A-Z Adventure Atlases

 

Maps from A-Z – see here - £5.45 including postage if you use discount code TRMB250

I was fortunate enough a few days ago to be approached by ‘A-Z’ to review a new product that they have launched.  Their ‘Adventure’ series of maps comes in the ‘A-Z’ booklet form that is familiar to many of us who over the years have used their Street Plans.

The ‘atlases’ are at 1:25,000 scale and utilise the latest Ordnance Survey mapping data.  They come in a 24cm (9½”) x 13½cm (5¼”) format which is effectively the same as the OS Outdoor Leisure maps that cover the same areas.  They weigh in at about 140gm, compared with around 200gm for an OS laminated map.

My Peak District Outdoor Leisure maps dating from the 1990s are decidedly tatty, so ‘A-Z’ kindly sent me their 80 page White Peak product and their 60 page Dark Peak atlas.  They are a revelation, and made me realise that my old maps were long overdue for replacement.  It’s remarkable how many changes have occurred in the past 15 years, and the mapping legend is now much clearer to read, with some of the tracks that I use (for example in Macclesfield Forest) now actually shown on the maps!

The replacement OS maps are double-sided laminated Outdoor Leisure editions costing £13.99 each (discounts of up to 30% are available).  Advantages of the OS maps are their waterproof quality and the ability to lay the whole map out when planning a route.  However, the A-Z booklets score highly in that:

• they are very competitively priced at £7.95, subject to a £2.50 discount (see below);
• they don’t require completely re-folding when moving from side to side of the area covered;
• they are relatively light;
• they have durable covers with fold out bookmarks on the front and rear frontispieces, on which all the public rights of way and public access legends are printed;
• they include a key at 1:200,000 scale to the map pages that shows the principal roads and will be useful for planning and overview purposes;
• at the back of each atlas there’s a comprehensive and very useful index that provides the page number and square for every map feature, as well as its OS Grid Reference;
• there’s also a section on safety and security when walking or cycling, and a list of QR codes enabling those with the latest mobile devices to scan for such useful information as the latest weather forecast.

Whilst the A-Z product is not waterproof, it does fit into a map case just like its OS counterpart, albeit you can’t view both sides of the map in its booklet form. 

Paper versus Digital: whilst I use digital mapping at 1:50,000 for much of my route planning, I usually try to carry a paper map at 1:25,000 as back up to any digital print out of my planned route, and as my digital mapping is rather dated, having the latest OS mapping data for the Peak District will be useful.

The current range of these 1:25,000 scale atlases covers Dartmoor, the Peaks (two booklets), the Lakes (two booklets), Snowdonia, the Broads, and the South West Coast Path (5 booklets).

Here’s an example of a page from the White Peak booklet.

 
Full details of this series of ‘atlases’ can be found at:

 A-Z Adventure Atlases

Readers can use a discount code TRMB250 which will give you a £2.50 discount off any Atlas in the range. The discounted price of £5.45 includes free postage.

This discount code is good for any Atlas in this series and should be valid until at least 31 December 2012. (It works – I’ve bought the Lake District booklets.)

Conclusion

At first sight this series of maps/atlases is an excellent innovation on the part of A-Z.  I’m delighted to have the Peak District atlases and I’ll certainly be updating I’ve now updated my Lake District maps, given that the entire Lake District at 1:25,000 costs just £10.90 including postage.

My only significant reservations about these maps are that they don’t facilitate a detailed overview, they could be awkward to use in rain as you progress from page to page, and they won’t be as durable as the OS laminated maps.

Great little Christmas presents!

Later…. I used the atlas on our Christmas Lunch Walk on 9 December, and I’ve also noticed Tony Bennett’s comprehensive review here.  The bookmark flap tore slightly when I tried to keep the map in my trouser pocket, and I found having to remember the relevant page number a little tedious as I kept forgetting to use that bookmark flap.  I now agree with Tony that the atlas will be best used in an Ortlieb A5 map case, which is small enough to be kept in a jacket map pocket and will keep the map dry and in good condition.  Unfortunately the map case will cost about a tenner, plus postage.  Bob and Rose supply it as competitively as anyone.

Finally, here’s A-Z’s take/specification on their ‘White Peak’ product:

“The A-Z Adventure series features the accuracy and quality of OS Explorer mapping in a convenient book, complete with index.

