Chapel-en-le-Frith

MIRY MEADOWS, CHAPEL-EN-LE-FRITH, BOWDEN HEAD, ROYCHE FARM, MALCOFF, BETTFIELD CLOUGH COTTAGE, STONYFORD, THE WANTED INN AT SPARROWPIT, SPARROWPIT WELL, GOLDFINCH FARM, BAGSHAW AND THE ROEBUCK AT CHAPEL

Distance: 8 miles.

Difficulty: Easy.

Weather: Dry with cloud and sunshine.

Walkers: Alastair Cairns, Tom Cunliffe, Colin Davison*, Mark Gibby, Hughie Hardiman, Alan Hart, Steve Kemp, Chris Owen and George Whaites.

Apologies: Mickey Barrett (New Zealand hols), Peter Beal (hols), George Dearsley (in Turkey) and Lawrie Fairman (cruise lecturing)

Leaders: Hart, Cunliffe and Davison. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Miry Meadows car park, off Station Road, Chapel-en-le-Frith.

Starting time: 9.54am. Finishing time: 2.20pm.

Birthday boy Colin set us some stern challenges for this walk, but the Wednesday Wanderers are nothing if not resourceful. A pattern is emerging of group members suggesting routes and then failing to attend. Last week it was Tom’s turn: this time Colin was the absentee after rejecting a proposal to start from Disley and advancing the cause of Chapel.

When he failed to arrive because of bus problems too complex to comprehend, we had no leader and no map. We also had no Steve, whose sat-nav had deposited him at Chinley railway station. Eventually we were able to guide Steve to the car park and we started after a 14-minute delay. Meanwhile Colin caught a bus to Doveholes and walked from there to meet us in the first watering hole.

Happily adversity often brings unexpected rewards. The weather was warmer than it had been in recent days and warmer than it would be in days ahead. We also discovered an attractive new route into Sparrowpit after being rescued from distress by a damsel.

On top of all that we were able to celebrate the 66th  anniversary of Colin’s birth with a round of drinks bought by him in The Wanted Inn. Many happy returns to Colin. Our delight could only have been surpassed if the B team had turned up unexpectedly to share in his largesse.

Your diarist had volunteered to lead the start of the route from memory in the hope that others might take over the poisoned chalice later. In the event Tom stepped up to the plate by using a Ramblers’ app on his phone. He was assisted by a lady who emerged as we were enjoying a lively Pietime outside her house. Instead of admonishing us, she produced a photocopy of a detailed local map for our onward journey .

We walked out of the back of Miry Meadows car park and turned right along an informal path which went down  to a cobbled road with The Roebuck on our right. We turned left, passing the church of St Thomas Becket on our left before heading right (4mins) and following a series of marked footpaths which took us down alleys, over two streams and through a housing estate until we reached and crossed the busy A6 (16mins).

The well-trodden path continued on the far side until we reached a T-junction where we turned right (23mins). We headed uphill past Bowden Head Fold on our left (31mins). When we reached  a T-junction we went straight on following a wooden public footpath sign (34mins). A gate led us through the edge of a wood and when we left it by another gate we headed downhill, crossed a footbridge and turned left (45mins)

After going through a wooden gate marked with a yellow arrow (48mins) we reached a lane and turned right, passing Royche Farm on our left. 

At this stage your diarist handed over the leadership to Tom who, after consulting the Ramblers’ app on his phone, advised us to ignore a wooden public footpath sign on our left (51mins) and continue along the lane which passed  Malcoff Farm on our left.

Outside an impressive  house called Cobstones (65mins) we paused for pies and port. As we enjoyed damson gin provided by Chris and a mature sloe gin from Alastair a lady emerged from a house to the right of a wooden public footpath sign. When we described our plight she returned indoors and emerged with a photocopy of a large-scale map and gave it to us along with verbal directions.

Resuming we followed the sign pointing uphill and went through a five-barred wooden gate into a field, keeping a drystone wall on our right (76mins). We crossed a wooden stile in the right hand corner of the field (82mins) and used stepping stones to cross a babbling brook. After climbing up the bank we crossed a wooden stile (85mins) and walked through a field before passing Bettfield Clough Cottage on our left (94mins).

The route brought us to a main road which we crossed and went over a wooden stile marked with a yellow arrow (99mins). After going through a metal gate (102mins) we turned left at a wooden public footpath sign (103mins) and crossed a stone step stile to reach a lane (105mins). After some debate, in which both the photocopied map and the map on the phone were turned round several times, Tom directed us left downhill.

We reached a house called Stonyford on our left (110mins) and a further check revealed that not only were we heading in the right direction but we were on the lane which would lead us into Sparrowpit. Let the bells ring, let trumpets sound and let joy be unconfined throughout the land !

