13th December, The Championship

 

Tally-Ho! are not a competitive club although they do run two ‘races’ a year: The Championship and The Steeplechase. Today’s race was the former. It’s been at the same venue, the Boars Head in Poynton, and is roughly the same route each year – around 6 miles, for as long as I’ve been a member.

At approximately 2.15pm the 16 rufty-tufty runner set-off up a stiff uphill pull into Lyme Park in cold but bright conditions – good for cross-country running. Although the route is nearly always nearly the same each year, a sawdust trail is still laid – we’re old a and prone to forgetfulness…..and one year the route just may change a bit too much.

I chose to run with Terribly Fast Whitworth, we had things to chat about whilst we tore round the trail and he’s very good company. We take this sort of running (almost) seriously.

After what seemed an age, discussing and comparing our various aches, pains and other problems, we were surprised – nay, SHOCKED, to see Stanton running back towards us – an expression of grim determination writ all over his face. It was clearly his turn to win today’s race. I wasn’t fast enough to photograph the leader, in fact I only just managed to take a photo of No2, as he sped past in a blur.

 

McHarry, holding on to 3rd place 

Fast Taylor being chased by Eastwood and (I think) Young Ruddock

The running surface is best described as ‘variable’: everything from tarmac (lethal when icy, as this route often is) to boggy and squelchy.

The winner, Stanton the musical, came in at around 43 minutes (I think), the rest of the field were nicely spread out. Terribly Fast Whitworth and I were rather grateful to have the benefit of a reasonable handicap. I’ll say no more.

Nice hot showers are an attraction of this run, we have the use of the local football team’s changing rooms. The other attraction is that it’s the Club’s Christmas dinner, turkey with all the frilly bits, followed by Christmas pudding. Very nice too.

The various prizes are presented after dinner and the Hon Pres has to deliver his Christmas Speech – think of the Queen’s Christmas Speech. Well it’s nothing like that.

Pleasantries dealt with, we all left the venue tired and very full. That’s the runners who were tired and very full,  not the venue. Although it might have been. It’s nearly Christmas after all.

The route

Around 5.5 miles with a couple of nasty little uphill pulls.

22nd November, Black Sail Hut

The Tally-Ho! collective thought that hiring the YHA’s Black Sail Hut for a weekend at the end of November would be a bit of a wheeze. After all, the hut is advertised as being the YHA’s most remote hostel and it’s situated in a stunningly beautiful area. We’d have short days, almost guaranteed poor weather, I’d be assured of sharing a cramped dormitory with a bunch of smelly, sweaty, burping, farting fell-runners…...what’s not to like?

Perhaps foolishly, I rejoined the YHA. My original idea was to travel by train to St Bees, walk to Gillerthwaite YHA, and then walk up to Black Sail the next day. Except Gillerthwaite YHA was closed.

Not to worry, I’d instigate Plan B: travel to Whitehaven and walk to Buttermere YHA, spending the night there instead. It would be a lovely walk to Black Sail Hut from there – through Scarth Gap and all that. Buttermere YHA was closed too.

Plan C then came about. At the last minute the group had decided to meet up at Braithwaite for breakfast at the Coledale Inn on the Friday morning. Being as wot Braithwaite is close to Keswick I decided to spend the Thursday night at the (open) Keswick YHA. Unfortunately this meant that I’d need to drive, something I was hoping to avoid.

A not very flattering photograph of Keswick’s new Wetherspoon’s pub - ‘The Chief Justice of the Common Pleas’, Keswick’s old Police Station.

Anyroadup, Plan C worked out quite well in the end: I needed to call in to see Beryl who lives near Preston at some point to deliver her new Scarp 1, and I was keen to check out the new Wetherspoon’s pub in Keswick – it all went swimmingly.  Wetherspoon’s much lowerer beer prices have had quite an effect on the beer prices at Keswick’s other pubs. And Beryl’s very happy with her new tent.

Breakfast in Braithwaite – and Cheshire’s leanest, fittest runners. Hmmm. 

