Staffordshire Way: Day 3 Hawksmoor Wood to Uttoxeter

Like the Barcelona posts, this is and its companions are a Covid lockdown project. The walk actually took place in 2005/6.

For an introduction to the Staffordshire Way, see Day 1.

Day 3 Saturday 14/01/2006

Following the Churnet to Rocester and the Dove to Uttoxeter

Participants: Francis, Mike, Alison C, Brian, Paul (guest) & Myself

Staffordshire

Our third day takes us beside the Churnet through the so-called Staffordshire Rhineland to Alton (of Alton Towers fame) and then to Rocester, the home of JCB and the end of section 1: The Gritstone Country and The Churnet Valley. Section 2: The Eastern Valleys and Cannock Chase starts by following the River Dove south to Uttoxeter, the largest town on the Staffordshire Way and the end of today's walk.

The Staffordshire Way Section 1: Gritstone Country & The Churnet Valley

Hawksmoor to Alton through the 'Staffordshire Rhineland'

Hawksmoor Wood, just outside the village of Oakamoor, is a National Trust owned patch of ancient woodland. The car park, conveniently adjacent to the B-road from Cheadle to Oakamoor had been the end of Day 2 and was now the start of Day 3. We were ready to walk before 9.30 on a dank January morning.

Preparing to set off from Hawlsmoor

Having left the Churnet when it swung east towards Oakamoor, we had climbed into the forest and now had to return to the river valley. We started with a gentle descent through Sutton’s Wood towards Stoney Dale.

Alison on the path through Sutton's Wood.

…where we perversely turned up the dale away from the river, but only for 200m.

Stoney Dale

Ousal Dale and Dimmings Dale

A 135° left turn took us into Ousal Dale, the route starting with a steepish descent over field paths but soon becoming a tarmac track before passing a magnificent old ...well...tree. Identifying a winter silhouette with confidence is beyond me.

Magnificent old tree

The dale becomes deeper and narrower and then joins Dimmingsdale. Nearing the bottom end, we passed a pond and paused to watch a great crested grebe diving for fish.

Lower end of Dimmingsdale with the former Alton Mill straight ahead

Rural as Dimmingsdale feels now, the area’s industrial heritage is never far away. The pond (visible on the right in the picture above) was constructed to provide power to Alton Mill (100m in front of us). The mill was built in 1741 by George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, and leased out for the purpose of smelting the lead mined at Ecton some 15km to the north. By 1760 the smelting operation had a smith’s shop, two houses and a barn as well as the pool. By 1786, though, the lead was gone and the mill was converted to grinding corn. The much-altered building is now a private residence.

The 'Staffordshire Rhineland'

100m beyond the mill, and slightly closer to the River Churnet, the path swings right staying a few contours above the river on the steep valley side.

A few contours above the River Churnet

This would have made climbing Toot Hill easier had we not first had to drop to river level to cross an incoming stream. Still, at 161m it hardly required crampons and oxygen…

Climbing Toot Hill

…and despite its silly name the riverside cliff provided a fine view across the Churnet Valley. Some wag (surely, they were not serious) dubbed this area the ‘Staffordshire Rhineland’ and the name appears in all the guide books.

Francis, Lord of All he Surveys, Toot Hill

A long time ago (the 12th of March 2011, to be precise) as we approached the infant Trent near Tittensor, Mike remarked that he had canoed this stretch in his youth and it reminded him of the Dordogne - a cue for some gentle ribbing. But Mike stood his ground and a little later (see The Stone Circle Part 2) he maintained that the Trent - in summer - with low water - on a sunny day - with warm water and 'sandy' beaches - from a canoe - with a picnic - with no trains going past - can feel a little Dordogne-like! A good try, but now consider the sentence ‘We thought this summer we’d drive down to the Dordogne, we'll hire a gîte.’ How does it sound if you replace ‘Dordogne’ with ‘Trent’?

But to be fair, at 483km the Dordogne may be one and a half times longer than the Trent, but they are both major rivers in their respective countries. Now let us consider the Rhine, 1,230km long and one of the great rivers of Europe, and the Churnet almost 50km long and not even the biggest river in north east Staffordshire. Let us also consider Lorelei Rock and Toot Hill... why bother, the names say it all.

I do not wish to disrespect the Churnet or Toot Hill. I like the picture above, and this short stretch is a little gem. But, to compare it with the grandeur of the Rhineland does disservice to both, most particularly to the friendly little Churnet.

I feel better having that off my chest.

Alton, Castle, Towers and Village

Downstream Alton Castle stands above its rocky precipice. The first stone fortification here dates from the 12th century, and from 1442 it was (like much else round here) owned by the Earls of Shrewsbury. The current building is pure Gothic Revival. In the early 19th century, the 15th Earl abandoned the castle and built himself a vast country seat just across the river. As an afterthought, Augustus Pugin was drafted in to rebuild the castle. The castle is now a Catholic youth retreat centre while Alton Towers, once an aristocrat’s country seat, is a theme park attracting over 2 million visitors annually (but not in 2020!). From March to September the sound of screaming fills the valley.

