The Roaches and Ramshaw Rocks

Saturday 17th June 2023

After walking over Kinder Scout in 2022, the men of my church were keen to do another challenging walk in the Peak District so I suggested the Roaches, copying a walk that I had done in 2021 with someone from work. However the event organiser was keen for us to start from Gradbach on the other side of the hill, which would have eliminated some of the problems with my 2021 walk, but since I was not familiar with that route we planned to echo my 2021 walk, but in the end it was cancelled because too many had pulled out, which left me free to do the Gradbach walk on my own. The Wildlife Trust car park in the valley was full, including a lot of campervans, though nearby fields were available for a charge and accompanied by swarms of flies I set off along the track through the Dane Valley, past Gradbach Mill, formerly a youth hostel that I had stayed in as a child, but is now a hotel. Soon, I crossed Black Brook and entered Forest Wood climbing steeply to some outcrops where I turned sharp left to reach Lud’s Church. Despite being there several times before, most recently in 2021, the chasm known as Lud’s Church was an awesome place with sheer rock walls covered in moss and the temperature noticeably colder than outside. With many wildflowers including wood sorrel growing in the crevices I was enthralled by the narrow ravine and really wanted to explore, but I was mindful of how I would direct a group of guys so I kept to the main path through and soon climbed back out into the wood.

Wooden boardwalks led me through the wood to a signpost where I turned right to climb out of the wood and through moorland to the ridge north of the Roaches. Turning left, I proceeded along the ridge but made a point of stopping occasionally so I could admire the view, despite overcast skies, along the ridge and into the Dane Valley. The ideal time to do this walk would be when the heather is in flower, when the moorland is ablaze with purple, while at this time the heather was overshadowed by the vivid green of bilberry leaves. Slowly, I made my way along the path at the top of the ridge that eventually brought me up to the trig point that marks the summit of the Roaches while passing many people on the way, most of whom were wearing shorts, which I soon found quite amusing when it started to rain. Eventually I turned off the ridge to pass below rock climbers and descend steeply with the isolated hill of Hen Cloud before me, which I tackled enthusiastically despite a tiring climb and having to come straight back down again. A path is marked on maps descending the southern slopes but instead I tried to descend the eastern slope beside a drystone wall, which took me into a wood where a clear path took me north back towards the Roaches. Soon, I branched off to pass near Well Farm as the rain began to fall heavily and I doubled back again heading south.

Route-finding was rather difficult at this point and after entering a very muddy section I decided to check my location and realised that I had missed a turning, so I had to double back (again) to reach the correct path and now I was on the Churnet Way. This is a long distance trail that I have followed in part on a few occasions but always further south in the wooded, steep-sided Churnet Valley while here the River Churnet is a slender stream amongst moorland. The path led me around a farm where wet grass saturated my shoes and then later a narrow path through overhanging heather and bilberry completed the job by wetting my trousers. While the rain continued to fall I made my way up to Ramshaw Rocks, which is a line of outcrops that I cannot remember visiting before, so I was excited to be there, though it was short-lived and soon I was crossing moorland to reach a road that had been on my drive in. Now the walk settled into a gentle stroll along the road, past Black Brook Nature Reserve and along a track around Gradbach Hill that led me back into the valley and the car park.

The route for this walk had come from the OS Maps app (“Gradbach, Luds Church, The Roaches, Hen Cloud, Ramshaw Rocks and Dane Valley”), and was surprisingly strenuous so I doubt it would have been suitable for the guys from my Church who would have probably preferred a much easier walk than going over the Roaches. I enjoyed the walk even though it had not taken me more than four hours and with the weather now improving I considered continuing north from the car park towards Three Shires Head, but in the end I decided to head home and be satisfied with what had been a good walk through stunning scenery despite poor weather.

Gritstone Trail: Timbersbrook to Kidsgrove

Monday 1st May 2023

At the start of my final day on the Gritstone Trail I woke to hill fog enveloping the Wild Boar Inn campsite where I had been staying for the weekend. This didn’t seem hopeful for the walk but after packing up I drove away from the campsite and was soon below the level of the clouds as I made my way to the railway station at Kidsgrove. The Gritstone Trail lends itself to being done using trains which almost run alongside the trail and indeed it starts and ends at railway stations. I had caught a train to Disley at the start of the trail and on each stage I was able to walk to a railway station to get back to where I needed to be, and now I caught a train from Kidsgrove to Congleton where I had reached the previous day. A short walk along the Macclesfield Canal and Brookhouse Lane brought me back onto the Gritstone Trail not far from Timbersbrook where the third and final stage of the trail begins. Soon I was on the Biddulph Valley Way, which follows the course of an old railway, and I loved walking through the gorgeous woodland which was filled with birdsong and overflowing with greenery including bluebells and stitchworts that was very soothing and uplifting for me. I couldn’t help contrasting this with my state of mind at the start of the Gritstone Trail when I had felt stressed and overwhelmed, but now the trail had completely restored my mind and spirit.

