Thursday 4th October, Dunham Big Tree

Not the rather good beer produced by The Dunham Massey Brewery but a walk starting from Dunham’s Big Tree.

An email from Rick popped into my Inbox this morning as I was luxuriating over a freshly brewed mug of coffee and plotting my day’s activities. Would I like to go for a walk? He promised good weather (okay, so I’m gullible) and a short walk. The Plan was to recce part of the route that Rick had plotted for an East Lancs LDWA 15 mile walk, set for 5th December, entitled ‘Out on a Lymm’….it’s from Lymm y’see. Rick’s clever with words.

We drove to Dunham’s Big Tree which is a bit old. In fact the trunk is filled with concrete and there are various bits of metalwork holding the poor thing up. Without these aids to verticality (is that a real word?) the tree would have fallen down long ago.

Setting off at around 1020 – 10.30am we walked south through Dunham Park and out the other side, passing the (not yet open) Swan with Two Nicks….that just happens to sell Big Tree Bitter, amongst other good cask beers.

The Bridgewater Canal – A.K.A. The Duke’s Cut

Gaining the Bridgewater Canal towpath we walked towards Lymm, passing the rather dilapidated building that Rick tells me was once the hospital for canal horses.

Like I said, I’m gullible.

The former hospital for canal horses. Honest.

Actually it’s true, the place was indeed a horse hospital - probably doing a profitable side-line in glue. It’s difficult to imagine how horses would have been brought into the building, there isn’t a towpath on that side of the cut. They would have had to go under the canal using the road bridge in order to get in.

We followed the route the poorly horses would have taken, and followed the road south, then walked west to walk south on Oughtrington Lane. Passing St Peters Church we once again head west.

Those paying attention will have noticed that EAST doesn’t appear just yet. Patience, it will.

This dynamic duo then left the road and headed west-ish (which still isn’t east) in the direction of Lymm. entering the eastern (see!) outskirts of Lymm, a bit of leftery and rightery had us on Mill Lane in Heatley. It would have been rude not to pay homage to the site of the Railway Hotel that mysteriously burned down in the early hours of 2nd November 2011. Of course we dutifully paid our respects. How fortunate that a JCB was just around the corner when this happened, it completed the job of demolishing what was left of this once excellent listed building.

What incredibly good fortune. For the property developers.

The Railway before it was finally flattened.

(Photo nicked from Bernard’s Lymm Folk Club website)

Time for some eastwards travel at last, now along the Transpennine Trail.

Rick, ahead of me as usual, walking towards the River Bollin bridge 

The sun had shone all morning although the air was cool. We enjoyed a quick coffee whilst sitting on the River Bollin bridge where we plotted a bicycle ride to Liverpool along the Transpennine Trail. The return journey will be by train….we’re not THAT daft!

Leaving the T.P.T. just to the north of Dunham Town we were delighted to see that a ceilidh was being advertised, to be held in the village hall on 13th October. I hear the band are very good. And they have a very good caller. And tickets are available.

I think you should all go. It will be good. After all, the band is ‘famed’. It says so on the poster so it must be true. It IS true.

Back at the car we were quite satisfied that the recce had been a success. We half-knew where we were going to go on the day of the walk, the sun shone, and I didn’t go for a run. Result!

We were out for around 3 hours and walked 14.9km, near as dammit 9 miles, with 80 metres of up and downery.

Who said Cheshire was flat?

Thanks to Rick for the invite, it was good. I just need to squeeze in a longish run before Saturday and all will be well.

 Where we went. Sort of.

Don’t forget Rick’s walk on the 5th December – oh, and that ceilidh too. The band and caller will be brilliant.