A Circular Walk Through the Hanchurch Hills
Swynnerton
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| Staffordshire |
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| Stafford Borough |
Swynnerton sits on a ridge on the western side of the Trent Valley. It is home to some 600 people, two churches, a pub and a post office. The ‘big house,’ Swynnerton Hall, is the home of Francis Fitzherbert, the Lord Stafford.
The original Swynnerton Hall was destroyed after the Fitzherberts backed the wrong side in the Civil War. Family fortunes, like the
monarchy, were later restored and the present hall was built in 1719. Landscaped
parkland was the fashion of the day and as the village blocked the Fitzherberts’
view of their domain, it was demolished and rebuilt on the top of the ridge
behind the hall.
The relocated village was little more than a hamlet and most of Swynnerton’s several hundred current residents, including Lynne and me, live on an
estate built in the 1970s in and around the Fitzherbert’s kitchen garden. It
was here that Mike, Lee, Francis and Alison arrived for breakfast on Saturday
morning.
A big ‘thank you’ to Lynne for doing the cooking; I did volunteer but she shoved me aside.
Swynnerton to Harley Thorn Farm, on the end of the Hanchurch Hills
Full of bacon, black pudding and fried egg we set off on the
minor road along the ridge. The views from here can be exceptional. The last
time we walked from Swynnerton (Stone Circle Part 1) I photographed the assembled company looking at the millennium toposcope rather than the view
because it was misty. This time the visibility was worse, even the huge bulk of
the Wrekin was threatening to disappear into the gloom. It was, though, mild
enough for Francis and Mike to give an early season outing to their knees.
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| Naked knees in Swynnerton |
We followed the path down to Beech, walked up to and acrossthe A519 and ascended to Harley Thorn Farm on the end of the Hanchurch Hills.
Whitmore was now only 4km away, so we took a detour to Trentham Park.
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| Up to Harley Thorn Farm |
A Detour Through the Trentham Estate
Dropping off the Hanchurch Hills on a rhododendron embowered path....
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| Descending through the Rhodies, temporarily leaving the Hanchurch Hills |
...we returned to the A519 and followed it for a noisy 800m before turning onto a footbridge over the M6 and ascending Kingswood Bank.
Half way up, a notice informed us that the Trentham Estate has embarked on a five year restoration plan. The first stage involves felling the commercial pine forest and replanting with native sessile oaks. Much as I approve of this as a long term plan, it rather spoiled today's descent into the park. A high metal fence lined one side of the path while the woodland on the other was taped off. Horizontal trees and some impressive forestry equipment did not make for a scenic stroll.
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| Birches on Kingsdown Bank, with the condemned pines beind |
The Trentham Estate, once the home of the Dukes of Sutherland, retains its artificial lake and Italian Garden but now also
contains a retail village, monkey forest and huge Garden Centre. Our route saw
little of these except the tip of the lake and back of the Garden Centre, where
we turned left across Trentham Park golf course and headed back towards the
main road.
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| Signs of Spring (1): a wild rose on the verge of the A519 |
Up to then Along the top of the Hanchurch Hills
Once over the A519 and under the motorway we climbed back into the Hanchurch Hills via the Hanchurch Pools. The day was brightening up, but
you would not think so from the demeanour of the anglers sitting hunched over
their solitary hobby. Doubtless they gain some pleasure from what they do, but
they always look so miserable doing it.
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| Happy fisherman, Hanchurch Pools |
A gently rising path took us to Underhill Farm. Farmers, not unreasonably, like walkers to close
gates after them. This sign (once the property of the LNER) at Underhill Farm
underlined the point. Americans and younger readers, even middle aged ones come
to think of it, might like to know that 40 shillings was £2 ($3) – a tidy sum
in the 1940s. [Interesting if irrelevant update. LNER, London and North Eastern Railway, operated from 1927 until nationalisation in 1948. Its network then became British Rail Eastern Region. After privatisation in 1992 a number of companies held the franchise until Virgin Trains East Coast ran into difficulties in 2018. Trains are now run by the Department for Transport under the name LNER. Full circle. Not that these lines go anywhere near here.]
