Bollington

 Bollington

November 20 2024

BOLLINGTON REC CAR PARK, PALMERSTON STREET, CHURCH STREET, INGERSLEY VALE, WHITE NANCY, KERRIDGE HILL, KERRIDGE END, BULL HILL LANE, BRINK FARM, WALKER BARN, HORDERN FARM, LAMALOAD ROAD, TOWER HILL RAINOW, ROBIN HOOD INN, SUGAR LANE, FLAGG COTTAGE, VIRGINS' PATH, INGERSLEY VALE, CHURCH STREET, VALE PUB IN ADLINGTON ROAD

Distance: 9 miles Ascent/descent: 1,600 ft

Difficulty: Moderate with one sharp climb

Weather: Very cold but sunny. Snow and ice underfoot in many places

Walkers: Peter Beal, Andy Blease, Alastair Cairns, Hughie Hardiman, Alan Hart, Chris Owen, Keith Welsh, Julian Ross, Clive Rothel, Cliff Worthington

Alternate walkers: Jock and Keiran Rooney with Milly

Apologies: Mark Enright (w'**ing from home), Tom Cunliffe (domestic duties), Mike Cassini (not yet fully fit), Dean Taylor (chauffeuring duties), Simon Williams (unspecified)

Leader: Beal Diarist: Beal

Starting point: Free car park opposite Bollington rec, Adlington Road

Starting time: 9.53am Finishing time: 2.21pm

The ten walkers who joined today's outing were rewarded with brilliant sunshine and marvellous views, tempered only by some tricky underfoot conditions from the recent wintry weather. The snow however only contributed to the impressive scenery.

The day was also notable for the return to Wednesday action of our comrade Chris Owen, around ten weeks after his hip replacement at the start of September. Any thoughts that a new right hip might have slowed him down significantly were soon dispelled by him being the first to arrive at the top of the stiff climb to the top of White Nancy.

Chris did admit however at the end of the day that the climbs in tough conditions had taken their toll. He will soon be back on top form on this showing.

We left the Bollington Rec car park and took the familiar route under the canal aqueduct to follow the town's main street past Smith's renowned pie shop, although strangely today there were no takers. Are our walkers turning into diet-conscious,pie-free, health fanatics?

Looking down from Kerridge

We turned right into Church Street and at the bottom swung left into Ingersley Vale. Shortly before the track reached the derelict Ingersley Vale mill, also known as Clough Mill, we took a signed path on the right which took us up a flight of wooden steps. We went through a gate into a field and stuck out up the snow-covered grass slope to reach a bridleway that runs below the prominent monument of White Nancy, erected to mark victory at the Battle of Waterloo. It stands at 918 feet above sea level (1 mile).

We followed the bridlepath to reach the foot of rough stone steps on the left, thankfully free of ice, that took us steeply up the hill to reach the monument, which appears to recently have been given a fresh coat of white paint that makes it visible from miles around (1.6m).

After Alan successfully asked a very obliging and pleasant lady who had been enjoying a flask of tea at the foot of the obelisk to take a team picture of us, we continued along the ridge of Kerridge Hill, with magnificent views below us. On our left were the village of Rainow and the Cheshire hills, while to the right we could see as far as North Wales and the Clwydian hills.

View from White Nancy

At the foot of a snowy climb that would have taken us up to the 1,026-foot trig point marking the high point of Kerridge Hill (2m), Chris decided the descent at the other side might place unfair demands on his new hip, so led us down to join a bridleway running along the foot of the hill to emerge on Lidgetts Lane just above Kerridge End cottages at the junction with the main Rainow Road, where pie time was declared at 11.06am.

Resuming we turned right for a short distance before crossing the road to well-concealed stone steps and a stile that led us up through a path along the side of two fields to emerge on the minor road of Bull Hill Lane (3m).

We turned right uphill here for a little over a quarter of a mile before reaching the main A537 Buxton New Road. Chris, joined by Alan, decided to follow the pavement alongside the road here to our next objective of Walker Barn, while the rest of the party crossed a stile a short distance along the road on the left.

