Millers Dale

MILLERS DALE, LIMESTONE WAY, WHESTON HALL FARM, THE DEVONSHIRE ARMS AT PEAK FOREST, HAY DALE, MONKS DALE AND ANGLER’S REST AT MILLERS DALE

Distance: Nine miles.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Weather: Overcast but mainly dry with occasional light drizzle.

Walkers: Mickey Barrett, Tom Cunliffe, Colin Davison and Alan Hart, plus Tips.

B walkers: Lawrie Fairman, Tony Job, Peter Morrall, Ken Sparrow and Mike Walton.

Apologies: Peter Beal (narrow-boating), Nigel Crank (w*^king), George Dearsley (w*^king), John Laverick (funeral), Jock Rooney (supervising builder), Geoff Spurrell (hols), George Whaites (Spanish hols).

Leader: Davison. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Road near Angler’s Rest at Millers Dale, near Buxton.

Starting time: 9.56am. Finishing time: 2.30pm.

After a short delay while we waited for a bitch to arrive, Jock drove up and handed his border collie friend Tips to Colin. Jock was one of many apologists caused by a variety of circumstances, and the defection of Lawrie to the B team as a result of housemaid’s knee meant that they outnumbered the A team by 5-4.

The weather forecast predicted scattered showers, but we reached the halfway pub just in time to dodge one moderate shower shortly before noon, and then we observed a heavier one at 2.45pm from the shelter of our final watering hole.

Although we had been lucky to largely escape the rain, conditions underfoot were tricky with a combination of mud and limestone coated in algae. Tom was not a happy bunny, first swallowing a fly, then declaring his Perroni draught lager at The Devonshire Arms to be undrinkable, its replacement Guinness to be too warm, and the march through Monks Dale to be dreadful.

There is little doubt that the scenery in this part of the world, with wild orchids of purple and yellow adding a splash of colour to the green fields, is spectacular. Unfortunately, there is little chance to admire it on wet ground because you must concentrate on where you are placing your feet.

Wild flowers

More wild flowers

From the road leading to The Angler’s Rest, we walked up a flight of stairs opposite the water wheel to the main road, which we crossed and turned right, soon turning left uphill past Rock View. We turned sharply left at a wooden public footpath sign marked Limestone Way (4mins) and left again at a similar signpost to the right of a farmyard (8mins).

After going through one gate (14mins) we went through a second gate (21mins) and turned left. Our quartet crossed a lane and went straight ahead to the left of a cottage (33mins). Where the path divided we took the left fork (40mins).

Upon reaching a road we turned left into the hamlet of Wheston, turning right opposite Wheston Hall Farm (48mins) to follow a sign indicating Peak Forest three miles away.

By now, with 11am approaching, the talk turned once again to Tom’s urgent need to defecate. Some might say that discussion of bowel movements is a distasteful topic in any polite conversation, but especially as we were approaching Pietime. Your diarist couldn’t possibly comment. 

However, could he ask whether it is normal to be taken short in the countryside at the same time every week ? Answers on a postcard please.

On reaching a wooden footpath sign on our left (66mins), we followed a route slightly to the left of the road and headed through a field. After crossing the first of a series of stone step stiles leading to the road linking Sparrowpit with Chesterfield, we stopped for pies (70mins).

Continuing, we reached a wall in front of the road to Chesterfield (84mins), and turned left through a series of fields, trying to keep the road on our right. Eventually we turned right to emerge on the road with The Devonshire Arms in sight on our left (96mins).

Rain then began to fall but two minutes later we were beneath the smoker’s shelter at the back of the pub (98mins). It was 11.45am – 15 minutes before opening – but we had cause to thank the smoking ban which resulted in the creation of such covers and to Colin for mistiming our arrival by precisely the same margin as he had when leading us along the same route a year ago.

After leaving us standing outside while she attended to cleaning the floor, the landlady opened her doors at 12 noon sharp and Tom rushed past her with a dazzling display of speed in the direction of the toilets.

 Last time we called in The Devonshire the cask beer was cloudy and had to be sent back. This time they had run out, so Mickey and your diarist opted for bottles of Crabbies’ ginger beer at £2-50.

No shrinking violets

Despite the jeers of our comrades who accused us of “going all girly,” we agreed with the advertising campaign that it was “simply spiffing.”  After a long absence, Tom emerged from the gents looking lighter and with some colour in his cheeks. 

But his first taste of Peroni Italian lager soon took the smile off his face. The substitute draught Guinness he deemed to be not cold enough, so it was agreed that The Devonshire Arms should go on to a black list for not less than three decades.

Tom, happy, having emptied his bowels

Tom, glum, at the Peroni

Departing, we crossed the road opposite the pub and walked along a lane, passing a children’s playground on our left (102mins). We went over a stone step stile and through a farm marked “M.J.Barrett Construction” to make us wonder whether Mickey had added another acquisition to his business empire.

