Chee and Wye Dale, Peak District

What a cold winter we’ve been having and this weekend was no different. With a couple of inches falling in and around Macclesfield the originally planned walk to Dane Valley was a no go and it prevented a few of the walkers coming along too. Coming over the hills from Leek to Buxton, the weather looked quite interesting.. Very windy, whiteout, skiddy roads etc. Then if by magic as we dropped down into Buxton, the weather was actually better (not hard comparing to what we just drove through!).

Managing to contact everyone else who was coming we managed to meet up in the Pavilion Gardens car park we decided to drive out eastward away from the scary clouds and stay relatively low off the higher hills. We drove down the A6, down towards Wye Dale and pulled up at the car park at SK10388 72519.

So on went the boots, and the group (who today where Helen P, Helen E, Paul, Jon, Marta and Edd) began walking by the River Wye on a gravel track.  The track was criss-crossed by the old railway viaducts above, where some scarily long icicles were hanging. Did stand under there for too long!! We turned off the track just before the weir, by which the path took us up onto the Monsal Trail.

We walked along the old railway line for a couple of miles, joking about with the icicles. Myself doing a quality impression of a walrus!! The weather was improving now, even the sun was out!! We entered one of the long tunnels. We lost both Helens at one end, they were to busy taking photos. At the other end of the tunnel, we came out into the valley and straight onto another bridge, where the railway went off behind closed doors. I’m reliably informed that the rest of the tunnels are eventually going to be made safe so that people can walk through them! But then they would miss the next bit!!

After the bridge at SK12545 73109, we turned right and then walked  back under the railway bridge and then over a wooden foot bridge a yards further on. The path then gave way to a series of stepping stones which were great fun, as we turned the corner, with Chee Tor to the right, there were huge sets of icicles on the craggy rock up above. Some even started to creek and fall. Eek watch out! Of the fallen ice some had refrozen around the trees and plants closer to the ground. Which were very pretty. After a while and a few more crashes of ice we moved on quickly :) The trail then follows the meander in the river, we climbed up a little slope and had some lunch at the top to take in a good view of the gorge.

With Daisy and a few of the walkers getting restless we  carried on the path. It swung eastwards, and opened up into a grassy field, where a couple of weirs were placed across the river. We crossed over the bridge at SK12783 73472. Edd walked off ahead guided by his new OS Maps for IPhone app which seemed to be quite good tool! Although we did make a bit of a meal of the path going up the hill to an old abandoned settlement at the top. Crossing few a couple of fields we reached Blackmore Hall, where we went wrong with the path again, definitely my fault this time! All ended up okay as we ended  up on a minor road through the little hamlet of Blackwell.

As it definitely winter! the shadows were starting to draw, so we began walking back towards where we parked the cars. A footpath took us in a north westward direction across a few fields, where we picked up a track which went the wrong way! oops but sometimes the wrong way brings up surprises. After lobbing a few rocks into the ice. One of the group noticed all these frozen frogs in a neaerby water trough. Grim stuff really, although I guess some at the bottom could be hibernating.

We made our way back down the steep sided offshoot valley towards the River Wye, with a quite ghastly looking quarry in the distance. We got back down onto the Monsal trail and retraced our roots back a mile to the car.

Details

Start and End Point: SK10388 72519
Total Distance: 8 km
Total Altitude Gain: 120m
Total Time: 4 hours

Comb’s Edge, Peak District

Up early on a Sunday morning, some up earlier than others, we all made our way to the Peak District National Park, and in particular to just off from the Goyt Valley, near the car parks there. Unfortunately many of us running late, some of the walkers thought hey had been left stranded.. :) Anyway as the time approached 11am, we all began to turn up. Walking today were, Helen P, Fran, Scott, Paul, Helen E, Marta, Jon, Antony, Rowena, Laura, Kiri, and their friend Tom (newcomer) and myself. A few sickies and alternative plans came in from a few others.

The walk did not begin with the best of starts as we were trying to get everyone in the same place, once done, we avoided the initial stroll up Goyt’s Lane, which I’m sure I wouldn’t be popular if I made people walk up that first! We began walking for proper, at the car park at the top of this road (SK02043 75178) and headed eastwards back to the main road from Buxton to Manchester (A5006). We passed a shrine on the left. Omens? At the junction we went through the gate and walked down the track towards Rake End. As we approached the road, the clouds started to empty, not for the first time. So the usual stop and donning on waterproofs we got back onto the main road where we walked a couple of hundred yards and went other a stile and headed up the hill (SK02400 76288).

