Baguley Hall

During our regular 'post run' coffee session in the courtyard tea room at Wythenshawe Hall, Jan mentioned that much good work has been taking place at nearby Baguley Hall. So I went along to see for myself and found an open day in full swing with musicians and stalls by way of perhaps the first chance for the public to enter the grounds since the sale in 2025 by Historic England to a charity called Heritage Trust North West. 

The internet reveals:

The manor was built in the 14th Century by a medieval knight called Sir William de Baggiley (also spelt Baguley), who lived during the reign of King Edward II (1307-1327), and the structure later became a farmhouse.

It was used as a council workshop for around 40 years before a decision was taken by the Manchester City Corporation in 1967 to demolish the building, which triggered a public petition that included over 6,000 signatures.

Later that year, the Wythenshawe MP Alf Morris spoke in Parliament against the planned demolition of Baguley Hall, urging that: "Everything possible should be done to preserve this historic building for posterity".

Since 1968, the building has been owned by the government and for more than 50 years the structure was maintained by English Heritage.

Tours of the Hall are now being arranged.

On my visit the grounds were lined by stalls and musicians, selling all manner of wares.

Several information boards indicated that the hall was part of the estate owned by the Tatton family, the first mention of which dates back to 1290, when they were living in the hamlet of Kenworthy, about a mile from the site of the current Wythenshawe Hall. 

Robert de Tatton had lands in nearby Northenden in 1297 and in 1370 a Robert de Tatton of Kenworthy received land in 'Wythinshawe' as part of the settlement when he married Alice, the daughter and heiress of William de Masey of Wythinhagh, and was given all her lands and tenements, rents and services.

So this building was part of the estate owned by the Tatton family, one of very few families who preserved an unbroken line as owners of a large estate from the 14th to the 20th Century.*

It'll be interesting to go inside the building. Here's another extract from the internet and a picture of the interior:

Baguley Hall includes one of the oldest surviving medieval timber-framed halls in England and some of the wooden beams are more than 50cm (20in) thick.

A central hearth once provided cooking and heating for the medieval household.

Catherine Dewar, the North West Regional Director at Historic England, said: "What's really special about Baguley Hall is that it's open to the roof, rather than a lot of medieval halls, which have been sub-divided and have another room above".

"It means your eyes just go upwards because you can see right up to the ceiling".

So ended a short but interesting visit. Thanks go to Jan for bringing this to my attention.

* Members of my own family may be interested to know that a line of their forebears can be traced back to the marriage of Rainaldus de Balliole to Aimeria in 1082 as part of the Weston of Weston Under Lizard pedigree that later merged with the Weston of Rugeley pedigree, so we can trace our family tree back about 30 generations. What was life like for all those generations - that's a project?!

Wednesday 19 August 2026 - An Evening Walk around Heaton Mersey with SWOG

Better late than never! For the first time this summer, Sue and I joined eight other members of Stockport Walking and Outdoors Group (SWOG) for a short evening walk. Just as well, this was their last evening walk before indoor Wednesday evening activities resume. I'm afraid Spunch events have edged these evening walks to the side this summer.

It turned out to be a slow amble of just 3.7 km, partly along the Trans Pennine Trail (TPT), and also past playing fields and up a long overgrown ginnel that we'd not visited before.

Before leaving the TPT we passed a comprehensive information board that someone has put a lot of effort into its composition. Click on the image/zoom in to read the text.

Next to the playing fields, Sue posed next to a strange little sculpture.

The group of ten managed to finish our amble before it got dark. Eight of us plus dog adjourned to The Crown, whilst Sue and I took a stroll up and down Didsbury Road to make up the distance to 5 km, before joining the others.

Here's our route, including the dogleg up Didsbury Road.

Earlier, 'Jump Heaven' in Hazel Grove had provided lots of fun for a five year old (with one tooth less than when we saw her last week) and her grandma, before we adjourned to Brookside Garden Centre for lunch.

Tuesday 18 August 2026 - Spunch Lyme Taster

This was a free of charge 'Taster' Spunch event, supported by the National Trust in Lyme Park.

Sue and I were joined by first timers Fechin, Richard and Jenny. The map was at 1:4000 scale rather than the usual 1:12500 scale, and there were only 45 Spunch satellite points compared with the usual 90 or so.

After coffees from the kiosk, the five of us went to see Michelle and Sue in the courtyard and soon everyone was set up with the MapRun app and ready to go past the starting flag.

In a reverse of my original plan, we started by going around the gardens, picking up many points on the way. The little red circles on the MapRun app were rapidly turning green.

We headed round the back of the pond and managed to visit all the satellite points in the garden by using just about every path available. Families and children were having a great time Spunching and I regretted not having the grandchildren with us. They would love it.

The satellite points had been set so as to encourage participants to go round the gardens before exiting through the way out clearly marked on the map.

By then, a light drizzle was falling.