Continuing along the path through a series of fields, we saw examples of yellow and purple wild orchids and a blaze of bluebells in the woods to our left. After passing a sign for Hay Dale (129mins) we paused for lunch on a large rock. Resuming we followed the path until we reached a gate leading to a road (140mins).

Here we turned right along the road for 25 yards before turning left at a wooden public footpath sign, over a stone step stile. The route led us to a sign for Monks Dale (158mins) which we passed and continued along the path until it brought us into a wood comprising mostly hawthorn trees to the left of a river bed.

The mud and algae-covered limestone made conditions treacherous for more than a mile and we were relieved, after crossing a wooden footbridge to emerge unscathed from Monks Dale, descend a steep flight of steps and return to our cars (215mins).

After de-booting, we were soon enjoying  Adnams’ Southwold cask bitter or Wincle Brewery’s Life of Riley at £3 a pint. Jock arrived to claim Tips and join us, but at 2.50pm we were informed that any drinks ordered would have to be finished by 3pm when the pub closed.

Next week’s walk will start at 9.30am from the car park at Poynton Pool off Anglesey Drive. We shall be heading along the Ladybrook Trail into Lyme Park, passing The Cage and Lyme Hall before descending back to The Boar’s Head at Higher Poynton around 12.20pm. We will then continue our descent down Princes Incline, alongside Poynton Pool and return to the car park to de-boot before driving to The Bull’s Head, Poynton. We expect to arrive at 2.15pm.

 

Errwood Hall

ERRWOOD HALL CAR PARK, CROMFORD AND HIGH PEAK RAILWAY, BURBAGE EDGE, CAT AND FIDDLE, ERRWOOD RESERVOIR AND THE COCK AT WHALEY BRIDGE

Distance: Nine miles.

Difficulty: Mainly moderate but strenuous in parts.

Weather: Dry and cloudy with some sunshine but a cold wind.

Walkers: Peter Beal, Nigel Crank, Tom Cunliffe, Colin Davison, Lawrie Fairman, Alan Hart, John Laverick, Jock Rooney plus Tips, and Julian Ross.

B walkers: Tony Job and Mike Walton.

Apologies: Mickey Barrett (hols in South Lakes), George Dearsley (w*^king), Malc Halley (hols),Peter Morrall (abandoned), Ken Sparrow (hols) and George Whaites (hols in Spain).

Leaders: Fairman, Rooney and Beal. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Errwood Hall car park, overlooking Errwood Reservoir, near Whaley Bridge, Derbyshire.

Starting time: 9.46am. Finishing time: 2.17pm.

The start of the A walk was interrupted at its outset by the sound of sobbing down you diarist’s mobile phone. B walker Peter Morrall was weeping and wailing as he tried to relate the sad story of how he had turned up at Tony’s house to find that the master had left early, and then seen him sailing past The Kingfisher.

Despite Pete’s best efforts to flag him down they were like ships that pass in the night. Pete’s request for Tony’s mobile phone number was greeted with great hilarity by the A walkers, who know it to be not only immobile but permanently switched off.

How fortunate we are in the A team to be so well organised with no such misunderstandings !

The fate of the remnants of the B team remain unknown as we go to press, although Wally managed to get a message through at 1.15pm that they were enjoying Holts bitter in The Eagle at Buxton for £2 a pint.

As we set off, Peter B pointed to Goytsclough quarry where one of Poynton’s most celebrated sons started work in 1670. Thomas Pickford’s lands in the Adlington and Poynton area had been sequestered by the Parliamentarians at the end of the English Civil War because he had “co-operated” with the Royalists.

Mr Pickford later bought the quarry and used its limestone to repair roads. The business expanded until trains of up to 50 packhorses would carry slabs of stone from the quarry in specially-crafted panniers. Instead of returning empty, the shrewd Poyntonian arranged for his horses to carry goods to towns and villages on their way back to the quarry.

He thus diversified to become a carrier. By the 18^th century, his descendant James Pickford was known as the London-Manchester waggoner, charging customers a halfpenny a mile per cwt in the summer and three-farthings in the winter. Pickfords’ haulage and removal business is now one of the biggest in the UK with a multi-million pound turnover. 

From the car park, we turned right along the lane with Errwood Reservoir on our left. We turned left off the lane (5mins) to follow a footpath which first went down to the water’s edge and then ascended steeply (18mins) back to the lane, leading to mumblings in the lower ranks.

We descended again (23mins), this time to more purpose, as we crossed the pack horse bridge, climbed up the far side and followed a wooden footpath sign for Errwood (25mins). By this time Jock had replaced Lawrie as leader in an apparently bloodless coup.

Our bearded septuagenarian was striding out like a teenager as he and Tom broke away from the pack to set a fierce pace, following another sign for Errwood by turning left at a junction (47mins) and reaching the entrance to a tunnel which once took trains from the Cromford and High Peak railways under the hills for 500 yards. Here (75mins) we stopped for pietime.

