FUTURE WALKS LEEK Coaches Leave Leek at 5.30Pm

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Vol: 26 Issue 5 29 April 2012 LEEK Coaches leave Leek at 5.30pm

FUTURE WALKS

Coach Walks 8.30am start : 5.30pm return Sun 13 May Coniston A: Val Walmsley B+: Barry Mather via Newby Bridge B: Dave Tilleray C: Roy Smith 8.00am start : 5.30pm return Sun10 June Braithwaite A: Val Walmsley B+: Barry Mather B: Tony Ingham C: Derek Lowe

Thursday Car Walks 10.30am start Thurs 10 May Brock B Walk with Phillip Brunskill Meet at Higher Brock Bridge GR 549431 Approximately 9 miles / 14.5km of easy walking From the car park we walk down stream to Walmesley Bridge turning right at the T junction and left at Clarksons Farm. Heading roughly north we cross Gunder Lane passing Foggs Farm to Hobbs Lane where, turning left and right through Butt Hill, Infield House and Cobble Hey, we come to Landskill. Here we turn right and right again to reach Delph Lane, where a left and right turn puts us on the track to Bleasdale Tower. Immediately after the tower we turn right for Broadgate, High Moor and Delph Lane again. Turning left we shortly cross Brook Rakes Road and carry on down Snape Rake Lane to the River Brock where we turn right down the river to Higher Brock Bridge and the car park. Thurs 14 June Barley B Walk with Dennis Barnish Meet at the car park

Sunday Car Walks 10.30am start Sun 27 May Sunderland Point B Walk with Chris Metcalfe Meet at the Globe Hotel, Overton 81/ 10 miles /13 km with no appreciable ascent. Starting at the car park opposite the Globe Hotel in Overton at 10.30am our walk will take us across farmland and around the shoreline of this hid- den part of Lancashire. Sunderland Point is a very quaint little village with a long history and great views of the River Lune and Morecambe Bay. We will also walk round Basil Point before returning to Overton. With no climbing the walking will be relatively easy but parts of the shoreline are uneven and need care. The route is not dependant on the state of the tide so there is no danger of our being marooned !! Toilets available in Sunderland Point. Sun 27 May Crook o’Lune C Walk with Jackie & Sheila Meet at the car park A 6½ mile / 10.5km walk: almost entirely flat apart from a slight incline at the end. We start off on a hard surfaced riverside walk / cycle path towards Lancaster. We cross the Lune at Aqueduct Bridge and walk back along the opposite bank on a riverside path, leaving it for a short period to go through Halton. We then rejoin the path to return to the car park.

Sun 24 June Scorton B Walk with Dorothy Dobson Meet at the picnic site Sun 24 June Downham C Walk with Derek Lowe Meet in the car park 6 miles / 9.7km climbing 500ft / 152m From the car park we make our way to Downham Beck to walk upstream along field paths to Clay House, Hollin’s Farm and on to Pendle Road. Here we turn right and walk along the road for 200yards then take a permissive path just below the slopes of Pendle Hill to Hookcliffe and Moorside Farm. At the end of the farm track we turn right into West Lane, head towards Warsaw Hill and follow field paths to Warsaw End House where we climb up and around Warren Hill. (Lunch stop) After our break we descend to reach the A59 which we cross with care to arrive in Chatburn. We continue along the main street of Chatburn to cross over the A59 again, this time by bridge, and turn left to follow field paths to Smithies Brook. We cross Rimington Lane and climb a stile on our right in the lane opposite where we have another short climb before dropping back into Downham.

This year it will be possible to vote for your choice of walks for 2013 via the club website. This will be instead of , not as well as, the usual paper copy which will be available on the Coniston coaches. You will be able to access

the on-line voting area by clicking on the link on the front page of the website at the beginning of May

Please note – Walk details must be in 2 (TWO) weeks before each coach excursion.

Today’s Walks Today’s starting points: 1. A, B+, C: Rushton Spencer 2. B: Leek

The coaches will be parked at the Bus Station near the Monument.