The A-Z Adventure series is an innovative concept that utilises Ordnance Survey Explorer mapping in a book, therefore eliminating the need to fold and re-fold a large sheet map to the desired area. OS Explorer is Ordnance Survey's most detailed mapping at a scale of 1:25 000, showing public rights of way, open access land, national parks, tourist information, car parks, public houses and camping and caravan sites.

Unlike the original OS sheets, this A-Z Adventure Atlas includes a comprehensive index to towns, villages, hamlets and locations, natural features, nature reserves, car parks and youth hostels, making it easy to find the required location quickly. Each index entry has a page reference and a six figure National Grid Reference. At a book size of 240mm x 134mm it is the same size as a standard OS Explorer map when closed.

This A-Z Adventure Atlas of the Peak District White Peak features 68 pages of continuous Ordnance Survey mapping covering:

• Peak District National Park (southern part)
• Hope Valley
• Castleton
• Bakewell
• Buxton
• Dove Dale
• Monsal Dale
• Lyme Park
• Eyam

This A-Z Adventure Atlas has the accuracy and quality of OS Explorer mapping indexed within a book, making it the perfect companion for walkers, off-road cyclists, horse riders and anyone wishing to explore the great outdoors.

Tuesday 27 November 2012 – An Evening Stroll to The Swan

After being ‘Billy no Mates’ for the last couple of evening walks, I was pleased tonight to have the company of Andrew and Graham for an easy stroll down the Bridgewater Canal towpath to the Swan with Two Nicks in Little Bollington, for a good pint of ale.

Perhaps they were enticed into action by the thought of Sue’s mince pies appetizer, which were indeed excellent, although Sue declined to join us for the walk.

A pleasant evening, albeit a bit wet in places on the towpath, and on the path leading to Dunham Massey Hall – understandable as we’ve had quite a bit of rain.

Strangely, some of the park’s roe deer seem to have made their beds in dense piles of fallen leaves right next to Smithy Lane and its attendant traffic and street lights.

We managed to navigate our way uneventfully across the golf course to Altrincham, and find a tram back to Timperley after this very pleasant 10km stroll.

We are now away for a few days, so last Thursday’s mountain bimble, and whatever we get up to in the next few days, will probably be recorded after a break of a week or so.

Friday 23 November 2012 – Out on a Lymm

This was a fine day for Rick’s final recce for an East Lancs LDWA walk that he is leading next Wednesday.  Viv and Steve also arrived on time, but JJ was a mere speck in the distance.  He was afforded the benefit of the doubt and we waited for him, though next week such stragglers run the risk of being abandoned, victims of traditional LDWA punctuality.

We started from Altrincham’s Clock Tower, a grade 11 listed structure built in 1880, a year before Altrincham & Bowdon Station (renamed Altrincham Station in 1974) opened to replace earlier stations, and made our way to Goose Green, where some metallic peacocks glowered at us from a lofty pedestal. JJ, having caught up, demanded sustenance from Costello’s. Luckily the bar was closed or the recce may have ended here!

We trundled through the streets of Altrincham, plodding up Regent Road before turning down Normans Place, where none other than Norman himself made a brief if rather threatening appearance before resuming his official duties as a Barber and House Husband.

Normans Place leads to the salubrious surroundings of Lyme Grove, before launching the unwary walker down Bowdon Road and then onto a slippery meadow known as The Devisdale that leads to Denzell Gardens.  These gardens and The Devisdale sadly fell into neglect between 1980 and the late 1990s, before being restored by a Friends' Group, whose work continues to this day.

Our route then passed by Denzell House, which was built in 1874 as a home for Henry Scott, who sadly never occupied it due to his death in the Zulu Wars. It is now used for offices.

The path emerges onto Green Walk at a Lych Gate which is in the process of restoration. The word 'Lych' survived into modern English from the Old English or Saxon word for corpse. In the Middle Ages when most people were buried in just shrouds rather than coffins, the dead were carried to the Lych gate and placed on a bier, where the priest conducted the first part of the funeral service under its temporary shelter.

Across the main A56 road, the path skirts Dunham Forest Golf Club before heading into Dunham Massey Park, where the roe deer didn’t seem too nervous despite their annual cull having been carried out during the previous few days.

Rick had carefully planned the route to keep as far as possible from the nearby headquarters of the Dunham Massey Brewing Company (insofar as Costello’s Bar isn’t their real HQ), as a safeguard against JJ’s wayward tendencies.