Resuming we turned sharp left uphill with the tunnel on our left below before heading across open moorland to plunge down to a gate on our right (80mins). This time Peter B was leading as we went through the gate and up a steep hill with a wall on our left. This brought us to the Trig Point at Burbage Edge (95mins) after a gruelling climb.

After admiring the view of Buxton below us to our left, we continued to keep the wall to our left until the sight of the Cat and Fiddle could be seen to our right in the distance. We turned right (106mins) and aimed for the pub which proved to be deceptively further away than it looked.

After some zigging and zagging forwards and left, we reached a wooden stile and turned right (115mins). This brought us uphill to a road (148mins) where we turned right and reached The Cat and Fiddle on the left (151mins).

The pub is owned by Robinsons, but the new occupants were awaiting a delivery so we were obliged to try the Dizzy Blonde or the Elbow cask bitter at £3-20 a pint. It was in good form and the vault was surprisingly busy while the larger rooms were unoccupied.

From the pub we turned right to retrace our journey on the opposite side of the road until we reached a wooden public footpath sign and turned right (156mins). We bore right following a sign towards Shining Tor and Errwood (159mins) and began the steady descent down to the reservoir, stopping by a wall for lunch (168mins) and reaching our cars to deboot (195mins).

From Errwood we drove to The Cock at Whaley Bridge, where the Robinsons’ cask bitter was cloudy and had to be returned. We seemed destined to be deprived of our intake of Robbies, and so we opted once more for the Dizzy Blonde, this time at a more agreeable £2-80 a pint.

Next week’s walk will start at 9.55am from The Angler’s Rest at Millers Dale, near Buxton. We expect to arrive at The Devonshire Arms, Peak Forest, around 12.15pm and return to the Angler’s Rest by 2.45pm.

Poynton

POYNTON/SPOND HILL/LYME PARK/POYNTON

Distance: 9.93 miles; Avg. Walking Speed 2.65mph; Max Elevation 1073.12ft; Walking Time 3hrs 47mins 18 sec.

Difficulty: Easy

Weather: Wet, wet, wet, wet, wet and then we finished the walk almost dry.

A  Walkers, Julian Ross, John Laverick, Nigel Crank, Mick Barrett.

Apologies: Jock Rooney, Colin Davison, Alan Hart, Tom Cunliffe, Laurie Fairman, and from the B Team Geoff Spurrell, (sunning themselves in Portugal pretending to be on a walking holiday), Peter Beal (domestic duties after cruising in sunny Norway), George Dearsley (too wet, not George but weather), Malcom Halley (in London),

B Walkers: Apologies from all it was a bit too wet.

Leader: Laverick  

Diarist: Laverick

Starting Point: Car Park, Farmers Arms, Poynton

Starting Time: 9.40am (We were waiting for Mick to get his wet weather gear on). Finishing Time: 2.15pm

This is my second diary in an attempt to confirm to my fellow Wanderer’s that I can really do a passable written effort in the English language and more importantly my maiden voyage as a walk leader. 

This I could have handled however George D. phoned to say he thought it was a bit wet and took a leaf out of Harty’s book and wimped out. This resulted in the fact that not only did I have to lead the walk but have to do the diary as well. Executive stress I thought I had left that all behind me.

Being a walk leader I learnt is not an easy thing, for instance your flappy thing gets wet in the rain and to top it all some of the walkers complain about the weather and the paths they are walking.

Any way enough bitching and on to the diary… Sorry no pictures this week it was too wet to risk my phone, no insurance plus it was hard to see past the cloud.

Apart from the maiden leader two intrepid walkers turned up at the appointed hour, where Mr Crank arrived kindly provided continental coffee, the third arrived but then seemed to spend a long time trying to dress in his wet weather gear and missed out on the coffee.

So we ventured forward into the rain climbing up hill towards Spond Hill, looking around us for something that would keep us afloat should Poynton be under water when we returned.

First the boring bit out of the village on the roads; Farmers Arms turning right up Park Lane, turning right on to Clumber Road to the junction turning left on to Dickens Lane and continued past Waterloo Road to Narrow Lane just past the line of white cottages.

Then the good bit on paths; continued up Narrow Lane until we reached the footpath sign on the right that comes out on Wood Lane and just to the side of the Miners. (It should be noted that at this point the Leader received his first moan from one of the  walkers about narrow paths because it made him walk like a model, the Diarist will not mention your name Mick in this diary to save you the embarrassment; OOPS). 

Onward we paddled through the driving rain past the Miners (it was shut) turning left on to Wood Lane East, over the canal and following it up to Lockgate Farm.

Through the stile into the farmyard, out the over another style out of the farmyard turning right behind the farm house to the next strange combination of two styles so close together you can step across between the styles. (The writer would be interested to know why this strange arrangement appeared).