The second half of the outing involved going up to 'The Cage', an Elizabethan hunting tower, and descending back to the Hall via an assortment of paths.

There was very little running - it was clear that walking pace in the beautiful scenery (despite the drizzle) would easily get us to all the relevant points in plenty of time.

It was breezy up at The Cage, and the ground was welcoming a bit of lubrication after months of drought.

Here's Fechin, on his first visit to Lyme Park, approaching The Cage.

My last photo of the day was taken as we strolled down from The Cage, picking off the remaining Spunch points and not forgetting point number 3, which could easily have been missed.

By the time we got back to base in about an hour and ten minutes, we had been to all the satellite points and like the majority of today's 130+ participants we had excelled, with maximum scores of 900 all round apart from Fechin, who had a bit of technical trouble with his app, but he did finish with the rest of us and get a perfect score.

Here's our track - 5km with just 100 metres ascent.

An extract from the results is given below. Click on the image for a better version and you might spot another of the 'Oldies', John Archer, who seems to have taken his time over this event. It's a shame he didn't join us.

After lunch and a chat at the café, and birthday wishes to Fechin - 77 today (and he thanks Mike Curley and others for their best wishes) - we adjourned in the knowledge that this taster session had worked brilliantly, with all three 'first timers' hungry for more. The Spunch website gives details of forthcoming events, and those that Sue and I are booked on are shown on topwalks.com.

Edits and comments are welcome.

Tuesday and Wednesday 11 and 12 August 2026 - The Steel Cotton Rail Trail Stage 2, and some fun at home

Tuesday 11 August was the day allotted to our Stage 2 of the Steel Cotton Rail Trail. This combined Stages 3, 4 and 5 of the published 14 Stage route. Transport was back to normal, with trains running on time, and thanks to a zero seconds wait for a tram we were able to enjoy coffees at Piccadilly Station's  Carluccio's before making our way to the stopping train to Grindleford.

Having experienced some fragmentation of the group on Stage 1, I took the precaution of taking a team photo before we left Grindleford's platform (see above - Sue W, Rick, Andy, Dave P and Sue B). Needless to say, this group remained together throughout the short walk.

The trail was well signposted out of the station.

Following the signs, and walking parallel to the railway, we soon came upon the site of Padley Manor and Padley Mill, where in the 1580s Catholic priests were offered a safe haven, though this didn't always work out. In July 1588 two priests were found in a raid. The entire household was arrested, the priests were executed, and the manor house was seized. The 'Padley Martyrs' are remembered in the stained glass windows of the chapel that has survived next to the manor house.

The gatehouse of Padley Manor, pictured above and below, housed the chapel on its first floor.

An information board indicates that the buildings date from the 14th Century.

We continued along a lovely path through Bolehill Wood.

After going through a gate, our path chose to turn left along a grassy path, past a large rock, and down through more woodland to a bridge over the railway, which would then remain on our right all the way to Hathersage.

Views towards Stanage Edge were partially restricted by leafy woodland, and we passed through an area where new hedges are being laid. You can see these in the next picture - numerous saplings planted between the fence posts.

We didn't go into Hathersage, instead turning left along the B6001 road to cross Leadmill Bridge then turn right to follow the path beside the River Derwent all the way to Shatton, near Bamford. En route we passed a heron who seemed to be fishing rather successfully. We stopped for a coffee break near here in the shade of trees by the river. Idyllic on the hot day.

We passed a family who were having great fun on the stepping stones that provide an easy route across the river in drought conditions such as we are currently experiencing.

Having no need to visit Bamford, we continued along the waymarked trail through Shatton towards Hope, passing through an emu, donkey and turkey farm.

Soon after this, we passed through a few fields to reach a shady spot with views towards various 'Edges' that was ideal for a lunch stop.

With the River Noe, which we joined near Bamford, now out of sight on our right for a while, we followed paths and tracks along the waymarked route towards Hope station.

On reaching the B6049 road in Brough, we turned right and passed the thriving farm supplies business of William Eyre & Sons. From a footbridge across the River Noe, the back of the Eyre buildings divulge their origin - the business started in 1885 as Brough Corn Mill.

As we strolled up to Hope station a train arrived, so without a pause we hopped on it and were back at Piccadilly in time, for  those who didn't need to rush off, to enjoy ice creams and a stroll to the tram stop at St Peter's Square.

Our route was just 11 km, with about 150 metres ascent, taking us a shade over three hours. An excellent way to spend a hot summer's day. Apparently we are in the fifth heatwave of the year. 

The following day - logistics not being favourable for a camping trip, we went camping in a garden in Timperley.

A model school and farm provided great entertainment.

The tent made way for fun with a bucket of water.

The farm adjourned to a living room floor, where Sue was required to impart the personalities, hardships and injuries in relation toto a a wide range of denizens of the farm.

Our visitor was taken home, and Sue, exhausted, went into 'rest' mode before, next day, going swimming with Richard and Jenny in Sale Water Park.

That's all for now folks