This led to a stile which we crossed and turned left through two fields covered in snow, with a stone stile in between, before reaching Brinks Farm (4m). We passed the farm buildings and continued along a track to soon reach the main road again just short of Walker Barn on our right. This was the former site of the Setter Dog pub, which before its closure in 2007, was said to be the last pub in England also functioning as a post office.

After passing the building, now a house, on our left we turned left down a track and at the foot bore left down a path, crossing a stream and continuing left to join another track near the converted farm buildings at Hordern Farm. An icy track at the other side climbed slightly before we turned left over a stile to descend through snow-covered fields over a series of stiles to emerge on Lamaload Road, the road serving the Lamaload reservoir and its water treatment works (5m).

It had been the leader and diarist-for-the-day's plan here to go right on a route through fields to reach our objective of the Robin Hood Inn. But the leading six of our party were now some way ahead and took a stile down a path immediately opposite that led down to the River Dean.

The remaining four – me, Chris, Clive and Cliff – decided instead to turn left down Lamaload Road to reach Tower Hill in Rainow, where we turned right, up the hill past the church, to arrive at the Robin Hood Inn (6.5m) a few minutes after our companions at 12.43pm. We were met here by Jock, Keiran and Milly who had walked from Bollington and were to join us on the return journey.

We have been disappointed in the past with this pub's erratic opening – or not opening – times. But we were treated to a warm welcome despite only one cask beer being on offer – two others not having been replaced. On the plus side, the one still available was the Wincle Brewery's excellent Hen Cloud pale ale at £4.50 a pint.

Resuming at 1.30pm, we took the back road of Stocks Lane from the pub car park, turning right past houses into Chapel Lane and again to Sugar Lane before reaching Flagg Cottage on the right, where we took the familiar path on the right, climbing down steps across a stream and up the other side to reach the flagged Virgins' Path through the fields to the derelict Ingersley Vale mill (8m).

Many development plans have been discussed for this extensive site in recent years, but except for one modest block of 24 apartments, none have yet come to fruition.

From the mill we rejoined our outward route through the town to reach the Vale Inn near the car park, where Alan and I were joined by Alastair, Jock, Keiran and Milly for final refreshments.

This fine pub has an excellent initiative of serving beer on a Wednesday at £3 a pint and we took advantage of enjoying the Vale's own Bollington Brewery's fine Long Hop pale ale.

Next week's walk will start outside the currently-closed Soldier Dick pub on Buxton Road in Furness Vale (SK23 7PH) at 9.40am. Parking is available on the main road or on Yeardsley Lane nearby, opposite Station Road. Alan will lead us over Whaley Moor and through Lyme Park to the White Horse in Disley, returning along the Peak Forest canal.

Happy Wandering!

Looking down from Kerridge

View from White Nancy

Rowarth

 November 13, 2024.

ROWARTH, KINGS CLOUGH HEAD FARM, KNARRS FARM, MONKS ROAD, CARR MEADOW, MIDDLE MOOR, SHOOTING CABIN, TWENTY TREES, THE KINDER LODGE AT HAYFIELD, CALICO TRAIL, CARNIVAL FIELD, GIGGLE GAGGLE WAY, BLACKSHAW FARM, THE LITTLE MILL INN AT ROWARTH

Distance: 9.5 miles.

Difficulty: Easy.

Weather: Dry with early mist clearing.

Walkers: Peter Beal, Andy Blease, Steve Brearley, Mark Enright, Hughie Hardiman, Alan Hart, Julian Ross, Andy White with Berta, Simon Williams, Cliff Worthington.

Alternative walker: Mike Cassini.

Apologies: Alastair Cairns and Tom Cunliffe (domestic duties), Chris Owen (gout), Keith Welsh (waiting for electrician)

Leader: Beal. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Free public car park at Rowarth, near Mellor, Peak District.

Starting time: 9.55am. Finishing time: 2.38pm.

We welcomed another new boy and his canine friend to the ranks of the Wednesday Wanderers for this walk. Andy White is from Brighton and there is no getting away from the fact that he is a southerner. However, he more than makes up for that deficiency because he spent most of his working life as a pub landlord.

His three-year-old bitch Berta also has a colourful background. She was the only survivor of a litter found next to the bodies of her mother and siblings in Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia. The mother had been poisoned and her litter were still being weaned and became infected. Berta recovered and was brought as a rescue dog in a crate to England. What a lucky girl !