The walkers continued at an angle across the field to the far corner and a gate to a path leading on to Shrigley Road where the walkers turned left.

We continued down the road as far as the XXXX Café, sorry did not record the name but you cannot miss it, it is painted green, and turning left to join the North Cheshire Trail that will lead you up to some very smart residences called Birchencliff Farm. 

It was on the gentle climb up to Birchcliff Farm that I received the second moan, no sorry not a moan but an observation, that I had set a fast pace!! This did confuse the leader as he was normally at the back of the pack and the last up any hills the Wanderer’s venture up, past the desirable residences to join a track between two small lakes. It was raining so hard that the first lake appeared to have sprung a leak and was gushing water all over the track.

Proceeding up the track towards Moorside Lane pie time was called at 10.50hrs, at 908ft, 3.28miles, under the shelter of the last tree the walkers would see for a while. Mr Crank however decided he would be drier standing out in the rain? 

The diarist can only put this down to the amount of time he has spent out of the country. Also we did not need Mr Cunliffe to move us onward on our venture, the walkers were driven forward with the thought of a dry refuge in the Boars Head.

At the junction of the North Cheshire Way and Moorside Lane the Leader made an executive decision and turned left along Moorside Lane rather than proceed upwards into the cloud and even more rain.

Along the North Cheshire Way following the path to the left mark “way to Higher Poynton”, just past Keepers Cottage leaving Moorside Lane and proceeding downhill. The Cage in Lyme Park can be seen from this path through the rain and cloud.

Following the path down to the Methodist Chapel turning sharp right towards Lyme Park West Gate, following up the road past West Gate Farm, another barn conversion for the idle rich to live the country life. (sorry lapsed back into my left wing world there).

Past the new Tory pad (there I go again) walking through the gate, ignoring the road to the left, follow the path up and along the side of Lyme Park below Hase Bank Wood until it meets the track to Lyme House then turned left towards Windgather. Follow the track down over the canal, over the Middlewood Way and low and behold the welcome sight of the Boars Head hove into view at 11.59hrs.

The Black Sheep ale was in good form, (the diarist failed here forgot to ask the price of the beer) apart from Mick who was having a bad day and got the first one out of the pump but was too shy to take it back and complain. 

Also the local entertainment failed to show after all the effort the walker’s put into getting Mr Crank to sit in the corner seat. (Only those on the last Poynton walk will understand the importance of the corner seat in the Boar’s Head).

It was still raining when the walkers left the pub retracing the route over the Middle Way back to the canal turning left in the High Lane direction along the tow path.

Turned left down the Princes Incline where the Leader had found a seat so that lunch could be taken. At the seat more complaints, sorry observations, there was a lovely roaring fire to warm the walkers but apparently the smell of smoke did not agree with the nostrils.

So onwards across Carlton Road until the path on the right is reached. Followed the path through the field past the stables to the Middle Wood Road. Cross the Middlewood Road onto the track/path leading to New House Farm.

At the end of this track the delayed lunch was taken, again not a long one due to the fact that soggy bread does not taste great. One highlight however was a conversation that only can be described as bizarre when Mr Barrett asked if cows were circumcised, the Leader at this point decided it was time to move on.

Through the gate bearing right at an angle towards the style, over the style turning left to follow the fence line down to anther style in the corner of the field.

Over another style turning sharp left to follow the path towards Rabbit Burrow Farm.

Past Rabbit Burrow Farm towards Davenport Golf Club then turn right across the practice ground to join the path through Petre Bank.

Follow path to Towers Road, turn left proceed to Park Lane, turn right and then follow Park Lane which will lead you to the Farmers Arms.

At the end of the walk the maiden leader did ask “how was it for you boys?” There were no comments apart from some sighs so this will be taken as at least a pass and no one seemed to be missing from the starters.

The beer Trooper was is very good form at £3.15 a pint.

The B Team did not turn out.

Next weeks walk unless there are rumbling in the ranks is Errwood Car Park, Goyt Valley, starting at 09.30hrs. It was suggested before but there was snow to stop us. I seem to remember it involved a half time drink in the Cat and Fiddle, (it is open at Lunch time) but I leave it to my more learned friends to suggest a route and an end pub.

Bollington

BOLLINGTON, WHITE NANCY, RAINOW

Distance: 8.5 miles

Difficulty: Easy

Weather: Overcast, showers, sunshine later.

Walkers: Alan Hart, John Laverick, Colin Davison, George Whaites, George Dearsley, Lawrie Fairman, Nigel Crank,

Apologies: Jock Rooney (wo^ki*g), Peter Beal (cruising), Tom Cunliffe (wo^ki*g), Julian Ross (dentist)

B Walkers: Geoff Spurrell, Tony Job, Mike Walton, Pete Morrall

Leader: Fairman Diarist: Dearsley

Starting Point: Main car park, Bollington

Starting Time: 9.30am. Finishing Time: 1.50pm

The Wanderers welcomed yet another new member, Nigel Crank, who has spent the last 27 years living abroad in Switzerland and latterly Portugal.