This winded eastwards around a contour in the hill through a rather muddy track towards the Whitehall Centre (Outward Bounds). Plodding through the half foot deep muddy water, we spotted that the centre has their own little go ape in the trees! We carried on and walked around the back of the centre and onto the Midshires Way. After initially missing the turn point at (SK03338 76360), I managed to gather the group back and we began crossing the hill towards Broadlee Farm.

After crossing a few fences and fields, I managed to find a minor footpath which would take us up onto the hill. Although to be honest it really didn’t look like much of a path at all. To which I had to convince most of the walkers that it was actually a path and not just some random off road route (SK03560 76598). We walked over through some rocks, and hugged the side of the hill which is the start of Comb’s Edge. Although sidetracked by some interesting looking gullies, we preserved through what looked like Jurassic Park. Some of the ferns were as tall as me! Luckily the weather had behaved itself at this point. But I still got soaked from all the water in the undergrowth.

We could see our destination for lunch, which was a small old croft sitting on the side of the hill (SK05155 76808). Admiring the views across to the village of Combs and the reservoir beyond it we could see quite a lot people out sailing. As we cleared up and moved away it was clear that the rain wasn’t going to hold away for much longer. We kept up on the edge of the hill by the wall. You could just about hear the rain hitting the trees in the valley a mile or so away. A rainbow became clear in the valley, as we turned north eastward at the old Iron Age fort, long ago reduced to a mound in the hill by the ravages of time.

As we turned it became even more obvious that we were not going to escape the rain. A huge and rather angry gray cloud was suffocating the horizon. We carried along with a bit more pace along Shorts Edge and then up to Hobs Tor (507m). By this point we were walking in the midst of heavy rain. All of us soaked we continued on as quick as we could in the direction of Buxton, along Blacks Edge (SK01365 76700). A radio mast came out of the mist and rain was the first indication I managed to get it right at this point, we walked around a small brook and then over a rather precarious stile and began the descent down from Flint Clough (SK 05320 75448) towards the Lightwood Reservoirs.

It had to be said there wasn’t much water in the reservoir more really on our clothes as we walked around the empty hole in the ground! We strolled through the woods and down towards the edge of Buxton. At this point the rain had stopped thank goodness, but half the group had steamed on ahead. Finally managing to see where they were and trying a few phones with no answer, someone popped their had back around and realised they had gone too far down the road.

With the group reassembled we walked passed the Park at the Hospital back onto the Manchester road. Walking for a mile or so it became clear to me that the weather made the road quite dangerous, so I decided to walk the group up the Midshire’s Way (an old roman road). A bit tired and weary it became clear I had made mistake in thinking there was a footpath further up across the fields to the top of Goyt Lane. Near quite an appropriate named place ‘Round the Bend’, half the group chose to make a dash across the fields as they realised the road was nearer at that point. The rest of us plodded on a mile or so down the track and caught back across. Only later did I find out that one of the party knew the area well and walked their dogs regularly cross the fields.. so some of us walked on further than we had to.. One of the party injured as well, this was not the best.

A breakdown in communication was thankfully not made worse, to the efforts of a few people guaranteeing everyone was alright. We all made it back to the car park pretty much at the same time and in one piece. A few of the party rushed of to prior engagements, some of the remaining of us headed back to Buxton for a much deserved curry. A nice lamb Shashlik yum! Although I think Jon and Marta were trying to avoid the fourth day of curry in a row :)

 

Thanks to everyone who came along. I hope you  all enjoyed the walk apart from the weather and the mix up at the end. Please I am only human and if people know an area where I have setup a walk, can they tell me because that kind of feedback is invaluable and helps especially when tiredness sets in. Also please come along next time and invite some people you know who want to stretch their legs!!

Details:

Start and finish location: Car park at top of Goyt Lane (SK02043 75178)
Distance: 21km (shorter by around 2km in you cut across the fields)
Altitude Gain: 446m
Time: 6hr
Walk: Is through undulating hills, fields, woods and moorland.
Group Size: 13

Bleaklow Hill, Peak District

Its my birthday, well actually it was a few days ago. But I used it as an excuse to go walking early on a Sunday. This time we all headed up to the northern area of the peak district to clime up Bleaklow Hill (633m). The group today consisting of (Helen P, Paul, Helen E, Marta, Jon, Edd and Daisy) met at Torside Reservoir car park off the B6105.