We followed this winding lane until it passed the sign for Sparrowpit and its Methodist Church on our left (130mins) before reaching The Wanted Inn on our left (133mins). Colin was already in situ, having walked from Doveholes, and bought us all pints of Farmers Blonde and Pedigree cask bitter.

The pub, once called The Devonshire Arms, was put up for sale in the 1970s but attracted no offers and became known locally as The Unwanted Inn. When it was eventually bought and reopened, it was renamed The Wanted Inn. Sparrowpit stands on a watershed. It was said that if a bucket of water was thrown out of the front door of The Wanted Inn, it would flow westwards and make its way into The Irish Sea. If water was thrown out of the back door it would head eastwards to join The North Sea.

With Colin now leading we turned right out of the pub and retraced our steps past Sparrowpit  Methodist Church but continued beyond the lane on our right by which we had entered the village. We passed a water trough which was the site of an old well on our left and turned right at the second of two wooden public footpath signs on our right (140mins)

This took us through a field towards a stone hut where we entered another field and crossed a wooden stile by the side of Goldfinch Farm (144mins). After crossing another wooden stile and a stone step stile (145mins) we stopped for lunch before crossing another stone step stile and heading downhill past Upper Bagshaw Farm (153mins)

We then followed a flagged path laid out in much the same way as The Virgins’ Path linking the villages of Rainow and Bollington, causing our new leader to speculate whether this was another centuries-old kindness by farmers to help local brides on the way to church in Chapel through muddy fields.

After crossing a wooden stile (165mins) and a wooden footbridge ((168mins) we turned right and emerged on a main road (170mins). We crossed it and turned left towards Chapel. As we did so we passed a sign “Chapel-en-le-Frith: Capital of the Peak: Home of Ferodo.”

Ferodo was founded in 1897 by Herbert Frood. It started the manufacture of friction products, especially braking materials, in Gorton in 1901 and moved to Chapel the following year. Ferodo UK became part of Turner and Newall in 1926. In 1998 Turner and Newall was acquired by automotive group Federal Mogul.

FM got into financial difficulties because of claims for death and illness caused by the use of asbestos in the braking products. It went into administration in 2001 with a pension deficit of £400million. FM is now part of Federal Mogul Aftermarket UK Ltd, which invested in £13million of new equipment in 2012. A UK Asbestos Trust was established to deal with further claims.

We passed The Shoulder of Mutton on our right and the Town Hall on our left before turning right up Church Brow (184mins) and passing The Roebuck (187mins) on our way back to the car park. After de-booting we returned to The Roebuck to enjoy pints of Tetleys’ cask bitter for £3.

Photos by Steve Kemp

Next week’s walk will start at 9.45am at Barber Booth on a car park on the road on the left to Upper Booth 200 yards  beyond the railway viaduct. It is intended to stop for a stiffener in The Nag’s Head at Edale around 12.30pm before returning to the cars and driving to The Wanted Inn at Sparrowpit at about 2.30pm.

Happy wandering !

Furness Vale

February 14, 2018.

FURNESS VALE, RINGSTONES CARAVAN PARK, THE DIPPING STONES, HIGHER DISLEY, LYME PARK, LYME CAGE, RED LANE, THE DANDY COCK AT DISLEY, PEAK FOREST CANAL, NEW MILLS, FURNESS VALE MARINA AND THE SOLDIER DICK AT FURNESS VALE

Distance: 9 miles.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Weather: Mainly cloudy and dry at start, with brief snowstorm and light rain towards end.

Walkers: Colin Davison, Alan Hart, Mark Gibby, Steve Kemp, Chris Owen and George Whaites.

B Walkers: Phil Burslem, George Fraser, Tony Job, Terry Jowett, Geoff Spurrell and Barry Williams.

Apologies: Peter Beal (walking with family), Alastair Cairns (supervising builder), Tom Cunliffe (domestic duties), George Dearsley (in Turkey), Lawrie Fairman (cruise lecturing), Hughie Hardiman (filial duties).

Leader and Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: A6 road outside The Soldier Dick at Furness Vale.

Starting time: 9.35am. Finishing time: 2.15pm.

Tom selected this route, popularly known as The Phallic Walk, for St Valentine’s Day, which shows that contrary to appearance he is a romantic at heart – albeit a crude one. It has been customary for Tom to fail to appear on walks which he has chosen and this was no exception.

It has also been customary for Colin to usurp the leadership of any walk he is on and to lure others in his wake. This was no exception either. It is heartening to know that so soon after worrying about his ability to keep up with the pace last week, he was one of the first into the pub at the end of this trip.

The A team was not quick enough, however, to beat the B team to the bar: a triumph of age and experience over youthful vigour.

