Collected Musings of a Hill Wanderer

It’s amazing how an idea can come to be planted in your head. There was a time when I used the prospect of a dull day to keep me home from the outdoors so as get other important things done. On the other hand, that might have gone too far because I then might have become far too picky about the days on which I headed out unless my determination to get out there was strong enough. Now that I think of it, I suppose that my using the prospect of making pleasant photos as a motivation for my wanderings exacerbated the situation, as did the idea of having a photo to accompany a trip report on this blog.

So, a comment from The Solitary Walker on a previous post was a useful counterpoint to all the above and this year may be the one when I head off into the outdoors without regard for the photographic possibilities. I have decided that it isn’t going to be the end of the world if a post sees no photo brightening up its text so that gets me over one hurdle. In fact, that kind of thinking got me into the outdoors last Sunday week when the prospect of a dull day might have caused me to remain at home to do the usual chores.

Being a country lad, I have never been that bothered by imperfect conditions underfoot and, given the amount of Staffordshire mud that I encountered on my recent outing, that’s just as well; thoughts, probably inaccurate, of where they get all the clay for their pottery began to enter the mind. So long as I have dry feet and gaiters to keep the muck out of my boots, I am fine. Of course, you’d never set out to come home muddy but a misplaced foot is all that it needs sometimes. I recall going through a gate while following the Dane Valley Way in December of 2004 where a single step left me with one leg up to the shin in mud so it can easily happen. The muddiness didn’t relent after that, something that didn’t surprise me because the year in question was far from being a dry one; I reckon that a washout would have been an appropriate description.

Coming back to the trip that inspire this post, a return bus ride on the 108 to Leek was enough to set me up for six hours of quality walking all around Tittesworth Reservoir and the watershed of the River Churnet. Once I managed to find my way out of Leek and onto part of the Staffordshire Moorlands Walks network, I was off tarmac with a good track to get things started. Soggy ground was quickly encountered but not for long and my hike eventually returned my to tarmac until Meerbrook, after which I lost it again. That’s when things really got messy and the cause was the springs feeding the reservoir around which I was walking. A chat with a friendly farming type kept me away from what might have been the worst of it as I made my way towards Hen Cloud and the rest of the Roaches. In fact, I was momentarily back on tarmac again before walking up and over Hen Cloud in mild if blustery conditions. I wasn’t hoping for sunshine but that’s what greeted me at this point when the seemingly immobile cloud began to break up. It turned a walking day into one fit for photography in less than half an hour, all a very pleasing bonus. There were plenty of cars parked on the side of the road lining the Roaches but I have no idea where everyone else was since I amazingly had Hen Cloud to myself. Some retracing of steps and following another section of the Moorlands Walks took me all of the way back to Leek at the end of the satisfying and muddy day. Yes, some of that mud did come home with me but it didn’t keep me from using the bus to get back. Neither will it stop me returning…

Due to a "life event" (as Weird Darren calls them), my attention went away from this blog for a while. Nevertheless, I still got out to do some walking and, now that I’m back, I have two trips to share with you. The most recent of these was a snowy tramp in Northumberland last Saturday and the previous Sunday saw me embark on a muddy hike in Staffordshire’s moorlands. Ground and weather conditions on both walks couldn’t be more different and it only goes to show how huge a period of time that a week can be in weather terms. I’ll write them up separately with the Staffordshire ramble coming first.

For some reason, Staffordshire has never featured highly in my list of outdoor destinations. Now that I think about it, it does seem strange for two reasons: it’s not as if is far away from me and neither is the area bereft of quality hill country. Accessibility from Macclesfield by public transport might have something to do with it; direct bus services to the likes of Biddulph and Leek are not the most regular. Nevertheless, I have had brushes with the county’s countryside while following trails such as the Dane Valley Way (the route of the River Dane forms part of the boundary between Cheshire and Staffordshire) and the Gritstone Trail. In addition, I did enjoy a good day’s walking between Leek and Macclesfield in wonderful December sunshine a few years ago.