Arrangements had been made for the Warden of Black Sail to meet us at the Bowness Knott car park in order to transport essential supplies (beer, food, more beer, wine, even more beer, objects of musical torture etc) to the hut in his Land Rover. We arrived at the car park at the appointed meeting time: 10.30am. It was over two hours later when the Warden eventually appeared – Walter (pr: ‘Volter’….he’s from Abroad) wasn’t popular.

Our Plan (Ho-ho!) was to get up to Great Borne and then follow the ridgy-thing to Seat, taking in Starling Dodd, Little Dodd, Red Pike, High Stile and High Crag and then to drop down to the hut by Scarth Gap.

It was getting on for 1pm when we managed to get away, our enforced late start meant we had to dramatically alter our planned walk for the day. Given the weather this perhaps wasn’t such a bad thing. We followed the LRT to just beyond Gillerthwaite YHA and then headed straight up to the top of Red Pike and on to High Stile…and a very quick lunch.

Up to High Stile

The weather was deteriorating and hanging around wasn’t considered A Good Thing.

Visibility wasn’t brilliant and although it was still quite light we got a shift on – nobody fancied the idea of walking in the dark. By the time we were descending off Seat the light had gone and head torches were needed.

We arrived at the hostel around 6.00pm. It was lovely and warm – central heating and electric lighting had been installed since my last visit. Nice.

Bunks were bagged, the woodburning stove fired-up and essential rehydration (tea…what else?) operations commenced.

We had booked a hostel meal for the first night, Volter Walter rolled up with a huge bowl of hot-pot…he then promptly disappeared. The group then performed a vanishing trick on the hot-pot. Very clever.

A very pleasant evening followed, the beer supply took a severe bashing – more beer was clearly needed. This was where Volter Walter actually performed: he went off to a distant supermarket, in a land far, far away, and returned with bottles and cans. Unfortunately he didn’t return with kindling for the fire or more fuel for the hostel’s diesel generator. Oh well.

Fast Taylor’s guitar being eyed-up as a source of kindling 

I’d like to report that I slept very well in the dorm. I’d like to….

Where we eventually went on the Friday:

 7.5 miles with around 2900’ of up. 

 

Saturday morning dawned, after a fashion. The Tally-Ho! Catering and Washing-up Corps did a splendid job of doing the decent thing of providing excellent breakfasts and packed lunches…

…and doing the washing up 

Plans had been drawn up for a couple of walks for the day, I chose to do Haystacks, Innominate Tarn and Brandreth. Not a  long walk by any means, but given the mizzle, poor visibility etc it seemed to be favourite.

Cheshire’s finest….er, runners

The alternative walk was to the south, over Great Gable, Kirk Fell and Pillar. Although a number set out on the walk, poor weather had them shortening their route – although when the cloud allowed they had some great views.

 Black Sail Hut from the west

This is a popular route for walkers – cyclists too!

Mapless Taylor, Old Markham and I set off up Scarth Gap as the B Team headed south up Black Sail Pass to climb Kirk Fell. As they disappeared into the cloud I couldn’t help thinking we’d got the better deal with our lower route – we avoided most of the low cloud. 

Old Markham and Mapless 

Buttermere and Crummock Water

We decided not to bother with Brandreth, the weather was worsening and the ground was a gloopy, boggy mess of bog and gloop. The top of Brandreth, which isn’t THAT much of a top had become shrouded in cloud – norralot of point going up there. So we beat a retreat to the hut.

Black Sail Hut in the wet

The B Team arrived back soon after us, they had decided to give Kirk Fell a miss, it was just too murky and grim up there – although when they got breaks in the cloud the views were good.

Where the A Team went:

5 miles / 2000’ of ascent

A pleasant evening followed: good food and good beer – the Catering Crew did us proud. The high class (?) entertainment was, er, entertaining too:

Val Doonican eat your heart out!

The excellent Dick Turpin Ale lasted until mid evening, after which the back-up supplies were called into service.

Next morning, after a good breakfast, we gave the hut a good clean before heading back down the track to pick up our cars from the Bowness Knott car park. We’d had a brilliant weekend – so much so that we’re looking to do it all over again next year.

15th November, Tally-Ho! from Nangreaves, Route v4.2

The real thing..