We set off by walking westwards, down the old railway line which used to join Manchester to Sheffield. The valley was also at one point going to have a motorway ploughed through it. Thankfully they didn’t and its quite a peaceful part of the countryside, with the exception of the odd off-road bike whizzing past. We followed the reservoir until we hit the Pennine Way. We then followed the national trail up towards Clough Edge. At this point my directions were being questioned as it did look like we were walking through someone’s front garden! The weather was holding out and the Sun was peering through the clouds!

We clambered up the hill until Sykes moor. The weather getting deciding dicey although not exactly raining it was very overcast! We walked near a bronze age fortification called Torside Castle, although it was not much more than a mound of Earth! I don’t know when ever I see castle written on a map, I always think massive ramparts, towers etc, not a mound of Earth. We decided to stay south of the stream and follow it around as it turned eastwards towards Wain Stones. We had a break here and clambered around on the stones for a while, some of us catching a early afternoon nap, before handing out eastwards along the Bleaklow plateau.

Trying to make sure that we did not end up on the wrong path, I managed to get to Black Clough, which had a small path which would take us all the way through Shining Clough Moss and through the Bleaklow Meadows. The scenery here looked quite colourful with moss as the Sun came back out. But I tell you this place would look miserable in the rain! Look at the name it does not lie!

The path moved in a north eastward direction started to descend and we walked passed a wood where we dipped down into the valley near the River Etherow. Stopping next to a one of its tributaries for a few moments (a lot of rubbish here for some reason) we walked back towards the disused railway line that we were on earlier. I noticed up on the hill there were several kids running around with fake replica guns and army outfits and wondered why parents would give such things to their kids.

We turned back onto the railway line (Longdendale Trail), with the old tunnel behind us – this one wasn’t square either (a reference to a remark in a previous blog). We wandered passed Woodhead/Torside Reservoir, passed the dam and back through the memorial gardens to the cars.  We were lucky with the weather today!! I think I even got a little bit sunburnt!

Thanks guys for sharing my birthday walk :)

Monsall Head, Peak District

A new year and back to familiar locations, the Peak District. The meeting point this time was at the car park / picnic area near Great Shacklow Wood on the A6 between Buxton and Bakewell. An early start but we all managed to get there bar one individual who will remain nameless! Setting off around 10am, Helen P, Helen E, Paul, Edd, Rich and myself head south from the Car park passed a cave towards Deep Dale. It had been raining quite a lot, so the ground was quite muddy and the stream here was bursting down the hill!

My first mistake of the day quickly followed as I took a path right up to a dead end.. Quickly correcting we all walked back, back over the stream and over the stile, and there we were at the bottom of Deep Dale.

   We had a little break and avoided the large puddles of liquid mud and avoided the sheep as we wondered south westward through the dale. The sun was attempting to come out! and when it did it shown on a rather bleached sheep skull. Nice. Maybe a coincidence we spotted a bird of prey circling above.

We continued on for about a mile where the path crossed another path, and we saw another group of ramblers walking up the hill towards Deep Dale Lodge. We followed them up and crossed a field where we joined up onto Wheal Lane. We followed the road a bit when a gap in a wall gave a rather odd optical illusion with a car parked on top of a roof! We cut off the road and followed the footpath which meandered around the contours of the hill towards Taddington. I knew from earlier that this place might have a pub, to pickup some food possibly! Unfortunately we were a tad muddy and another country pub with a no walking boots policy. Oh well there loss.

We carried on through Taddington and headed pass the cross and across the busy A6 towards Priestcliff. We continued on up Broadway Lane towards Bull Tor where we ended up at some rather bumpy ground. We could now see Millers dale which was very pretty.

After instructing everyone else not to fall on the slippery mud, I fell on my ass twice! Doh! Anyway everyone else managed to get to the bottom of the hill and other the old railway line intact. We then followed the disused line westwards for about a mile to a pub where we got some lunch. Conscious that daylight is not on your side in the winter we didn’t stay for long and retraced our steps back to the Monsal Trail and headed eastwards.

We passed Litton Mill and left the main trail and followed the path up onto a higher contour of the hill. Helen P remarked about how square the tunnel was. Rich pointed out that it was a door and not a tunnel. Helen then pointed out why would a tunnel have a door! Oh dear. Coming around the hill and back down onto the Monsal Trail (disused railway) we had a quick look at the viaduct and then eastwards along the north side of the river through Monsal Dale we rushed as the daylight began to diminish.

We stopped briefly at a little dam which had my initials carved into the stone before we carried on down back to the car. Although tired we walked a fair distance and the weather held out.