Alton Castle above the Churnet Valley

A few hundred metres further on we entered the village of Alton, well insulated from the sight and traffic – if not the noise - of the theme park.

Alison leads Mike and Paul into Alton

Alton to Rocester

Beyond Alton we found our way to the lengthy, historic but rather dull Saltersford Lane which cuts off a bend in the river. One of the many saltways that probably predate the Norman conquest, it is believed to be part of the route connecting salt-producing Nantwich with Derby via Newcastle-under-Lyme and Cheadle.

Paul and Brian plod down Saltersford Lane

At the end of the lane we turned south and found a sheltered spot for coffee...

Getting ready to move after coffee

...before continuing between the river and the village of Denstone. Reaching the B-road out of Denstone we turned on to it and use Quixhill Bridge to cross to the eastern side of the Churnet for the first time since we left the Caldon canal.

Quixhill Bridge over the Churnet

We walked through water meadows...

Across the Churnet's water meadows towards the wood

...until the river started a series of meanders. Here a wooded hill descended to the eastern tip of the meanders and the path took us across the slope to emerge just above a roundabout where we took the minor road into Rocester.

Rocester

Golden JCB in Udaipur fort,
a gift to the Maharaja from the Bamfords

Rocester is a large village (pop:1,700) standing on the neck of land between the Churnet and the River Dove, 2km north of their confluence. It has several claims to fame, though our route into the village had avoided the largest and most obvious. Rocester seems an odd little corner to encounter the international headquarters of one the world’s biggest digger and construction equipment manufacturers, but the JCB plant and offices are just over the Churnet and have a bigger footprint than the village. Not only is it a huge company, it is still entirely owned by the Bamford family

Reaching the High Street, we located the Red Lion and stopped for a sandwich and a glass of lunch.

Leaving the Red Lion, Rocester

Refreshed we continued down the High Street past Arkwright’s Mill. In 1769 Richard Arkwright patented his water frame, a major advance on Hargreave’s Spinning Jenny which only 5 years earlier had revolutionised cotton spinning. The days of cotton spinning as a cottage industry were over when Arkwright opened his first water powered mill at Matlock Bath, possibly the world’s first factory. Others followed and in 1781 he converted Rocester’s corn mill, powered by the River Dove, into a cotton mill. The mill remained the village’s largest employer until 1950, finally closing in 1985, by which time it had long been overtaken by JCB. As a final act in 2010, the refurbished mill became a secondary school for 800 students – the JCB Academy.

Next door is Rocester’s small football stadium and behind that the site of the Augustinian Abbey, of which nothing remains, and a Roman fort and settlement.

Rocester to Uttoxeter

At the end of the road, we crossed the River Dove (today pronounced like the bird but traditionally rhyming with ‘rove’), turned south and encountered the best angle to photograph Arkwright’s Mill, in 2006 an unused building.

Arkwright's Mill, now the JCB Academy across the River Dove, Rocester

In crossing the river we had not only ventured into Derbyshire (and would stay there for the next 5 kilometres) but had embarked upon....

The Staffordshire Way Part 2; The Eastern Valleys and Cannock Chase

The Staffordshire Way Part 2, Uttoxeter to Cannock Chase

Much of our brief visit to Derbyshire was rather dreary. We walked on flat land away from the river…

Mike brings up the rear as we leave Rocester behind

…pausing to discuss hedge laying techniques – though with no obvious expertise.

Paul and Francis discuss hedge laying

Then it was back to the dull stuff.

Francis and Alison lead through another flat, dank field

Once we found ourselves on a low rise giving a view of the Dove with Uttoxeter in the distance…

The River Dove with Uttoxeter in the distance

…and in the final stretch, over water meadows closer to the river, the light was pleasingly mellow as the January sun started to consider setting in a pale blue sky.

Brian, Mike and Paul cross the water meadows by the Dove

The highlight should have been the Dove Bridge, described by Historic England as having 2 original C14 pointed arches with chamfered arch rings; 2 later rebuilt semi-circular arches with small projecting keyblocks; parapet stone dated 1691 - probably the date of rebuilding.

The bridge once carried the A50 across the Dove, but on the four-lane racetrack that is the modern road you would not notice you were crossing a river, though an eastbound passenger could look across and see the fine, old bridge, which still willingly carries walkers from Derbyshire back into Staffordshire (or vice versa, should you wish).

I have no picture of the Grade II* listed bridge, instead I stood on it and photographed the river. The Dove is the longest in NE Staffordshire, easily out-ranking the Churnet, but it is still no Rhine.