This time, it was the prospect of a good day of January sunshine that had me champing at the bit. I have to admit that Staffordshire’s moorlands weren’t top of the list but the continuation of railway engineering works blighted escapes to other walking destinations. Here’s a selection of what I found in my way: Crewe-Preston, Crewe-Shrewsbury, Manchester-Preston, New Mills-Sheffield, Macclesfield-Stoke on Trent and even the Calderdale line. With the shorter days, any extension to travelling time curtails whatever is available for walking; it doesn’t seem worthwhile to spend more time travelling than in the outdoors, the whole point of the journey.

For a longer day in the outdoors, I chose to remain near home and I decided on exploring Staffordshire’s moorlands. Initially, I had walking in mind but ended trumping for the cycling option on my first hill country outing of the year. Fortuitously, I had restored my bike, which had been idle for most of last year, to road-worthiness and I wanted to take the thing out sometime soon anyway. As I was to remain road-bound, navigation wasn’t to be an issue with the only complexities being Leek and a strangely arranged rural crossroads. I followed the A523 all the way to Leek and made my way back via Meerbrook to Rushton Spencer where I rejoined the A523 for the way home. The navigational ease meant that I was left to enjoy whatever views came my way and I indulged in the occasional stop too. Speaking of views, the sight of The Roaches looming ahead of head while heading out the Buxton road to Blackshaw Moor is the sort of thing that draws me back to the countryside again and again.

Those glorious hill country vistas have a price though: ascents. Somehow, they feel more strenuous on a bicycle than on foot. Staying in low gear might sound like the solution but the need for constant pedalling still takes its toll on the legs. I find that building up leg strength so that you can remain in higher gears is a better course of action and it helps to build up hillwalking fitness too, no bad thing at all. In fact, that is one of the reasons why I want to do more cycling this year. My journey to and through Staffordshire was to take up and down a goodly number of hills so I took things easy. My pride didn’t prevent my dismounting where the gradients might have been too much. The journey between Meerbrook and Rushton Spencer comes to mind as the most testing but splendid views more than made up for my exertions. The other climb that remains in my memory is the stretch of the A523 between Rushton and Leek and Leek is not exactly flat either. Apart from breaks to take in views of Rudyard Reservoir, I stayed aboard the saddle while travelling on that bit.

I have been a bit tired at the end of it but this was a worthwhile day out. It has me thinking about further incursions into Staffordshire’s moorlands, possibly making use of the frequent train connections between Macclesfield and Stoke on Trent and the better bus connections between there and destinations such as Leek and Biddulph from where I can go walking. It might take longer to go around by Stoke but it is nice to have that option. The other thought that my first trip of the year has planted in my mind is to go for more cycling outings and I am even thinking beyond Cheshire and Staffordshire on this one. So long as I can stop thoughts of hassle with train travel and the fear of getting marooned by a puncture stymieing my enthusiasm, who knows what could happen? Previously, explorations of Northumberland’s coast, Howgill country and Perthshire have come to mind so the possibilities are there. Only time will tell whether I get to doing anything about them.

As if to prove that long distance trails can be found anywhere, there is one in east Cheshire that passes not far from where I live. This is the 35 mile (56 km) Gritstone Trail and it starts at Disley before following the western fringes of the Peak District all of the way to Kidsgrove in North Staffordshire.

While it is possible to complete it in two days, spreading it over three days seems a sounder proposition. Suggested sections are shown by the overview maps listed below. They live on the website of Cheshire County Council who maintain the route; smart new waymarking signs have been erected recently so they are looking after it. There is a cloud hanging over the future if HM Government has its way: CCC and all borough councils are to be replaced by two unitary authorities for East Cheshire and West Cheshire. We’ll see how things go…

North: Disley to Tegg’s Nose

Central: Tegg’s Nose to Timbersbrook

South: Timbersbrook to Kidsgrove

The trouble with things local to you is that you don’t pay them the sort of attention that they would get if they were further away. As if to prove the point, my progress along the GT was far from concerted until very recently. That said, there have been longer walks along the route and ones that come to mind include: Bollington to Disley, Rainow to Sutton Common, Tegg’s Nose to Kerridge, Sutton Common to The Cloud (not far from Bosley or Congleton) and The Cloud to Kidsgrove. As it happens, there have been many other shorter ones where I followed it, particularly on the stretch between Kerridge and Sutton Common. In fact, it was a short stroll between Bollington and Kerridge that completed the trail for me. Yes, there are times when I do allow things to become that bitty…

Here are some details of the longer ambles:

Bollington to Disley

This was one of those first of the year strolls on January day with some snow on the ground. In fact, the thoughts of sunny skies with snow about could have been what tempted me out in the first place. In the event, the sun never did make it through the clag that abounded on that day. Field trekking was the order of the day between Bollington and Brink Farm and that seemed to take the longest, possibly because progress along a good track took me to Lyme Park felt a bit quicker. It was getting dark as I made my way from Lyme Park into Disley but I do seem to remember that skies had cleared by then. What I more keenly remember is my lazy testing of boots on a patch of ice: the result momentarily involved having my legs positioned above my hips. I need say no more…

Tegg’s Nose to Kerridge

From a start of year stroll to an end of year one, a sunny December afternoon tempted me to walk from my house to Tegg’s Nose and I drank in the views from there: Shutlingsloe was clearly visible in the winter sunshine. A spot of down and up progress took me by Rainow from where it was uphill as I made my way towards the White Nancy, a folly usually painted white that is one of Cheshire’s most famous landmarks. It used to be possible to enter it but vandalised put paid to that opportunity. Speaking of vandalism, someone must have thought it funny to paint the thing pink one time; it got a mention in the Macclesfield Express but the good people of Kerridge and Bollington were anything but amused.

Rainow to Sutton Common

A hot sultry August day saw me have grand designs on a walk from Rainow to Rushton Spencer. Everything was going fine as I plied my way from Rainow, navigational challenges being overcome as I went, until I started making my way up Foxes Bank and Sutton Common. Feeling less than 100% on Sutton Common itself, I decided to return home at that point and a little lie down was enough to restore order: Walking on hot sunny days is never the best plan but the prospect of pleasant weather still seems to draw me out. Another valuable lesson learnt…

Sutton Common to The Cloud

The walk actually started out from my house with variety of connecting footpaths being used to reach my starting point on the GT. The day was to be a hot and dry affair with the sun making its way from behind the clouds at times. This journey me round by Langley until I reached Foxbank Farm. However, my rendezvous with the GT was to be delayed as a result of subsidence on the way up to Sutton Common. So, more footpath and road tramping followed before I was reach the A54 and the trail in question, busily resolving any navigation uncertainties that raised their heads along the way. It was to some time before I left tarmac behind, though, as I enjoyed the views from the quiet Minn End Line before I headed back onto more foot friendly surfaces at Hawkslee. The off road hiking was set to continue, apart from crossing the A523 near Rushton Spencer, until I found myself on the private road leading to Raven’s Clough. Feeling the effects of my exertions on what was by now a hot and sunny August afternoon, I elected not to surmount The Cloud on my way to Congleton but to stick with the tarmac option. A short wait in Congleton preceded a non-too-long way home for a well deserved after walk rest.

The Cloud to Kidsgrove

A short bus ride dropped me off sooner than I expected and I was about to continue along the road to get my bearings when a friendly gentleman put my mind to rest. My walk was starting in Eaton and I was using the Dane Valley Way to reach where I left the GT on my previous journey along its length. The DVW is yet another of Cheshire’s longer distance paths and actually begins in Derbyshire, Buxton to be more precise, before it reaches the source of the said river and follows it to Middlewich in the centre of the county. Once I overcame my navigational doubts - there was another a little further on from my starting point that was soon answered without any inconvenience to anyone else, it was uneventful hiking all of the way to the slopes of The Cloud. It is not a very high hill and it slopes were soon ascended and the top was ablaze with flowering heather and panoramic views were in ample supply. I even took some lunch atop it with the sounds of silage making percolating up from below.

