Dead End

I headed off to the west. My intention was to join the path I'd originally intended to use coming up from the Macclesfield Canal. I followed a good trail through woodland and climbed a small hill beyond. There was a wonderful view over to Manchester. I watched as a jet coming into land, flew over the centre of Manchester and then merged with the landscape on the south side of the city. I assumed it had found the airport okay. I followed the top of an impressive gully called Cluse Hay. I was hoping I'd be able to cross this to Park Moor, the open access area beyond, but the paths that I could see going down into the gulley, looked steep and slippery. In the end I decided to walk back eastwards. I figured there must be some access point somewhere else that would allow me on to Park Moor. As I walked eastwards, my way was barred by stone walls, barbed fences, electric fences and locked gates. There just didn't seem to be a way on to Park Moor. The obstacles actually forced me back to the car park. I noticed a few more cars had arrived since I left it 80 minutes ago.

Sponds Hill

My Plan B was to follow the Gritstone Trail around to my first Ethel, Sponds Hill. It took me through Knightslow Wood where I got a stunning view of Lyme House and a curious building known as the Cage, beyond it. At the other side of the wood, I entered the open access area of Park Moor. Hallelujah! The Gritstone Trail continued uphill to a road end at Bowstonegate.  On the other side of the ridge was a fine view of the hills beyond. I believe I could see Eccles Pike and Chinley Churn, two Ethels that I climbed a few days before (see Eccles Famine Chinley Charmer). A farm track followed a broad ridge southward towards Sponds Hill. Its trig point was in a private field. A nearby gate was unlocked and so I snuck in for 2 minutes to get a closer photo. I could see a distinctive pointy peak to the south. I wondered if it might be Hen Cloud. First Ethel ticked, my second Ethel of the day would be Black Hill on Whaley Moor. I could see it to the northeast and so I started to retrace my steps along the farm track, back to Bowstonegate.

Black Hill

At Bowstonegate, I nearly walked straight past a little enclosure at the side of the road that housed two large stones. These stones are the Bowstones and are a pair of Anglian cross shafts. The carvings on them date from around the 10th century or earlier. Local legend states that the name is derived from their use by Robin Hood and his men to re-string their bows. That fellow got everywhere, didn't he? I had to do some road walking to get to Black Hill, but since the road was a dead-end, I didn't meet any traffic. There is a large hotel at the base of Black Hill and it looks a little out of place with the rest of the landscape. Black Hill is open access and so I was free to make my own way to the top. That was lucky, since there were plenty of cows on the hill, and I was able to give them a wide berth. The actual summit of Black Hill is away from the ridge, across some horrible, tufted grass and bog. Although there's not really a view from the summit, there are good views from its flank, over to Sponds Hill, and down the valley to Whaley Bridge.

Return To Lyme

I descended Black Hill and took a footpath that went along the main drive of the nearby hotel. Something about it reminded me of The Shining. It seemed popular though, with people walking about its grounds. I didn't see any manic looking people with axes. I re-entered Lyme Park at an entrance point called East Lodge. As I walked back towards Lyme House, regular signs on the roadside to my right informed me that the area beyond was a deer sanctuary and to leave it alone. I could see some deer in the far distance, but they were too far away to get a decent picture. Further along the road, that curious box like building, called the Cage came into view on a hillside. I decided to go and have a peek at this and diverted off the road straight towards it. It got more impressive, the closer I got. It was built in 1524 and was used as a hunting lodge or a watchtower. The Cage name reportedly came from its use in the 17th century as a holding prison for poachers awaiting trial. Given the size of it, there must have been plenty of poachers. A large cloud was covering the sun, and so I waited 5 minutes for it to blow over, in order to get a photo of a sun illuminated building. I started walking towards the main Lyme House and after a while came across another photographer and I started chatting to him. Apparently, he had been waiting for me to move and get out of his shot, while I'd been dithering at the Cage. While we chatted, a woman sat down at the foot of the Cage. She had an electric pink top on. 'Doesn't look like it's your day,' I said to him. I left him waiting for the perfect shot.

Lyme House

The day was still young and so I decided to take a tour of the Lyme House Gardens. You have to pay to enter the house and/or gardens. I'm a National Trust member and so at the entrance office I started taking my rucksack off to get my membership card out. 'Don't bother, getting your rucksack off,' said the NT Greeter. 'You've an honest face, Go straight through.' Crikey. I made a mental note that I might be able to use 'my honest face' to my advantage, in the future. 

The gardens to Lyme House are definitely worth a tour. There is a lake on the south side of the house and there are some wonderful views with the house reflected in the water. There is also a very colourful Italian garden and an Orangery on the east side of the house. I didn't go in there since there would have been a high probability of me knocking something over with my rucksack. I noticed a folly up on the hillside that looked like a small rocket. This is known as the Lantern. One of the information boards said that if Lord Newton could see the Lantern clearly while he was eating his kippers, kedgeree and poached eggs in a morning, then he knew that it was going to be good enough weather for hunting. Remarkably, I have a very similar philosophy: if I can hear rain hitting my window, when I wake up in the morning, then I know that it isn't a day for walking, and I go back to sleep.

They say that good and bad luck evens out over time. I definitely had some good luck finding the marvellous Lyme Park. I'm a bit worried now about what bad luck might be around the corner.