Andy and Berta

Once again Peter had the poisoned chalice of leadership thrust upon him at the last minute when Tom, who had suggested the walk, was unable to attend because of family illness. We wish Stella, her sister Lynn and Lynn's husband Steve well.

Fortunately, the area covered was where Peter exercised during his fell-running days and he had no trouble creating a suitable route.

It was another week of early mist which gradually disappeared as the day wore on, so the walk was more a source of healthy exercise and camaraderie than spectacular views.

Although we assembled in the car park of The Little Mill Inn at 9.40am as planned it was decided to relocate to the free public car park nearby in case some walkers decided not to buy drinks at the end of the journey. From the car park, we headed towards the row of houses in the centre of Rowarth and followed the public footpath by the side of a red phone box. This led to a wooden stile which we crossed and went over a lane to follow the path, fording a stream and emerging at a fork in a road (10mins)

We took the left fork, and after passing Kings Clough Head Farm on our left we turned right at a wooden public footpath sign towards Lantern Pike (20mins). Turning left through a wooden five-barred gate (24mins) we followed the path through a field and exited it by another wooden gate before turning immediately right at a metal gate (31mins)

The path then took us uphill until, after passing Knarrs Farm on the right of a drystone wall, we crossed a stone step stile with the farm on our right and turned left along a gravel path (39mins). We turned right into Monks Road (44mins) and continued until we reached the A624 Glossop to Chapel Road (51mins)

Opposite was a wooden stile which we crossed and followed the path on our right which led us to the footbridge at Carr Meadow where we paused for Pietime (64mins). We continued across Middle Moor passing a cairn until we saw the distinctive white shooting cabin emerging through the mist on our left. Just beyond us was a crossroads (97mins) where we turned right. This path took us through a metal kissing gate and past the landmark Twenty Trees on our right.

Twenty Trees (of which there are 19)

Following the path through gates and stiles we reached Kinder Road and turned right (125mins) heading downhill into Hayfield. En-route we passed a small white house on our left which was once Hayfield Grammar School.

The old Hayfield Grammar School

The school was founded in 1604 and built in 1719. Further along Kinder Road on our right was a site of more modern history. A plaque showed this was the terrace where actor Arthur Lowe was born and raised.

After a mundane career in rep he finally achieved fame as shopkeeper Leonard Swindley in Coronation Street. He then earned even greater celebrity as Captain Mainwaring, the pompous bank manager, in the Second World War sitcom Dad's Army. Ironically Lowe is probably least known for winning a BAFTA as best supporting actor in the movie O Lucky Man. The star-studded cast included Malcolm McDowell, Helen Mirren, Ralph Richardson and Rachel Roberts.

Hayfield's famous son

In Hayfield centre we crossed left over the River Sett and turned right immediately after St Matthew's Church to cross the A624 at the pelican lights. We then turned left with the bus terminus and start of the Sett Valley Trail on our right. At the main road, we turned left and The Kinder Lodge was on our left (134mins)

Mike, who had walked to the pub from Birch Vale as part of his recovery programme, was awaiting us. The barman was suitably affronted when he had to break off from pulling pints to pouring tea.

On leaving the pub we re-traced our footsteps past the terminus now on our left and followed a sign for The Calico Trail on our right (137mins). This took us across the River Sett and into the Carnival Field.

The Sett, which started its life as River Kinder

Exiting the field we turned left uphill and turned right into Bank Vale Road (142mins). Passing Swallow Bank Farm on our right we reached the start of the Giggle Gaggle Path (147mins)

This was so named because of the local girls, who formed a laughter-filled crocodile as they went to and from their work at Clough Mill, Little Hayfield.

We reached a crossroads of well-trodden paths (167mins) where we turned right and then carried straight on through gates and stiles, passing The Lantern Pike hill on our left as we proceeded towards Blackshaw Farm. At a junction we followed a sign for Monks Road (173mins)

This brought us to a concreted lane (186mins) and over a stream before we went left at a wooden stile (193mins) to retrace our earlier steps back to The Little Mill Inn (202mins) for pints of their own cask bitter.