Eventually I moved away from the Biddulph Valley Way to climb slowly past a campsite and up onto a ridge, finally reaching the top at a dip known as Nick i’ th’ Hill whereupon I proceeded along the wooded ridge with bilberries lining the path until I reached a road. While the sky brightened with the sun briefly trying to break through the clouds, the trail continued along the road on top of the ridge with extensive views west across the Cheshire plain. There were many parking laybys beside the road to afford motorists the opportunity to appreciate the extensive views, but it was distressing for me to see that these were covered in litter despite bins being provided. I picked up loads of the litter and put them in the bins, but I could have been there all day and I would have needed many bins. This was very frustrating, but eventually I tore myself away and finally branched off the road to reach the Old Man of Mow where a tall, rock monolith sat amongst burnt heathland. Quickly, I made my way around the gritstone pillar and up to the trig point that marks the highest point on the hill behind before carefully making my way back down and across to Mow Cop Castle, though it was the millstone grit outcrops that the folly sits on that was of more interest to me and I enjoyed scrambling amongst them. There were extensive views south from the castle, but this only reinforced the knowledge that I was coming to the end of the trail and the high ground that I had been following throughout was no more.

I had enjoyed this walk which had succeeded in lifting my spirits more than anything else could so I was sad for it to end, but now I descended to the Cheshire Plain and picked up the Macclesfield Canal which I followed beside delightful displays of bluebells, briefly coming off to find somewhere to sit and have my lunch. Upon returning to the canal I followed it out to the junction with the Trent & Mersey Canal, which was a dirty brown colour from the iron oxide seeping into the water, mainly from Harecastle Tunnel. The urban surroundings of this canal were much less appealing to me than on the rural Macclesfield Canal, so I felt fortunate to not be following the Trent & Mersey for long and soon I returned to Kidsgrove railway station. This was a relatively short walk, by my standards, having reached the station by 1.30, but I wasn’t bothered by this as it meant that I was able to get home and enjoy the afternoon sunshine. This holiday performed wonders on my mental health after starting the trail feeling anxious, stressed and in a fragile state, but by this last day I was feeling relaxed and carefree. After just three days, the Gritstone Trail had performed a miracle on my mental state. The trail was surprisingly hilly, but I could have easily done it in just two days, though I enjoyed the more relaxed schedule which gave me a chance to relax and obtain the refreshment I needed.

Gritstone Trail: Tegg's Nose to Timbersbrook

Sunday 30th April 2023

At the start of my second day on the Gritstone Trail I returned to Tegg’s Nose Country Park where I had parked on day one and where the second stage begins. I was trying to take advantage of one of the bank holiday Mondays in May to do a long distance trail and I was taking my time because I wasn’t feeling great at the time and hoped this walk would refresh me, but the weather on this day was poor, grey and overcast with a strong, cold wind coming off the hills and rain was forecast. Soon after leaving the car park beside the visitor centre I reached the hilltop known as Tegg’s Nose where formerly quarrying was carried out and some relics of that era have been left behind and information boards revealed how the landscape was previously worked. Now the hill has been taken over by nature and heather, bilberry and gorse decorated the slopes below bare gritstone rock faces. After taking my time wandering around the hill I slowly made my way steeply down the hill past gorse bushes filled with yellow flowers that brightened the hillside under the grey skies to the two reservoirs at the bottom of the hill. The path across the dams brought me to Clarke Lane where a turning up a track led me to a stream where celandines, wood anemones and bluebells decorated a lovely dell that beckoned me towards it so I was frustrated when I discovered that the Gritstone Trail ignores Macclesfield Forest and instead turned south past Greenbarn Farm and Lees House Farm.

The contrast between the sylvan beauty of Bollin Brook with the dull grassy farmland was depressing and the scenery failed to improve except beside the occasional stream where wildflowers distracted me from the monotony, most notably beside Rossendale Brook where newly emerging bluebells raised my spirits. Eventually I began to climb again, up Fox Bank to the top of the Hill of Rossenclowes where I had extensive views west across the Cheshire plain, but it was very hazy and difficult to see anything, so it was to my left where the more interesting views were to be seen, into the Peak District. The ridge continued to climb until I reached the top of Croker Hill where a large radio transmitter dominated the scene and soon after passing that I dropped down the hill to reach the A54 road. My inspiration for doing this trail was the video on YouTube by Abbie Barnes who did the thirty-five mile walk in two days and stopped at this point, camping at the nearby Wild Boar Inn, which was so warmly praised I decided to stay there myself on the two nights either side of this walk. Unfortunately the pub is no longer open but I was still able to camp in the field behind and the facilities were very good. Since I was taking three days on the trail I didn’t stop at this point like Abbie and instead I continued along the trail over the top of Golden Hill on a road that provided me with nothing of interest underfoot and a strong headwind.