Coincidentally, many of the Wanderers would be catching a plane to Portugal the following day for some continental perambulation.

A keen skier, Nigel’s initiation to our Wednesday ramble was nevertheless a somewhat arduous one, asking him to climb to White Nancy and get soaked in a shower in the first hour.

Hopefully he will be back.

Having stocked up with the famous pies from F Smith’s, the local pie shop, our group moved off along the main street, past the church and eventually onto Cow Lane.

We were met by a South American looking gentleman on a bicycle, wearing tight fitting lycra, who attempted to enter into conversation with us.

There were entirely unsubstantiated suspicions that he might have been carrying some white powder, talcum obviously to prevent chapped inner thighs.

Waving the hombre farewell, we squeezed through the familiar stone stile and up some steps.

This is the Wanderers’ traditional route to White Nancy, which we reached by 10am.

Soon afterwards the rain, which the BBC website had adamantly insisted would not happen, began to fall, to the chagrin of Mr Hart, especially.

                                     It’s grim up North. Rain and wind during the first part of our walk

We took the usual path for a few hundred yards and then headed down hill to the main road, where we turned right and within a hundred yards or so swung left up some stone steps.

We crossed a number of fields and on reaching a metalled road turned right. This turned out to be Bull Hill Lane.

At the top is a T-junction and there we turned left.

There were further stone steps on the right and a sign denoting the Gritstone Trail.

This trail actually links Disley all the way to Kidsgrove, Staffordshire.

At 10.42am Pie Time was declared.

As if to show off to our newest recruit, Mr Fairman led us to not one but two fully operational picnic tables and in the absence of Tom Cunliffe a full  12 minutes of mastication was enjoyed.

I’m indebted to m’learned friend Mr Laverick, the application on whose smart phone informed him that to that point we had covered 2.8 miles at an average speed of 2.26 mph.

Our elevation had increased by 1000 feet and we had reached a high point of 1,288 feet.

We set off again at 10.54am, going through a gate and crossing a field as if heading for the 11 o’clock point.

We went over a stile and found ourselves on a road, where we turned left, passing Windy Way Animal Sanctuary on our left.

The sanctuary is part of the Windy Way Trust, initially a group of animal loving friends who formed into an organisation and gained charitable status in February 2005.

We joined a road and turned right.

A mere 50 yards further on we turned left and then diverted off the path to the left.

We went through a gate and turned sharp left.

At 11.25am the rain, which had stopped, began again.

We passed some tastefully renovated farm buildings, turned into dwellings and went over a stile to our left.

Our route took us to the Robin Hood which we reached at 12.01pm.

By now we had completed 5.8 miles with a maximum elevation of 1400 feet.

The B Walkers were not far behind us.

They had started in Bollington, headed along the High Street and walked via Kerridge to the hostelry.

The B Walkers’ exact route was shrouded in a fog of obfuscation and there was a scurrilous allegation that much of it may have involved bus travel.

Mr Walton, whose mobile phone has the same application as Mr Laverick’s, hinted that the B Walkers’ average speed had been around 25 mph, as he had not turned it off on public transport.

In the absence of a steward’s inquiry the allegation was left on file.

Meanwhile Black Sheep was £3 and Cheshire Cat £3.05

We left the pub at 12.55pm and turned right into Stocks Lane.

Traditionally we have taken the Virgin’s Path to the cars.

But today we went a different route.

We stopped for lunch at 12.59pm, setting off again at 1.08pm.

We turned left at Lower House Farm, which has a lot of history.

In fact if you would like to mug up on the history of the village of Rainow you can do so here.

http://www.rainow.org/TheStoryOfRainowRedux.pdf

For our final stretch the sun came out and we enjoyed the kind of weather one might expect in May. My photograph includes a pointer to White Nancy on the skyline.

We reached the cars at 1.50pm. Your diarist was sadly unable to join in the post walk frolics at the Dog and Partridge.

Next week’s walk will start from the Farmers Arms in Poynton, starting at 9.30am.  If you’re wondering where the apostrophe is even the pub’s own website has omitted it.

http://www.farmersarmspoynton.co.uk/

At the moment our putative leader Mr Laverick has not had time to work out where the half time stop will be but it could be the Boars Head or the Horse Shoe. Doubtless a plan will emerge from the uncertainty.

Whaley Bridge

WHALEY BRIDGE, THROSTLEDALE, SILK HILL FARM, BUGSWORTH BASIN, BRIERLEY GREEN, COTE BANK, CHINLEY CHURN, PEEP O DAY, VORPOSTEN FARM, THE ALDERS FARM, CHINLEY, THE OLD HALL AT WHITEHOUGH, PEAK FOREST TRAMWAY, THE PEAK FOREST CANAL, WHALEY BRIDGE BASIN AND THE COCK AT WHALEY BRIDGE

Distance: 11 miles.

