As always the walk
was fantastically well organized. One group, the non walkers, were travelling
all the way to Buxton. There were two
guided walks The “A” walk” and The “B” Walk.
About an hour out
from Birkdale we stopped for a break at Lymm Services (not far from junction 20
on the M6). We had been told that all
the walkers were to don their boots at the service stop because the coach would
eventually be dropping them off at bus stops at the roadside.
The plan was that
walkers would be dropped off at points that would enable them to walk in a loop
before ending up at New Mills. New Mills lies on the north-western fringe of the Peak
District, about 8 miles east of Stockport. The
“A” walk would be 6 or 7 miles long and the “B” walk about 31/2
miles.
Helen decided to go
directly to Buxton as she had “never been there before and might never go there
again”. [I understand that everybody who
went to Buxton had a lovely day.] The
rest of us connected to St. John’s went on the “A” walk so it is that which I
shall try to encapsulate.
The weather was ideal
for walking!
David led us on one of the
most delightful walks I have ever been on.
We walked up hill and down dale (David is “not known as The Grand old
Duke of York for nothing”), along ridges with glorious views, through
woodlands, along part of the Peak Forest Canal and beside the River Goyt.
We were entranced by this beautiful, fairy-tale toadstool!
We were able to take
advantage of toilets and a covered bench by the lake.
However, as soon as we sat down hungry
looking geese approached us.
Nevertheless, although they were quite intimidating, after a short stand
off during which nobody moved, they moved away only returning en masse once -
for reasons which were not clear to anyone!
After lunch we returned to the main path and, following our intrepid leader, eventually reached the spectacular Millenium Walkway.
Completed in 1999, the walkway provides a link in Europe’s premier walking route, E2 which passes through New Mills on its way from Stranraer in Scotland, via Dover, to Nice in France.
The walkway provides a route through the previously impassable gritstone gorge at Torrs, New Mills which is an area of exceptional natural beauty and unique industrial archaeological heritage. An elevated 160m long cantilevered walkway provides the important ‘missing link’ for the Mid Shires Way, allowing people to walk the whole scenic, 275 mile trail.”
In the Torrs Gorge, beneath New Mills, there were a number of people climbing the sheer wall of the Gorge.
We were amused to see this sign! Would dogs really be fouling the cliff face?
The bus arrived from
Buxton (complete with all the non walkers) to pick us up from near the heritage
centre promptly at 4.45 p.m. as pre arranged.
Thank you, once more to the Liverpool Methodist Church Rambling Club for their customary hospitality and especially to David for leading our walk.
Thank you, once more to the Liverpool Methodist Church Rambling Club for their customary hospitality and especially to David for leading our walk.
