thousandmilesblog | Walk Post 032 - Singin' in the Rain at Lyme Park

Date of Walk: 29/05/10
Walk organized by: Stockport Ramblers
Start time: 11:00
Start location: Disley Station
Walk length: 7.61 miles
Weather conditions: Cool, cloudy, rain

Lyme Park next to Pursefield Woods

Details:
Five hardy souls completed this walk. After the weather on the previous walk, it was good to know that the British Summer had resumed normal service. It was cool, and I needed my waterproofs and my fleece. I was very, very happy about this. I had to restrain myself from splashing in puddles.

Starting from Disley station we went up the road towards Lyme Park, but didn't go straight into the park. At the junction in the road where the park is to the right we went left along the Gritstone Trail and through Millennium Wood, which was very pretty even in the rain and had lots of white bluebells sitting alone in patches of grass. We then continued up Mudhurst Lane and alongside the park, going on to Park Moor near Bow Stones. We walked across the moor, alongside the old quarry and up to Paddock Cottage. The cottage, sited quite far from any of the other park buildings, was once a hunting lodge and also a residential house at one point. It went unused for a long time and was in very poor condition before its restoration by the National Trust, with the roof completely gone. The restored cottage is open to visitors on alternate weekends in summer (the Cage is open on the other weekend), and we were fortunate to catch a weekend when we could go inside. It's a nice walk up there and worth seeing even for a few minutes. It has beautiful views, but seems very remote and lonely.

From the cottage we continued across to the west side of the park and followed the path to reach the west park gate. We walked down through the wood, noticing the attempts to control the beautiful but very invasive rhododendrons, and along the road to reach the Macclesfield Canal. There was lots of wild garlic growing by the road and the smell was quite strong, which made me feel hungry. We stopped for a late lunch on the bank of the canal at a small memorial area with a picnic table and lots of flowers. We left the canal at Higher Poynton mooring and went down to the visitor centre, then rejoined the canal after a short break. We crossed a bridge and went back towards Lyme Park, across fields and roads, going back into the park at the north end and passing the gatehouse. We then continued through and out of the park, along the road and steep path back to the station.

The whole experience was like a breath of fresh, cool air. The pace was nice and relaxed, the walk was reasonably short, the park was looking lovely, and the conversation was good. I could do with more typical British summer days like that one. And it was so nice not to struggle for a change.

Er, sorry. I mean, it was an awful, cold, rainy day and we heroically trudged shivering through the mud, the dismal grey scenery dragging our spirits ever lower. Wouldn't want anyone to think I was enjoying this too much. It's supposed to be all arduous and stuff, isn't it?