Tuesday 26 December 2023 - A Walk from Hayfield

                       Looking back to Hayfield from the Pennine Bridleway

While Sue stayed at home to welcome her parents for a few days' stay, I headed out with Jenny to join nine other like minded folk in Hayfield.

Setting off soon after 10 am, we warmed up by visiting our first summit of the day, Lantern Pike, 373 metres.

Mike, Phil, Graham, Sue, Heather, Roger, Jenny, Carol, Tove and Keith

The skyscrapers of Manchester glistened in the distant sunshine. (Click on any of these images for a better version or slideshow.)

Jenny's request for a coffee break on Lantern Pike was firmly rejected (not by me, I hasten to add), and there was discussion on how to get to the next summit, Matley Moor, without having to negoriate a barbed wire fence. It proved to be easy - just a squeeze through a rusty gate, and a steep haul to the 382 metre summit, on which Sue, Keith and Mike are pictured below.

Keith then paced thoroughly over every sticky out blade of grass on the summit plateau, just to verify that he made it to the top, which was just above where we all congregated nicely out of the cool breeze, for our rather overdue elevenses break.

There were good views from this excellent spot, towards the Kinder Scout plateau in particular.

Descending from Matley Moor, any remaining barbed wire exclusion zone seemed to have been mollified by way of a robust ladder stile.

We soon reached the Peak & Northern Footpaths Society's well signposted route to our next objective, our high point of the day at 411 metres, Cown Edge.

There were good views towards the distant Dark Peak hills from Cown Edge.

A fine grassy path led below Cown Edge, back towards Hayfield.

A shot diversion took us to Robin Hood's Picking Rods, near Far Slack. Here Mike is making a futile effort to climb onto one of the rods.

According to 'The Megalithic Portal', the two stone columns stand together in a large socketed stone base. The columns were probably once part of a Mercian cross. It is thought that originally there was only one column here, but it was broken in two and then set as they look today.

They are said, according to historians, to date from the 9th century - making them Anglo Saxon in date. The stones are also referred to as Robin Hood's Stumps, and even the Druid Stones. According to the legend, Robin Hood used the column or columns 'to bend his bow on' and so the name has stuck. He may have had associations with Ludworth, to the NW of this site.

The tallest column has a tiny cross within a circle carved onto it, whilst the smaller one has what could be cup-marks, or circles, and small holes. It is uncertain what these represent, but this could mean the stones are much earlier in date.  

Anyway, Mike gave up the climb and stood behind the recalcitrant stone.

Others joined him.

It got to be quite a crowd!

We descended from the Edge with other walkers (quite a few seen today), to a pigsty where unnamed members of the party seemed to be (in Sue B's absence) contesting for a 'pig whispering' award.

 

This was in Rowarth, where The Little Mill was doing a roaring Boxing Day trade.

And yes, there is a mill - not so 'Little' either.

A guardian pigeon is one of many fauna who look over the Mill.

Nearby, a traffic jam from an uncertain date.

Walking back to the Pennine Bridleway on which path we ascended Lantern Pike, Hayfield returned to our view. It was then a straightforward stroll down to the Sett Valley Trail and back to Hayfield.

Here's our route - 18 km, 500 metres ascent, taking 5 hours.

That's the last decent walk of the year, and the longest for some time for me. A most enjoyable outing. Thanks go to Sue W for organising it.