We paused to identify black-headed gulls, mallards, moorhens, coots and a shoveler, amongst the bird life on Island Pond in Dunham Park, whilst keeping a wary eye on JJ, far behind us, presumably muttering stuff like ‘Where’s that brewery, I know it’s here somewhere, I want some…’

We pressed on to Dunham Massey Hall, which dates from 1616 but has subsequently been 're-modeled', for a coffee break’.

It was Viv's birthday. Just as well I'd brought cake!

The narrow bridge over the River Bollin offered a good view of the spate that fully justified its ‘river’ status, compared with its usual stream like qualities as it flows over a weir.

Beyond the Swan With Two Nicks we joined the Bridgewater Canal towpath for a short stretch down to Agden, where Rick pointed out a listed structure.  “I’m not joking” he assured us, “It's The Bridgewater Canal, Case to Waterpoint on South Bank of Canal, 15 Metres West of Agden Bridge, Agden."

“Wow!” we exclaimed in unison, squinting at the black casing…

We left the canal here in favour of a route through fields to Lymm, familiar to me as a summer evening route. We crossed one field then hugged the perimeter of others, noting the singular absence of any bird life on the recently planted fields by Helsdale Wood.

We passed St Peter's Church, where one of our North American correspondents still wants a picture of the font.  [I’ve found one here – it’s reproduced below.]

 

Continuing through the ginnels of Lymm, we soon reached St Mary's Church, which overlooks Lymm Dam, Lymm's ornamental lake.

We paused beside the lake for lunch, and for JJ to catch his breath. The picnic tables are rather widely spaced, so Rick will have a battle to keep his wandering charges together on next week’s ‘proper walk’.

A cormorant flew past as we set off again.

"Is that Lymm Dam?" asked Steve as we rounded the southern aspect of the lake, confirming that it was a bit early in the day to get any sense out of him.

We headed next for Lymm Village, where the ducks as usual played on the weir, the males vying to impress the females by showing how close they could get to the edge without being swept away.

It was a struggle to distract some (mainly one) of our party from the local fleshpots, but eventually he spotted Lymm Cross, another listed structure dating from C17, and decided to scarper from the nearby stocks.

The path to Oughtrington took us through another newly planted field to Heatley, where we emerged near the site of the sadly demised Railway Hotel, another listed structure. Gone. This used to be the home of Bernard Cromarty’s Lymm Folk Club, and the fire that destroyed the old pub on 2 November 2011 must have deeply saddened him and other members of the folk club.

Opposite the building site that used to be the Railway Hotel, the Warrington and Altrincham Junction Railway line provides a fairly quick off-road route to Altrincham for walkers, cyclists and horse riders.  Nearby, Heatley & Warburton Railway Station opened in 1853 and closed in 1962, but the building survives, beyond which Rick led our merry brigade along the good track.

Even Rick’s military schedule allowed time for a final bout of tea and cake, but despite this sustenance JJ was now flagging and, muttering ‘Costello’s’ under his breath every few moments, he continued to struggle to keep up with Rick's cracking pace.

However, we soon entered the outskirts of Altrincham, where the school kids had just escaped from lessons and children and pensioners alike were enjoying the play furniture in John Leigh Park.

The sun had almost gone by the time we returned back to the Clock Tower and JJ’s long cherished wish for a visit to Costello's was finally granted.

A full slideshow (51 images) of this classic round can be found here.

The route, shown below, proved to be around 24-25 km (15 miles) with minimal ascent, taking less than 6 hours, so next week’s ramble should easily finish by 4 pm and Rick can sleep easy in the meantime after this most enjoyable recce.

My Garmin Gadget recorded our progress as follows – if you click on ‘View Details’ then on the ‘Out on a Lymm’ course and magnify it you can see precisely where it goes, with street names, etc, not on the OS map.

A Fine Day for a Bimble!

Sent using BlackBerry® from Orange

Tuesday 20 November 2012 – A Walk from Long Preston

Sue has had the last two Tuesdays off work.  So she has joined me for a walk on both those days.  The first walk, with Tom in the Lake District, was notably wet.  We thought the same would happen today, as we fought our way through the busy traffic to Long Preston to meet up with TGO Challenger Heather T-S for an outing.  But luckily, by the time we had enjoyed a pot of coffee and a chat with Heather and had eased our feet into our boots, the rain was much diminished, leaving us with a largely dry stroll to Settle for lunch in the Talbot Arms, which had been carefully chosen as a luncheon venue in view of the dire weather forecast and the fact that I’d omitted to pack my ‘lunch tent’.