Difficulty: Strenuous start; easy finish.

Weather: Blue skies and sunshine.

Walkers: Tom Cunliffe, Lawrie Fairman, Malcolm Halley, Alan Hart, Julian Ross, John Laverick and George Whaites.

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

Apologies: Micky Barrett (driving son to Oxford), Peter Beal (cruising Norwegian fjords), George Dearsley (w*^king), Jock Rooney (w*^king in South Africa).

Leader: Fairman. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Car park of The Cock, Whaley Bridge.

Starting time: 9.33am. Finishing time: 2.25pm.

A beautiful sunny day, magnificent Peak District scenery and stimulating, intelligent conversation. What more could a man want? And in the words of Meatloaf: two out of three ain’t bad.

The cold wind which had blighted some dry sunny days of late finally lost its bite, so we started the merry month of May with perfect walking conditions. Visibility was excellent as well so we were rewarded for our gruelling gradual ascent of Chinley Churn with some stunning views of the surrounding landscape.

From the car park we turned right towards Whaley Bridge town centre and then immediately right after the railway bridge to head up to the disused Cromford and High Peak railway line, where we turned left. We then turned right up Bings Lane (3mins) and right again at a narrow passage on our right marked with an easily-missed public footpath sign (4mins).

We reached a road and turned left uphill (6mins), heading left at a stone step stile marked with a wooden public footpath sign (11mins). This led us via two ladder stiles through Throstledale. After crossing a stone step stile (19mins) we entered a field, keeping a drystone wall to our left.

Exiting the field in its left corner, we turned right up a lane (23mins) passing Silk Hill Farm on our left. We went through the village of Bugsworth and crossed the roadbridge over the A6 (28mins) and passed a sundial on our left which had not been advanced to British Summer Time. Ahead was Bugsworth Canal Basin.

Buggy Basin, as it is known locally, is the head of navigation of the Peak Forest Canal. It was the largest and busiest inland port in Britain’s narrow canal system, and the only one to survive intact. As reported in last month’s diary, the 14-mile long Peak Forest Canal from Dukinfield to Bugsworth was engineered by Benjamin Outram.

Construction of the six-mile Peak Forest Tramway in 1795-6 linked the basin to the limestone and gritstone quarries which littered the area. Bugsworth thrived commercially until railway technology superseded canals.

We crossed to the far side of the basin and walked to the left of The Navigation Inn, a 200-year-old pub once owned by actress Pat Phoenix, before she became a soap legend as Coronation Street sex symbol Elsie Tanner.

After passing Buxworth Primary School on our right and Buxworth Basin Station on our left we reached cottages at Brierley Green where we turned left at a public footpath sign (37mins). Taking the right fork in the well-trodden path, we aimed for the Union Flag flying from Cote Bank.

As we neared the drystone wall ahead, your diarist pointed out a stone step stile which he had the temerity to suggest might be the best route. This suggestion was dismissed by our leader and derided by Tom, who reminded your scribe of his abysmal failings as a walk leader.

Ten minutes later, after taking advice from a woman hanging out her washing, Lawrie returned to the stone step stile and the correct route. Opposite the stone step stile was a wooden stile which led towards the flagpole in the garden of Cote Bank. We then ascended a flight of steps (56mins).

We went through a gate and turned right downhill (65mins) for 100 yards before turning left over a wooden stile at a public footpath sign (67mins). This was the start of a steady climb up Chinley Churn and its much-quarried promontory, Cracken Edge. After being diverted to the summit by a path closure following erosion, we paused for pies near the peak (87mins).

Our reward after the climb was well worth the effort.

Stunning views

Continuing, we passed a bench dedicated to Shirley Fidler (102mins) and had our attention drawn by our leader to the sight of a wheatear. These tiny songbirds, weighing less than an ounce, fly nearly 20,000 miles each year as they migrate from sub-Saharan Africa to their Arctic breeding grounds.

Moments later we saw another spectacular flier – an A380 Airbus, currently the world’s largest passenger plane which began service in 2007. This huge plane, of which 101 models are now flying, typically carries 525 passengers in first, business and economy, but is capable of carrying 853 passengers in economy only.

We left Chinley Churn by a gate (112mins) and headed gradually downhill to the impressive house called Peep o Day. The building was once used as a place of worship. It may be interesting to note that the Peep o Day Boys was a secret Protestant organisation active in Ireland in the 1780s and 1790s, which is believed to be the precursor of The Orange Order. They gained their name through their habit of calling on opponents at the first crack of dawn.

After reaching the road (123mins) we turned left for 100 yards before turning right at a public bridleway (126mins). We headed uphill and then turned right (129mins) to follow a wooden public footpath sign marked South Head.