Various weather conditions had been predicted for the area and during the course of the day we encountered each of them – a dry, sunny start, clouding over, a brief blizzard, some sleet and light rain towards the finish.

The journey embraced two of our favourite pubs, The Dandy Cock and The Soldier Dick. No prizes for guessing why it is nicknamed The Phallic Walk.

From our start on the A6 we headed towards Buxton for 30 yards before turning right into Yeardsley Lane. This was the start of a steady ascent which continued for 85 minutes until we entered Lyme Park – but I digress. At the end of the lane, opposite the entrance to Ringstones Caravan Park , we turned right (7mins) and eventually swung left with a farmhouse on our left and stables to our right (12mins)

We went through a gate next to the stables and continued through an open gateway into a field, where we turned right keeping a drystone wall on our right (15mins). We reached a road (27mins) and turned left for 60 yards, before heading right over a stone step stile (30mins). Just before we reached The Dipping Stones, we turned right over a wooden stile (40mins).

The Dipping Stones date back to the 17^th Century when villages affected by The Great Plague would exchange money for food without any physical contact. Holes had been scoured in the rock so coins could be left in them. The holes were filled with vinegar as disinfectant.

Beyond the stile was a wooden footbridge over marshy ground (42mins). We crossed it then went over a stone step stile (49mins) and a ladder stile (54mins). The path was crossed by a farm track (58mins) where we turned left. Just before a cattle-grid (59mins) we turned right to head downhill.

At this point Colin led Steve and George along a different route, turning right at the track and swinging left. The rest of us crossed a footbridge and went through a metal kissing gate to reach a minor road (66mins). We crossed this following a green footpath sign opposite and headed uphill to  reach another road (72mins).

As we were crossing this to go over a wooden stile, Colin’s party hove into view and followed us. The well-trodden path led us up to a stone step stile which we crossed, turned right and immediately scaled a ladder stile to enter Lyme Park (85mins). By now a brief blizzard had subsided but a cold wind swirled around us as we paused for pies, port and damson gin.

Resuming we followed the path down through a wood to a ladder stile which we crossed (91mins) and turned left downhill, with the wood behind a drystone wall on our left. We crossed a wooden stile (99mins) and headed towards Lyme Cage, which involved a steep descent to a shallow stream and a brief climb on the other side of it.

When we reached Lyme Cage we turned right (110mins). This took us down to the park’s entrance hut where, to the right, is the exit into Red Lane (124mins). We followed this passing St Mary The Virgin Church, Disley, on our right (137mins)

This was built under the instruction of Sir Piers Legh of Lyme Hall between 1527 and 1558 but he died before the church was completed. It was restored in the 19^th Century but retains its 16^th Century roof – a camber beam richly moulded and decorated with bosses, angels and crows’ feet.

Memorials to many members of the Legh family adorn the church. There is also a floor memorial to Joseph Watson, park keeper at Lyme for 64 years, who died in 1753 at the age of 104 !

At the end of Red Lane we turned left to reach the main Disley traffic lights (138mins) and turned right. We crossed the A6, turned right and reach The Dandy Cock on our left (140mins) for excellent pints of Robinsons’ Unicorn at £3-05.

Continuing, we turned right out of the pub door and immediately right down Hollinwood Road, passing under the Manchester-Buxton railway line. Turning left into Sherbrooke Road (145mins) we reached The Peak Forest Canal and turned right with the waterway on our left (146mins). At Bridge 26 we turned left, crossing it and reaching the far bank.

While some of us sheltered from the steady rain under the bridge to eat lunch (148mins), Colin led another group along the canal towpath with the water now on his right. After lunch the other members of the group followed, passing on our left the Swizzels Matlow sweet factory at New Mills, from which the nostalgic aromas of parma violets and love hearts emanated (168mins)

The now following trio of your diarist, Chris and Mark reached the boats moored at Furness Vale Marina (188mins) and left at the next bridge, crossing right over the canal and heading towards the A6. We reached our cars to de-boot (208mins) and join the B team inside The Soldier Dick for pints of Wainwrights’ cask bitter.

They informed us they had walked from Disley to The Pride of the Peak at New Mills before arriving at the pub in Furness Vale.

Photo by Colin

Next week’s walks will start at 9.40am from Miry Meadows car park, Station Road, Chapel-en-le-Frith SK23 9RE. We will be aiming to reach the Wanted Inn at Sparrowpit for a bracer around 12.20pm, returning to The Roebuck Inn, Chapel, at about 2.20pm.

Happy wandering !

Bollington

BOLLINGTON, WHITE NANCY, KERRIDGE RIDGE, RAINOW, BULL HILL LANE, BRINK BARN, WALKER BARN, THE ROBIN HOOD AT RAINOW, SUGAR LANE, FLAG COTTAGE, THE VIRGINS’ PATH, INGERSLEY VALE WATERFALL AT WAULKMILL FARM, THE CHURCH HOUSE INN AT BOLLINGTON

Distance: 7-8 miles.

