Limestone Way to Cannock

Monday 18th May  Furness Vale to Blackwell

Hill paths from home through the peak district and into the Derbyshire Dales
20 miles approx

Having been weathered and worn over the past month, I had opted to take a proper rest. Now my shin was much better, my kit was in order and I'd spent some time with Lorraine. The longer rest did however make it much harder to set off in the morning, especially with rain running down the kitchen window as I looked out at Big Stone hill. This was the first hill on the days route. Retracing my steps back into the Pennines. Lorraine helped me to make the decision to go, saying that if I left it any longer there was a danger I wouldn't ever set off. Anyway, all the rain I'd suffered on the Pennine Way so far should have hardened me to it by now. I walked with Lorraine to the bus stop. She was heading to work. It was very hard to turn the corner down to the canal. I waved the last wave for another month at least. The rain went off as I looked back over Furness Vale from the lane leading me up towards Big Stone. Today was all familiar terratory and I would end the day just south of Buxton. The rain was on and off as I headed down from Big Stone to the bench and then on over the Hayfield road before climbing up to South Head. I had originaly planned to walk into Castleton and join the Limestone Way from there, but instead I adjusted the route to cut a corner and headed up Perry Dale towards Peak Forest to join it. Looking back over South Head from Peak Forest I could see some very heavy and dark clouds coming in. It had started raining again by the time I reached the Limestone Way heading out to Wheston. I used the Pennine Bridalway for a short time before joining back on to the Limestone Way to the head of Monks Dale. Here I met a guy heading south. He was following the Limestone way to its end at Castleton and was nearly done. I bet that felt great, but he looked like he was on autopilot. At Millers Dale I had no choice but to walk along the road as there is no pavement. As I walked carefully looking up at the old railway viaduct a cyclist rode up to and stopped beside me. He was just on a day ride and was heading home to Buxton, he asked about my destination for today. He then walked with me a short distance and we parted as he headed on to Buxton along the road and I took the track up to Priestcliff Ditch. It rained very very hard here and I tried to take shelter under some hawthorn trees. It eased a little and I made the short and quick walk down the road to bring me to Blackwell. There isn't much there. The campsite was fairly quiet with only me in the tent field. It was the cheapest campsite so far at just £4. The lady in the shop (farm) told me that she had taken the horses in earlier as it had rained so hard. I said tell me about it. I bought some griddles and set the tent up. The token operated showers were ok. I bought a couple of tokens and had a good 10 minute dowse. I lay in tent listening to the rain as I called Lorraine. She was not that far away at all. I could see the hill that sits between Buxton and Furness from here. She could be here in half an hour in the car. I zonked out at 10ish. This homesick feeling would fade as I put in a couple more days distance.

Tuesday 19th May  Blackwell to Swinscoe

Hill paths and railway tracks in the Derbyshire Dales
24 miles approx

I woke before the alarm with birds singing in the hawthorne hedges beside the tent. I snoozed until 6:40am then went for a shower. The tent was still a bit wet with no wind to dry it off. But I packed it away and headed on and up along the Pennine Bridalway to the main Ashbourne road. I passed a small burial cairn but didn't make the detour to it. I will have to make the journey and revisit it at a later date. I now joined an old railway line that had been made into the High Peak Trail as it headed out towards Tissington. This was flat, well made, and made for easy and quick walking. So I could get a pace on. However it should be called snail trail as it was covered in snails. This slowed me down having to dodge all about so as not to tread on any. The sign at the start of the trail told that the old railway line used to run through to Whaley Bridge at Buxworth Basin to join with the canal. This was all gone now with a huge quarry having taken a large chunk of it out altogether. I walked on and fast, the cloud was building up and it was ready to rain. I passed Pastures End, an old station that has now gone and has been replaced with a cafe and cycle hire place. This was closed however. There were a few people about now, walking and on horseback. I pressed on and it started to rain. Just a shower at first, then gradually more heavy rain. I took shelter under bridges and the odd tree. The sycamores were giving the best shelter. I noticed that the snails were all sheltering on the trees too. There must be hundreds of them stuck along the branches and trunks. Around Biggin the rain became serious. I was getting wet even through my waterproofs. This track made for easy walking but it was very open and exposed too. The rain was sheeting in by now. Strangely a large strung out group of kids came riding by. This went on for some time, watching over my sholder for them as they seemed to be all over the place. I eventually came off the trail at a small carpark at Milldale. I followed a small road down, through a torrent of water, to the little village. As I arrived the rain went off. I was just thinking how I was really hoping to see Dovedale in the sun and fat chance of that. The village is lovely but for me today it was spoilt by several white vans and builders working on the public toilets. I crossed the small pack horse bridge an headed off into Dovedale. The sun actually started to try to break through. I walked along the well made track and looked out for the points of interest. Illam rock, the Natural Arch and others. Its a really nice walk, one worth doing without the pack on. There were a lot of people about even on this miserable day, so I guess it gets really busy when the weather is good.