Downstream from Dove Bridge

From the bridge we used the underpass provided to take a footpath under the A50 and then struck out south west across the fields towards Uttoxeter.

We left the Dove, which heads off south east for another 25km (plus wiggles) until entering the Trent at Burton. I have called it the longest river in Northeast Staffordshire, but to be fair, for every one of its 75km, from source to Trent, it forms the Staffordshire/Derbyshire border, so only its right-hand side is really in Staffordshire.

It was a simple stroll into Uttoxeter. JCB may be headquartered in Rocester, but it has a firm grip over the whole area, so much so that its big yellow citizens looked to be at prayer outside Uttoxeter parish church.

At prayer outside St Mary's, Uttoxeter

We had earlier left a car or two in Uttoxeter, so that was where Day 3 came to its end.

Today's distance: 19km
Total distance completed:61km

Staffordshire Way Day 3

The Staffordshire Way

Day 1: Mow Cop to Rudyard Lake
Day 2: Rudyard to Hawksmoor
Day 3: Hawksmoor to Uttoxeter
Day 4: Uttoxeter to Shugborough
Day 5: Cannock Chase, Penkridge and Lapley
Day 6: Lapley to Seisdon
Day 7: Seisdon to Kinver Edge

THE END

The Staffordshire Way : Day 2 Rudyard to Hawksmoor Wood

Like Barcelona, this is and its companion posts are a Covid lockdown project. The walk actually took place in 2005/6.

For an introduction to the Staffordshire Way, see Day 1.

Day 2 Saturday 03/12/2005

The Churnet Valley and the Caldon Canal

Participants: Francis, Mike, Alison C, Brian, Matthew (guest) & Myself

Staffordshire

The route for our second day on the Gritstone Country and The Churnet Valley section would take is from Rudyard, just north of Leek to the Hawksmoor Nature Reserve near Alton (of Alton Towers fame). The walk is almost entirely in the Churnet Valley. The builders of the Caldon Canal and later the Churnet Valley Railway took full advantage of the river valley, for 10 km river, railway and canal run side by side

The Staffordshire Way Section 1: Gritstone Country & The Churnet Valley

Rudyard Lake Station to the Caldon Canal

We gathered at Rudyard Station on the long-closed Churnet Valley line. It was a damp December day when wise people would have remained indoors, or taken a train instead of walking. The car park also serves Rudyard Lake Station and Alison stood outside as though she was contemplating the train option.

Alison contemplates the Rudyard Lake Railway.

Alas, the Rudyard Lake Railway, though functioning, prefers sunny weekends, and even then only runs a couple of kilometres up the lakeside.

Ready to go. Rudyard Lake Railway (August 2008)

Rudyard Lake was constructed in 1831 to keep the Caldon Canal topped up and we set off south along the canal feeder.

We set off down the canal feeder

On a dank and dismal day the feeder dribbled on, doggedly working its way across 5km of damp Staffordshire.

A couple of miles of damp Staffordshire later, we are still on the feeder

It was not the most inspiring start to a walk but after 50 minutes of our lives which we will never get back it eventually decanted us onto to A53 just outside Leek.

At last the end of the feeder

Along the Caldon Canal to Consall Forge

Here we turned back on ourselves through a council depot and after some complicated navigation around Ladderedge and Deep Hayes country parks found our way north, west and then south again onto the tow path of the Caldon Canal.

The long-threatened rain arrived and we donned waterproofs…

Francis puts on his waterproof beside the Caldon Canal

…and then as it was eleven o’clock we sat under the nearest bridge and drank our coffee.

Coffee while sheltering from the rain, Caldon Canal (Photo: Francis)

The 29 km long Caldon Branch of the Trent & Mersey Canal opened in 1779. Splitting off at Etruria it wriggles northward out of Stoke on Trent then runs east to the Churnet Valley. We joined it at its highest point where it turns south down the valley to finish at Froghall. We would follow it for 9 of its remaining 10 km.

By the time we had finished our coffee the rain had stopped and as we set off again the sky brightened a little. We were remarkably fortunate that this twenty-minute shower was the only rain we encountered on the seven days of the walk.

The tow path was, of course, built for the horses that once towed the barges. The bridges look a little cramped for large shire horses – and for Mike and Brian.

This bridge ain't big enough for the two of us

After 20 minutes we reached the Cheddleton Flint Mill. A document of 1694 refers to corn milling on this site, though the earliest milling reference dates from 1253. In the late 18th century the South Mill was converted to grinding flint and a new North Mill was built for the same purpose. The brand-new Caldon Canal had made the transport of heavy goods possible and the pottery industry needed vast quantities of ground flint.

Cheddleton flint mill

Owned and preserved since 1972 by Cheddleton Flint Mill Industrial Heritage Trust there is also a museum and a period cottage.