“You can eat those” Heather assured us, pointing to a variety of Waxcap mushrooms that littered our surroundings.  She’d told me this before.

So we collected a few of the Crimson variety and, not put off by their slimy caps, we later fried them in butter and garlic as a starter – and excellent they were too.

The route chosen by Heather involved fording the normally demure waterway known imaginatively as Long Preston Beck.  The girls splashed through whilst I hopped across the stones.  Sue wears unzipped gaiters, so she got wet feet.  I think the gaiters must be used to keep her trousers clean rather than her feet dry!

Soon we emerged onto Langber Lane, which we followed for a few minutes before heading off into Attermire.

Attermire, also pictured above, is a picturesque area full of little peaks and a variety of caves, on the well trodden path between Settle and Malham.

This is one such ‘cave’ – in this case just a small hole which could just about be used to shelter from a storm.

A grassy path leads down from Attermire to the town of Settle.

We could see rain approaching quickly from the west, so we hastened past Castlebergh Crag to find a stream in which to douse our muddy boots before dirtying the pristine carpets of the Talbot Arms. 

But we did pause for long enough to note from an information board that “this limestone crag has been recognised as a beauty spot ‘for centuries’ – ever since the start of tourism of Britain’s natural wonders. 

The first visitors, in the mid 1700s, wrote that the rock had been laid out as a giant sundial, but by 1800 the sundial was long gone and instead the people of Settle had laid out a path to the summit of the crag so that visitors and townsfolk alike could enjoy the view.

Over the next 100 years the area was gradually developed by way of a network of paths, the planting of trees and shrubs, and recreational aids such as swings and a roller skating rink.

The railway brought visitors in unprecedented numbers, and Castlebergh became a popular picnic spot.  There was a small charge for entry, and hot water for tea making could be obtained from the gatekeeper (just like a modern day mountain hut!).

Settle Town Council now own the site, to which access is free.

Whilst the crag might have been assumed to be ideal for climbing, there was no recorded climbing history here prior to 2009. A lone relic of a rusty piton halfway up the central corner is perhaps the result of an aid climbing attempt probably back in the 1960s. Others may have tried but the state of the rock would have deterred them, and climbers may have just assumed that being so close to the town centre climbing would not be permitted.

Early in 2009 a rock-fall caused by invasive tree roots on one of the lower buttresses was the catalyst which forced the Town Council to act and close the area to the public.  Subsequently there was a unique collaboration between the Town Council and a group of eight local climbers who, in conjunction with the council and supported by several local traders transformed the cliff into an excellent climbing venue.”

Nigel Baker, who is responsible for the following image, was one of those climbers – I hope he doesn’t mind me using his image in which the numerous different routes are displayed.

You can find out more about Castlebergh Crag here, but if you follow our lead you’ll just make it to the pub before you receive a drenching.

The pub lunch was a good move, as the rain was easing again by the time we left, to take the short route back to Long Preston via the heady 315 metre viewpoint of Hunter Bark, and the unsurfaced track that is Edge Lane.  Pausing to spy a flurry of witches on Pendle Hill, Sue enjoyed a cuppa whilst Heather gathered a bag full of rubbish left by some errant picnickers who had clearly strayed beyond their normal comfort zone.

It was good to see Heather, and we hope to enjoy more ‘escapes to the country’ with her over coming months.  Today’s route more or less repeats earlier ones, but for the record it’s shown below -approximately 17km (11 miles) with about 500m ascent, in 4.5 hours (including stops).

Saturday 17 November 2012 – Wythenshawe Parkrun

I’ve done a few of these 5km runs, but various aches and pains acquired last week left me with an easy decision to marshall at Wythenshawe on Saturday – runners are encouraged to volunteer to do this three times a year.

So I went along on a very muddy day to guide people around ‘the far bridge’  - not an onerous job as most people seem very happy to be directed back to the start/finish line!

I took my camera and have now managed to upload the photos to a new Flickr account, from which I’ve shared them with the Wythenshawe Parkrun Group.  If anyone is interested, they should be saved as a set here. 