We passed to the right of Vorposten Farm, which translates from German to The Outpost (141mins), and carried straight on until we reached a main road (159mins). After crossing the road and a wooden stile on the far side we kept going, passing The Alder Farm (169mins) and going through a tunnel beneath the Buxton-Manchester railway line (176mins).

Our group emerged at the end of Alders Lane and turned right (177mins) passing the Turnpike Chapel on our right on our way to Green Lane (181mins) where we turned left. We carried straight on following the sign for Whitehough and reached the Old Hall (189mins).

It was warm enough to sit outside with our pints of Marstons’ cask bitter in good form at a bargain £2-60 (Could we ever have imagined calling a £2-60 pint a bargain ? Ed).

Resuming, we walked downhill until we reached the route of the Peak Forest Tramway (192mins) and turned left. After stopping for lunch at a bridge over a stream on our right (202mins) we carried on and once again reached Buggy Basin. This time we passed the Navigation Inn on our right (213mins) and continued along the towpath with the Whaley Bridge branch of the canal on our left.

Using footbridge 37, we crossed to the other bank (225mins) and proceeded to Whaley Bridge Basin (234mins). By carrying straight on ahead, we passed Tom Brads Croft car park and rejoined the disused Cromford and High Peak railway route, passing Bings Road on our left and The Shepherd’s Arms on our right.

Retracing our footsteps we dropped back to the main road by the side of the railway bridge, turned left and reached our cars (240mins).

We were joined in The Cock belatedly by the B-teamers, who had missed their bus from Tunstead Milton. They had caught a bus originally at Torkington Park to Doveholes, from where they had walked through Martinside and passed Eaves Hall on their way to The Roebuck at Chapel-en-le-Frith. After pints of Tetleys and Black Sheep at £2-70, they had arrived at Tunstead Milton via Lydgate, a journey totalling just under six miles.

Next week’s walk will start from the free car park opposite The Spinners Arms in Bollington at 9.30am. We will be seeking to mount White Nancy before performing a figure-eight route around Rainow, reaching the Robin Hood in that village around 12.30pm. We anticipate returning to deboot and drive 250 yards to The Dog and Partridge, arriving about 2

High Lane

HIGH LANE, LYME PARK, BOW STONES, DISLEY

Distance: 9.95 miles; Avg. Walking Speed 2.68mph; Max Elevation 1419.18ft; Walking Time 3 hrs 43.56mins.

Difficulty: Moderate

Weather: Overcast with clear views but absolutely no rain.

A  Walkers, Lawrie Fairman, Julian Ross, John Laverick, Peter Morrall, George Whaites.

Apologies: Jock Rooney (working abroad), Colin Davison (holiday), Alan Hart (wimped out), Peter Beal (cruising in sunny Norway), George Dearsley (working abroad), Tom Cunliffe (????), Malcom Halley (recovering from dentist?) Mikey Barrett (on holiday)

B Walkers: Geoff Spurrell, Tony Job, Mike Walton, Ken Sparrow

Non-walking drinkers: Alan Hart (See special report)

Walking-non drinkers : Pete Morrell

Leader: Fairman  

Diarist: Laverick with contributions from Hart and Job

Starting Point: Car Park, Horse Shoe Inn, High Lane

Starting Time: 9.20am. Finishing Time: 2.20pm

First a word of apology for the delay in the receipt of this diary and if it is not to the usual high standard of my mentors Hart and Dearsley, I was foolish enough to volunteer to write and then remembered that English is my second language (been born in the north east) and I was finding more excuses than a virgin on her wedding night why I had no time to do it.

However I digress and to the diary……………………

The group gave Pete Morrell the usual warm welcome for new members to the group.

It started strangely with Pete M and myself turning up at Mr Hart`s in DRY with the sun trying to break through weather to be told he was not coming out to play because it was raining and would be raining really heavily that morning. George however had not heard the rain warning of the second coming of a biblical flood and turned up at the appointed hour in a car rather than an ark.

The walk started for five of the intrepid A Team ready to take on the elements from the car park of the Horse Shoe Inn, High Lane at 09:30 Hrs. crossing the A6 following the public footpath just above the Middlewood Road that leads onto the Middlewood Way which was followed along until the Boars Head in Higher Poynton. It was a wrench to pass the Boars Head without popping in unfortunately it was closed.

At the Boars head we turned off the Middlewood Way and turned right over the bridge on to Lyme Road following it up to the canal, over the canal  by the  marina and bearing right onward past Elm Wood on towards Haresteads Farm where we came across giant rabbits.

Where`s Alice ??

Wonderland....or Blunderland?

The walk continued uphill winding our way up past Windgather and through the West Gate in to Lyme Park and onward towards toward the big house. Picking up the Gritstone Trail up through Knights Low Wood where we passed a whole host of small children who were making more noise than their size allowed and they appeared to be building wood camps with not a sign of Elf and Safety in site.

 Pie Break was taken in the shelter of the wood, at this point Tom would have had something to say, not only did we have Pie Break early but we also had a full ten minutes!

