The November walk was centered on The Church House Inn on the outskirts of Congleton at Buglawton. It was rewarding to have with us two of our newest members (Eric Owen and Dennis Fletcher) and a prospective new member (Dave Tipper) hopefully they will all join us again on future walks helping to ensure the continuation of the walking group.
Clear blue skies and warm autumn sunshine accompanied our band of fourteen walkers throughout the morning.
After we had pre-ordered our lunches we set off towards Congleton turning right down a track known as Tommy’s Lane and a meandering path leading to a steep climb up onto the disused railway track now called The Biddulph Valley Way.
This path now runs all the way to Fegg Hayes, but out walk was only to the Mossley Road and the footpath that follows a River Dane tributary until it rises from the muddy riverside to where it crosses under the Biddulph Valley way and joins the Gritstone trail. After crossing three stiles we went through a gate leading down to the Macclesfield Canal, which we followed until we met the Congleton to Buxton Road, heading back towards The Church House for Lunch.
Lunch was an experience and far too complicated to write in detail suffice to say that, through no fault of ours, the order was mixed up, with one of the group not being served until everyone else had finished, thankfully the deserts were all served correctly and the late meal was not charged for. Despite the problems everyone seemed to thoroughly enjoy the day.
The next walk will be on Wednesday 3rd December and will be from Oakamoor towards Alton, again predominately along a disused railway track. Lunch will be at The Admiral Nelson in Oakamoor. This is the day before the Probus Lunch, just in time to walk up an appetite, leave Kidsgrove Car Park 09:30 hrs.