Hayfield, Lantern Pike and the Shooting Cabin
The weather forecast was pretty vile- although it wasn't due to rain until mid-late afternoon, the wind was set to start at about 20mph and gust up to 60- not great. Consequently, a walk close by and not too long was suitable. Jacinta consulted the AA guide and we decided to do a familiar walk from Hayfield- not the shortest, but not too long, either.
We parked at the Sett Valley car park and followed the Sett Valley Trail until... the Sett Valley Café, where we had, as usual, a really nice coffee and a snack. After the early refreshment, we crossed the River Sett and turned up the Pennine Bridleway, which was beginning to feel quite autumnal.
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| Starting up the Pennine Bridleway |
At the turning down to Lower Cliffe (also on a bridleway) frustration with lost or misguided drivers had clearly been enough for someone to fork out for a sign.
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| A sign of frustration |
After crossing the minor road above Lower Cliffe there's a house where the occupants really enter into the spirit of Halloween. In previous years they've put a row of carved pumpkins along their fence and wall. This year it was skeletons!
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| Seasonal decorations |
Looking back over Hayfield, we could see parts of last week's walk- Mount Famine and the ridge up to Brown Knoll.
On the way up to Lantern Pike we passed a man with two border collies. He was entertaining them by throwing a frisbee; the two dogs co-operated in returning the disk to him, passing it from one to the other. Sorry- no pictures. On the way down from the very windy summit we passed what must be the second-cleanest sheep in the Peak District (the cleanest are, of course, in Chatsworth Park).
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| Jacinta admiring extraordinarily clean sheep |
We left the Pennine Bridleway at Matleymoor Farm and followed the path past some very placid cows, past Taiga Farm and the minor road past Hollingworth Head Farm, crossing the Glossop Road and took the path south below The Intakes and The Knott. The moors are clearly managed intensively for game shooting.
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| The path below The Knot with areas cleared for grouse |
As ever, the ideal lunch spot was at the Shooting Cabin, with its views.
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| The shooting cabin with Kinder in the background |
The descent to Hayfield is via the Snake Path with its wrought iron kissing gates and the Twenty Trees plantation.
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| The Snake Path and Twenty Trees |
At the end of the path down to Hayfield, there's a plaque commemorating the arrest of the leading members of the Kinder Mass Trespass. We'll be ever grateful for their efforts, which cost them up to six months in prison.
8 miles, about 470m ascent.