The Roaches with Dave Colbert Grade A Distance 12½ miles /20 km Climbing 2462ft / 750m .

Our walk today starts from the A523 at or just north of the village of Rushton Spencer. We join the Dane Valley Way and follow the course of the River Dane as far as Danebridge. From here, we commence our climb out of the valley and visit the curiously named Hanging Stone. The rock outcrop sits high up on the edge above Swythamley and bears a plaque to the memory of Colonel Brocklehurst who owned Swythamley Hall. Now, as it is Sunday I thought we should go to a church ...... but no ordinary church, as you’ll soon discover ! Lud’s Church has reputedly been identified as the chapel of the Green Knight in the classic medieval poem "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" and in folklore was said to be a hiding place for Robin Hood and Friar Tuck. I’ll let you make up your own minds what to believe, but whatever the truth is, Lud’s Church is an impressive deep chasm penetrating the millstone grit bedrock and was created by a massive landslip on the hillside high above the village of Gradbach, After exploring for a while, we head off through the forest and begin to climb towards the magnificent ridge which is The Roaches (derived from the French word Roches – which means Rocks). From the highest point (1657ft / 505m) we continue to Doxey Pool and then onwards to Hen Cloud (1345ft / 410m).From here, we descend to Tittesworth Reservoir and head into the centre of Leek and the waiting coaches.

Gun Hill with Stella Wadsworth Grade. B+ Distance 11½ miles / 18.5km Climbing 1571ft / 479m

Leaving the coach at Rushton Spencer we make our way over field paths & tracks (which may be muddy) to Hawksley Farm, Gun End House and Farm, where we head to the trig point of Gun Hill. From there we head off downhill through Gun Plantation to Fould and, passing Lower Focker Farm, to Poolend Farm. Crossing the Macclesfield Road we walk along the B5331 (the footpath we could have used is now closed). Turning off the road towards Willgate Farm we then cross a footbridge and walk up and over to reach the Rudyard Reservoir. There are toilets there. From the reservoir we pick up the Staffordshire Way which we follow to the end of the golf course. After crossing the road it isn't long before we reach an industrial area. Making our way through this area we reach Leek Cemetery where we pick up a path that takes us round the top to the A520 which we then follow into Leek. Enjoy your day. Look out for some really unusual sheep today and the fabulous cake/refreshments shop in Leek.

Rudyard Reservoir with Colin Manning Grade B Distance 10 miles /16.1km Climbing 520ft / 159m

Today's walk starts on The Staffordshire Way and follows a stream on a quiet path alongside Westwood Golf Club. We follow this for some way until we reach the village of Rudyard and Rudyard Reservoir. There are toilets here and a choice of water view seats or a small picnic site for our lunch stop. There is also a cafe for the lesser prepared walkers and barbecue facilities close by for the dramatically over-prepared ones. From here we cross over to start our loop of the reservoir up along the disused railway line and the RLSR miniature steam railway. We follow this to the top of the water before turning to return down the other side. Our return starts with a climb up to a large stately home within the grounds of Cliffe Park. We continue to climb gently through Rea Cliffe woods and past some waterside houses until we once again reach Rudyard and the bottom of the reservoir. We then cross over again to return south along the rest of the disused rail line to the steam railways main station and back to Leek for the coaches.

The Staffordshire Way & Rudyard Lake with Joyce Bradbury Grade C Distance 6½ miles / 10.5km Climbing 520ft / 159m

Leaving the coaches at Rushton Spencer we head for the Staffordshire Way. We start off along a disused railway track as far as Rudyard Lake where we turn off to follow farm tracks and woodland paths along the western side. We aim to have lunch at the far end of the lake where there are toilets available. Rudyard Lake was built in the late 1700s to feed the Caldon Canal and is now used for all kinds of boating and angling. We then continue along the Staffordshire Way until we rejoin the former railway track which leads us into Leek. Unlike most of our destinations, Leek is a largish town with shops, cafés and pubs. Please help to keep the coaches clean by removing muddy boots. Please check that you have all your belongings and take newspapers etc. away with you. Thank you.