Walks

20/11/2024 Wednesday Annual General Meeting

The 2024 Annual General Meeting will be held on Wednesday 20 November at the Guild at 7pm. A £5 contribution towards the costs of the drinks will be requested.

All members and friends are welcome.

24/11/2024 Sunday, Peak Forest and Old Mining Tracks, 8 miles moderate Leader Peter Attwell

The walk starts at 10am from the Mam Nick car park, goes along tracks past Rowter Farm, bearing right to Peak Forest and then to Perryfoot, returning along Rushup Edge.

To get to the car park, take A555 to A6, and on the A6 to the roundabout for Chapel en the Frith and to the left turn signposted  Edale. After a couple of miles, just after the left turn to Edale turn left into the car park , post code S33 8WA.

NOTE:  if you go down Winnats Pass towards Casteton you have go too far and need to return a short way in the direction of Chapel, looking for the car park on your right this time.

Car park is frre for NT members. There is roadside parking nearby for others.

28/11/2024 Thursday Dunham and beyond from Bowdon easy 9.2miles Leader Sue Lucas

A gentle autumn walk, over fields and through woodland, passing back through Dunham Massey.

The walk starts from Green Walk, Bowdon WA14 2SN at 10.00am. Coming from Wilmslow on the A538, there is a roundabout just after going under the M56. Go straight across this roundabout and follow the A538 (now called Hale Road) for another 2.6 miles to a small roundabout where you turn left on Ashley Road. After 0.2 miles, at traffic lights turn right onto Stamford Road. After 0.5 miles on Stamford Road, you reach the centre of Bowdon, passing the Griffin Pub on your right. Go straight on into Green Walk and park on the road at the end of this cul de sac (about 0.4 miles)

Parking is plentiful, but there are no toilets at the start.

The walk: We cross the A56 and walk across Dunham Forest Golf Club, on our way to Dunham Town (in reality a few houses!) before joining the Bridgewater Canal. We leave this after half a mile or so, and bear north along a path crossing the Trans-Pennine Trail and skirting Black Moss Covert Nature Reserve. From here we walk along Caldwell Brook, through farmland and (briefly) a quiet lane before joining the Bollin Valley Way. This takes us back to the grounds of Dunham Massey, where coffee, ice creams and toilets are all available. We pass over the golf course again on our way back to Green Walk.

The walk is easy and varied, with autumn changes a feature. Some paths may be muddy if there has been recent rain, and gaiters are recommended. NT membership cards only needed if walkers are planning to branch off and inspect the gardens or hall at Dunham Massey.




02/12/2024 Monday Pickmere, Great Budworth & Arley Hall, 8 miles, easy. Leader Angela Legge  

Parking is very limited at Pickmere  so I am starting the walk at 10am at Arley Hall car park.  Postcode CW9 6NA

Arley operates an " honesty system" for the car park . A £3 fee can be paid in the shop,  which is a considerable distance from the car park, but you do not need to pay before the walk. I was told that walkers frequently go to the cafe after their walk and pay then, but there are no checks on the car park. 


Directions: Arley Hall & Gardens are  well signed from the A556 and from the turn off it onto the B5391. Some satnavs stop short of the car park and you need to continue along the lane for just over a mile to the car park on the right.

Other satnavs may ignore some  brown signs for Arley and take you on a longer route along country lanes to the car park.  

I recommend following the brown signs all the way!

 

Walk details: This is a lovely winter walk in the Cheshire countryside.  We walk across pastures and along lanes from the Arley Hall Estate to Pickmere. The route continues  round the picturesque mere before heading to the attractive village of Great Budworth, with   one of the county's finest churches. We'll  have lunch on benches in the churchyard before following the North Cheshire Way across more fields and quiet lanes back to Arley. The paths are mainly good and the height gain on the walk is only 70 metres. Inevitably, there may be a few muddy patches.  



08/12/2024 Sunday Leader Marjorie McLoughlin

details to follow

12/12/2024, Thursday, Black Rocks, Lantern Wood and Bollinhurst Brook, 7 miles, 289 metres ascent, moderate, leader Simon Duffy

Outline: A circuit through Black Rocks and around the eastern side of Lyme Park providing extensive views of the Cheshire plain and Greater Manchester. It starts from from a surprisingly remote roadside lay-by and then tracks east up Black Rocks before entering Lyme Park.

Difficulty: Most of this walk is on good paths and tracks with only some very short sections which may be muddy or very wet. There are some very tall footpath ladder styles on this route.

Start: 10:30hrs at  lay-by parking opposite the entrance to Rocks Farm, Mudhurst Lane, Disley SK12 2A . Lat/Long 53.345736, -2.027491. Grid Ref: SJ 98267 83204.