Volunteering to marshall for Parkruns can be useful experience – I was joined by Tom, for whom marshalling at a Parkrun counts as volunteer work towards his Duke of Edinburgh Award.  Sadly, as he is under 18, his mum needs to accompany him.  That seems a little unnecessary under the circumstances as I’m sure Tom could have looked after himself and would have gained more benefit from being on his own.  But I appreciate the organisers of Parkrun have to be very careful in this era of health and safety paranoia.

The winner of this event, John Raho - pictured above, took just 18 minutes and 25 seconds to beat the next man home by over 2 minutes.  “That’s my geography teacher” remarked Tom!

Here are a few more images from the run:

Richard and Joe looked just a little over-dressed on their first lap! 

Paul, a stalwart organiser of this parkrun, and fifth to finish today, should know better than to think that the finishing line is at the far bridge!

Ken led Michael and Paul around the second lap, but Paul snatched victory out of this speedy trio.  Ken is in his 70’s but I’ve never got anywhere near him, and Paul (my pacer) always drifts to about half a minute ahead of me in the latter stages of the run.  He’s a strong finisher….

…as is Jeanette, who was the third lady to finish today.

Richard and Joe appeared to have warmed up by the time they came around on their second lap, and they finished strongly just over half way down the 75 strong field.

It should be noted that this isn’t a ‘race’, but a personal challenge.  Having said that, there is a sense of achievement in getting a personal best or improving one’s age related percentage grade.  It’s a great way to start the weekend.

Try one near where you live…?

Saturday 15 December 2012 – I marshalled again.  Photos are here.

The TGO Awards 2012 and The Bridge of Gaur Guest House

After last Wednesday’s plod along the Lancashire Trail I sadly had to leave the others to enjoy their fish and chips at Kelbrook Fishery and shoot up to Kendal for the first ‘TGO Awards’ ceremony.

I’d been asked by Heather and Eddie, who run the excellent Bridge of Gaur Guest House, to represent them as they had been shortlisted for an award in the ‘Accommodation provider of the year’ category.

Others shortlisted ranged from campsites to major organisations such as HF Holidays.  As a small B&B in the middle of nowhere with just four rooms on offer, the shortlisting alone was an honour for the Bridge of Gaur Guest House.  I’ve stayed there on four occasions since they opened a couple of years ago, and Sue and I have witnessed Eddie and Heather’s exceptional hospitality, ranging from Eddie patrolling the ‘street’ looking for an overdue guest, to his boiling up a stag’s head to remove the maggots before boxing it and posting it home to its owner who was in the middle of a walk across Scotland.  That same night a couple of exhausted oriental cyclists turned up after 10pm and were accommodated somehow albeit the guest house was already full.  They go ‘the extra mile’ in the true spirit of ‘The Great Outdoors’ and were most worthy of the shortlisting.

Try to visit them sometime – go north to Pitlochry and turn left – there are numerous excellent walks in the area.

The award ceremony was very well attended and I must have enjoyed a good night as we still seemed to be going strong when evicted from the wine bar venue at midnight!

I won’t spend a paragraph name-dropping the various celebrities encountered, but it was good to chat to Andy Howell and various of his ‘buddies’ and to see Carey, Assistant Editor at TGO Magazine, with whom we had such an enjoyable trip to Turkey last year.

Terry Abrahams has written about and photographed the evening here, should anyone want to see some famous faces.

Here’s TGO Magazine’s take on the night, and a list of winners:

On Wednesday night the first inaugural TGO Awards in association with Outdry was held in Kendal. Outdoor industry professionals and personalities turned up in volumes to support the event, which commends brands and service providers who make hillwalkers’ time on the hills safe, fun and comfortable.

TGO had to collate over 18,000 votes for the reader voted categories and the products in the panel judged categories endured long debate from the expert judges including TGO’s own gear expert Chris Townsend, acting TGO editor Daniel Neilson, Andrew Denton of Outdoor Industries Association and renowned blogger Andy Howell.

The winners are as follows and in exceptional circumstances, some brands receive a highly commended award.

