Walk 3: A Southern Circuit

Start: The Ram’s Head Inn in the village centre

Distance: about 5km / 3 ½ miles

Time: about 2 hours

Terrain: numerous stiles, some steep slopes and uneven ground

Download: Walk 3: A Southern Circuit

From the Ram’s Head, go down Station Approach road and turn off left up the steps, opposite the station buildings. Go through the gap at the top, straight on up the road (Red Lane) and take the first left by the Old Vicarage.

Fork immediately right (28) and continue along Green Lane for over 800 metres, admiring the fine views both of Lyme Park and the Cage on your right and of Black Rocks straight ahead. When you reach a sign by Higher Stoneridge turn off left down Long Lane (31).

On arriving at Buxton Old Road, turn right. After 200 metres turn left down (65) between two houses and through a squeeze stile. Bear right over the field and follow the contour of the hillside before heading down to a kissing gate in the wall by a white cottage. Turn right and follow Corks Lane down into a clough to reach its junction with Greenshall Lane. Turn sharp right uphill past the old mill with its pond on your right. After 250 metres you come to a sign just beyond a white house. Turn off left up (39). At Buxton Old Road bear off to the right.

Cross over and pass through the gate and garden of the cottage opposite onto (32). Go through another gate, bearing right up the hill by the wall, over a wooden stile and on through a stone stile.  Make straight across the next field passing a wall corner at about 80 metres and then bear slightly right down to a stile, which leads to another stile on to Mudhurst Lane. Cross over the road to the stile opposite to (59) and enter the Glebe Fields.

The Glebe Fields are owned by a charity – the “Ouff’s and Poors” originating from the donation of the lands in 1629 by a Thomas Ouff.  He instructed that the money from renting of these fields was to provide bread, coal and medical supplies for the poor of Disley, Furness Vale and New Mills. The site is now managed for its wildlife and educational interest.

Leave the first field by another stile and descend slightly right to the junction with (28). Turn right and over a stile/through a gate on to Green Lane. Head back towards Disley, passing the Old Vicarage and retracing your steps to the Ram’s Head.