Upper Hulme And The Hamps Way, Near Leek

Introduction

It has rained a lot this month. Last Thursday was simply too wet to consider heading outside, and by today I was surprised just how much I found that I had missed my routine of a weekly walk!

And so, I challenged myself to complete a 9 mile walk with 1700 feet (520m) of ascent in what I expected may be very boggy conditions. It turned out that most of the walk was on tracks and roads, and so not too bad underfoot, apart from one awkward stream crossing.

This is my second walk starting from Upper Hulme this year. The first was a 6 mile walk up Hen Cloud and Ramshaw Rocks on 17th March.

Today’s forecast was for rain from lunchtime, so I got up early and was walking by 10 to 9.

The weather was quite bright for a while, but there was a sharp shower around 11 o’clock. However, I was safely back to the car well before the early afternoon deluge began.

It’s a 55 minute drive to Upper Hulme from Cheadle Hulme.

I walked clockwise , and it took 3 hours 45 minutes with no stops.

This walk isn’t great for dog walking, as most of it is on tracks that are open to adjacent sheep pasture. There are also some tricky stiles to negotiate.

I parked on the road just below The Rock Inn, postcode ST13 8TY.

The walk is on OS Explorer Map OL24.

Upper Hulme To The Mermaid

I walked uphill past the pub and onto the A53, before taking the track off to the right. There are fine views up and down the valley from here.

Much of the walk took routes along tracks between farms. After passing Knowles and Swainsmoor, I came to the pretty Little Swainsmoor, nestled against the hillside.

I was soon heading downhill to a confluence of streams. They were swollen by recent rains, and there wasn’t a bridge in sight.

It took a brave leap to cross here, but I made it without my shoes being breached!

It was now a long drag uphill, which was brightened by some brief sunshine and spectacular views to Hen Cloud (left), The Roaches (centre) and Ramshaw Rocks (right).

I soon arrived at, what turned out to be the former, Mermaid Inn. It is now self catering holiday accommodation.

The Hamps Way

This trail starts here, and follows the course of the River Hamps downstream. At Feltysitch, the paths are not well marked. I went round behind the farm and then had to use a fence that straddled the infant river as an assault course style footbridge! I don’t think that was the right way!

Back on track, I passed Stone Bank Farm with its amusing pig-shaped bench and gorilla (on the right) in the garden!

It also had an oddly mixed flock of sheep too.

The river was growing wider now, passing under a pair of bridges at Lower Green Farm, before reaching a long reservoir, whose purpose was unclear.

After the reservoir I turned right, down a very steep approach to the river and its footbridge. This may be a marked “Way” but it is clearly little used, most visitors to the area no doubt being drawn to The Roaches and Tittesworth Reservoir!

Return To Upper Hulme

A long straight uphill farm track passes Manor Farm, and I had now left the Hamps Way.

The weather was now quite severely overcast, with rain in the air as I dropped back down to the road beyond Old Mixon Way. Crossing the road, my route now followed a very minor road (no vehicles past me along here). There were, or rather, would have been dramatic views to Leek and Tittesworth Reservoir, but the dull conditions weren’t helping!

Thorncliffe is an attractive hamlet.

I continued right then left to reach the A53, past The Three Horseshoes at Blackshaw Moor, then down the road to Middle Hulme. In the hedgerows, I spotted this bird.

Not a great picture, but definitely recognisable as a fieldfare.

In better weather I may have detoured for views of the reservoir, but I settled on enjoying the large brook which I crossed on its way to the open water.

The last section of the walk took me up Whitty Lane. It starts as a track, but is soon a path which crosses a stream.

It seems odd to have given this the status of “Lane”, but perhaps it was something grander back in the day.

Nearing Upper Hulme, I spotted “The Mermaid” up on the distant hilltop, where I had been a couple of hours before.

Upper Hulme is in a narrow valley with several industrial activities still occupying the main, narrow road. Its centre is very pretty!

And to my delight, an early start meant that there was now time to eat my packed lunch before enjoying a pint of Wincle Brewery’s Hanging Stone, a very pleasant porter, in The Rock Inn.

A cracking good walk, slightly off the beaten track, and well worth getting out on a rather dull November morning.

And Finally….

Here’s another artist I’d not come across before this week. From the album Wat A Ting, this is Transparent by Zeeteah Massiah.