In my own footsteps

This year’s autumn hostelling weekend, again marvellously organized by Helen, coincided with my birthday - excellent! This time 27 of us headed for the Staffordshire Moors just within the SW boundary of the Peak District National Park. We stayed in the farmhouse hostel at Gradbach Mill Youth Hostel, in the Dane Valley, about 6 miles N of Leek. The location gave lots of options for lovely walks right from our front door.

Between the Woods and the Water (Mostly)
Saturday 11th Oct, 2008
9.25 miles, approx 300m ascent (Map: OS Explorer OL24; Peak District, White Peak Area)

The weather forecast had been on and off the last few days, but it was dry though a bit cloudy as 16 of us plus dog set off from the hostel (with me leading).

A fairly leisurely pace took us N over the river at the hostel and up to the NW past Goosetree farm and then onwards on a track over high open fields before dipping down to cross the A54 heading roughly in the same direction. Soon after, we stopped for a break at the top edge of a patchwork of boggy fields and watched a group of Duke of Ed Award kids almost getting lost (they got it right in the end). Making our way across these fields, on a path that zigzagged roughly NW and then followed the course of a small stream (not on the map) joining Clough Brook in woodland by the road at Wildboarclough.

Bypassing the Crag Inn (a bit too early in the day), we followed the road SW for about 1/3 of a mile before recrossing Clough Brook at a stone bridge to follow the footpath on the opposite bank. Heading a bit S of W, we followed this path as it diverged from the brook, and then eventually recrossed it on a footbridge. Here we crossed the same road to detour via Knowle Farm (just to miss another bit of road). Shortly after rejoining the same road yet again, we crossed the A54 again and continued S on the road for another 1/4 mile. Our footpath then forked S from the road along he side of the steep valley where Clough Brook joins the Dane river. About 1/4 of a mile from the road we stopped for lunch in a lovely spot high on the valley side.

After lunch I did a bit of poking around and about to find the path SW towards Wincle and Danebridge, which we followed above the river Dane, continuing SW to join the road next to the Ship Inn at Wincle just N of Danebridge. Service at the pub was somewhat slow (to be polite), but eventually we all got something, and with coffee drinkers hastily finishing off in the drizzle, we went off down hill to cross the river and to pick up the Dane Valley Way heading upstream (NE at first).

Following the DVW we were in and out of woodland above the river and so protected from the weather, though it wasn’t too bad at all. A clear path enabled us to pick up the pace, which had been slow so far, bringing us, a couple of miles later, to a junction of paths above a footbridge (on the DVW) over Black Brook. Half a dozen of us opted to head straight back to the hostel at this point via the footbridge, and the rest of us followed a footpath up hill and E and then SW to Lud’s Church, a spectacular rocky chasm with sheer mossy sides. It was quite spooky in the chasm in the grey, misty late afternoon and seriously boggy under foot. After enough photographs, etc, we rejoined our path SW through the woods for about 3/4 a mile before looping NE and down again towards Black Brook. It was boggy in the woods - and unfortunately in one of my boots as well after a particularly deep patch, but quiet and atmospheric in the mist. Foregoing the ford option at Black Brook, we continued N for a short distance to the footbridge for the last 1/4 mile or so of DVW back to the hostel.

A lovely walk with beautiful and varied scenery and lots of walking by streams and brooks (which I love). Those of us who did the section up to Lud’s Church agreed that this was the best part of the walk. Extra walking nerd points if you recognise the title of this walk...

Thanks to Emma C for the photos!

Out in the Open - Three Shire Heads and Beyond
Sun 12th Oct, 2008
8.75 miles (including detour), approx 250 m ascent (Map: OS Explorer OL24; Peak District, White Peak Area)

A lovely sunny morning for my birthday, with Ellie and Emma P leading us along the Dane Valley Way heading further upstream. In contrast to yesterday, today's walk was across open fields, through old quarry workings and over boggy moorland, though like yesterday's route we spent much of the time following bits of the river Dane or its tributary cloughs.