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| 'Any person who omits to shut and fasten this gate is liable to a penalty not exceeding forty shillings' |
From the farm the climb to the ridge a little more strenuous.
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| Up the Hanchurch Hills |
The path across the highest part of the woods was broad and dry,....
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| Through the Hanchurch Woods |
but as we descended towards the misnamed Hobgoblin Gate (a hobgoblin was always a long shot, but surely some sort of gate was a reasonable expectation)
the bridleway dropped into a hollow between earthworks. Here the ground had
been badly churned up by horses.
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| Churned up bridleway |
To Lunch at the Mainwearing Arms
We emerged from the woods onto the minor road down to Whitmore. Signs of spring were everywhere, crocuses in full bloom, daffodils almost
ready to burst and spring lambs trying out their wobbly legs.
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| Signs of Spring (2): new lambs |
The Mainwearing Arms in Whitmore has a way of looking closed from the outside, but has always been packed whenever I have been inside. It
provides a good sandwich and a choice of real ales, though today neither of my selections
proved to be beers I would seek out again.
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| The Mainwearing Arms, Whitmore |
The Cavenagh-Mainwearing family still live at nearby Whitmore Hall, built in 1676. The
Whitmore Estate owns the pub which is packed with local and family memorabilia.
Connoisseurs of toilet humour may like to know that the estate came into the
Mainwearing family in the 16th century when Edward Mainwearing married the
Whitmore heiress Alice de Boghay. Prior to that the Mainwearings came from
Peover. During the 19th century the house was leased to porcelain manufacturer
Thomas Twyford, whose name is the most peed over in British history (except
possibly Armitage Shanks).
Whitmore to Shelton-under-Harley
The sun made some sort of effort to come out as we left the
pub and I removed my jacket during the walk down the minor road to
Shelton-under-Harley. Here we turned up a farm track running alongside the
woods. The colours in the still bare trees below the pines were remarkable.
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| Gentle colours in the bare trees |
To the Hatton Pumping Station
At the end of the track we turned onto Dog Lane and then
onto Common Lane, first passing through Nursery Common Wood and then between
fields. The surface was dry but unexpectedly sandy and there were times when it
felt like walking on a beach.
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| Along Common Lane |
The lane emerges at Hatton Pumping Station. Built in 1890 in
response to increased local demand for water – due, in the main, to the
popularity of Thomas Twyford’s flush toilets – it as a magnificent construction.
Whatever shortcomings the Victorians had, lack of confidence was not one of
them; despite its humble task, the building is a temple to the gods of
engineering. The original beam engines were replaced by electric engines in the
first half of last century but pumping continued until 1990. After lying derelict
for some years the pumping station was bought by developers who converted it
into luxury apartments. This has not been the best time for the property market
and some of the apartments remain empty, but it is good to see the building
restored and well cared for again.
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| Approaching Hatton Pumping Station |
Back to Swynnerton
From here we passed through Little Hatton and up the lane past the kennels. The owners store – I can think of no better word – some
fearsome guard dogs and I never feel comfortable here until I am over the stile
and half a field away.
The final field before our fourth crossing of the A519 had
been rough pasture when I walked it recently, but has since been ploughed and
we had to pick our way along the field margin among the badger sets.
The final fields into Swynnerton are over the working rather than landscaped part of the Swynnerton estate. This is usually a good place to see the
village’s resident pair of buzzards, but a smaller bird with a louder voice
dominated today’s sky. Skylarks flapped above us in their frenetic way, each generating
an unlikely volume of birdsong for their small size.
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| Returning to Swynnerton beneath the skylarks |
A final sunken lane brought us back into the village. The afternoon had been shorter and flatter and walked at a brisk pace. Back home Lynne had the kettle on and hot cross buns in the toaster.
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| Back in Swynnerton |
Approx distance: 23 km
*According to Francis this was Cowpat 5, as he insists in counting a couple of inquorate walks. I will humour him by giving a brief mention to Cowpat ½: Codsall (October 2011) and Cowpat 1½: Haughton (December 2011).
Nice to be reminded of walks I have done many times myself! Christine
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