Independent retailer of the year- Rathbones, Keswick

Chain retailer of the year- Cotswold Outdoor

Online retailer of the year- www.Alpkit.com

Accommodation provider of the year- Wasdale Head National Trust Campsite

Pub or restaurant of the year- Old Dungeon Ghyll, Langdale

Environmental or access initiative of the year- Country Guardian anti-windfarm campaign

Outdoor book of the year- The Backpacker's Handbook by Chris Townsend (Ragged Mountain Press)

Outdoor personality of the year- Bear Grylls, Chief of scouts

Clothing product of the year- Rab Stretch Neo Jacket, Highly Commended- Patagonia Ultralight Down Jacket and Marmot Stretchman Jacket

Footwear product of the year- Salomon Fellcross, Highly Commended- Mizuno Wave Harrier

Camping product of the year- MLD Trailstar, Highly Commended- Hydro-Photon Steripen and Rab Infinity 500 Sleeping Bag

Innovation of the year- Routebuddy, Highly Commended- Polartec Neoshell and Augmentra Viewranger app

Overall comment on the ceremony was resoundingly positive. Georgia Walters, organiser of the event said, “the first TGO Awards has gone better then we could ever have hoped, turn out has been fantastic and we’d like to thank everyone that has travelled the distance to make tonight a success.”

So, Eddie and Heather, and all the others shortlisted in their category, were beaten by a campsite!

Camping enthusiasts may favour the lawn, but B&B connoisseurs will enjoy the comfortable renovated rooms inside (and the porch has been finished since this photo was taken in May 2012).

Thanks go to Eddie and Heather for asking me to represent them on such a pleasurable evening.

The Lancashire Trail

This posting is by way of an index for the Lancashire Trail walks with East Lancs LDWA (Plodding in Mud Section) which took place between October 2011 and November 2012, should anyone want to look at all the postings or at any specific section or slideshow.

Stage 1 - 12 October 2011 – St Helens to Abbey Lakes (slideshow)

Stage 2 - 9 November 2011 – Abbey Lakes to Coppull Moor (slideshow)

Stage 3 - 13 December 2011 – Coppull Moor to Horwich (slideshow)

Stage 4 - 18 January 2012 – Rivington to Abbey Village (slideshow) [Joe’s Cup]

Stage 5 - 22 February 2012 – Abbey Village to Mellor (slideshow)

Stage 6 - 28 March 2012 – Mellor to Whalley (slideshow) [Episode 2]

Stage 7 - 13 April 2012 – Whalley to Barley (slideshow)

Stage 8 - 14 November 2012 – Barley to Thornton-in-Craven (slideshow)

For the record, the total distance covered was about 120 km (75 miles), and we ascended around 2,700 metres during the course of the walk.

Thanks go to Reg Kingston for organising these outings, and to all the Plodders for your excellent company.

Happy Days!

Wednesday 14 November 2012 - The Lancashire Trail – Part 8 – Barley to Thornton-in-Craven

We started on the Lancashire Trail in October 2011, and most of the Plodders had finished it by May of this year.  I’d missed both the recce and the actual walk, so Reg kindly arranged another outing on the same route.  Eleven people turned up.  Most had been on the earlier walks.  There is an attraction hereabouts that is much stronger than the Lancashire mud we encountered today – the fish and chip shop at Kelbrook!  Sadly I had to leave before that delight, so yet another walk in this vicinity will have to be arranged…

After setting off from Barley at around 11.15am, I soon realised that Reg had omitted to take the traditional group photo, so I deputised for him – see above: Martin, Paul, Ann, Neil, Bernard, Nancy, Allan, Jim, Phil, Alan and Reg.

There appeared to be a fungal epidemic as well as a mud fest as we wandered through the leaf litter that concealed a deep gooey brown substance.

Whilst it was a good, sociable walk in fine if cloudy weather, there did seem to be quite a bit of this goo.  Mud and trail shoes (the chosen footwear of many LDWA members) don’t go together too well, so whilst my footwear allowed me to stroll dry-shod along the muddy tracks, others diced with barbed wire fences in a futile effort to keep the mud below ankle height.

A herd of water buffalo looked on in amazement.

Luckily, Don was not with us (still recovering from his broken ankle - ‘hello Don, hope it’s getting better’) so nobody fell in!

“That’s a 'Poor Quality Tractor'” announced our resident Tractor Expert, as we passed the remains of a piece of machinery called David Brown.  “But that’s a 'Class Act'” he asserted as we encountered a dilapidated three wheeler called Fordson Major, a little further down the hill.  He even offered a plausible explanation for the missing wheel!

The route, shown below, took us through pleasant woods then through fields near gently trickling streams, in a north eastern direction to Admergill.