A number of exploratory / recce trips to this area were needed in order to finalise this route, mainly due to the large number of illegally blocked Rights of Way (Right of Ways?), completely unmarked footpaths and generally difficult to navigate ground. An a lot of mud.

Anyroadup, this is what happened on the Big Day…

 

The Lord Raglan, Nangreaves

The choice of this pub as a venue for Tally-Ho! had absolutely nothing to do with The Leyden Brewery. Nothing at all.

First to set off from The Lord Raglan at Nangreaves were Ding Dong and Whitworth. They had arranged to meet at the pub at 12.30, thus ensuring an early start. After a leisurely tour around the lanes of South Lancashire, Ding-Dong arrived promptly at 1.30pm thus ensuring a not terribly early start.

Rumours of a collection in the pub to raise dosh to buy Ding-Dong a map are completely false….I think they want to buy him a SatNav so his navigation prowess could match that of Whitworth’s…..and he NEVER gets lost. Well, not very often – especially now he has a new Merc with a built in SatNav.

Whitworth and Prez Park left the pub in a blur (well that’s what the drunk outside the pub said), heading north along a short strip of tarmac. The money men (Ding Dong and Mapless  Taylor) ran together – leaving a little later than normal.

The dryness of the tarmac wasn’t to last long. Leaving the road, the extremely well-laid sawdust trail led our valiant heroes to a soggy path of a couple of hundred yards (around 183.44m). Damp grass drenched their running shoes comprehensively. Nice.

Other runners followed in their wake, all finding the extremely well-laid trail very easy to follow.

Whilst the hounds were enjoying (eh?) following the trail, the hares were taking great care to leave a clear sawdust & paper trail across some seriously rough and boggy ground.

First obstacle of the day was the illegally blocked footpath at  Croston Close:

A Concessionary Path is offered as an alternative route, but the path through the farmyard exists as a Public Right of Way – the landowner clearly has a different opinion.

Next came the first ‘river’ crossing of the day. In recent weeks the stream that is Cheesden Brook had been a mere 2 – 3ft wide (609.6– 914.4mm….approx), the recent heavy rain had swollen the watercourse quite considerably. This ensured that many pairs of Innovates were suddenly mud-free. For a minute.

An uphill pull to a track led the hounds to Ashworth Reservoir. Once through a heavy metal gate the trail ran alongside a Water Authority-built wall to pick up a minor road at the east side of the reservoir.

The Trail-Layers were on the return leg of the trail and were able to watch some of the hounds, on the outward leg, as they ran along that stretch of road. Fortunately they were too far away to be able to hear the runners cursing, swearing and plotting sweet revenge.

Once across Edenfield Road, Knowle Hill came into full view. Curses were heard to be uttered as it slowly dawned on the hounds that the trig-point at the top was to be their next objective. And so it was.

Mud, bog, streams, windmills and sheep were just some of the hazards to be encountered on this uphill stretch. The sheep seemed intrigued:

 The view south from Knowle Hill

A clear path off the eastern flank of Knowle Hill led the runners along part of the Rochdale Way, (thank-you Wiki!) in the direction of the Naden Reservoirs. The reservoirs only became visible after climbing a stile at Dixon’s Brow. The change of scenery was quite a revelation – so far the views were mainly of moorland, bogs and mud. To see the land open out in such a dramatic way almost caused some to stop and stare for a few minutes. It was either that or they were knackered after Knowle Hill and they needed a breather.

Naden Reservoirs 

Clumps of sawdust and the Rochdale Way made for easy navigation as the route swung south and then west(ish) on the return leg.

Another stream crossing and on through Knowl Farm:

Knowle Farm, used for filming ‘Last Tango in Halifax’ 

Re-crossing Edenfield Road gave temporary relief from the mud and gunge, in fact there was a good 10-15 minutes of relatively clean running. Until a particularly muddy, sludgy stretch of track that led to a particularly muddy, sludgy river crossing. It wasn’t long before Ashworth Reservoir once again hove into view, this heralded some nice running along only slightly horrendously waterlogged ground.