At the far end, near the stepping stones (which I crossed just to say I've done it) I took to a grassy path that crossed over to the village of Thorpe. I was hoping for a shop, here but there was none. I called Ma from a payphone though at just 40p for 20 mins. I rejoined the Limestone Way just past the old church outside the village, crossing a strangely long Coldwell Bridge taking me across the border into Staffordshire. After a farm, the path dropped into a dip in the fields. This was now a total mud bath. I mean mud that was up to my ankles and there was nothing to do but to stride through it. I spent the next mile cleaning my boots off in the long grass. At Woodhouses I found an overgrown style into a field that promised to take me up to the main A52 road through to Swinscoe.

This path hadn't been walked for some time with very long grass. I did eventually make it to the road, having to dodge electric fences and climb over hard to open gates. A few hundred yards along a noisy main road and I was at the Dog and Partridge Hotel. This is an old coaching house hiding a horrible seventies motel style group of outbuildings at the back. I was in one of them. The clouds were really dark now but I was safe in my room when it chucked it down. The room did have a nice bath, which I used before heading into the Inn for dinner. What sounded good on the menu was only average grub but with a serious price tag. I watched a bit of TV before going to sleep. I noticed that the room was full of dog hairs and now so was I. Nice.





Wednesday 20th May  Swinscoe to Uttoxeter

Hill paths following the Limestone and Staffordshire Way
12 miles approx

After an OK breakfast I ordered a packed lunch, and paid up before leaving. Todays walk was to be through field paths but started along the main A-Road outside. Half a mile down the road I only just noticed the stile to join the Limestone Way. It was totally overgrown. I guess that this section isn't walked much at all. The path wasn't obvious at all either. To begin with I was hunting for each stile or gate. I made several mistakes trying to use the map to see which side of the hedge the path was on. I had to backtrack to the last field a couple of times. After a while though I got better at it. I was looking for slight signs in the grass or dents in an overgrown hedgerow. Some of the stiles were the very old stone ones. Some of the walking was wet and muddy but in the main it wasn't too bad really. These are fields for grazing animals, with lots of sheep and cows. The sun came out and the day felt quite nice. I dropped off the path to a minor road to have a look at Dusley Cross. It was in the garden of a house of the same name and had been dismantled and laid out on the grass. Why? I followed the road along a stream into Upper Ellastone and stayed on the road to rejoin the path at Lower Ellastone. The path now follows the river and was very muddy due to a lot of cows and a big ugly bull. Luckily it wasn't interested in me as I passed a few feet in front of it. The path wasn't very clear here either and again I found myself working from the map as I entered each field. I came back to the B5030 road which was very busy for such a small road. I crossed to another stile on the other side and into a field, staying on the Limestone Way. As I progressed through the field a large herd of cows suddenly bolted ahead of me. At first I thought it was because of me but then I heard a deep menacing bark coming up behind me. About 30 yards away was a large Rotweiller running my way. Hmmm. I decided to continue to walk while I fumbled to try and find my dog stop alarm. Like that would halt it in its stride. Not. I had a quick check over my shoulder and the dog was still coming but wasn't getting much closer. I shewed away some cows and got over the Stile into the next field. Phew. The dog stopped aout 20 metres away but continued to boom at me. I guessed that it could have cleared the stile or fence and had me for dinner if it wanted. It was just protecting its property. At this point the heavens opened. I put on the waterproofs and forged on through some very long grass. One more field, this one having the path ploughed out and was very muddy, brought me to Rocester and the end of the Limestone Way. From here you can see the the big JCB plant. This town is the site of an old roman camp. You wouldn't know it today though. Its a big cluster of housing estates with a couple of not happy old cottages swamped up in the middle of them. I did find a shop though and bought a few bits. I now joined the Staffordshire Way just over a bridge from an old Courtaulds Spinning Mill which was being converted to apartments. This path was much more obvious than the end of the Limestone Way, with proper signs and visible paths. It took me past a ruined farm house that looked ready to come down and then another farm house that was having a lot of work done on it. There were lots of builders and vehicles all over the place. I could hear a lot of shooting ahead and was thinking that I was likley to get shot by a buch of hunters or something. I had however joined a signed bridalway to Dovebridge. The shooting continued and I noticed that there were large groups as it was a clay pigeon shooting club. There was at least a hundred gun toting sobs in country gentlemen dress. They looked at me as if I shouldn't be there. But this is the Staffordshire Way so there. As I left the site, I took an alternative route as the path I was on was being showered with shot falling from one of the ranges. I eventually made it to Dovevridge, which is an old bridge that is now unused and superceded by a grotty concrete one. I had to walk under the new busy road using a low and graffitied underpass. On the other side I could clearly see Uttoxeter race couse beyond a large open field. I found Uttoxeter was busy with traffic as I headed round to the racecourse to find the campsite. It was a bit out of the way and when I arrived the campsite attendant told me that it would be £17.50 WHAT!. He told me that this was the price and that I would be better looking for a B&B. I got the clear feeling that they didn't welcome tents. There was a bit of caravan snobbery here. Stuff the site. It isn't nice anyway. I walked back into town and found a Guest House. The Old Royd Guest House just near Tesco and KFC. This was better anyway. The room was in an anex building at the back and was really nice. I headed to Tesco for tomorrows grub and to KFC for dinner. Some parts of the town are nice but the road network that has been driven through it has taken a lot away. The lady in the guest house showed me a photo of how it looked not too long ago. Its changed a lot. It started raining quite hard when I was in my room. I was glad that fate had driven me to not camp.