Derwent Edge, Peak District

Yesterday the group made their way to the Peak District. The meeting point was the Fairhomes forest commission car park next to the Ladybower Reservoir. Yet again I managed to pick a place where there was no mobile phone reception - full marks :) Anyway waiting for Helen P and I, were Helen T and Stefan, as well as Edd, who was already out walking the eager daisy up and down the car park. A little bit later Paul and Helen E arrived, but no sign of Tom or Louise. Some of us getting some emergency breakfast :)



We waited for a while but began on our way without them and headed along the road and south westwards by the reservoir. Passing some lovely old houses along the way and avoiding the early morning cyclists whizzing past we walked past Wellhead - where there was something interesting sticking out of the water! Not sure if it was the church spire or an old building? could be!! We headed off east up Grindle Clough along a well marked footpath, which rose up to some farm buildings where we took a breather. Looking back was a lovely view over the reservoir.



We continued on up the hill and over a stile onto access land. We came across a fence before we rose up onto the Derwent Moors. Leading the way I looked back over the heather to see the group starting to appear behind me! We turned north here and directly in front of the Wheel Stones a dog raced passed me. The weather was amazingly clear but quite chilly but no clouds!! We took a break at the Wheel Stones and clambered over them and up to the top where it was quite windy!! Taking some photos we stopped for some lunch underneath the White Tor (487m) a little further along the ridge.



After lunch we headed further on along the ridge past Salt Cellar and Dovestone Tor and then on towards Back Tor (538m). As we crossed over the tor, we saw some familiar faces coming the other way, Tom and Louise :) They were a little late and decided to take their chances and try and meet us up the top. We stopped to take some photographs of the lovely views.



Daisy was going a bit crazy with something in the heather, and pulling Edd left right and center. We carried on now in a north eastwardly direction with Howden Moors to the left and Brogging Moor. I was trying to spot a path off to the left, to take us down Abbey Broux and down to Derwent Reservoir. But I missed it and then about half a mile further on we stumbled on a duke of edinburgh group who seemed equally lost and not convinced about where I was directing them :)



We traced back next to the stream which I think would turn into the brook we wanted, over quite rough heather. At least it was not raining but it was cooling down and the shadows were becoming longer. Fortunately we found the right path and we started walking down the valley.



The walls of the valley steeply falling away we took a breather to admire the view. When suddenly a fell runner literally ran down to the bottom of the valley with his dog and then ran probably up another 150m up steep contours on the over side without stopping. Fair play. My legs ached just watching it!!



We carried on down the valley, with some pleasent woodland appearing at the end we arrived on the shore of Derwent Reservoir. We headed then south towards the Dam which looked more like a castle from the south side!! We then carried on down to the car park and watched all the crazy ducks trying to steal peoples lunches :)

Shining Tor and the Goyt Valley, Peak District

New year again! And its been quite some time since the last 'Lets go for a stroll' - so it was well timed for an organised little stroll to burn off the xmas excesses.

This time we went to an area of the Peak District to the west of Buxton that encapsulates the Goyt Valley, Shining and Cats Tor. Maybe around three to four miles up along the Cat and Fiddle route between Macclesfield and Buxton (A537).

We started off early around 9am, and made good time and arrived at the top of the valley at around 10:30. My detailed instructions however would have taken people down the wrong way on a one-way track down the Goyt valley. Oops not the best. However we parked at the car park at the top. Antony joining us (Helen P, Rach, Stuart and myself) shortly after. We decided to don on our boots and walk down to the other car park. Recognising some of the car parked it seemed the others had done the same.



As we walked down the valley we noticed some rather butch goats or deer to me and you on top of the hill on the eastern side. They were nicely silhouted by the low winter sun, which would make a lovely photograph if I had a better camera. We walked a mile or so down to the car park in the quarry at the bottom of Stake side. At which point we bumped into ed and his dog daisy and Mark. Now I thought Paul for once may be early but he didn't disappoint he got lost and arrived around an hour late. Oh well, we had Daisy to entertain us, who was going nuts, probably something in the heather!! With Paul was Helen E and her friend Louise. So with all the group together we departed in a northward direction. We kept to the contour of the hill and ended up at Erwood Reservoir.



We negotiated a rather boggy path, where my feet got erm a bit mucked up! But as we got to the reservoir we had lovely views over to the other side where we could make out Shining Tor and Cats Tor over stakeside. At this point I was beginning to get hungry no surprise so I was trying to gauge how long it was to lunch :)

With some of the group a little desperate for the loo, we crossed over the dam, and made our way towards Erwood Hall. I'm still a little dumbfounded why this building had to be demoloished because of the reservoir? But it made a good place to stop to eat some lunch. After a few poses for the camera and some delightful homemade sandwiches, or more to the point all the sitting down had made our bums cold we headed of northwestwardly up and out of the Goyt Valley.



