The group at the infant Kinder River crossing
By Martin Cave
With warnings of extreme weather for the Sunday I decided that a relatively low level walk around Hayfield would be a good option. This would provide excellent views and options to cut the walk short if the bad weather arrived earlier than forecast. As it turned, out ten of us enjoyed a lovely walk with plenty of sunshine.
Starting from Hayfield bus station we set off along the Calico Trail, passing above Clough Mill but well below Lantern Pike, to Matley Moor where we took a brief coffee stop. Crossing the Hayfield / Glossop road we then headed down to Carr Meadow which at the bottom of Hollingworth Clough is a wonderful walk leading to a distant small waterfall in August when the heather is in bloom. However, Hollingworth Clough is quite a challenge and not for us today. We then took the track to the shooting cabin above the Kinder Reservoir then down to the bottom of William Clough where we joined the path round to where the Kinder River joins the reservoir. Here we had our lunch, sheltered from the slight breeze and with good views of the Downfall far above us. Walking past Upper House we headed for the bottom of Broad Clough where our short but quite steep climb took us up to the bottom of Kinderlow End. After a short boggy section we joined Coldwell Clough, a bridle way joining Hayfield with Edale. Leaving Coldwell Clough we took little used field paths down to South Head Farm returning to Hayfield via the Pennine Bridleway and Elle Bank. Most of us ended the day with coffee and cake at Millies Tea Room and Chocolatier.
Hollingsworth Clough