Thursday 21st May  Uttoxeter to Cannock Chase

Field paths following the Staffordshire Way and Cannock Chase
18 miles approx

After a really nice full breakfast I was walking back along the road towards the racecourse. I was on the road to Abbots Bromley. I rode on this route a couple of years ago. I found the Staffordshire way again as it cut into a housing estate that wasn't on the map. I could see this estate has been growing over the years and was gradually creeping nearer to an old farm house. A pitty. Closing the farmouse gate behind me, I was now back in open countryside and heading off following an old bridal path through farmland. One path was very overgrown with long grass and weeds which were full of water from last nights rain. By the time I reached the end my pants were soaked. The paths on this section were a bit overgrown and so where possible, I opted for the little roads to bypass them. After a really nice and well kept farmhouse, Marlpit House Farm, and a very wet and squelchy driveway, I found myself in some very large and open fields. I was then following a track past the strangly named Squitch House, hidden from view behid trees and no trespass signs. A few wet and muddy field paths directed me to small roads leading into Abbots Bromley. It was nice and sunny as I arrived. There are no shops in the village, just a couple of pubs. Even the Farmhouse Tea shop that I had seen in 2007 had been converted into a Kids Club. So there were no option to resupply here then. I followed a little road out towards the reservoir. At the dam the path took a detour through a field with cows and a huge bull. The cows did a runner as I crossed the style but the bull just stood there. I guess I didn't frighten him. I joined the road at the next little village of Broughley, with lots of nice houses but again no shops. From here the way joins the Trent and Mersey canal but I left it to cut into Rugley on my way to Cannock Chase on the other side. I managed to use side roads to skirt around Rugley, cutting through  a little wooded hill that had evaded the housing planners.

Cannock Chase is a maze of paths through some old and new woodland. Its a nice place for mountain biking and walking. I walked through looking at some sculptures that had been set out for interest along the path and after a bit of road walking I crossed a main A road and joined the Marquis's Drive track that cut through the Chase heading south.

I was now on the Heart of England Way. This is the path that would take me over one hundred miles all the way to Chipping Campden in the Cotswolds. I followed the wooded drive to Wanden campsite. The site was really nice and the people running it were too. They were interested in my walk and the little shop had everything i needed for supplies. Being a camping and caravan club site the facilities were top notch with a clean and usable laundry and good showers. I was able to get all my clothes washed and dried. I had to walk up hill a little to get any phone signal to call home. I did this with the warm setting sun streaking through the trees. A nice end to the day and an end to another chapter of the walk.  I was far enough away from home to be thinking ahead rather than feeling at all homesick. There was still a long way to go.    
  


  
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