Soon it started to rain and would rarely stop until after I’d finished this stage of the trail, which didn’t help with my enjoyment of the walk, however at the bottom of the hill I encountered the tree-filled valley of Shell Brook but I was disappointed at the lack of wildflowers and it didn’t help that the path was very muddy underfoot. The trail took me across the eastern bank above Cartlidge Wood before finally descending into the Dane Valley where Barleigh Ford Bridge took me over the River Dane and up to the course of what at first I took to be an old railway and then an old canal, but is in fact a conduit for feeding the Caldon Canal. The overgrown sides of the conduit provided me with pleasant walking that proved to be so enthralling I missed the turning off and had to retrace my steps when I realised. The path now took me across some fields, a road, an actual disused railway line and along the bottom of the Dane Valley where I went the wrong way again. Generally the Gritstone Trail was very well signposted but it was not so clear at this point as I missed the turning and started to climb out of the valley. When I realised I took advantage of stopping to have my lunch before returning to the bottom of the valley and back along the trail through the thick grass of the meadow beside the river before turning up beside a beautiful little dell that carries Ravensclough Brook.

Many woodland flowers decorated the slopes starting with wild garlic then bluebells and later the white flowers of stitchwort that produced a beautiful scene that was over all too soon as I climbed out of Raven’s Clough. With the rain continuing to pour I climbed a grassy bank that brought me to the prominent hill and National Trust property of the Cloud that was attracting many people despite the weather so I didn’t linger and quickly made my way past the crags that adorn the northern edge of the summit. A good path took me through the heathland and into a wood until eventually I reached a road near the village of Timbersbrook where the second stage of the Gritstone Trail ends, but I stayed on the trail for a short while longer until I reached Brookhouse Lane where I came off to walk down to the Macclesfield Canal which took me to Congleton railway station. However when I got there I was dismayed to discover that the next train was in two and a half hours, but I tried to not let this ruin the walk which I had felt had gone well, despite the weather and some dull scenery, as there had been some enjoyable moments at the top of several hills and at the sight of many woodland flowers. With hindsight I should have parked at Timbersbrook and caught a train back to Macclesfield at the start of the day, so instead I wandered into the centre of Congleton and had a look around the museum.

Gritstone Trail: Disley to Tegg’s Nose

Saturday 29th April 2023

Last spring I thought I’d take advantage of the many bank holidays to go away during one of them and I was inspired by Abbie Barnes of Spend More Time in the Wild to walk the Gritstone Trail, who first did the trail in winter and then after that was unsuccessful returned in the spring with a much better experience. The Gritstone Trail is a thirty-five mile walk through Cheshire along the western edge of the Peak District, which I thought would provide me with an easy three day hike at a time when I was feeling vulnerable. Earlier in April I had abandoned the Dales High Way because I wasn’t feeling well, and because of bad weather, so I really needed to get back out for a walk and this was my chance. To start, I drove to Tegg’s Nose Country Park and walked down the road into the town of Macclesfield where I caught a train to Disley, the starting point of the Gritstone Trail, but almost immediately after getting off the train I fell apart. Firstly, I was anxious because I couldn’t find a toilet and then because I couldn’t find the start of the trail even though it starts at the railway station. Eventually I did find the start of the Gritstone Trail, by the railway station, just not on the side that I had gotten off but by this time I was feeling very stressed and insecure. Nevertheless, before me now was a large noticeboard proclaiming the start of the Gritstone Trail which led me up a flight of steps through glorious woodland decorated with celandines and wild garlic to a lane that brought me out into the countryside.

What I needed right now was some quiet and solitude to help me recover from the stressful situation, but there were too many people around and when confronted with a barking dog I was prompted to put my hands over my ears and try to get away as quickly as possible. I was in a very fragile state and needed to be by myself away from people where I could recover and eventually I thankfully found an area of gorse bushes where I was able to move away from the path, sit down and rest, have something to eat and find myself again. The Gritstone Trail is not very long so I had plenty of time to recover and eventually I set off again soon entering Bollinhurst Wood, whose peaceful surroundings performed wonders on my mental health so that when I entered the National Trust property of Lyme Park my mind was calm and I was able to walk past the crowds without a problem. Ahead of me was a large square sandstone structure known as the Cage that reminded me of Broadway Tower in the Cotswolds, but I avoided it because of the many crowds there and continued along the trail, past Lyme House and the car park before turning to climb up through Knightslow Wood and Park Moor. The views behind me across the Cheshire plain were extensive but it was the views into the Peak District that were more appealing to me. Turning south along a clear lane brought me over Sponds Hill, the highest point on the trail, where a viewfinder promised me that the Berwyns in Wales were visible to the west, but unfortunately not in the hazy sunshine that I had on this walk.