Next week's walk will start at 9.40am from the free Bollington Recreation Ground car park on Adlington Road, Bollington (SK10 5JT). We will be going over Kerridge and up to Walker Barn before arriving at The Robin Hood in Church Lane, Rainow (SK10 5XE) at about 12.30pm. We aim to return to our cars around 2.20pm with the option of a final quencher at The Vale on Adlington Road (SK10 5JT)

Happy wandering !

Brabyn's Park

 November 6, 2024.

BRABYN'S PARK, MARPLE BRIDGE, LONGHURST LANE, TOWNCLIFFE LANE, MILL BROW, HOLLYWOOD END, GUN ROAD, SHILOH ROAD, POLE LANE, CASTLE EDGE FARM, SHAW FARM, FOX INN AT BROOK BOTTOM, STRINES STATION, ROMAN LAKES, MELLOR MILL, LOW LEA ROAD, THE NORFOLK ARMS AT MARPLE BRIDGE

Distance: 9.5 miles.

Difficulty: Easy.

Weather: Dry but mainly cloudy.

Walkers: Peter Beal, Andy Blease, Steve Brearley, Alastair Cairns, Tom Cunliffe with Daisy, Colin Davison, Hughie Hardiman, Alan Hart, Jonathan Hart, Julian Ross, Clive Rothel, Keith Welsh, Simon Williams, Cliff Worthington.

Apologies: Mark Enright (attending EU conference), Chris Owen (recovering from hip replacement op), Jock Rooney (in Cyprus)

Leader: Beal. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Brabyn's Park upper car park, Marple Bridge.

Starting time: 9.40am. Finishing time: 2.26pm

When this walk was last tried in July, 2022, diarist Peter Beal described the turn-out of 12 walkers as good. On this occasion, we had 14 which was an outstanding number for November. Sadly Peter as leader was only able to guide three of us back to Marple Bridge.

The first casualty was Colin who fell behind after little more than a mile. When his absence was noticed and he was contacted by Tom he claimed to know the way and said he would see us later. However, he failed to materialise.

The other nine disappeared when Peter announced a lunch stop at Strines railway station. Those without any food formed a breakaway group, which carried on without the four lunch munchers. They were never seen again either.

Peter, who had stepped in as leader at Tom's last-minute request, would have fretted over such absences in the past. But with steely resolve, he has pledged to ignore such strays in the future. This seems eminently sensible because it enables capricious wanderers to disappear without any onus of responsibility falling on the shoulders of the leader.

For the above reasons this diary records the movements of all bar Colin for the first 7 miles, and of Peter, Steve, Jonathan and your diarist during the last 2.5 miles of our journey.

The weather throughout was unseasonably warm despite the lack of sunshine. It had its amusing moments when Daisy doggedly (no pun intended) defended her honour against a randy terrier twice her size. We were also happy to report a dramatic improvement in the quality of the Robinson's Unicorn cask bitter at The Fox Inn which was on top form.

On the ornithological front, we spotted a pair of jays, a cormorant and a pair of herons as we enjoyed the scenery in the Goyt Valley on a route which is named The Mellor Boundary Walk.

The River Goyt on the right of Town Lane

We left the higher level of the free car park in Brabyn's Park, turned left at the main road and immediately right at traffic lights to enter Town Street, Marple Bridge. This led us to Longhurst Lane and on the brow of the hill where a postbox is set into the wall, we turned left and then right into the roughly-surfaced Towncliffe Lane.

At the top of the lane are cottages where we bore left along a track signed Mill Brow. We went through a cobbled courtyard next to cottages before taking a narrow path on the left. This went through a gate with the wooded valley of Mill Brook below us on the left.

Heading for Mill Brow

A second gate brought us to an open field and we descended to reach a stile. Crossing this we reached a track coming downhill from our right. We turned left and left again at another surfaced track to cross a bridge over Mill Brook and go up a surfaced lane.

This emerged on a minor road with the Hare and Hounds pub on our left (36mins)

It was around this time we realised Colin was no longer with us or in sight. Tom called him and reported Colin knew the way and would see us later.

When we reached a road with a “no through road” sign branching off on the left we swung right to cross a bridge and took an unsigned track on the left past cottages at Hollywood End.