The canal passes under the A520 by the flint mill and descends via a series of locks as it skirts the small town of Cheddleton.

Locks around Cheddleton

Our surroundings steadily became more rural and Francis and Brian became briefly distracted by tree creepers.

Observing tree creepers, apparently

Since joining the towpath we had walked between the Caldon Canal and the River Churnet. A mile above Consall the two merge.

The lock where the Caldon Canal joins the River Churnet (photo from a walk in Dec 2014)

The Modern Churnet Valley Railway

Since before lunch on Day 1 we had been on or near the defunct Churnet Valley Railway, but from Cheddleton to Froghall the line has been assiduously refunct. A newly formed company bought a section of track in the early 1990s and have steadily expanded their services as a heritage/tourist line. Since 2018 they have been working to extend the line to Leek. Francis was a little disappointed that the train we saw as we approached Consall was pulled by an American built locomotive, but at least it was a steam train.

Churnet Valley Railway (photo: Francis)

Many, though not all of their services are steam hauled. I would have thought there were enough pensioned-off British steam engines, but I was surprised to read that Churnet Valley locos come from all over the world, some spent their working lives shunting in steal works or coal mines in China, Hungary and Poland. I was also surprised at the way locomotives move round the ever-expanding number of heritage lines, doing a season here and a guest spot there. Covid made 2020 a bad year for all these big boys’ toys.

Lunch at the Black Lion, Consallforge

The hamlet of Consallforge now consists of little more than a river/canalside pub. A footbridge took us over the re-diverging waterways. The railway crossing was more basic but beyond was the warming and welcoming embrace of The Black Lion.

Approaching The Black Lion, Consallforge

I am unsure why everybody looks so miserable; the weather was not the finest but it had not been a bad morning. As young Matthew, Francis and Alison’s son, appears in no morning photos, I think he joined us here for the afternoon walk. I say ‘young’ Matthew, he was the same school year as my daughter and both will be forty this year. I find that thought depressing.

Lunch at The Black Lion. Cheer up you miserable bunch!

Consallforge and Cheddington Flint Mill give a clue to how the valley was during the industrial revolution. Consallforge was home to water-powered iron works, in Consall Woods the remains of limekilns can be found, and at Froghall there were more limekilns and Thomas Bolton’s Historic copperworks (a chimney was preserved when the works were finally demolished and cleared in 2011).

The Caldon canal was essential for moving the products of local industry and was so busy that in the early years it often ran short of water. Rudyard Lake was constructed to solve the problem. The Churnet was the source of power but also the means of waste removal and became England’s most polluted river. Industry has gone, nature has reclaimed the valley and the water quality has improved so much that salmon were successfully reintroduced in 2006.

Consallforge to Hawksmoor Wood

Just above Consallforge the Churnet Valley becomes deeper and darker; below Consallforge it becomes deeper and darker still. River and canal part company, the canal staying level on a shelf in the hillside, the railway beside it, sometimes on an embankment or bridge.

Back on the Caldon Canal below Consallforge

We soon passed the old Cherry Eye Bridge – it sounds nice, but the name, allegedly, derives from the inflamed eyes of workmen caused by dust from nearby industrial processes – and at the next, more modern footbridge, crossed the canal took a path under the railway and descended to the river.

Descending to the Churnet before the big climb up the other side. (photo Dec 2014)

Once down at river level our way led straight up the valley side, a muddy climb of some 90m in less than 300m. There are, I read, the remains of lime kilns festering in these woods, but we had neither the time nor energy to hunt for them.

It was hard work under unpleasant conditions and I was glad to reach the top. There, a relatively dry and level field path took us to the linear village of Kingsley strung out along the A52. Now a quiet rural village it was, a hundred years ago, the centre of the Churnet Valley iron mining industry.

Crossing the road took us to another field path and 800m further on the very similar village of Kingsley Holt strung out along the A521. Or was it just déjà vu?

Reaching Kingsley Holt

From Kingsley Holt, a long, gently sloping path descended back to the river a couple of kilometres south of Froghall. From here we followed the Churnet...

Along the Churnet towards Hawksmoor

...until it swung east to the village of Oakamoor, and we headed south into Hawksmoor Wood, to the National Trust car park and the end of the day’s walk

Today's distance: 22km
Total distance completed 42km,

The Staffordshire Way Days 1 and 2

The Staffordshire Way

Day 1: Mow Cop to Rudyard Lake
Day 2: Rudyard to Hawksmoor
Day 3: Hawksmoor to Uttoxeter
Day 4: Uttoxeter to Shugborough
Day 5: Cannock Chase, Penkridge and Lapley
Day 6: Lapley to Seisdon
Day 7: Seisdon to Kinver Edge

THE END