A typical scene underground. It’s not one of us – a photo provided by Winster Caving Club

Walkers regularly come across long-abandoned mines on outings to the Peak District but rarely do they get the chance to find out what is happening beneath their boots underground.

Just such an opportunity occurred recently when a 21-strong party of intrepid East Cheshire ramblers visited Ecton Hill in Staffordshire between Leek and Buxton, once home to Europe’s largest and richest copper mine.

With a mining history dating back 3,500 years, the slopes of the towering, grass-covered hillside conceal a chequered past under a succession of owners, several of whom made their fortunes and others who went bust.

By 1790, after Ecton had been acquired by the fifth Duke of Devonshire, 400 workers – men, women and children – toiled beneath the surface, often in appalling conditions and living with the constant threat of flooding or an explosion.

The party during their tour of the surface workings on Ecton Hill

During its heyday in the 1800s, it is said that the Duke made sufficient money to build the magnificent Crescent in Buxton, producing around 100,000 tonnes of mainly copper ore (but also lead) and made a profit of £300,000, equivalent today to a jaw-dropping £24.4m.

Much of the copper was used to make brass and was also rolled into copper sheets for the Royal Navy to protect ships’ hulls against boring worms.

Ecton finally closed in 1891 having been at the forefront of mining technology. Indeed, many famous scientists and engineers of the day had links to the mine : James Watt and Matthew Boulton supplied its steam engine, whilst James Banks discovered new life forms in the cavernous depths down below.

East Cheshire Ramblers’ tour was arranged by leader Brian Griffiths courtesy of the Ecton Mine Educational Trust which operates regular visits and field studies for organised groups. For further information go to www.ectonhillfsa.org.uk.

Our guide answering questions outside the mine’s visitor centre

Made it ! Linda Brackenbury (left) and Gwen Sproston at the end of their epic walk.

At a time in life when many women of their age would be content to spend their days pottering in the garden or knitting jumpers for their grandchildren, pensioners Linda Brackenbury and Gwen Sproston decided to walk from Land’s End to John O’Groats.

But instead of simply following the usual route based on roads and well waymarked national trails, they plotted a more direct walk using public footpaths and bridleways as much as possible – and in the process managed to carve nearly 200 miles off the 1,200-mile trek.

Now Linda (age 67) from Cheadle Hulme, Cheshire, a retired University of Manchester lecturer in Computer Science, has published a 371 page book of their 1,035-mile, end-to-end journey. Hence the title : Walking e2e.

Between them, Linda and Gwen have nine grandchildren. Their epic feat took just 71 days between April and June 2012 and included a staggering 101,000 ft (31,077 metres) of ascent with only three days rest along the way and two days of travelling either side.

Covering an average 14½ miles daily, the 71 sections ranged from 6 miles to a maximum of 21 miles. Each stage is fully described and illustrated with sketch maps to make it easier for others who want to follow in their footsteps. There is also helpful advice on transport and accommodation.

“Thanks to Gwen’s superb navigation, we hardly put a foot wrong,” said Linda, who explained that they wanted to avoid the better-known, national trails because these often meander into popular tourist areas and generally attract more people.

“In fact, we stuck to quiet, public footpaths as much as possible as well as old drovers’ trails and military roads. As a result, we only saw 41 other walkers throughout our journey and many of these were friends and relatives who came to cheer us on along the way.” These included ten members of their walking group, East Cheshire Ramblers, who spent a day walking with them from Barnton to Glazebrook, Cheshire.

So would they do it again ? “Like a shot,” said Linda immediately. “Both of us felt a terrible sense of anti-climax when we got to John O’Groats.”

Apart from acting as navigator, Gwen (age 69), from Chelford, Cheshire, chronicled their feat in more than than 1,500 photographs, which are used for talks to raise money for local charities together with the proceeds from book sales.

Copies of Linda’s book, Walking e2e, can be ordered price £15, inc p.p., via her website : www.brackwalks.co.uk. ISBN 978-0-9931833-0-0.

Linda Brackenbury signs copies of her book Walking e2e accompanied by fellow members of East Cheshire Ramblers

Roger’s article in the Manchester Weekly News on July 2nd

This is an example of the free publicity we have been getting through articles submitted to local papers by Roger Norton, our press officer.  We have a weekly spot in the Macclesfield Express and regular articles in the South Manchester editions of the Manchester Weekly News.

But Roger has run out of articles so, if you have led a walk recently or been on one that you have enjoyed,  send Roger a few paragraphs about it to keep the publicity going.

Marie Curie are hosting a “Walk to Remember”, a 10k twilight walk in Tatton Park at 6.30pm on Saturday 8 August 2015.
The walk is open to walkers and dogs of all ages and abilities.
The aim of the walk is to remember someone special and to raise funds for Marie Curie, a charity that assists local people living with terminal illness.
The walk will be followed by entertainment and fireworks.
Read about it at mariecurie.org.uk/walktoremember

There will be a talk of interest to all lovers of the countryside at The Wilmslow Gardening Club next Monday, March 16th. The subject is ‘The Flora and Ecology of the Peak District’ and it will be given by Steve Furness of the Alpine Nursery in Calver.  The meeting starts at 7.45 pm at Wilmslow Preparatory School on Grove Avenue, Wilmslow.  Visitors £4 each.