This recently formed group meets on the third Saturday of each month. The walks are designed to be no more than 4 miles long. There is usually a discription of the terrain on the e-mails sent out to folk. Our next walk is a mystery local walk from High lane village Hall Car Park, meeting at 09.30 hrs. A summary of each walk will be recorded on this web page.

 

Our first walk:

Meeting most folk on Arkwright Road, Marple the group, led by Shelagh Stokes, we stopped at the Lime Kilns. Following an unmade road we came to the Peak Forest Canal. A very pleasant walk took us to Plucks Bridge where we decended down Plucks Road to cross over Strines Road, through woods speckled with sunshine and down to the Roman Bridge (Victorians named this bridge over the river – not the Romans).

Onward along the unmade road until reaching the weir where the group stopped for a ‘drink break’ with the railway viaduct above us. The group continued passing the cafe, (open very infrequently now, sadly for walkers) with the Roman Lakes on our right. Further down the pot holed road the remains of the mill gave the group time to read the information boards, afterwards bracing ourselves for the climb back on the tarmac road, no one seemed puffed out when we reached Arkwright Road. Thank you Shelagh.

 

Saturday 21st September 2024

The magnificent seven started out on a cloudy morning with the threat of rain. However, the sun did show nearer the end of the walk. Yes. There were seven of us – Maggie took the photo.

The walk started from the Marple Ridge Quarry on Ridge Road walking down to Kitling House (formerly The Romper), through Ridge End Fold and across the fields to Wybersley Road, then crossing into Turf Lea Road and walking through the hamlet. The group passed the site of Turf Lea Madder Works where a red dye was made for the uniforms of soldiers (the chimney still stands to this day, built to let air through as there was no stream to work the machinery). Later bone grinding was introduced as the production of natural dyes declined. Bone was grounded and sent, probably by narrow boat to the potteries. (Thanks, Mike, for all the info on this walk. I trust I got the facts right).

Walking up through Stanleyhall Wood onto Disley Golf course to the club house was our next part of the walk crossing the fairways and following a path to the canal towpath, admiring the views over Mellor and spotting the Mellor Cross en-route to Plucksbridge Road. Last ‘leg'; leaving the canal to climb Hollinwood Lane back to Kitling House and the quarry car park. Thank you, Maggie and Mike, for a very interesting and informative walk.

For further information contact Ruth Smith at

Shortwalksleader@highlaneu3a.org.uk