Dipping into some Derbyshire history
● ●
HALTON Ramblers travelled to a Derbyshire village to enjoy four routes around the countryside.
The ramblers took 61 members to Hayfield, which became a mill village in the 17th century and was previously a farming area.
In WWII it was home to evacuees from all over the country.
Hayfield was also a key filming location for the BBC1 drama series The Village in 2012 and 2014.
Several famous people were born or lived in Hayfield including Arthur Lowe, who played Cpt Mainwaring in Dad’s Army, and Tony Warren, who created Coronation Street.
The B party began near Lyme Park, led by Ray Brown who had planned a challenging 12.5 mile walk.
Walking through the park they had views of the house used in the 1995 TV adaptation of Pride And Prejudice.
The walk continued to climb to High Moor where the party visited the Dipping Stone, which was once a place of baptism and ● before that an ancient county boundary marker.
Following moorland paths over Whaley Moor, the group headed down into the town of Whaley Bridge.
After a break, they walked along the Peak Forest Canal before heading up again to climb Chinley Churn, joining the Pennine Bridleway and finally made a steep descent into Hayfield.
Eric Fenney started his A walk from Hayfield, planning to do 13 miles with an ascent of 2,800ft.
The group climbed to the Kinder Plateau and passed the Edale Cross which was on the pack-horse trail.
After passing Kinder Downfall the group turned north west to Mill Hill and Burnt Hill before crossing the A624 to pick up the Pennine Bridleway.
They followed the Sett Valley Way back into Hayfield.
Chris Leap followed the Sett Valley Trail to New Mills for his eight-mile C walk.
After exploring some of the town, the group descended to the River Goyt to join the Millenium Walkway, a 175 yard walkway suspended from the side of the gorge above the point where the river flows over a large weir.
It links New Mills, the Torrs and the Riverside Park.
For their return journey to Hayfield, they used the tow path on the Peak Forest Canal, then various footpaths and country lanes, trying to avoid the boggy field paths.
Chris Leadbetter also led her D party out along the Sett Valley Trail to New Mills, walking along the Millenium Walkway.
The walk passes mill ruins, weirs, cobbled tracks and archways of bridges towering dramatically overhead, discovering a rich ● industrial heritage spanning several hundred years of the history of New Mills.
Their route followed similar tracks back into Hayfield.
A Ramblers spokeswoman said: “Hayfield is an ideal village for some light refreshment, which the ramblers made good use of after a cold, dry day walking in the hills.”
Halton Ramblers’ next trip is to Ruthin in Denbighshire, North Wales, on Sunday, December 11.
To join, contact the booking secretary on 07842 160 944 or visit nmc-ramblers.org.uk