After a long absence the blog has been resuscitated following a return visit to the Blue Bell pub at Kidsgrove.

We caught the bus to Wheelock, a small village on the Trent & Mersey canal; however we started the walk on the Wheelock Rail Trail, a former railway line that has been made into a well maintained footpath. Although short, it is well-drained and sure underfoot, and the trees provide homes for a multitude of birds filling the air with their song - not least a skylark!! Two large buzzards also circled above.

Shortly we met up with the canal on the stretch known to boaters as Heartbreak Hill because of the series of 26 locks that raise the level 250 feet in the 7 miles to Kidsgrove. The route offers spectacular views across Cheshire to the Peckforton Hills on one side and Congleton Edge and Mow Cop on the other. There are few buildings to distract and the locks have a fascination all their own.

We managed to resist the temptation of The Romping Donkey and stopped for a butty break about half-way, before heading again towards Kidsgrove passing close to the charming Lawton church where 11 men were once killed by a flash of lightning.

At Kidsgrove we had time for some real ale in the wonderful Blue Bell pub, an old building of two cottages knocked together. They sell real ale generally from micro-breweries and foreign lagers (i.e. not gassy chemical concoctions) and have a very informative website at http://www.bluebellkidsgrove.co.uk/index.html. We then headed off for the return journey on the train.

A great day out.

Although the blog has been quiet for some time, there have been several walks but Nick was not able to take part and there was no other report or photographs.

On 19th August Les led a walk from Rushton Spencer over Gun Hill to Leek where they changed their sodden clothes in the Wilkes' Head before moving on to Den Engel (pictured).

July 22nd, Tony led a walk through Lathkilldale and Ricklowdale with the emphasis on viewing the rare plant life there - once again the heavens opened and a very soggy troupe arrived at Nick's where he was having a party to celebrate the quiz team being relegated to the B League.

A double first!!

The first rays of sunshine for many weeks blessed the first beer festival in the tiny White Peak village of Warslow on Saturday 7th July.

This was an unscheduled visit to the beer festival added at late notice.

Tom and his companions upheld the finest traditions of the Greenwalks group by walking from the Cat and Fiddle pub to Buxton; others focussed on the group's other concern - the use of public transport to Buxton where all met up in Hyde's pub The Eagle (mediocre).

We then took what must be one of the most spectacular bus rides in the country - the 442 from Buxton that threads a spectacular route, providing invaluable service to the charming villages and offering wonderful views of the remarkable shapes nature has carved from the limestone.

Warslow is a tiny village above the Manifold Valley formerly based on mining; it is surrounded by the characteristic white limestone stonewall fields with a charming church boasting William Morris windows and a popular pub The Greyhound (not yet visited). It featured recently on a TV programme and the village wanted to keep the impetus going. The festival was held in the village hall and there were some 30 locally brewed beers (Leatherbritches from Fenney Bentley, Beartown from Congleton, Whim from Hartington, Storm from Macclesfield, Leek brewery etc etc) in top form. A 4-piece band provided music outside (see photographs on the link at right), a Cotswold Morris group of ladies danced and there was an exciting display of Apalachian clog dancing inside the hall. A marquee offered local produce, the hall was selling a lovely ploughmans lunch and a large barbeque was kept busy with White Peak sausages, burgers and lamb ribs.

Additionally the local bakery had an open day and we all stocked up with magnificent biscuits, crumbles and pies from the enchanting Sarah.

An interesting discussion was with the local First Response unit - this is an entirely voluntary group who provide an ambulance service for non-critical calls - they give of their time freely and even bought their own ambulance. They are usually on the scene within five minutes - and their excellent attendance figures are cynically incorporated into the statistics for the official ambulance service who do nothing to support the unit!

It was with a heavy heart that we boarded the last bus to Buxton and home but the views went some way to compensate. (Pity about the reflections!)

A superb day out.

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.

New Ventures

Although there have been no listed walks, members of the Greenwalks group have not been idle.
Nick took advantage of the BankHoliday to visit The Knot in Rushton Spencer. The pub used to feature on our walks but it gradually became a cheap restaurant rather than a pub and walkers and non-eaters were not welcome - knives and forks on all the tables etc. But then word came out that it had changed hands and there was a beer festival over the Whit weekend prompting Nick's visit. And indeed it has changed - there were four handpumps on the bar with a further five gravity-fed barrels stacked behind, all with well-kept real ales. Food is still available but does not dominate the pub - and in fact it is very good indeed (the home-made meat and potato pie was outstanding). This pub will feature regularly on our programmes.

