunliffe

Starting point: Car park of The Unicorn at Dean Row, Handforth.

Starting time: 9.55am. Finishing time: 3.15?pm.

 

It is worth noting that our friend and fellow wanderer, Harty, informed us this week that after a series of tests at the hospital he has been diagnosed with lung cancer. He is to undergo treatment at Christies within the next few weeks. I’m sure we all wish Alan the very best of luck; we are all rooting for you pal. Get well soon and re-join your buddies on the Peak District trails.

 

Our first wander of the New Year originally billed as a White Handbag Walk had to be reclassified as effin-hard due to the compacted snow, ice, Daisy’s needy high maintenance and couple of mis-steps. Instead of an anticipated 8 miles it was 11.3 miles. The weather was sunny with blue skies but cold.

 

The diary from this point on has been largely plagiarised from a piece penned by Mr Hart dated 7th Dec 2014.  

 

From The Unicorn car park we turned right and right again at the roundabout into Lees Lane. We turned right once again at a public footpath sign, followed a track into a farmyard, swung right and crossed a wooden stile marked with a yellow arrow. This was to be the first of a series of wooden stiles and kissing gates too numerous to mention. 

It was at this point that Daisy began to complain about the weather and the under-foot conditions. Being a responsible dog owner, she was inserted in to my rucksack and thus enjoyed a warm, carefree and comfortable ride for the duration of the wander

We followed a sign for The Bollin Valley Way and turned right at a renovated farmhouse, following a yellow arrow. We went up a flight of steps to reach  a road where we turned right, crossed a bridge over The Bollin and descended a flight of steps on the left. With the Bollin now on our left we followed a path which led us between two buildings and brought us on to the course of Mottram Hall Golf and County Club.

By following the path on the left of the course, we swung left and passed a soccer training pitch on our right. We turned right at a metal kissing gate to exit the course and then crossed an unmarked wooden stile to rejoin it. After passing a sign marked NCW (North Cheshire Way) we went into trees but soon turned left to leave the copse and turned right to take a path which was the continuation of the North Cheshire Way.

We passed Healey Hill on our left and crossed a main road into Priest Lane. On our left was The Bulls Head at Mottram St Andrew, which should hang it in shame for the want of an apostrophe. After 40 yards along Priest Lane we turned left at a wooden public footpath sign at the side of Rose Cottage. We turned left again at a similar sign and then crossed a series of wooden stiles and a footbridge, passing a pink thatched cottage on our right before stopping for Pietime on a flight of steps.

Continuing we turned left at a green footpath sign to reach a road and dog-legged left and right to reach some expensive homes including Legh Old Hall on our left. This was built towards the end of the 16th Century , rebuilt in the 17th Century and altered in the 20th Century. It is constructed of coursed buff sandstone rubble with a Kerrdigeslate roof. It is a Grade 2 listed building on the National Heritage list.

It was at this point your leader had his first mis-step, turning left 20 metres premature….. hey ho. after approx 3/4 mile the mistake was realised and so we back tracked to the wrong turn and continued at the correct turn…….After passing the hall we turned left, went through a metal kissing gate and headed diagonally right downhill. On reaching Lower Gadhole Farm where we turned right to follow a yellow arrow.

We followed yellow arrows to reach a wooden footbridge and headed up steps to a wooden kissing gate. At this point we made our second mis-step iewe turned right ending up in a WW1 quagmire. Again, we realised our mistake, we retraced our steps back through the crap crossing a stile and headed left through a field bringing us back on track….. we went through a wooden gate on our left and turned right along a lane. This brought us to a concrete bridge over the Bollin, which we crossed and turned right.

The path on the left bank of the river merged into a road with a football pitch on the right. We carried on into Prestbury, passing The Village Club on our left and immediately turning left to enter the rear of The Admiral Rodney on the right. 

The pub is named after Sir George BrydgesRodney, first baron and a knight of the Order of the Bath (1718-92). Born of humble origins, Rodney went to sea at 14 and rose through the ranks to become an admiral. He also represented five different constituencies in the House of Commons during a career in which he captured four enemy admirals – two Spanish, one French and one Dutch – during a two yearspell at sea.

He was a controversial character, described by his enemies as vain, selfish and unscrupulous. At one stage he fled to France to avoid his creditors and had to be rescued from jail by a benefactor to enjoy his finest hour, defeating the French at the Battle of the Saintes in 1782 and saving Jamaica from falling into their hands.

Arriving at the pub around 80 mins late we were just in time to say cheerio to Mr Hart waving goodbye as he had a lunch date in Knutsford with his daughter, Vanessa. Bon appetite 

With thirsts quenched we retraced our footsteps back to the concrete bridge across the Bollin, carrying straight on there and keeping the river on our left. The footpath took us past Prestbury  Treatment Works, which is easily the biggest sewage farm your diarist has seen. The people of Prestbury must be full of it.

We reached the start of the treatment works on our right. Continuing we went through a metal kissing gate and turned left over a wooden footbridge across the Bollin and turned right to follow a path with the river on our right. This brought us back to the Mottram Hall Golf Club course where we were once again able to retrace our steps all the way back to our cars.

 

For next week’s walk and bearing in mind the unpredictable nature of the weather and the fact that my crystal ball is in the repair shop for a new Flux Capacitor to be fitted, (on back-order), we should once again be cautious about going too high. So, we will be led by Mike Cassini starting at 9:45 from New Mills Leisure Centre, - Torrs Riverside Park, Peak Forest Canal, Disley, Dandy Cock, Got Valley Way. Our ETA at the Dandy Cock is 12:15pm, ETA for rebooting 2:15pm, a walk of less than 10 miles. For those still in need of further refreshment there is the option of popping along to The Masons in New Mills where you can still buy a pint of bitter for less than £3.50 but take cash cozthey don’t accept cards. 

 

Happy Wandering