The descent gradually brought me down to a gap with the former mill town of Bollington in the distance and across various streams, firstly Harrop Brook where a stone packhorse bridge crosses the water beside celandines that decorated a scene so beautiful I was prompted to stop and take a moment to take it all in. Slowly, I crossed the gap and climbed the steep hillside opposite to the whitewashed monument known as White Nancy where I had extensive views west, but which lacked the interest, though restricted, that I had east into the Peak District. A narrow ridge across the Saddle of Kerridge brought me to the trig point that marks the top of Kerridge Hill while the Gritstone Trail crossed the lower slopes. The top of Kerridge Hill more than justified the diversion and I enjoyed the path down the other side and back across the side of the hill to pick up the trail and cross another gap in the hills before slowly climbing again through many small meadows whose only wildflowers tragically seemed to be dandelions. Eventually I returned to the car park for Tegg’s Nose Country Park just as it began to rain after a walk that had started very badly for me but soon began the work that I had hoped this walk would perform on my mental health.

Dunstable Downs and Ivinghoe Beacon

Saturday 22nd April 2023

I love woodland flowers so every spring I am keen to get out for a walk as often as possible and last April, despite an overcast weather forecast, I was determined to go for a walk. Having considered the Peak District I decided to head south instead to the Chilterns, which I had not visited for a couple of years and after a quick look around the OS Maps app I found a walk entitled ‘Dunstable Down – Ashridge Beacon Loop’ that seemed a good choice, mainly because the starting point was not far from the M1 motorway. I parked at the National Trust property of Dunstable Downs which sits on the northern edge of the Chiltern escarpment and so should have provided me with extensive views but fog prevented that and initially I ignored my walk to explore the downs wandering north over grasslands decorated with cowslip in amongst grass that glistened with water droplets. Cowslip dominate these chalk escarpments at this time of the year so this was not the only time I would see these small yellow flowers, but they were a welcome sight before I’d even started my walk. After rounding the northern tip of Dunstable Downs I returned to the visitor centre and finally began the prescribed walk as shown on the OS Maps app, which sent me along the top of the escarpment following the route of the Icknield Way Trail.

As the fog slowly began to clear I moved away from the escarpment and along a muddy path, ignoring the point where the Icknield Way Trail turned left so I could keep straight ahead and reach the B4540 road, soon rejoining the trial, which had diverted to visit Whipsnade Tree Cathedral, and I wish I had seen that now. Instead I obeyed the app and headed down Studham Lane and around Whipsnade Zoo, which I wasn’t interested in, but on the other side of the path I was delighted to find young bluebells. I hadn’t been hopeful to find bluebells on this walk and most were still in bud, but it was great to see bluebells for the first time this year. The path around Whipsnade Zoo eventually brought me to Whipsnade Park Golf Club, which I crossed as quickly as possible to avoid the dangers inherent in such places. My route continued to follow the Icknield Way Trail through the village of Dagnall and along Hog Hall Lane slowly climbing until I reached the National Trust’s Ashridge Estate where I joined the route of the Ashridge Estate boundary trail, which I had done in 2021. Soon, I was confronted by the gorgeous smell of wild garlic as I descended steeply into the Coombe, though foul smelling dog’s mercury became more dominant lower down and later the walk continued past many other woodland flowers that delighted me, including celandines and violets, until eventually I emerged onto the grassy Ivinghoe Hills.

I now seriously considered turning into south the heart of the Ashridge Estate and abandoning the prescribed walk to see more wildflowers, but eventually I kept to the route passing many cowslips while heading up to Ivinghoe Beacon where the Ridgeway trail ends. With many people at the viewpoint I immediately turned east to head back down the hill and towards Dunstable on a bridleway beside a tall fence that seemed to be protecting only a grassy field. On reaching a road I headed back into the village of Dagnall and my outward route where the walk on the OS Map app would have had me retrace my steps across the golf course and around Whipsnade Zoo. Since I didn’t want to do that, when I reached Dagnall I turned left onto Dunstable Road to head straight back, but soon I found that this was not a good idea as it is a busy road and there was nowhere to walk away from the oncoming cars. However, I pinned my safety on access land not far ahead where a lion has been marked out in white chalk on the side of the hill, but when I got there I found tall metal fences barring me from entering the access land so I had to keep going beside the dangerous road. Eventually, after turning right at a junction, I was finally able to enter the access land of Dunstable Downs and slowly climb the escarpment in a groove past many beautiful cowslips until I finally returned to my car after a good walk through the Chiltern Hills.