Then we slithered up a hill to a rather exposed row of rocks that provided an excellent spot for lunch, if rather cool.  One major shortcoming was the proximity of the Moorcock Inn, a few metres along the A682 but inaccessible from our nearby path.

The lunch spot afforded a distant view of Stansfield Tower (aka Blacko Tower) which the original route of the Lancashire Trail visited.  We had walked in view of this landmark all morning.  The tower overlooks the village of Blacko.  It was built around 1890 by a local grocer, Jonathan Stansfield.

A little further along our route, two gents  were evidently enjoying the view from the garden of Peel House Farm - 3 beds, 8 acres, on sale for £495,000 - so these chaps may soon disappear.

It was a pleasant stroll over White Moor, where we encountered a couple who enquired as to our destination but looked completely baffled when we said ‘Thornton’!  Perhaps they had never been to Yorkshire…

The Leeds and Liverpool Canal was crossed at Barnoldswick, after which we found even more mud, but a considerate farmer had spread a bale of hay over the offending area.  Well done that man!

Alpaca looked on curiously as we rose on a good path to the final 187 metre hillock of the day, before wandering down to Thornton Hall Farm Country Park.  Little Ann’s eyes lit up as we approached – she would surely gain access to the swings on a child’s ticket … – but sadly the park was closed.

That left us with little option but to run a border patrol of attentive donkeys to conclude the walk just inside Yorkshire, at the Church of St Mary the Virgin.

There was probably a Saxon church here, but the first recorded resident priest was William de Byrley in 1280; the building, therefore, dates back at least to the reign of Henry III, but most probably a good deal further. It was rebuilt some 200 years later during the reign of Henry VI, and was modernised and extended on numerous occasions, up to 1998 when two extra bells were installed.

Here’s the route we took - 14km, 300 metres ascent, in a little over 4 hours.

There’s a 31 image slideshow here, for anyone interested.

Alan R, in his excellent ‘Blog on the Landscape’, reported in more detail on this walk here, some time ago. His report seems to have stirred a debate about the merits of the trail straying into Yorkshire, and the rearrangement of the ‘Roses’ boundaries.  Not being from either county, this correspondent can only cast an amused smile over that debate.

Reg’s more accurate report on the walk is on this page.

Back to Lancashire Trail Index

Sunday 18 November 2012 – A Big Macc Ramble

Before I catch up with more of last week’s exploits, here’s a quick entry from yesterday’s ‘Big Macc Ramble’, a short but exhilarating bike ride in the Peak District that can be enjoyed after a lie in and still get me home for lunch.

An old route description, which remains valid, is here, and my  blog reports from this ride or variations thereon are here.

Suffice to say, it was a beautiful day, though fairly cool as confirmed by the frost on pictures taken late into the morning.

The only people I saw on the first hour or so of the ride, until joining the road at the Stanley Arms, were five trial bikers.  They set a good tone for the day, with friendly waves, as they headed past me up Charity Lane, where as usual I parked up for a while in view of Shining Tor and the Cat & Fiddle, as well as the plains of Greater Manchester.

You can see from the picture below that neither Berghaus nor any other purveyor of outdoor clothing has seen fit to issue me with any ‘bottom of the range item of equipment’ that might smarten my cycling persona!  Some of us need all we can get…

 

Both the chapel at Macclesfield Forest, and the Cat & Fiddle Inn were positively glowing in the sunshine.

By the time the Inn was reached there were increasing numbers of people self-evidently enjoying the blue sky day.  It was a pleasure to encounter so many happy and friendly people, be they cyclists or walkers.  As I enjoyed a cuppa and some brownies across the road from the Inn, a group of four mountain bikers assembled after an hour and a half’s journey from Nottingham, to enjoy a ride on which the long descent to the ford across Cumberland Brook would be one of the highlights.  I waited for them on a frosty bank by the ford to take a few pictures as they crossed the brook.  [Let me know if you’d like to have the originals, I’m afraid they aren’t very good.]

Soon I was atop Nessit Hill, admiring fine views down to Trentabank and Ridgegate Reservoirs, with Teggsnose Reservoir tucked in to the left of Tegg’s Nose in the background.  I lingered here before swooping (but slowing down to alert and avoid scaring walkers) down the excellent track that leads in just a few minutes back to the Leather’s Smithy – seen below at the far corner of Ridgegate Reservoir.

Here’s what the Garmin Gadget thought of this little excursion: