Gradbach, October 2010
Saturday: The Roaches
Our hardy group of 14 had bunked down the previous night in Gradbach Mill Youth Hostel, a former farmhouse and flax mill, built from local stone in a style reminiscent of Manchester cotton mills. The hostel is sited on the banks of the River Dane, which formed the framework for our walks, and from which the only way out was up. There was a lot of 'up', as you will hear.
The day dawned with clear skies, so Peter took the opportunity to head for the Roaches which too often are shrouded in mist. We followed the river through woodland made glorious by autumn colours and then out on to open ground for our first view of the long gritstone ridge which forms the Roaches (les Rochers, for the linguists amongst you). We puffed up to the Hanging Stone, an outlying rock along the ridge, with a memorial to a much loved mastiff hunting dog 'Brave as a Man and Faithful as Woman', determined to get our first view of the stunning long distance vista to the south.
Dropping behind the ridge, we set off to find Lud's Church. Standing beside a lofty crag, Peter gave us a fine history of the Wycliffe movement in the 14th century replete with grisly details of the burning of heretics. He was halted by a passerby who pointed in the direction of the nearby gritstone chasm which formed the secret, dank and mossy location of the church.
We continued to the Roaches – a massive cliff of magnificently shaped boulders along this stretch. Here we found shelter from the strong south-westerlies for our lunch break and a slice of Glenis' energy-giving fruit cake. There was no difficulty in spotting Manchester from our vantage point as the line of aircraft turning west over the Pennines pointed us in the right direction. Somebody seemed to think we ought to be able to spot Snowdon but people can be quite fanciful.
Our hardy group of 14 had bunked down the previous night in Gradbach Mill Youth Hostel, a former farmhouse and flax mill, built from local stone in a style reminiscent of Manchester cotton mills. The hostel is sited on the banks of the River Dane, which formed the framework for our walks, and from which the only way out was up. There was a lot of 'up', as you will hear.
The day dawned with clear skies, so Peter took the opportunity to head for the Roaches which too often are shrouded in mist. We followed the river through woodland made glorious by autumn colours and then out on to open ground for our first view of the long gritstone ridge which forms the Roaches (les Rochers, for the linguists amongst you). We puffed up to the Hanging Stone, an outlying rock along the ridge, with a memorial to a much loved mastiff hunting dog 'Brave as a Man and Faithful as Woman', determined to get our first view of the stunning long distance vista to the south.
Dropping behind the ridge, we set off to find Lud's Church. Standing beside a lofty crag, Peter gave us a fine history of the Wycliffe movement in the 14th century replete with grisly details of the burning of heretics. He was halted by a passerby who pointed in the direction of the nearby gritstone chasm which formed the secret, dank and mossy location of the church.
We continued to the Roaches – a massive cliff of magnificently shaped boulders along this stretch. Here we found shelter from the strong south-westerlies for our lunch break and a slice of Glenis' energy-giving fruit cake. There was no difficulty in spotting Manchester from our vantage point as the line of aircraft turning west over the Pennines pointed us in the right direction. Somebody seemed to think we ought to be able to spot Snowdon but people can be quite fanciful.
Left to right: In Lud's Chuch. Hanging rock. Along the Roaches ridge
Refreshed by the wind and the views from the top, we returned to the warmer lower slopes and made our way back to the River Dane. There Peter set a Team challenge which resulted in Ray demonstrating four times how to get us all safely across a flooded ford over treacherous stepping stones. Heather shrugged her shoulders and nonchalantly lead her team over the footbridge.
That evening, our leader equipped us with accoutrements suitable for a Hallowe'en party at the local hostelry (the Knight's Table). Witches' hats, spider gloves and ghoulish masks were provided so that we did not feel out of place surrounded by witches, vampires and skeletons of all shapes, sizes and ages. The landlord and landlady would have terrified lesser mortals. One charming young witchlet was beguiled by Peter teasing her with a skull he happened to have handy. Mercifully for all, the local constabulary must have been detained elsewhere and all of our number returned safely to Gradbach under the careful eye of a swooping barn owl to prepare for the following day.
That evening, our leader equipped us with accoutrements suitable for a Hallowe'en party at the local hostelry (the Knight's Table). Witches' hats, spider gloves and ghoulish masks were provided so that we did not feel out of place surrounded by witches, vampires and skeletons of all shapes, sizes and ages. The landlord and landlady would have terrified lesser mortals. One charming young witchlet was beguiled by Peter teasing her with a skull he happened to have handy. Mercifully for all, the local constabulary must have been detained elsewhere and all of our number returned safely to Gradbach under the careful eye of a swooping barn owl to prepare for the following day.
Halloween night: Jane, Glenis, Ralph, Marion, Peter, Dick, Mike F and Brian
Sunday: Three Shires Head
What can I say about today's walk? Well first there was up, then more up and then still more up. Anyway, it was a dry day, slightly misty, as 12 of us set off in high spirits. We walked from the youth hostel along the River Dane and then across meadows and moorland to Spring Head Farm. At the pub the previous evening the farmer's wife, Mrs Baker, had promised Peter that she would provide us with coffee at 10.30. However, at the time she was well into the spirit of Halloween and hadn't remembered her promise on Sunday morning. We then walked a short way along the road and through Far Brook Farm where an inquisitive herd of alpacas watched our progress. We followed the lower slopes of Turn Edge and passed along a valley track to Three Shires Head, where Derbyshire, Cheshire and Staffordshire meet. The beautiful old packhorse bridge (previously a drovers' route) with pools and cascades is a stunning setting.
What can I say about today's walk? Well first there was up, then more up and then still more up. Anyway, it was a dry day, slightly misty, as 12 of us set off in high spirits. We walked from the youth hostel along the River Dane and then across meadows and moorland to Spring Head Farm. At the pub the previous evening the farmer's wife, Mrs Baker, had promised Peter that she would provide us with coffee at 10.30. However, at the time she was well into the spirit of Halloween and hadn't remembered her promise on Sunday morning. We then walked a short way along the road and through Far Brook Farm where an inquisitive herd of alpacas watched our progress. We followed the lower slopes of Turn Edge and passed along a valley track to Three Shires Head, where Derbyshire, Cheshire and Staffordshire meet. The beautiful old packhorse bridge (previously a drovers' route) with pools and cascades is a stunning setting.
Left to right: Stepping stones on the river Dane.On the bridge at the ThreeShires Head. Piggy welcoming committee
We then followed tracks to Blackclough Farm, contouring round the hill to reach the bleak, disused Danebower Quarry. We crossed the A54 and found a sheltered spot out of the wind for lunch. We didn't tarry too long as we could see mist rolling in, so we found a rocky route down a river bed to pick up a track alongside Cumberland Brook. The autumn colours of the trees were glorious with many shades of lime green, yellow, orange and brown. Why travel to New England to see the fall when we have such beauty here? After stopping to take photos and admire the sight we then took a southerly direction down by Wildboar Clough and across meadows and moorland for the final steep decent to finish with great views of Gradbach Mill below us, where we had welcome cups of tea and cake provided by Glenis and Marion.
It was a challenging 10 mile walk with wonderful views enhanced by the magnificent autumn colours of the trees. We finished the day with a hearty meal at a local pub where the publican proved to be an even greater film buff than Ray!
Monday: Wincle
The last walking day of the weekend saw the remaining nine ramblers set out from the isolated farming community of Wincle. In spite of the overcast weather and limited visibility, we were in good spirits and looking forward to walking among the beautiful autumn countryside. Nor were we disappointed. The first part of the 6 mile walk saw us following the River Dane, as it tumbled its way through the solitude of the otherwise quiet countryside. We picked up two major footpaths: first the Dane Valley Way as it wended its way westward; then the Gritstone Trail, more challenging yet providing tantalising glimpses over the stunning views of the Cheshire plains.
The abiding memory of the day has to be the welcoming committee of young pigs traipsing their way up the hillside to greet us. They were completely unfazed by the group and seemed to be intent on accompanying us as we crossed their terrain. The other enduring memory has to be the mud and the muck, and the sight of Glenis squelching her way across the fields, ankle deep in farmyard mire ... whilst the recent rains had provided us with a beautifully lush countryside and a dancing, gurgling river, they had also taken a toll on the footpaths which had been churned up by the footfall, of both man and beast, over the preceding days.
Nevertheless, this was a completely satisfactory end to the weekend. Our leaders had obviously worked hard to provide us with a fitting finale and acquitted themselves admirably. Thank you Peter Marion and Mike; for your preparation, for your attention to detail, and for getting us all back on schedule. Jane, Pat, Sandra and Brian
It was a challenging 10 mile walk with wonderful views enhanced by the magnificent autumn colours of the trees. We finished the day with a hearty meal at a local pub where the publican proved to be an even greater film buff than Ray!
Monday: Wincle
The last walking day of the weekend saw the remaining nine ramblers set out from the isolated farming community of Wincle. In spite of the overcast weather and limited visibility, we were in good spirits and looking forward to walking among the beautiful autumn countryside. Nor were we disappointed. The first part of the 6 mile walk saw us following the River Dane, as it tumbled its way through the solitude of the otherwise quiet countryside. We picked up two major footpaths: first the Dane Valley Way as it wended its way westward; then the Gritstone Trail, more challenging yet providing tantalising glimpses over the stunning views of the Cheshire plains.
The abiding memory of the day has to be the welcoming committee of young pigs traipsing their way up the hillside to greet us. They were completely unfazed by the group and seemed to be intent on accompanying us as we crossed their terrain. The other enduring memory has to be the mud and the muck, and the sight of Glenis squelching her way across the fields, ankle deep in farmyard mire ... whilst the recent rains had provided us with a beautifully lush countryside and a dancing, gurgling river, they had also taken a toll on the footpaths which had been churned up by the footfall, of both man and beast, over the preceding days.
Nevertheless, this was a completely satisfactory end to the weekend. Our leaders had obviously worked hard to provide us with a fitting finale and acquitted themselves admirably. Thank you Peter Marion and Mike; for your preparation, for your attention to detail, and for getting us all back on schedule. Jane, Pat, Sandra and Brian