A curious little building set in a copse of trees appeared to the left. A shrine I was told, quite pretty it was. We then strolled uptowards Pym Chair to which point we could see a long way west outward over towards Macclesfield. The weather made it an oustanding sight.

Anyway we then plodded along southwards from this point to Cats Tor (518m) and then Shining Tor (559m). Plod does it a bit of injustice as the views from this point were brilliant, the winter sun descending towards dusk and causing lovely shades of yellow and red on the horizon. Wind was now picking up a bit and the cold, so just in time really we saw a sign to our final destination - the pub - why of course! Where we picked up a well deserved pint and/or a mug of hot chocolate.



The Cat and Fiddle pub staff were a bit grumpy though and a bit particular about dogs. Strange really considering where it is situated. A curious sign on the wall basically summed up the problem of the road the pub sits on. Anyway with a few shuttle runs back to the car park and back where a poor family had got stuck in the mud, we parted our ways.



A few little facts:

i) We walked around 14km or about 8 to 9 miles.
ii) Saw three butch goats
iii) A few interesting birds - helen e will probably know them - i'm rubbish with names.

People who came along were: Me (Adam Hicks), Helen Puxley, Rachel King, Stuart Mason, Paul Matthews, Helen Eden, Louise Kesterton, Antony Huchinson, Mark Farmer and Steven Kipping and his dog daisy :)

Thanks for coming along :) and hopefully see you all in Wales at the end of February if not before :)

Mam Tor, Edale, Peak District

Well yes I am sunburnt and a little tired now after a little stroll :) The organisation was slightly better than last time.. i.e. I wasn't eight hours late this time and my clutch on my car behaved.. However I did faff a little and began my journey out at about 08:35 (5 minutes late) lol.. anyway I went off to pick up Ben and we faffed there.. lol Ben was making last minute footwear decisions.. and telling me about his day in Evesham before.. We made our way a little further and picked up Helen P.. who allegedly been waiting for us for 15mins outside her house :p all ready we set off towards the Peaks via the usual, stone, leek, buxton route.. get regular updates re peoples positions.. i got ben to phone helen e to make sure that they had got out of bed... lol only to get a helpful text message shortly later saying we are lost.. oh dear :)



Anyway arriving at the Winnats Pass Car Park, Alex, Fran and Sarah had been waiting.. a rapid round of phonecalls to find out where people were.. Richard had been driving around Castleton for an hour lol.. Helen E and Tom were somewhere in Castleton in a random car park.. at which point I had to move a car over to Edale for later.. So Alex and I did that.. semi-hoping on my return the remaining five people had turned up.. lol.. ant and another helen - thats three helens arrived so now only 3 to arrive.. at this point establishing with helen e that they were in castleton and walking in the right direction.. and rapidly approaching midday we finally all got to gether - not too bad an hour late :)



We decided to have a gentle walk because it was getting a bit muggy so we headed towards Mam tor, via Treak Cliff Cavern.. after a slightly going the wrong way we corrected and walked up to the pass between Mam Tor and Lords Seat.. noticing the variety of coloured paragliders launching from the top. I reckon there was maybe a dozen of them at this point circling around.. A quick ascent to the top of Mam Tor we grabbed some lunch at the side.. and watched the mist rise of the hills to give us a lovely view of edale. I saw what I thought was a baby paraglider, expecting a dare-devil tott to be taking to the skies.. then realising it was a kite lol..



The sun blazing now, we started to move off as we were all getting a little bit sleepy and we headed back down to the pass and back over Lords Seat. Following a few discussions relating how important bum jokes were value to a relationship we reached the the summit and it was blue skies :) and the beginning of reddening skin too..

After another short rest we began to head west down to where the path crosses the old pennine way and turned noth heading towards edale. Decision time and enusing other commitments we decided the pub on a nice summer afternoon would be a good option, so we made our descent back down to edale via Chapel Gate, where I took a few snaps of some roses and thistles. Also admiring the view :)



At which point our party split, where the drinkers went to the pub and the drivers went back to the car..



Driving back up through Winatts Pass I did my usual random photos out of the window, I decided to park the cars in the car park furthest away from the pub car park genius.. After being convinced that I should try the local home brew in the country fare which was going on, I caught up with the rest to wind the walk off with a lovely refreshing drink in the pub :)



Summary:

Better than last times organisation.
Nice sunny day
Pub was definitely needed at the end.