EAST CHESHIRE RAMBLERS

●● THE River Dane rises on Axe Edge Moor just south-west of Buxton.

It forms part of the border between Cheshire and Staffordshire.

So, when 21 East Cheshire Ramblers met just north of the river at Danebridge and walked a few yards across the river bridge, our route had already taken us from Cheshire into Staffordshire.

Our footpath led us on a steady ascent past Hangingstone Farm. From here, we could see the projecting ‘Hanging Stone’ higher on the hill.

The weather was set fair for our nine-mile walk, with sunny spells and high, fluffy white clouds in a blue sky.

After passing close to Lud’s Cave we walked downhill into Gradbach Wood, where we crossed Black Brook, a tributary of the Dane, before enjoying a well-earned coffee stop.

We passed the old silk mill, formerly Gradbach Youth Hostel, which has recently been purchased by Newcastle under Lyme University for outdoor pursuits.

Shortly after an old chapel in the village, we turned right and climbed up a steep path to an old minor road towards Bennetshitch.

A long and steady ascent across moorland took us to the highest point of the walk on Birchenough Hill.

This was a good place to enjoy lunch with some handy rocks to sit on and with wonderful views over Staffordshire and Cheshire, including Shutlingsloe.

Continuing over moorland, we descended and crossed the Congleton to Buxton Road before passing Crag Hall and the Crag Inn in Wildboarclough.

Soon, we turned left and crossed Clough Brook. Our path took us uphill once again, past Blaze Farm, then into the hamlet of Allgreave.

We passed the newly-refurbished Rose and Crown inn, then followed a busy section of the A54 before turning left and walking past Allmeadows farm and following the Dane at a high level before dropping down to Wincle and past the famous Ship Inn in Danebridge, completing the walk.

Some walkers imbibed a delicious pint at the Danebridge MicroBrewery, while others purchased freshly-caught trout at the nearby fish farm, where a family were having fun catching their own fish.

For more details of East Cheshire Ramblers’ programme of weekend and midweek walks, go to ramblerseastcheshire. org.uk.