At first the DVW followed the road from the hostel and the river, but just over half a mile E/NE from the hostel it heads off up hill and NE over open fields. We crossed the fields in bright sunshine and continued in roughly the same direction, turn NW after about ¾ mileand then N skirting below Turn Edge to arrive at Panniers Pool and Three Shire Heads where we (and several other people) stopped for a break by the bridge.

Here we left the DVW, turning NE along tracks and footpaths past Blackclough to Orchard Farm where we rejoined the DVW. Shortly after we had a spot of map misreading and ended up detouring along the county boundary, though as it got increasingly boggy under foot all agreed this couldn‘t be right so we had a rethink (Emma was right all along), and put ourselves right and back on the DVW.

After a lunch stop and some sunbathing, we pressed on to Reeve-edge and Danebower quarries, following the DVW as it wove its way NE and W through the old workings. Just before reaching the A54 we turned SW and down hill on the DVW, passing and old chimney(?)/tower(?)/mineshaft(?) arriving at the very upper reaches of the river Dane. We followed the DVW and the course of the Dane back to Three Shire Heads, speculating on the 3 counties in question and failing quite well (Staffordshire, Derbyshire, and Cheshire - thanks Janina).

Turning SW we left the DVW to follow a very lumpy track than curved around Cutthorn Hill. Crossing the road at Cutthorn, a footpath took us NW out onto open moor above the source of Robin’s Clough (predictably boggy), from where our route curved roughly S and down via Parks and Hole Edge to a road. After a short stretch of road going S, we took the first footpath going in the same direction for about 1/4 mile to a road. A couple of hundred yards of road S brought us back to the river Dane where we rejoined our outward route, retracing our steps back to the hostel.

A great walk with wonderful scenery on a gorgeous autumn day - happy birthday to me!!!

Thanks to Janina for her lunchtime photo!

Sat 4th Oct, 2008: 9 miles, ascent less than 200m (Map: OS Explorer 135)

This was a Hiking Dykes walk, led by Bethan and Trish. Seven of us met at the station in Balcombe, which is in the West Sussex High Weald a few miles NW of Hayward's Heath. My description of the walk is a bit sketchy as I was enjoying walking without having to think much about maps and directions.

Autumn had really arrived this week and it had been quite chilly the last couple of nights and the forecast was for rain in the afternoon.

From the station we went up and east through the outskirts of Balcombe and down past Balcombe Mill to cross the NW finger of Ardingly Reservoir.

After following the waterside path for a mile and a half, we headed across fields and tracks to Ardingly Church. By this time it was raining properly and we stopped in the church porch to eat lunch.

We passed the county showground in heavy rain via a drive that was traffic-y following a clay shooting event - not the best bit of the walk and if I was walking up here again, I'd try to find an alternative route. After crossing the B 2028 we dipped down into woodland with a bit of shelter from the weather.

We walked N-ish through the woods parallel to the B road, rescuing a group of lost and sodden schoolgirls on the way. They were trying to do a D of E weekend and looking decidely under-equipped and inexperienced for the weather. Schoolgirls in tow, we rejoined the B road and made our way to the entrance of Wakehurst Place. Bethan and Trish kindly directed our strays on their way with a spare (and dry) map and we went up to the Wakehurst Place shop for tea and cakes and a break from the rain.

Wakehurst Place is an offshoot of the Kew Royal Botanic Gardens and home of the Millenium Seed Bank. It really is worth a visit (a whole day easily), but we didn't tarry today as it was already gone 4 by the time we'd done with tea.

Picking up the footpath that cuts past the N edge of the Gardens, we made our way W through fields (of a deer farm) and woods down and across Ardingly Brook, and then onwards up and down towards Balcombe Lake; on the way we passed though field with low-flying swallows and saw more gathering nearby on phone cables aiting for a break in the SW wind to make their way S for the winter. Passing the S edge of the lake we saw a grey wagtail, great crested grebes, etc. From here, half a mile up hill brought us back to Balcombe, where we stopped for a beer before heading back to the station.

You know summer's over when you hear yourself saying "never mind the weather, it's good to get out", though I think I said that a couple of times in August!