This was followed by the Cheshire Folk Train - a new venture organised by the Rail Users' Group, although there has been such a train to Edale for some years. The train is a regular service to Crewe from Manchester but on this Thursday evening the usual commuters were joined by a three-man folk group and a large number of music lovers of all ages. The group was "Tap The Barrel" who sang a mixture of Irish and Lancashire folk/work songs throughout the journey to Goostrey and led the supporters to the Red Lion pub where they played for over an hour before leading the parade back to the railway station and the musical return to Manchester. The pub and the train were packed and the Landlord's Dick Turpin was welcome.

The new programme should be out shortly.

THE YEW TREE, CAULDON

This walk was planned because of repeated requests (mainly from Nick) for a walk to this eccentric pub in Staffordshire.

We caught the two-section 108 bus to Waterhouses (we had to change at Leek even though the bus continues with the same route number) alighting opposite one of the two cycle hire places at the beginning of the Manifold Valley Cycle Trail.

We then headed across buttercup-laden fields towards the quaintly-named village Waterfalls - there is no waterfall but the River Hamps disappears into the ground here, to re-emerge at the village of Ilam.

Waterfall has a small church that was rebuilt in 1792 that from outside is not remarkable; but entering the church reveals a wonderful chancel arch that dates back to the church's foundation in the 12th century.

We dropped deep into the Hamps valley crossing the river on a pleasant wooden footbridge and climbing the other side with beautiful views of the valley and its abundant greenery. There was a short stop to eat cakes thoughtfully brought by Mavis and Mary, and we continued to a tea-shop on the cycle trail and followed the trail back into Waterhouses where there was a more formal stop for sandwiches before following the footpath to the village of Cauldon and its eccentric pub.

A great surprise here was to find three steam engines parked outside! Inside the pub was equally surprising, with the walls decorated with ancient instruments (a crumphorn or serpent?), old hunting rifles and various obsolete country implements. It was good to see a good mild on the handpumps alongside draught Bass and Burton Bridge.

After a refreshing drink the walk continued arond the area until the bus returning to Leek and Macclesfield came along.

The walk was planned and led by Stuart - a great job!

Yesterday's walk was designed to show parts of Derbyshire that have not yet been scarred with progress.

We alighted from the bus in Pomeroy and hastily left the main road where traffic screams past at high speed following the old Roman road. We took a path across the fields to the charming village of Chelmorton.

Chelmorton retains its medieaval structure - a stream (Illy Willy Water!!) rises on Chelmorton Low above the village and runs down the hill, the single road clinging to its route with buildings on either side the oldest dating from 1634. At one time the stream fed a series of seven troughs for horses one of which has been lovingly restored. The road peters out at the beautiful church dating back to Norman times and a footpath climbs to the top of Chelmorton Low where the historical legacy of man's occupation becomes evident.

Everywhere can be seen quarries where the local limestone has been excavated to build the typical white buildings, and hillocks of debris left by mining over the centuries often following the line of a seam of lead.

From here we took what might be called the Path of A Thousand Stiles, again testimony to the unspoilt nature of the area. It is one of the few places where the medieaval field system can be discerned as the original limestone walls are still standing. The fields then were much smaller than today so the paths meet a considerable number of stiles over the boundary walls.

We followed the path to the charming village of Taddington and then headed towards Monyash at the head of Lathkilldale passing a charming dew pond on the way. In this area farmers are encouraged not to use pesticides and weedkillers with the result that we were welcomed by wild orchids, fields of cowslips and wonderful wild flower meadows.

The one thing that could not be planned of course was the weather that veered from threatening to absolute downpour. This did not dampen our spirits but did spoil the views as the rain clouds melded imperceptibly with the distant hills.

We ended the walk in the Bull's Head pub in Monyash - this is a wonderful old building with cast iron columns supporting the ancient beams in the bar, a selection of real ales (Auld Roger by Shaws of Dukinfield being very welcome) served by extremely pleasant ladies who uncomplainingly mopped up the floor where the bedraggled party had been standing.

A great day out.