Onward we pressed towards the summit to view the Bow Stones, not for the first time this month.

The Bowstones are a pair of Anglian cross shafts in Cheshire, England. Situated beside the old ridgeway between Disley and Macclesfield overlooking Lyme Park, the Cheshire Plain, the city of Manchester and the hills of the Peak District, they are a scheduled monument.

The western shaft is 1.22 metres high and tapers from circumference of 1.25m at the base to 0.86m at the top. The eastern shaft is 0.98m high and has a circumference of 1.27m. Both are decorated with interlaced carvings in a style that indicates a date of the 10th century or earlier. There is some later lettering engraved. Their round cross section and their erection as a pair is unusual for crosses of this era. 

They may have been moved their current location in the 16th century by Sir Piers Legh of Lyme Hall. Two stone cross heads on display at the hall may have originally surmounted the shafts.Local legend states that the name is derived from their use by Robin Hood and his men to re-string their bows.

Despite the rain that we had been promised, the views from the summit were magnificent and the mountains of Wales were clearly visible, even Manchester was a site to behold as we scoured the horizon for a rain cloud.

                                

                                                                         Dry as a desert.

On leaving the Bow Stones picked up the track, the Gritstone Trail, past Handley Barn, Dissop Head to the junction of Higher Lane and Mudhurst Lane where we turned left at Cock Knoll following the Gritstone Trail towards the East Gate of Lyme Park.

It was at this point our so far flawless Leader made a small mistake taking us past a lady on her knees bending over then taking us back past her again claiming he had made a mistake with his map reading, we should have turned right not left!

Onward we went following the Gritstone Trail along Green Lane with Higher Disley to our right.

One has to admire the farmer who has preserved the stile for the footpath passing through his field when the fence seems to have disappeared many years ago.

                                      

                                                                Mind the fence Pete.

Past Superman`s changing room on the left with the path to the Hanging Gate on the right onward we forged until the St Andrew`s Church was in sight and the smell of Unicorn from the Dandycock spurred us on.

We arrived at 12:20 Hrs have completed 7.61 miles.

Pete left us at this time to sort out a small problem at home, hence he became our first non drinking walker.

The Unicorn as usual was on fine form see prices in our special non walking drinker`s reporter.

After a suitable intake of ale to strengthen our resolve we set of once more to complete the walk and set off back towards the North Gate of Lyme Park retracing some of our steps along Red Lane ending back at the entrance kiosk (Park Gate) of Lyme Park.

Following the Bollinhurst Brook crossing the North Cheshire Way, crossed over the Hazel Grove to Disley railway line on to the LVI Trail joined on Coppice Lane to re-cross the railway further down the line turning right onto Chatsworth Road.

Keeping left behind the row of houses on Ashbourne Road, following the footpath, round the back of Haddon Close, turning left on to Hartington Road, right on to Alderdale Drive, then turning left on to the A6 and onwards to the end objective of a good pint in the Horse Shoe Inn after 2.64 miles and arriving as planned at 14:20 Hrs.

SPECIAL REPORTER ALAN HART

After wimping out of the A walk because of inaccurate weather forecasts, Alan arrived at The Dandy Cock at 12.20pm after catching a train from Hazel Grove to Disley.

As the rest of the group sallied forth on a route which ran parallel with the A6 to the south, Harty announced he would carry out a survey of pubs on the main road. His report made sad reading, following the excellent Robbies' cask bitter at The Dandy Cock at £2-70 a pint, with mild at £2-60.

At the Ram's Head in Disley, our intrepid reporter sampled a pint of Adnams Kristal White wheat beer at £3-39. He said the overpriced beer was tasty but the pub suffered from delusions of grandeur as a posh restaurant which sold beer.

The same was true of the Red Lion at High Lane, although the Robbies' 1892 mild was in good form and reasonably priced at £2-65.

At the Dog and Partridge he found six choices of lager, which he was happy to refuse, and both barrels of cask bitters had run out the previous day. He declined the offer of a "smooth" alternative (as in chemical keg beer).

The Bull's Head, which was advertised as "a business opportunity", was shut. The Horseshoe offered a warm welcome and Unicorn cask bitter at £2-80 a pint.

SPECIAL REPORTER TONY JOB

Route: High Lane, Macc Canal, Romper, Roman Bridge, Goyt Way, Lower Cliff, Brook Bottom (Fox), New Mills bus stn., Newtown, and then 199 bus to High Lane. Path from Goyt Way up to Lower Cliff involved crossing barbed wire, not recommended. Bus connections from New Mills to Newtown not good, so we will not repeat the route from Fox onward.

Beer at The Fox was in fine condition.

Final word from Laverick

Next week's walk will start at 9.30am from The Cock at Whaley Bridge, calling at The Old Hall in Whitehough, Chinley, around 12.15pm and finishing back at The Cock around 2.20pm. 

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.