The Right of Way runs through Yates Farm but there was so much rubbish and detritus on the ground that a diversion was needed. It looks like the place is used as a scrap yard, a real mess.

Much nicer running followed once passed the farm: good tracks and paths, a short stretch of tarmac, and then a really gloopy farm track.

An uphill pull to a ‘notch’ on the horizon indicated the last stretch of the trail, although it was only once through the notch that it became clear the running was almost done. A stile and a short stretch of tarmac had us back at the pub.

First runners in 

Next in, Paul and Les 

The trail seemed to have been generally well received – although the beer at the pub got a better reception. It was rather good – just a shame I was driving.

Numbers were a bit low today, only 14(?) members sat down to a filling dinner of stewy stuff and mushy peas followed by fruit crumble. ‘Always hungry’  Blackshaw was unable to stay for dinner due to family commitments, this left Murray in a bit of a quandary regarding his pudding. He needn’t have worried though, help was at hand and his pudding vanished in the blink of an eye.

Layers of trail were Blackshaw and Jocys who had a thoroughly good day out – and even managed to beat all the hounds back to the pub.

This is where we went:

Around 9 miles with about 1200’ ascent

That’s according to Memory Map and my Garmin Etrex20. I felt I could do with a good laugh so I took my SatMap Active10 along too. According to that heap of junk we covered 16.75 miles.

Impressed, eh?

18th October, Tally-Ho! from The Jug and Glass

This was a re-introduced venue for the Club. The Jug & Glass at Newhaven in the White Peak has a had a chequered history in recent years. It seems to have been closed more than open. Happily it’s now very much open and in the hands of good people who know how to run a pub, keep beer properly and look after their customers.

I arrived early at the pub, my Plan was to start and finish early because I needed to be in Dunham later that day to play at a ceilidh with Neezzup and it wouldn’t do to be late for that!

In the car park were two very shady-looking characters – one trying to flog some obviously nicked silverware to a local fence:

I set off running with Ding Dong, struggling to keep up with him. We followed the sawdust trail out of the pub car park and across the main A515 to pick up a green lane which turned to tarmac after a mile or so. The lane crossed the course of a Roman Road running roughly North to South.

Remarkably well preserved Roman Water Board sign

We headed eastwards almost as far as Middleton, keeping our shoes mostly shiny-clean. Avoiding Middleton, trail then led us on a dogleg uphill (?) close to Ringham Low – an ancient monument or something. Wisely the trail-layers didn’t take us quite as far as the site, our ancient and monumental runners might get lost in a place like that…..we’d blend in with the background too easily.

The initially easy running surface had lulled us into a false sense of security, before long we had dual battles on our hands: overgrown undergrowth (eh?) and difficult-to-follow sawdust trail…...but we weren’t to be deterred. Well not much:

  Ding-Dong tearing up the trail at break-neck speed

Next came a short dale, a section of typically White Peak countryside. I’m not sure of it’s name, there’s no name mentioned on either the 1:25k or 1:50k maps, but it runs West - East from near Ringham Low to Smerrill Grange.

A much nicer dale was to come: Long Dale – lovely it is:

It’s a shame this section was so short, it made for very pleasant running. Within a short distance the terrain changed and we left the dale behind.

  

Another short stretch of tarmac took us to the Mid-Shires Way / Pennine Bridleway…and past the picturesque brickworks at Friden:

 

Lovely

There was definitely ‘something in the air’ around this part of the route, both Ding-Dong and I ended up coughing and spluttering. It might just have been a misfire though…I don’t recall any of the other runners mentioning a problem.

A loooong, flat and straight stretch of the Way took us almost back to the pub where a quick pose (or two) was called for:

 

Unusually (VERY unsually) clean-ish shoes

This is where we wented:

Around 8.3 miles with norralot of ascent / descent…

Atcherly (and quite coincidently, I’m sure) the total ascent was exactly the same as the total descent. You’ll need to ask Ding Dong to explain, he’s good with numbers.

The food and the beer at the pub were both excellent – it was just a shame I had to rush off without being able to sample the beers properly. I was driving anyway. Ho-hum.

Thanks to David for allowing me to trot round with him. As always, he was the very best of company.

