Finding a way around Rainow
ALTHOUGH the weather was unpromising, a group of walkers from East Cheshire Ramblers set off from Rainow for a 10-mile walk around the local area.
With showers at the start of the walk and very windy conditions, especially on top of the hills, a decision on the day’s route was at taken Snipe House. Do we go ‘This Way, That Way or The Other Way?’
An unusual sign with these quotes is located here, at the junction of four paths.
Deciding on The Other Way, we set off to reach Lamaload Water Treatment Works.
The walk continued up to Ewrin Lane which involved crossing a field of ponies which was, to say the least, a little muddy! It was every man and woman for themselves getting to the gate but no-one was lost in the morass.
Thankfully that was the worst of the mud but the paths and stiles were still very slippery.
Our next stop was Jenkin Chapel, Saltersford, a small chapel built in 1733 of local gritstone at the crossing of three ancient salt ways.
These later became roads used by cattle and sheep drovers. The chapel was first dedicated to St John the Baptist but later in 1894 rededicated to St John the Evangelist.
The chapel is open and inside there are original box pews, an octagonal pulpit and a reading desk.
A tower and an outside staircase which leads to an upper gallery were added in 1755 and the building is Grade 2 listed.
We returned via Charles Head and after a short section of road walking we joined a stretch of the Gritstone Trail which is a 35 mile way marked trail running from Disley Station to Kidsgrove.
The final part of the walk was on Oakenbank Lane behind Kerridge and luckily the rain held off until the drive home.
For more details of East Cheshire Ramblers’ programme of weekend and midweek walks ranging from FOUR to 15 miles in length, go to ramblerseastcheshire.org. uk.