Difficulty: Tough start but then easy.

Weather: A crisp, dry winter’s day with blue skies and sunshine.

Walkers: Peter Beal, Alastair Cairns, Tom Cunliffe, Colin Davison, Lawrie Fairman, Mark Gibby, Hughie Hardiman, Alan Hart, Steve Kemp and Chris Owen.

B walkers: Phil Burslem, George Fraser, Tony Job, Terry Jowett, Jock Rooney with Tips and Barry Williams.

Under-equipped: Ken Sparrow (Arrived without boots).

Apologies: George Dearsley (in Turkey) and George Whaites.

Starting point: Church Lane, Bollington, near The Church House Inn.

Starting time: 9.47am. Finishing time: 2.03pm.

After some poor turn-outs in January it was thought some of the Wednesday Wanderers had made New Year resolutions not to come out walking. But a crisp winter’s morning with the sun beaming down from blue skies brought out 16 hikers. This would have been 17, but Ken forgot his boots and failed to come under Starter’s Orders.

There was a delay because your diarist was unable to start his car after a cold frosty night. Would-be passenger Hughie retrieved his car and saved the day. It proved to be a celebration of bygone times with the orgasmic pies from the F.Smith Bakery once again available and The Robin Hood at Rainow open again on a Wednesday lunchtime.

Both The Robin Hood and our final stop, The Church House Inn, were the beneficiaries of unexpected trade from 16 thirsty hikers. You may be surprised to learn that some of our group were sipping soft drinks instead of supping beer. I will not embarrass them here by revealing names.

From the road outside the Church House Inn, we walked up Church Lane and turned left by The Crown at the T junction. We passed the mill pond and the tree full of bird boxes on our right then turned sharp right at a green public footpath sign (7mins). This was the start of a steep climb to reach White Nancy (23mins), the well-known and easily-recognised landmark on Kerridge Ridge.

This building was erected in 1815 to commemorate the victory of the Duke of Wellington over Napoleon at The Battle of Waterloo. It is believed that the white mare which hauled the bricks and materials up to the ridge was named Nancy and gave the folly its title.

At one time it had a circular bench inside and a window overlooking the hills and valleys outside. But the window and doors have long been bricked in and painted over – white of course.

After pausing for breath and photos, we walked along Kerridge Ridge through a series of metal gates and stiles until we reached the main road through Rainow (58mins). It was decided to have an unscheduled Pietime so those of us with such provisions could strike while Smith’s pies were still hot, or at least lukewarm. The port was deemed a complementary accompaniment.


Photo by Tom (Cartier Bresson) Cunliffe, showing great awareness of the "contre jour" genre.

The following pictures by Colin

Continuing we turned right along the road for some 80 yards. Opposite Brae Cottage (59mins) we turned left up stone steps at an easily-missed public footpath sign. The path took us to the right of a field until we reached Bull Hill Lane and turned right uphill (63mins). At the T-junction at the top of the hill we turned left for 50 yards and then turned right at a wooden public footpath sign containing the Gritstone Trail logo of a yellow arrow and a footprint (71mins)

We headed uphill, crossed a wooden stile and stopped for our second Pietime (75mins) accompanied this time by damson gin and chocolate orange segments kindly provided by Chris.

Suitably sustained we turned left and crossed two stone step stiles (80 and 84mins) to go through Brink Barn (86mins) and pass the sign for Walker Barn on the road to our left (90mins). We reached the main road, crossed it and turned right, passing a house on our left which was once a pub called The Setter Dog.

We turned left at a green public footpath sign (94mins), soon following a yellow arrow on our left to leave the farm track and reach a wooden stile which we crossed and turned left (97mins). This path took us through a farmyard (98mins) before we turned left over a wooden stile (102mins). By keeping to the right of the field, we crossed a ladder stile on our right (105mins) and turned left  following a well-trodden path downhill to a road (110mins)

After crossing the road we headed down to a farmhouse, turning left and passing it on our right before crossing a wooden stile (112mins) and a wooden footbridge (115mins). We then ascended through a field to a stone step stile where we turned left along a track (119mins). This brought us to a main road where we turned right into Rainow (124mins)

By carrying straight on into Stocks Lane, we passed the medieval wooden stocks on our right (126mins) and reached The Robin Hood (128mins), where the Wainwrights’ cask bitter was in excellent condition. However the landlady broke the world record for time taken to top up a pint, leading your diarist to accuse his comrades of hiding his beer. Apologies all round.

Our colleagues from the B team were already well established by this stage, explaining with some glee that they would have had an even stronger contingent if Ken had not arrived sans chaussures de marche. They described their journey to the pub, which involved long bus rides and short walks.

On leaving we retraced our footsteps down Stocks Lane, turning right into Chapel Lane and right again into Sugar Lane (130mins). We turned right yet again at a wooden public footpath sign pointing behind Flag Cottage where we followed a flagged path behind a row of cottages (133mins)

This brought us to our familiar route back to Bollington along what is known as The Virgins’ Path or The Brides’ Path. It was given this nickname from the days when Rainow had no church, and brides-to-be had to walk with their fathers through muddy fields to reach the nearest church in Bollington. Obliging farmers lay down flags through the fields, many still visible, to avoid the brides having to sully their white dresses and so besmirch their reputations.

The path brought us to the picturesque Ingersley Vale Waterfall opposite Waulkmill Farm where we stopped for lunch (149mins). Resuming, we passed the derelict mill on our right and reached The Crown on Church Lane, turning right and reaching the cars to deboot (163mins) and enjoy more pints of Wainwrights in The Church House Inn.

Next week’s walk is popularly known as The Phallic Walk by those with smutty minds. It will start at 9.35am outside The Soldier Dick at Furness Vale, where roadside parking is available. We intend to head uphill to enter Lyme Park just short of Bowstones, before descending to Disley for a livener in The Dandy Cock at about 12.15pm. We will then walk back along the Peak Forest Canal, aiming to reach The Soldier Dick at about 2.15pm.

Happy wandering !

Old Glossop

January 31, 2018.

OLD GLOSSOP, SWINESHAW RESERVOIR, CLOUGH HEAD, PEAKNAZE MOOR, CLOUGH EDGE, PENNINE WAY, TRANS PENNINE TRAIL, LONGDENDALE TRAIL, HADFIELD, PADFIELD, PADFIELD CEMETRY, UPPER RESERVOIR, CAT WOOD, OLD GLOSSOP

Distance: 7.4 miles.

Difficulty: Moderate then easy peasy

Weather: dry overcast, ferocious sleet at our backs, bright and sunny, ferocious sleet/snow/hale in our faces, overcast

Walkers: Tom Cunliffe, Colin Davison, George Whaites and Chris Owen (well…..almost).

Apologies: Mickey Barrett (in Australia), Peter Beal (domestic duties), Alastair Cairns (helping builder), George Dearsley (in Turkey), Lawrie Fairman (cruise lecturing), Steve Kemp (domestic duties), Julian Ross (expanding business empire), Alan Hart (W*rking in Lanzarote), George Whaites.

Leader: Davison. Diarist: Cunliffe

Starting point: car park in Old Glossop opposite the Wheatsheaf pub.

Starting time: 9.45am. Finishing time: 2.45pm.

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As we gathered at the rendezvous point on the car park Chris approached me with his head hung low, hands clasped behind his back and proceeded to shock me with a typical long convoluted schoolboy excuse about leaving his boots at home!! 

Being the generous soul that I am, I offered to lend him my crocs but before you could say “you can stick them right up your a*r^e” he politely declined. 

I waved Chris goodbye as he drove off in to the High Peak mist and wondered if his days of being made of sterner stuff were over. Right on cue Colin and George arrived.

It was good to see these two chaps after their absence, unfortunately Colin was still suffering from his dodgy ticker and was still recovering from a tumble from his new electric bike when he came off headlong over the handle bars on to hard ground whereupon his teeth pierced his upper lip… ouch!! His lip was swollen and as I looked at him he reminded me of yesteryear of one of my favourite Bash Street characters – Plug. Dear reader, see what you think

George showed off his brand new made-to-measure Altberg boots (very smart).

Having consulted with Colin about a suitable walking speed, we 3 Amigos eventually set off at a sedate funereal pace on the usual route. 

Participants of this route will remember that this walk is a steepish plod until reaching the shelter of a dilapidated shooting hut. We arrived just in time for Pies, but no port.  

Our arrival at the hut coincided with sight of horizontal hale speeding across the moors passing us then proceeding up the valley. We managed to huddle in a sheltered corner of the run-down hut until it had passed.    

Pie Time over, we 3 Amigos proceeded on our way until we reached Clough Edge with the steep valley below and the reservoirs stretched out in front of us, it was indeed a beautiful site. In spite of these tricky weather and underfoot conditions we were able to negotiate this perilous section until we began to descend from our lofty position eventually crossing the road below joining the Trans Pennine Trail (or, if you prefer the Longdendale Trail) in a westerly direction. 

The three mile slog along this trail to its conclusion at Padfield Station was made a bit more uncomfortable by the extreme weather conditions with high-speed horizontal hale and snow battering our faces doing little for Colin’s disfigured face.     

Eventually reaching Padfield Station we decided to miss out the Anchor pub and instead search for the Peels Arms as we made our way back to the car park. Unfortunately, we couldn’t remember where the pub was so we proceeded along the road, crossing muddy fields, a cemetery and more muddy fields until we reached Swineshawe Reservoir.

As we spied more glutinous mud ahead of us, a gate in the dry stone-wall surrounding the reservoir was noticed with an inviting path running the full length, we decided to take advantage of said path emerging at a small footbridge then series of steps taking us down to the track leading back to the car park, much better than the muddy field option.

We de-booted and retreated to the Queens Arms  (recently voted CAMRA pub of the year for 2017) where we enjoyed pints of foaming Wainwright in excellent condition (you wouldn’t expect anything less) at £3.30 per pint.

Pictures by Colin

Next weeks walk will begin in Bollington commencing from outside the Church House Inn on Church Street opposite St John’s Church. We should meet at 9.30am with the Robin Hood in Rainow the favoured half way watering hole around 12.15 arriving back at the vehicles at 2.15  for further light refreshments at the Church House Inn.

Happy Wandering!

Ridgegate

January 24, 2018.

RIDGEGATE RESERVOIR, LANGLEY, MACCLESFIELD FOREST, NESSIT HILL, SHUTLINGSLOE, WILDBOARCLOUGH, CRAG INN, PIGGFORD NATURE RESERVE, THE HANGING GATE, GRITSTONE TRAIL, RYLES ARMS, LANGLEY, THROSTLES NEST FARM, LEATHER’S SMITHY, SUTTON HALL

Distance: 9 miles.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Weather: Rain at first, then dry and cloudy, finally sunny.

Walkers: Peter Beal, Tom Cunliffe, Hughie Hardiman, Alan Hart and Chris Owen.

 Apologies: Mickey Barrett (in Australia), Alastair Cairns (helping builder), George Dearsley (in Turkey), Lawrie Fairman (cruise lecturing), Mark Gibby and Steve Kemp (recovering from jet-lag), Julian Ross (expanding business empire), George Whaites (domestic duties).

Leader: Owen. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Lay-by on road next to Ridgegate Reservoir, Langley, Macclesfield.

Starting time: 9.42am. Finishing time: 2.45pm.

According to the weather forecasters, the gale-force winds of Storm Georgina would die out overnight and the rain would desist sometime between 9 and 10am. They were mistaken, dear readers.

When we assembled there were high hopes that the rain might cease before we sallied forth. However we were still being buffeted by the final flourish of Storm Georgina as we began our journey and the rain continued to fall steadily until just before Pietime at 11am.

By then we had already passed the high points of the route at Nessit Hill and Shutlingsloe, where the spectacular views had been spoiled by the precipitation. Happily, as we soldiered on undaunted, the weather improved and by the end of the walk blue skies and sunshine were taking over above us.

We also enjoyed an entertaining interlude when some friendly hens joined us for Pietime and one of them tried to sit on Tom’s lap. The bird was told in no uncertain manner to cluck off. We also heard that Tom’s father had no Dick, but more of that later. At that time we were toasting the birth the day before of a first granddaughter for Chris. Congratulations to all concerned.

Our walk started from the road next to Ridgegate Reservoir, which, along with Trentabank Reservoir, is part of Macclesfield Forest. After the Norman Conquest this was a more extensive hunting reserve owned by the Earls of Chester. Poachers were executed at a gallows which is believed to have been sited near The Hanging Gate pub.

Today the remnants of this mighty forest are owned by United Utilities and provide water for the townsfolk of Macclesfield. Some 47 acres, including all of Trentabank Reservoir, were made into a nature reserve in 1982. This includes a heronry with 22 nests, as well as many woodland and wading birds, and a small herd of 12 red deer.

With Ridgegate Reservoir on our right we headed slightly uphill, turning right at the end of the reservoir at a path which ran parallel to the road as it swung right. After crossing a bridge over Bollin Brook we turned left to enter the forest through a gate (6mins) and immediately followed the wider of two paths on our right.

By turning right at a wooden five-barred gate (14mins) we headed steadily uphill, swinging left just before a wooden gate (23mins) and reached Nessit Hill on our left (28mins). On a clear day this produces a picturesque view over Ridgegate Reservoir but on this occasion the inclement weather provided a rather dull, grey picture.

We continued and turned right at a wooden public footpath sign marked Shutlingsloe  (37mins) which took us along flagstones to a gate (47mins). A path to the right would have led to the summit but because of the poor visibility at that stage we took the other path which skirted the left shoulder of Cheshire’s third largest hill.

This brought us to a wooden gate (55mins) on the far side of this distinctive hill which is known ironically as The Cheshire Matterhorn. We crossed two wooden stiles and a footbridge (64mins) to reach a lane where we turned right downhill over a cattlegrid. When we reached a road near the swollen river at Wildboarclough (73mins) the rain finally stopped.

Our quintet turned right to reach The Crag Inn on our right, which we learned was only open now at weekends. We paused at a bench for Pietime (78mins) at the end of the pub car park, where we were joined by six hungry hens – or should that be half a dozen ?

We began with a ten-second silence to mark the closure of The Hanging Gate, one of our regular Wednesday haunts. As we ate our snacks and imbibed port and damson gin, the hens gathered round us. Tom encouraged them with some titbits but drew the line when one tried to sit on his lap amid much hilarity from his companions.

Continuing our journey we turned immediately right after leaving the car park at a wooden public footpath sign marked with a yellow arrow. The path took us steadily uphill through several fields by a series of gates and stiles until a stone step stile led us to a road with Piggford Nature Reserve on its far side (101mins)

We turned left and began a gradual descent until we reached a metal kissing gate on our right (113mins). This took us uphill again through a wooden gate and over a wooden footbridge (118mins).

 The former home of ex-Chancellor George Osborne, now known as “Six Jobs Osborne” because of his prolific work ethic, was on our right.

The path continued through a metal gate (121mins), a wooden gate (129mins) and over a wooden stile (136mins) until we went through a metal gate opposite The Hanging Gate (141mins)

A For Sale sign by Fleurets indicated this ancient pub with magnificent views across the valley could be bought freehold. Further inquiries revealed the asking price was £375,00 for the pub which also had two double bedrooms, bathroom, kitchen and living room on its first floor. The site comes with 2.5 acres of land. It is currently under offer.

Our group passed the front door of the pub on our left to reach its rear where we turned right at the end of the beer garden to head downhill through two metal gates. A flight of steps took us to a road where we turned left (145mins). We headed left again at a wooden public footpath sign marked with a yellow arrow indicating we were now on the Gritstone Trail (147mins)

A series of metal gates brought us to a stream which we crossed and walked uphill to the welcoming sight of The Ryles Arms at Langley (163mins). The Black Sheep and a selection of cask ales from the nearby Wincle Brewery were on sale at £3-40 a pint. Most of us opted for the Timothy Taylor Boltmaker, which Chris kindly bought to wet the head of his first granddaughter Erin Amelia.

As we toasted her health the subject changed to modern names compared to those popular in our youth. Tom then revealed that his father, Thomas, had called his sons Tom and Harry. At this point your diarist unwittingly remarked: “So your dad had a Tom and a Harry but he had no Dick.” A passing barmaid was seen to blush.

Resuming our walk we retraced our footsteps out of the pub along the Gritstone Trail until reaching the road where we had picked up the trail. We turned right for 20 yards then went left over a wooden stile marked with a yellow arrow and the GT logo (182mins). More clear trail signs showed us the way.

We paused for lunch (193mins) and continued past Overhill Cottage on our right to reach Throstles Nest Farm, the former home of Sale and England rugby international Fran Cotton. Beyond the farm we left the Gritstone Trail to turn right at a yellow arrow leading us into Bluebell Wood (197mins). The path brought us back to Ridgegate Reservoir (202mins)

By turning left at the end of the reservoir we were able to pass Leather’s Smithy on our left and turn right with the reservoir on our right to return to our cars to de-boot (212mins). From there we drove to Sutton Hall for further refreshment.

Next week’s walk will start at 9.45am from a plot of waste land which forms a car park opposite the Wheatsheaf pub in Old Glossop. The route will be over the moor and to the Anchor at Hadfield for a bracer around 12.15pm, finishing for a last drink at The Queens in Old Glossop at about 2.30pm.

Happy wandering !

  

Rudyard

Rudyard

Jaunary 17, 2016

CAR PARK AT MINIATURE RAILWAY AT RUDYARD, STAFFORDSHIRE WAY, LADDEREDGE COUNTRY PARK, CALDON CANAL, HOLLY BUSH INN, STONELOWE HALL, DUNWOOD, BRADSHAW, DEVIL'S LANE, RUDYARD

Distance: 10miles

Difficulty: Easy except for MUD

Weather: Cold windyish but mainly sunny

Walkers: Tom Cunliffe,  Laurie Fairman, Chris Owen, Jock Rooney with Tip

Apologies: Alan Hart (wimped out), George Dearsley (still living in Turkey), George Waites (domestic duties),Peter Beal (walking along Yorkshire coast), Alastair Cairns, Mark Gibby (in US), Hughie Harriman (man flu) .

Leader: Fairman Diarist: Fairman

S.O.B. Walkers: Tony Job, Terry Jowett, Ken Sparrow

Starting point: Miniature railway car park at Rudyard

Starting time: 10.02am Finishing time: 3.24pm

Rudyard Lake marks probably the most southerly starting point of all Wednesday Wanderers expeditions,which may have been a reason for the poor turnout. A journey of mixed character with some difficulties. The weather despite the BBC dire forecast turned out to be good for walking, fresh and clear.

The main problem came from the leader who, trying for a way to avoid mud at the start of the walk, tried a new route.

Our starting point was the car park of the miniature steam railway that runs alongside Rudyard Lake. It should more properly be called a reservoir, as it was built in 1797 to supply the Caldon Canal, which we were to walk along later. At 168 acres and over 2.5 miles long, it was probably at the time the largest of its kind in Britain.

It also gave its name to one of our most famous storytellers. Stoke-on-Trent architect and illustrator Lockwood Kipling got engaged to his girlfriend Alice MacDonald there in 1863 and when their son was born in Bombay two years later they named him after the spot. Who has not heard of Reservoir Kipling?

We left the car park to the south and headed along the course of the disused North Staffordshire Railway, which in its 19th century heyday used to bring thousands of trippers to the Lake, earning it the title of the 'Blackpool of the Potteries'.

We reached a concrete bridge (7 minutes)but the path was deep in mud which promised to get worse from the cattle further down the walk so we continued down the railway track for a further period until stopped by the fact that the tunnels were closed(25minutes). Not wanting to retrace our steps we turned right over a bridge and walked for some distance through the suburbs of Leek, eventually reaching the main A53 near the golf course. After a small error caused by a fold in the map we found the footpath to the Ladderedge park.

(40 mins)

It was just before this that Jock declared he had enough and left us to return home.

However despite his misgivings we were now back on track – with dry clean boots at least for a few miles.

We  walked through the bottom fields of the park and came across a bridge that marked the end of the Leek branch of the Caldon Canal and a large stone sign proclaiming 'Welcome to Leek'. We were truly in the Midlands.

The Caldon Canal, which leaves the Trent and Mersey in Etruria, Stoke, was opened in 1779 to carry limestone from Cauldon Low quarries near Froghall to the Potteries. The Leek branch opened 18 years later. It was restored to leisure use in 1974.

We turned right along the well-surfaced towpath, with the canal on our right, and followed this tranquil stretch of canal to a low tunnel, at which pie time was declare for the 3 of us.

We sat on the bollards and enjoyed the flavourful damson gin courtesy of Chris.(90mins)

We finally reached a bridge (104 min), where we turned left down a lane to reach the welcoming Hollybush Inn on the nearby main branch of the Caldon Canal at 12.05 (12.05 min).

We sat inside the attractive pub, once a flour mill, with narrowboats moored alongside.

The barmaid informed me that they opened at11 am and it looked like men’s walking day out judging from the clientel

Wainwright's bitter was on offer at a reasonable £3.40. Notice that Peter records that in Oct 2016 it was £3 a pint

We restarted at 12.55pm and turned right along the canal, under an aqueduct carrying the Leek branch, and reached a flight of three locks and a white former lock-keeper's cottage at the point where the two branches of the canal divide.

We located the well-hidden footpath next to the house and turned right on a footpath (138 min).

We crossed an open railway line and crossed two stiles across marshy gound to join a stony path uphill. We unfortunately missed the stoney footpath put plodded up the hill to the A53soon reaching a footpath fingerpost. We turned left at this point,passing through three fields and up a track to reach Stonelowe Hall, a converted 17th century farmhouse, now a Grade Two listed building with an appalling blue gate

We took a grassy footpath at the side of a pond at the left of the hall and followed a high hedge across a series of fields before going right over a stile to reachy a minor road (215 min).

We turned right and at the crest of the hill (228 min) taking a track on the right signed Summerhill Farm.Here we had a brief pause for lunch of chocolate oranges At a right-hand bend we carried straight on along a footpath (232 min) and continued over stiles through fields to emerge on the drive of a large private house whose front gate brought us out on the road called Devil's Lane (243 min)..

We turned left and at the crest of the hill turned right through a gap in the stone wall (250 min). A pleasant walk through field with stiles too numerous to detail followed with excellent views from the high ground we were now on.

Bosley Cloud and Croker Hill could be seen to the left and front of us and on the skyline to the right the distinctive outline of the Roaches and Hen Cloud.

We followed a diabolic footpath to drop steeply downhill to reach the railway track .It was a minor miracle no-one fell the sticky slidy was awful.

We turned left along the track and shortly afterwards reached the car park (324 min).

Next week your diarist is off to South Africa but Chris if he feels up to it will lead a walk from Ridgegate Reservoir where you will drink remains to be decided

My thanks to Peter Beal for the “research”

Happy wandering!