Route: Layby parking opposite the entrance to Rocks Farm, Rocks Farm, Longside Cottage, Black Rocks, High Peak School, Dissop Head, Peak District Boundary Walk, Lantern Wood, The Lantern,  Hampers Wood, The Cage, Bollinhurst Brook, Cock Head Farm, Bentside, The Gritstone Trail, Lay-by parking opposite the entrance to Rocks Farm.

Outdooractive details and route map

16/12/2024 Monday Alderley Christmas lunch walk Leader Donald Henderson

Details of the walk to follow.

The lunch will be at The Churchill Tree Alderley Park. 

22/12/2024 Sunday Leader Clare Pinder

details to come

30/12/2024 Monday Mince pie walk Leader Peter Attwell

details to follow

13/01/2025 Monday,  River Goyt and Marple Aqueduct, 7.5 miles, easy/ moderate.  Leader Angela Legge  

details to follow

28/01/2025, Tuesday,  Frodsham & Helsby Hills, 7 miles, moderate, leader Simon Duffy

Outline: A classic loop walk from Frodsham to Frodsham Hill and Helsby Hill. The route includes short sections of three 'official' paths: The Sandstone Trail,  The Longster Trail and the North Cheshire Way. On a clear day there are spectacular views over the industrial delights of Runcorn and the river Mersey Basin towards the Wirral and Liverpool.

Difficulty: A long stroll mostly on well maintained paths.  There is a short section through fields which is likely to be muddy and wet.

Walk start: 10:30hrs at Frodsham Castle Park Car Park, off the A56 Chester Road, Castle Park, Frodsham WA6 6SB. Lat/Long 53.291693,-2.730998. Grid Reference Grid Ref SJ 51368 77451.  OS Explorer map 267 - Northwich & Delamere Forest. Note that at  2am on 30/10/2022 the clocks go back 1 hour.

The easiest access to this car park is off the A56 Chester Road, having driven on the main road through the centre of Frodsham village to its Western outskirts. The entrance is signposted on the left to the Castle Park, within which to the right is the Castle Park Car Park.

Route: Frodsham Castle Park Car Park, Frodsham Hill War Memorial, Woodhouse Hill, The Ridgeway Country Holiday Park, Firs Farm, Helsby Hill, Woodhouses, Foxhill, Frodsham Castle Park Car Park.

Outdooractive details and map

10/02/2025, Monday Prestbury to Macclesfield 7.05 miles easy Leader Carol McLaughlin

Details to follow

25/02/2025, Tuesday, Lathkill Dale, 8 miles, moderate, leader Simon Duffy

Outline: An exploration of the beautiful LathKill Dale, followed by a traverse through farmland to the River Bradford and the picturesque village of Youlgrave. From Youlgrave we walk past the famous fishing weirs in the Lathkill Dale valley back to our stating point in Over Haddon.

Difficulty: A moderate stroll with some slippery rock and muddy paths.

Start: 10:30hrs at Over Haddon Car Park, 8 Monyash Rd, Over Haddon, Bakewell DE45 1HZ. Lat/Long 53.194759, -1.696959. OS Map OL 24, OS Grid Ref SK 20288 66427

Route:  Over Haddon Car Park, Lathkill Dale, Palmerston Wood, Weir and Footbridge, Limestone Way, Calling Low, Lomberdale Hall, Weir, River bradford, Youlgrave Village, Aniscroft Farm, Conksbury Bridge, Weirs, Over Haddon Car Park.

Refreshments: The Peak Feast bakery in Youlgrave may be open for tea and cakes.

Naming convention: The Highways Agency usees ‘Youlgrave’ on a number of different local signposts throughout the area. Most locals also use ‘Youlgrave’, although the official name on Ordnance Survey maps is ‘Youlgreave’.

Outdooractive details and route map

24/03/2025, Monday, Monsal Trail, 8 miles, 205m ascent, moderate, leader Simon Duffy

Outline: A walk along the Monsal Trail From Monsal Head to Millers Dale through the old railway tunnels, returning back via Tideswell Dale and the River Wye valley.

Difficulty: A long stroll.

Walk start: 10:30hrs, Monsal Head car park, Ashford in the Water, Bakewell, DE45 1NL.  Lat/Long  53.240094, -1.724999.  OS map OL24 Grid Ref SK 18450 71487

Route: Monsal Head car park, Headstone viaduct, Litton tunnel, Millers Dale viaduct, Millers Dale, Meadow Lane, Tideswell Dale car park, Tideswell Dale, Litton Mill, Cressbrook Dale, Water-cum-Jolly Dale, Brushfield Lane, Headstone viaduct, Monsal Head car park.

Outdooractive details and map