Final Recce: New Mills Tally-Ho! Sun 20th Sept 2020

After all the little tweaks, a final recce of the Cheshire Tally-Ho! Hare & Hounds trail from New Mills was needed….as was my desire to get out for a bit of a walk.

The trail-proper was to take place the following Saturday so this was a good time to check it all out in one go.

The final two tweaks were around Linnet Clough Reservoir and around Marple Golf Course.

It was another glorious day, bright & dry with oodles of warm sunshine – HOT sunshine really. I slathered my exposed bits with Factor 50.

Not many words here, mostly photographs of a really lovely day.

Windy Bottom Farm

 

 

 

 

B.P. at Linnet Clough Scout Camp Site

The Cross

Kinder Downfall

The final, never to be revised again, route: 8.5 miles, 1250' ascent

New Mills Walking, Sunday 13th Sept

New Mills has featured muchly of late on these pages – it’s because I quite like the town and it’s surrounding countryside. Maybe I could live there….?

It needs more investigation. Obv.

Anyroadup…

The day dawned bright and quite warm and it would have been rude not to take advantage of such a lovely day. It was very much a ‘two birds, one stone’ opportunity – I needed to get out to re-recce a part of a route I’d planned for the next Tally-Ho! trail,  Joules needed to get out for a walk, I wanted to get out for a walk…..but I always want to get out for a walk. Nowt new there then.

Okay, that’s THREE birds.

We parked up at New Mills Golf Club, with the permission of Jess, the Club Steward(ess?) and headed off west, along a bit of track to join a section of Midshires Way down to Strines.

There’s a lot of ‘Ways’ around here, it’s often difficult to know which one you’re actually on.

Birds tweeted, golf balls were struck, the sun shone, and a pleasant and gentle breeze blew. It was all rather idillic.

The Roman Lakes Viaduct - and a former tea room

The R Goyt by the viaduct

A door for Rob

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 We joined the Goyt Way (probably), walking North to Roman Lakes, then turned East to climb up to the dizzy heights of Linnet Clough for a lunch stop at the Scout Camp Site – there are public footpaths going through the site. 

Our lunch stop, Linnet Clough Scout Camp Site

For Alan R

 

Freshly baked scones were consumed. All of them. They go stale if you leave them too long. Honest.

We crossed Mellor Golf Course, this was the part of the route I needed to re-recce. I decided that part of the route was a bit tame, plus the idea of 20 hairy-arsed runners charging across a well-manicured gold course may not go down too well, even if it was a public footpath. On the other hand I’ve walked and run across this golf course quite a few times and I’ve always been greeted with smiles.

 Looking north-west-ish to Manchester with Winter Hill beyond

I thought it was only doggies that behaved like this

 Looks a bit different in the light!

Heading south down a bridleway we soon rejoined the outward track which took us back to the car – which was hot, hot, hot! And my aircon had packed up.

Oh well, we drove home with the windows open and really enjoyed the cooling air.

A nice little walk, only 6 miles with 900' of ascent, but it was just what the nurse ordered. 

 

 

 

An evening run around New Mills, Tuesday 8th Sept

New Mills is situated in High Peak and is very easily accessible from JJ Towers, and with it being on the edge of the Peak District is blessed with a fair share of good running terrain.

I set off running at around 7pm in gloriously warm and golden sunlight. I passed a solitary dog walker, although the speed that I was running at it was touch and go who passed who!

My route took me from New Mills Golf Club, down to Brook Bottom and on to Strines. From there the track followed the er, railway track and then the course of the R Goyt up to Roman Lakes just south of Marple.

Roman Lakes, BTW, has absolutely nothing to do with Rome or Romans. It’s a pretty area that’s quite popular with day visitors….or it was until Covid-19 closed so many public attractions.

Turning to head east-ish then south saw me heading back to my car via The Banks and Brook Bottom to rejoin the outward leg of my run.

It was dark when I got back to the car but it had been a pleasant evening’s stretch, even if I was running very slowly – at least I got out ( and away from my whiffy kitchen that was smelling of home-made chutney).

I’ll be returning to the area, it offers nice running, good access to the Peaks, and the town of New mills is really rather lovely. And it doesn’t smell of chutney.

My kind of place.

The Fox at Brook Bottom

Looking over to Manchester

High Cliff

 

Where I went: around 5 miles of up and downery:

 

Even more photos here.