10 Miler Studded With Points Of Interest.
Today's walk was led by Stuart from the Cat and Fiddle Inn (the second highest in the UK) to Rushton Spencer more or less following the course of the river Dane.
We struck out along the path facing the pub and admired the view looking across the Cheshire Plain towards Runcorn and the Severn Estuary. We came to old quarry workings and the remains of old lead mines that go back to Roman times before reaching Three Shires head. This is a spectacular spot where the three counties Cheshire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire meet, marked by a footbridge over the River Dane.
We followed the river down the valley to Gradbach where an old flax mill has been converted to a lovely youth Hostel.
After a brief butty break we took up the valley path again towards Wincle through the dense woodland of Back Forest and were lucky to catch the lambs at the Back Forest Flock breeding farm where Soar and Boreray sheep are raised in a wonderful setting (see http://www.backforest.co.uk/).
At Wincle we were welcomed at the Ship Inn - this is a treasure of a pub, with flagged floor, real ales (Titanic Deckchair went down a storm) and (although we did not eat) fabulous home-cooked food. Outside the door there is a box with plastic overshoes for wet, muddy and sodden walkers (almost as if they were expecting us) and there is a really friendly welcome.
From The Ship we dropped back down into the valley and walked past the trout farm (mercifully there were no fly-fishers with their hooks whipping over the heads of people on the path) and followed the Dane as far as the weir where water is diverted into the feeder that keeps Rudyard Lake topped up (yes, his parents honeymooned here) that we followed into Rushton Spencer.
I mentioned The Knot at Rushton Spencer recently in glowing terms and had been singing its praises along the walk so was very pleased to lead the way in. A customer immediately ordered us to remove our boots (not really a problem even though by this time they were perfectly clean if wet) and as we were doing so were instructed by the landlord to take them off outside - no real problem but a very different reception to that at the Ship. Returning to the pub in stockinged feet I asked who brewed a beer I was not familiar with (Reverend James) to be told by the landlord that he didn't know without reading the pump clip and it was turned away from him. Not only unprofessional but frankly rude. Not so enthusiastic now!!
It was a great walk despite the constant drizzle broken only by torrential downpours.