We went through a gate into fields where a green footpath sign indicated the way to Cown Edge via Ludworth Moor. The path went through a garden in front of two picturesque cottages. Soon after we ignored a track in front of us and turned left to drop down and cross a stream by a small wooden bridge.

It was at this stage that Daisy had to fight off the unwanted attentions of a frisky terrier who wanted to be more than just friends. Despite several rebuffs of the barking variety by Daisy, this sex pest continued to make advances until our outraged toy poodle upped her game by biting him.

The distraction may have affected our stand-in leader because there followed a series of miss-steps, before Peter decided to abridge the walk by cutting out a loop northwards. Instead we headed due east, stopping for Pietime at Lower Bradshaw Farm (82mins)

On reaching Gun Road we continued to the junction with Shiloh Road, passing four apartments which were once a pub called The Moorfield Arms, where WWs Frank Dudley and Barry Williams celebrated 150 years of life. Dud, as he was known by his many friends, contributed 90 of them and lived a further nine years.

Turning right onto Shiloh Road, we continued to a road junction known locally as Five Lane Ends where we followed the track immediately ahead marked on maps as Pole Lane. This took us past a covered reservoir on the left and reached a junction of tracks. We went straight on, along a surfaced road and almost immediately turned right towards Castle Edge Farm.

We took a stile on the left through a small gate. The path went through a series of small fields and over four stiles, after the last of which, at the foot of a copse of trees, we swung left downhill towards Shaw Farm.

At the farm buildings, we crossed a stile into the yard and at the other side went over a stile and took a small gate along a track. On reaching a stile on our left we crossed it into a wood and descended steeply to cross a wooden plank bridge.

After climbing the bank opposite we went through a gap in the wall to descend on a stepped path, skirting a house and going down a drive which brought us to the familiar whitewashed sight below us of The Fox Inn in the hamlet of Brook Bottom (149mins)

Twelve thirsty men

It is a sad sign of recent times that those of us drinking beer were in the minority. Our order included five cups of tea. Happily, those of us who did choose to support the British brewing industry were rewarded with pints in excellent condition. Previous recent visits had found the quality of the cask ale wanting.

Suitably and differently refreshed, we left the pub and turned right at a rocky path adjoining the beer garden. This led steadily downhill until we reached Strines Station on our left, where Peter announced we would be stopping for lunch (162mins) at 1.20pm.

Those who were already ahead and those who had brought no snacks chose to continue while four of us used the platform facilities to sit down for a comfortable brief picnic.

Strines Station and the area around it is believed by some to be the inspiration for the much-loved novel The Railway Children, by Edith Nesbit. The book, published in 1906, has been made into two major films, four television series, a film sequel and a play.

Edith is known to have visited her sister Saretta, who lived high above Strines at a house called Paradise. Next door is a house called Three Chimneys, which is named in the narrative as the family home. Both survive to this day.

In the book, the children have adventures on the canal with its coal wharf, the flight of 16 locks and the aqueduct, which are all still there.

Returning a few yards from the station we continued to the end of the cobbles and took a track on the right signed Goyt Way. This climbed steadily to cross the Manchester to Sheffield railway line over a bridge.

At a junction of tracks, we bore left after some buildings. At another junction, we kept right following a well-hidden Goyt Way sign on a fencepost. The path took us again under the railway line and we soon reached Roman Lakes on our right.

These two lakes have no Roman connection, nor does Roman Bridge, but were so named by Victorian marketing entrepreneurs anxious to turn the area into a tourist attraction. This followed the destruction by fire in 1892 of the giant Bottoms Mill built by Samuel Oldknow in the late 18^th century. In its day the six-storey building had been one of the biggest mills in the world.

We continued along the good track, soon reaching the remains of the mill. We turned right through the remnants of the mill along Bottoms Mill Road which merged into Low Lea Road.

Homeward bound

This brought us back to Town Street where we turned left and continued down to the traffic lights. On the right was The Norfolk Arms where we enjoyed a choice of cask ales.

Next week's walk will start at 9.40am from the car park of The Little Mill Inn, Hollinsmoor Road, Rowarth (SK22 1EB). We will be aiming for a livener at The Kinder Lodge, New Mills Road, Hayfield (SK22 2JG) around 12.15pm before finishing at The Little Mill around 2.30pm. Those who leave their cars in the pub car park will be expected to buy a drink before they leave.

Happy wandering !

Castleton

October 30, 2024.

CASTLETON, PEAK CAVERN, SPEEDWELL CAVERN, TREAK CLIFF CAVERN, BLUE JOHN CAVERN, MAM TOR, HOLLINS CROSS, BACK TOR, LOSE HILL, THE OLD MILL AT HOPE, PINFOLD, PEAKHOLE WATER, YE OLDE CHESHIRE CHEESE AT CASTLETON

Distance: 8.5 miles.

Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous.

Weather: Dry with gentle breeze but misty all morning.

Walkers: Peter Beal, Andy Blease, Steve Brearley, Tom Cunliffe with Daisy, Mark Enright, Alan Hart, Keith Welsh, Simon Williams, Cliff Worthington.

Alternative walkers: Mike Cassini, Colin Davison, Jock Rooney with Milly.

Apologies: Clive Rothel (back twinges), Alastair Cairns (overslept), Dean Taylor (in Spain)

Leader: Beal. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Road outside entrance to Peak Cavern, Castleton.

Starting time: 9.52am. Finishing time: 2.35pm.

As we fought our way through heavy mist to the starting point we were all hoping that it would clear by the time we reached the summits on The Great Ridge. Sadly there was still no visibility of the valleys below when we arrived at the Trig Point at Mam Tor shortly after 11am.

For more than an hour we had climbed up its 1,696 feet, only to find the valleys on either side still shrouded in mist.

The disappointing view from the summit of MamTor

Fortunately, as we continued along the ridge, it began to lift and we were able to admire the fruits of our endeavours with better views. By the time we descended into Hope, the mist had disappeared. At The Old Hall, we met the alternative walkers and Peter kindly bought us a round of drinks to celebrate his 76^th birthday. We wish him many happy returns.

Mike and Colin then joined us for the short walk back to Castleton to take our numbers up to 11. But only three of those opted for further refreshment in Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese. Rather a poor show, chaps.

The Peak Cavern, where we assembled at the start of our walk, is steeped in history and legend. In 1586 William Camden wrote in Britannia that the cave was known as The Devil's Arse, a claim later repeated by novelist Daniel Defoe.

This may have been the result of sounds like flatulence emanating from the bowels of the cave system when flood waters drained away.

The name was changed to The Peak Cavern in 1880 to save giving offence to Queen Victoria during a visit to a concert. In recent times it has been the venue for pop concerts.

In 1959 Peak Cavern was the scene of a drawn-out tragedy when Neil Moss, a 20-year-old Oxford University student, became trapped 1,000 feet from the entrance while exploring a shaft. All efforts to rescue him failed. At his father's request Neil's body was sealed in with rocks to prevent further deaths.

After walking through the Peak Cavern car park past the entrance we reached a junction where we turned right uphill. The road became a footpath which emerged at a road leading to Speedwell Cavern (20mins). We crossed in front of this and followed a green public footpath sign which led us to Treak Cliff Cavern (29mins)

Steps led us to the back of the cavern and we turned right to follow the footpath. At a wooden gate, we turned right (37mins), passing Blue John Cavern on our left (53mins). We had now passed all four of Castleton's show caverns.

Turning right away from the final show cavern we reached the remnants of a road and turned left (54mins).

This was a section of the A625 road between Chapel-en-le-Frith and Sheffield which finally closed in 1979. Over many decades the road had been closed and repaired after landslides caused by unstable layers of shale. This gave Mam Tor (Mother Hill) the alternative name of Shivering Mountain.

We turned right at a wooden gate marked with a yellow arrow (58mins) and reached another wooden gate and a flight of stone steps leading to a road. We turned right through a third wooden gate and climbed a path laid with flags which took us to the Trig Point at Mam Tor (70mins)

When the stragglers had arrived we took a team picture (75mins) but wasted little time admiring the view seen in the earlier photo.

Atop Mam Tor

(l to r) Steve, Pete, Mark, Andy, Tom, Keith, Cliff and Simon

Continuing along the ridge we started our descent, pausing for Pietime at a sheltered spot (82mins) before passing Hollins Cross (93mins). Beyond it, we went left through a wooden gate to begin the ascent of Back Tor (104mins).

Heading up Back Tor

On reaching the summit at 1,765 feet we had a much better view of the valleys below.

Shafts of sunlight touch the valley below Back Tor

We now started another descent before another climb led us to a sign marked Losehill Pike - Wards Piece (122mins).

G.H.B. Ward was a local access activist who was given the land in appreciation by the Sheffield branch of The Ramblers Association in 1945. He subsequently presented it to the National Trust.

This soon brought us to the Trig Point (127mins) at 1,562 feet before we began our descent of the path leading down to the right. We went through a wooden gate on our right (136mins) and turned left to follow a series of gates and stiles marked with yellow arrows until we reached a path on our left marked Edale Road (173mins)

We turned left, soon reaching Edale Road and turning right (175mins). This brought us to the main road with The Old Hall on our left (180mins) to join our three companions for pints of Wainwrights cask bitter or cups of tea.

Departing later we crossed the road, turned right and then left before the Woodroffe Arms along a road. At a Pinfold on our right, where lost sheep were once penned, your diarist paused for a lonely lunch while the enhanced group continued (184mins). I followed turning right (185mins) at a green public footpath sign for Castleton.

This reached the left bank of Peakhole Water.

An autumnal scene on the bank of Peakhole Water

A series of gates and stiles led me through fields before I caught up with the main peloton just as they were reaching the main road between Castleton and Hope (207mins). We turned left and reached Ye Olde Cheshire Cheshire on our left (210mins)

Next week's walk will start at 9.40am from the higher car park at Brabyns Park, Marple Bridge (SK6 5LB). We will be aiming to reach The Fox Inn, Brookbottom (SK22 3AY) around 12.15pm, returning at about 2.30pm with the option of further refreshment at The Norfolk Arms, Town Street, Marple Bridge (SK6 5DS)

Happy wandering !

Hayfield

 October 23, 2024.

 

HAYFIELD, SETT VALLEY TRAIL, BIRCH VALE, OLLERSETT MOOR, BIG STONE, CRACKEN EDGE QUARRY, MOATS MEADOW FARM, THE LAMB AT CHINLEY HEAD, THE DRAGON'S BACK, THE SPORTSMAN AT HAYFIELD

 

Distance: 9 miles.

Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous.

Weather: Dry, warm and sunny later.

 

Walkers: Peter Beal, Steve Brearley, Hughie Hardiman, Alan Hart, Simon Williams and Cliff Worthington.

Alternative walker: Jock Rooney with Milly.

Non-walking drinkers: Mark Enright and wife, Dean Taylor.

Apologies: Andy Blease (in Anglesey), Mike Cassini (recovering from op), Alastair Cairns (on East Coast),Tom Cunliffe (with Stella), Chris Owen (recovering from hip replacement), Jim Riley, Julian Ross (decorating),Clive Rothel (strained back muscle)

Leader: Beal. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Outside Sportsman Inn, Kinder Road, Hayfield.

Starting time: 9.45am. Finishing time: 2.31pm.

 

    Dragon's Back: Photo: Cliff Worthington

 

What a fabulous day. The weather was better than we could have expected at the end of October. A new route back to Hayfield was spectacular in the sunshine. To top it all  birthday boy Mark Enright popped into our first watering hole and bought a round of drinks. It doesn't get much better than that !

Unfortunately we had quality rather than quantity in our numbers because there were many cry-offs, some of them convalescing after surgery. We wish them speedy recoveries.

 

This has always been one of our more challenging walks but there's no gain without pain and the effort was rewarded with a stunning return journey from Chinley Head to Hayfield. It is a route I have never experienced in 23 years of Wednesday Wandering and the view will last long in the memory.

After a sedate walk through Hayfield and along the Sett Valley Trail the hard work begins in Birch Vale with a relentless climb up to Ollersett Moor. The views there from Big Stone were picturesque but paled to insignificance when we left The Lamb to climb towards South Head and Mount Famine.

Leaving those summits untouched Peter led us along a ridge known as The Dragon's Back because of its undulations. It provided wonderful views across the valleys below before we started our steep descent through a wood to reach Hayfield.

 

From outside The Sportsman we walked downhill back into Hayfield, crossing the main A624 linking Glossop with Chapel-en-le-Frith. On the far side of the pelican crossing we passed the bus station and entered The Sett Valley Trail (12mins)

 

This is a 2.5 mile linear park for hikers, cyclists and horse-riders linking Hayfield with New Mills via Birch Vale, Thornsett and Ollersett. It follows the trackbed of the former railway line which opened in 1868 and closed in 1970.

 

                      A herd of alpacas

 

 

In a field on our left was a herd (or is it a flock ?) of ten alpacas. On our right was Lantern Pike, the hill which overlooks Little Hayfield and gave its name to the pub there, once run by Tom and Stella.

 

 

 

 

 

 

                      The view on our right towards Lantern Pike

 

On reaching a sign pointing towards Chinley (28mins) we left the trail and headed up a flight of steps to reach the A6015 between Hayfield and New Mills. We crossed the main road and headed up Morland Road as it aimed itself remorselessly upwards until we reached Ollersett Moor. Sadly our climbing was by no means over as we continued through one wooden gate (43mins) and turned left just before a wooden five-barred gate (69mins).

The well-trodden path took us through a wooden gate (83mins) and immediately right over a wooden stile. This led us to Big Stone (88mins)

 

                 (L to R on Big Stone – Steve, Cliff, Simon, Hughie and Peter

 

 

 

 

Beyond the rocky outcrop we continued with the valley on our left below until we reached a drystone wall and turned left towards a small stone-built hut (93mins). Here we paused for pies and port before continuing our descent. This soon brought us to a lower path (96mins) where we turned sharp right and followed the well-trodden route. Where it divided (100mins) we took the upper path and reached a stone step stile (114mins) which we crossed. The path now took us through a metal kissing gate  (116mins) to a lane (119mins)

We turned left and continued beyond a large house on our right to reach a wooden public footpath sign (130mins). We turned right here and a series of paths led us round fields and farm buildings to emerge on the left of a farmhouse (139mins). Now we turned left up a lane away from Moats Meadow Farm back to the A624 we had crossed earlier.

After turning left for a few yards we crossed and reach The Lamb on our right (144mins). Jock had just arrived at the bar. Minutes later Mark arrived with Rachel and Dean to invite us to join him for a drink to celebrate his 57th birthday.

                   Rachel, Mark and Dean in The Lamb

 

After arms had been twisted and an unexpected round of drinks bought by Mark, we left for the final leg of our journey.

 

 

 

      A weather check

 

With a last check on the weather prospects we left The Lamb and turned left along the A624 for 30 yards before heading left through a open gate and then right through a wooden gate marked with a yellow arrow. The path weaved through gorse bushes and we aimed uphill towards a drystone wall where we turned left keeping the wall on our right (154mins)

It was another tough climb but briefer than our earlier ascent of Ollersett Moor. We went though a wooden gate and swung left before metal gate (165mins). When we reached another gate before a farm we stopped for a brief lunch (171mins). The gate took us round the farm to a lane and through a five barred wooden gate.

We were now enjoying the sights from The Dragon's Back (186mins) as we followed a footpath sign for Kinder Valley. The ridge meandered through gates and over stiles.

 

                

  Another gorgeous view

  

 

As we approached Hayfield we entered a wood and started a steeps descent which brought us out on the banks of the River Kinder (224mins). We turned left with the river on our right and soon crossed a footbridge to the far side (226mins). We now had one last climb up a steep flight of steps before we emerged on Kinder Road opposite The Sportsman (228mins)

 

Next week's walk will start at 9.50pm from the road next to The Peak Cavern in Peak Cavern Road, Castleton (S33 8WS). Approaching Castleton town centre from Winnats Pass there are free parking places on the right of the road before you reach Peak Cavern. We will be aiming to climb Mam Tor and head towards Hope via Hollins Cross, Back Tor and Lose Hill before reaching The Old Hall, Market Place, Hope S33 6RH at about 12.45pm. We will return around 2.30pm for the option of a final drink at Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese Inn, How Lane, Castleton S33 8WJ.

 

Happy wandering !