Having got away from the delights of The Cloud, I dropped down to Timbersbrook, where a former industrial site is now a delightful woodland park. a spot of field crossing took me on to the bed of the former Biddulph-Congleton railway. After a short stroll along its level length, I was to leave it for a climb up Congleton Edge on my way to Mow Cop. Again, views over the Cheshire Plain were offered in abundance. Having an older edition of OS Explorer 268 with me, I had to keep my concentration up since it showed the GT terminating in Mow Cop. Though I still broadly knew where I should have been going, I kept my eye out for any helpful waymarkers; there was no problem as the authorities have been dutiful. I reached Scholar Green and picked the first of the canal paths that were to take me all of the way to Kidsgrove train station; Kidsgrove is where the Macclesfield Canal meets the Trent & Mersey one.

It was a successful end to a day that began with somewhat doubtful looking skies that produced a dusting of rain as I neared The Cloud. Though cloud abounded, the day remained dry from then on and the sun was able to make its appearance at times. even so, the temperatures never truly exceeded those suitable for walking.

The last few weeks have seen me quiet on the blogging front. Having to restore a PC to working condition after its having gone belly up on me was certainly a contributor to this state of affairs. A trip up to Scotland also took me away from the world of computing and refreshing it was too. While a full report for the trip will remain for a further post, the fact that I finally finished the West Highland Way during the visit up north brings me nicely to the subject of this one. In the same spirit, I have also walked nearly all of the Gritstone Trail with only a tiny section about Bollington to do of an evening.

My progress along both trails typifies my previous approach to walking: decide a location for a walk and use part of a long distance trail for all or part of its length. That is probably more true of the Gritstone Trail than the WHW. The latest installments along the former, for which trip reports are planned, had me heading south over the sections between Sutton Common and The Cloud and then from the latter all the way to Kidsgrove, the southern terminus of the GT. Its northern end, Disley saw my boots very early on in the story of my attentions when I hiked from Bollington in murk with the remains of January snows on the ground. Walks between Rainow and Sutton Common and from Tegg’s Nose to Kerridge have taken me over the rest of the length while I have followed its course on many other rambles too. Its being local to me has meant that I have been on it a lot but, rather perversely, it has also dissuaded me from completing the thing thanks to the walking attractions (or distractions?) offered by other locations.

My progress along the WHW has been a little more deliberate than the GT though the direction of travel has been something of a movable feast: having to go a good way away does concentrate the mind a bit more. My final section took me between Inverarnan and Crianlarich while the previous day saw me head south from Bridge of Orchy and overnight in Crianlarich. A through-hike at the end of May took me along the shores of Loch Lomond on my way from Inverarnan to Drymen. A February outing took me from Milngavie to Drymen after a three year hiatus which followed a pleasant hike between Glen Coe and Bridge Orchy. The previous summer saw me head over the Lairig Mor between Kinlochleven and Fort William twice: my holiday plans were blighted by the weather the first time and a return set the world to rights. On neither occasion along this part of the WHW was the weather truly nasty but glorious late August weather was a wonderful accompaniment to the second outing and a world away from the cloudy but dry July day of my previous encounter. Largely cloudy skies were in attendance on the trek between Kinlochleven and Glen Coe the previous summer and sun was not particularly successful in its attempts to come and show off the landscape at its best.

While on the subject of long distance trails, my progress along the Pennine Way has stalled but this year’s multi-day treks along the West Highland Way are good practice for its northern reaches. It won’t get completed this year but opportunities may well proffer themselves before 2007 comes to an end; I still have to walk between Gargrave and Haworth. Other long distance trails await as well: the tamer Great Glen Way, the wilder Southern Upland Way… The list goes on.