Thanks and great appreciation to Ships and Whitworth for laying an easy trail….just right for an unfit old fart like me.

16th October, A Nangreaves Recce

Rick and I needed to get out for a walk – it’s been, er, such along time since our last outing.

I had a route in mind for the Tally-Ho! that really needed checking out. It’s all very well plotting a route on the map, but it’s often a different matter when you actually run (or walk) the route.

Kick off is the Lord Raglan, home of the Leyden Brewery, in Nangreaves near Bury – where all the best black puddings come from. That’s Bury….although the Leyden Brewery might make black puddings too, I don’t know.

A short bit of tarmac up Snape Hill was endured before hitting decent footpaths and Land Rover Tracks. All went swimmingly well until we came across a ‘Private’ sign, barring our way through the Public RoW through the farm yard at Croston Close – SD820158 if you want to harass the property owner.  An additional sign offered an alternative route – a concessionary path across a boggy field. The sign pointed out that the original Right of Way was still valid – but it was quite clear that the owner’s successful deterrents had , er, successfully deterred walkers wishing to use the path.

The appropriate authorities have been informed.

 

The next ‘challenge’ was Croston Close Bottoms. This is a valley where, if the map is anything to go by, is an easy navigational exercise. Ho-ho, oh no it isn’t! We spent a long time trying to locate the path on the ground – we did eventually but it was damned hard work. And my feet got rather wet.

Around Ashworth Moor Reservoir following footpaths across what was Water Board land we crossed the Edenfield Road and began a gentle climb up to Knowl Hill – passing the thoughtfully planted windfarm en-route. The wim-wam trig point / pile of rocks at the top served as our lunch stop.

 

Rick posing, apres-lunch, in front of the pretty windfarm 

Following the route of the Rochdale Way, we descended in an Easterly direction (East is good….etc, etc) towards some reservoirs – where a pretty view was prettily presented to us:

Naden Middle Reservoir with Naden Lower Reservoir peeking out on the right (=south) 

Naden Higher and Naden Middle Reservoirs 

It’s pretty obvious that land owners don’t want you around here: barbed wire is abundant in totally inappropriate places, many paths are blocked and footpath signs just don’t exist where they really should. It’s a poor show.

 

Just for Alan:

Some of paths were dead easy to locate and follow, although the stony surface of this one may well catch out the faster runners:

More blocked and unmarked paths followed that entailed some serious map studying – much to the amusement of the audience that was gathering. Even sheep deserve a giggle sometime I suppose:

Another Right of Way difficulty presented itself at Sale’s Farm (SD818150 if you want a whinge). A Right of Way is clearly marked on both the 1:50K and the 1:25K maps – but not on the ground. There’s no footpath sign or any indication at all that a Right of Way exists. It DOES exist, and goes through a private house-type farm yard & stables. The addition of an openable (not sure if that’s a real word, but you catch my drift) electric fence gateway adds to the feeling of general path obstruction / lack of Right of Way.

Again, the appropriate authorities have been informed…..but don’t hold your breath.

Whatever, in a couple of weeks 20 – 30 hairy-arsed trail runners will be piling down that Public Right of Way – and there’s some big lads amongst them.

More blocked / overgrown footpaths followed:

 Can you spot the Footpath sign?

We eventually got back to the Lord Raglan at too late an hour to have a pint so we headed off back home – just in time to miss the worst of the rush-hour traffic. What we were expecting to take around under 4 hours actually took nearly 6 hours. I’ll be out on a re-recce next week, apart from needing to tweek the route I need the exercise.

At the end of the day we’d enjoyed (endured?) our little outing, there are some really cracking bits to the route – unfortunately there’s really crappy bits too.

This is what we SHOULD have done:

 

8.5 miles with around 1200’ of ascent.

We ended up doing nearer 11 miles after all the faffing about.

 

Reporting footpath problems

Footpath problems can be reported using FixMyStreet at www.fixmystreet.com

It’s very simple, just specify the location and describe the problem…..and your work as a responsible member of the great walking public is done.

FixMyStreet will then forward your complaint to the appropriate authority who will (hopefully) deal with it.