Saddleworth Weekend - Day 2

Distance: 13 miles
Ascent: 600m
Weather: bright start, cold wind
Sparrowhawk

After a leisurely breakfast, taken while sitting in a sunny conservatory overlooking the moors, we were packed up and out by about 10am. The early blue skies were just clouding over but it was a fine day and stayed dry. This was a relief to the landlady who had mentioned the possibility of snow at least three times last night, and probably also to the pair of chaps who has set off at 7am to stay ahead of the weather.

We followed Standedge above Castleshaw and then the Oldham Way and Pennine Bridleway around to Piethorne Reservoir, playing the rock or mud game. Sadly there are no benches in the shelter of the woodland and it was very windy at the bench so we sat on a wall of the ruins a bit farther down the hill. I realised I've misplaced my thin gloves, possibly they are in my rucksack somewhere, but I think I dropped them :(

We went home via the bridleway near the cattery and over Brushes Clough.

Saddleworth Weekend - Day 1

Distance: 20 miles
Ascent: 1000m
Weather: dry, bright later
Grey wagtail, mountain hare, bunnies

Due to packing and procrastination, we set off late morning along the Medlock Valley Way to Lees (slight detour to co op for lunch supplies) and then along to Mossley to join the Oldham Way. Thankfully the going wasn't too muddy, apart from some gates and patches in fields that were wet and churned up by hooves.

The woods above Dovestone Reservoir have been battered by winds and many trees were down, blocking the way very effectively. There was much scrambling under trunks and around branches, we emerged from the woods and had lunch on a grassy bank overlooking the water. A few groups passed by, it is definitely the start of DofE season. It was about 3pm by now and most people were coming to the end of their walks.

A little further round we walked along a new path they've put in, where it used to be closely packed pine trees with no undergrowth now many of the trees have been cleared and small bushes and greenery are starting to grow.

The footpath up to Binn Green is closed, we knew this and it was confirmed on the information sign that we checked. However we didn't notice that the path over the dam wall was also closed, necessitating a detour around the second reservoir, it being much shorter to go round than back the way we'd come.

The path around the second reservoir is now much more travelled tha than it used to be, quite eroded and muddy in one spot.

We walked up the lane and crossed the main road, the entrance to the footpath across the field to Pots and Pans blocked by a fallen gate and rusty metal sheeting complete with barbed wire. This obstacle successfully negotiated, we made our way up onto the hill, in the late afternoon sunshine. It was quite chilly at the top so we stopped to add some layers of clothing  and eat some chocolate. We followed the Oldham Way (or a link?) to Diggle, and up to the Pennine Way, which we followed for a short way before turning off alongside the A62 to the Carriage House.

 

Rochdale Canal from Manchester

Distance: 16 miles
Ascent:
Weather: overcast
Canada geese, a couple of fish splashes, moorhens, pied wagtail, kestrel

After a lot of dithering we got the bus into Manchester so I could try on some walking trousers in the hopes of getting some that are less flappy than my TNF Horizon pants. I got a couple of pairs from Patagonia, so we'll see.

After lunch at Bella Italia and a brief unsuccessful visit to Go Outdoors, we walked back along the Rochdale canal. Canal walking is dull and there is nowhere to sit down, the aches and pains after yesterday's quite long walk made themselves known. A short rest at the monument at the top of Tandle Hill improved moods, along with the possibility of dinner at the pub. We stopped in at the Shay Wake for very nice, and very value-intensive, burgers and beer.

Hollingworth Lake Round

Distance : 16.5 miles
Ascent : 450m
Weather : warm and sunny
Meadow pipits, skylarks,  pheasant and grouse. A few curlew, Canada geese, pied wagtail, ducks with loads of ducklings, swallow, house/sand martin, reed bunting.
People with cans of lager: 2
Not very well hidden hiding people: 2

We left the car at the aerial and walked down along the track to the Transpennine trail towards Hollingworth Lake. The lake was pretty busy, the ice cream van just driving up had missed a lot of sales. We visited the visitor centre and got our ice creams there, before heading off through the nature reserve towards the canal.

We followed the canal, stopping at a handy bench for lunch, where we were guarded by a goose who swam over to us then proceeded to hiss at everyone who passed by. He seemed disappointed but stoical that we didn't share our lunch with him.

From the canal we went up to Warland Reservoir, the very wet places still pretty wet despite the dry weather, discovering that the dam wall is still being repaired and the diversion still in place. This adds another mile on to the route. We had decided to not visit Studley Pike today anyway because of weather warnings for thunder later. As it was the day stayed dry.

We returned along the Pennine Way passed the Aigen Stone and over Blackstone Edge back to the car.

A Walk to Gorse Hall

Distance: 21 miles
Ascent:
Weather: sunny
Frogs: lots
Banged heads: 1
Man complaining about getting his trainers dirty: 1

Setting off from home at about ten am, we went down the Medlock Valley Way to Lees (lunch purchased at the co op) and along the bear trail. We turned off, crossing a bridge and a grassy field to join the lane up to Kiln Farm, where a wet track took us up to Hartshead Pike. We had lunch accompanied by some flies, enjoying the view (and pork pie) then walked down past from horsey farms to a little nature reserve.

A bit of a walk through a housing estate and crossing a busy road brought us to Stamford Park, where the flower beds are nearly in bloom but not quite, and we had a sit down and second lunch (with cocktail sausages.)

We followed the canal (which contains more wall than it used to) to the gates of Gorse Hall and walked up through the grounds. None of the Gorse Halls are now standing, one of them was the home of Beatrix Potter's grandparents and there is a blue plaque commemorated this connection. There was also a mysterious murder, the perpetrator never caught.

On a more jolly note, some people where out flying kites and we helped some people out for a walk with their grandson identify some of the hills and view points at the top of Hough Hill.

A grassy path led down through Cheetham Park and, after crossing Tesco Car Park, to the Huddersfield Canal. It was quite muddy along the canal but nowhere near as muddy as we've experienced lately.

We walked through Scout Tunnel, which is 188m long, dark, with a low roof that drips. We walked along the canal and the river Tame back through Mossley and up to Grasscroft, along Lovers Lane to the bridleway to Austerlands. Then we walked along the lane by the Roebuck towards home.

Easter Weekend - Day 4

Distance : 10.7 miles
Ascent : 370m
Weather : Rain, easing, then heavy

Today's weather forecast had been quite concerning, but as it happened it wasn't that bad. Light rain eased off, until we were almost home, then the heavens opened.

We started along the Biddulph Valley Way again, enjoying the old railway way line path, which by now had some big puddles as it rained most of the night but was easy going and there were lots of birds including a bullfinch. Reluctantly, we left that path and, following the Gritstone Trail, turned off up a lane towards a farm. Before the farmyard, the path crossed a field and led into muddy woods. Here it was very muddy, however our mud tolerance has been adjusted and we splashed happily through. Ok, maybe not happily.

The path exited the woods onto a track, that gradually climbed up to Mow Cop, in cloud, along muddy but rocky paths that are more like what we are accustomed to, and along a road for a short while where there were lots of laybys where people cosy in their cars can enjoy the views. Leaving the road we followed a misty, snow lined wood path to the top. At the top there was a bench that we didn't stop at, as although I imagine there there are occasionally lots of views up here there weren't any today but it did make for an atmospheric visit to the castle. We also stopped to admire the Old Man of Mow, which is very erm geological.

Coming down off the hilltop we followed a straight grassy waterfall of a path that was a little slippy in places but did clean the mud off my shoes. The cleanish shoes lasted a while as the towpath along the Staffordshire Canal was paved nicely, but too soon became less gravel and more muddy, then grassy and very muddy. We past the boat with the best name, The Snooty Coot, and were soon near Kidsgrove, swapping to the Trent and Mersey Canal, then leaving the canal at the train station to catch the imminent train back to Manchester.

Easter Weekend - Day 3

Distance: 18.5 miles
Ascent : 750m
Weather : overcast
Slips: 1 and frankly that's a miracle
Curlew, Kestrel, Treecreeper, Squirrels

Another comfortable night, and another gupping big breakfast. We were off just before ten, and avoided being mown down by a tractor with a big spike on the front, disappointing to the nearby buzzards.

Before long we had been accosted by two lots of Ramblers, one clutching a torn out page from an AA Road atlas asking the way to Teggs Nose and another asking if we'd seen some of their party. The mislaid Ramblers were about 50m ahead, if that. Things quietened down for a while, we walked through Macclesfield Forest on pleasant paths, with birds singing and the sun shining through the trees. Leaving the forest, along the road as some footpaths were closed due to storm damage, we entered farmland complete with slippy mud, edged with holly, gorse and brambles. A bright white treecreeper was spotted.

We stopped briefly on the way up Croker Hill for some Easter mini eggs, lest the Easter Bunny get angry. We haven't seen any bunnies yet, the one I thought I saw turned into a squirrel. Up on Croker Hill there were curlews, skylarks and pippets singing and we met Millie the very excited spaniel. Croker Hill has a large telecoms tower on it, visible from home (well almost, you can see it from the top of Bishops Park) and it looks quite impressive from afar. Close up, not so much. We walked past aerials and down a grassy slope on the other side.

The next high top of the day was The Cloud, which is about 3 miles away as the crow flies. We are not crows. The Gritstone Trail loops around, first along a hill top lane then through sodden fields with flooded areas, over grassy slopes with muddy gates, along grassy meadows with muddy duck board bridges and by the side of disused canals with ankle deep muddy banks.

Once up on The Cloud, it turned out to be a proper gritstone heath, complete with trig point and a toposcope. The way down was along a muddy rocky path, with sticky out rocks and tree roots. A group of lads was messing about in the stream, much to the obvious disgust of one of their group who's black Nike Airs are never going to be quite the same again. Crossing a few (wet, muddy) fields brought us on to the Biddulph Valley Way, which is a disused railway that, most unusually, seems to be both solid and dry underfoot and leads directly to the place you want to go. We followed this into Congleton and then it was just a quick walk into town.