Cistern Clough & Flash

We knew it was going to rain.  Boy, did it rain!  We parked up just off the A53 in a layby that was originally a loop of road and headed off across a very soggy Orchard Common.  At this point it was raining horizontally and visibility was pretty much zero (the photo below really doesn't do it justice!).

Orchard Common in the rain

As we dropped down into the valley and picked up a small lane, the rain stopped and the day began to look up as we followed an increasingly pretty stream.

As the lane ended, and we followed a track that continued down the valley until we finally came to Three Shires Head and Pannier Pool.  Another stream, actually the River Dane, joined the first from the right (north) at a point where Derbyshire, Staffordshire and Cheshire meet.  Apparently this has been a place for dodgy deals in the past, when outlaws could evade lawmen by simply crossing into another county.  It seemed far too pretty a spot to have such a shady past.

The trees and small bridge reminded me strongly of Robbers Bridge in Exmoor and we crossed the stream we'd followed and perched on a wall under the trees to have our lunch.

Looking north to Pannier Pool

After our brief break we crossed the far bridge and followed the track for about half a mile before I realised that we were actually heading in the wrong direction, so we did a U turn and went back to the bridge and along the other bank.  The track was very sandy, turning to lose stone in what was clearly a very old track and we climbed along the side of the hill until we reached tarmac again.

We followed the lane for a mile or so, stopped just off the road for lunch and then, as we left the road once again to climb steeply up the side of Wolf Edge, the heavens opened and we got soaked again. 

The climb up to Wolf Edge

Squelching into Flash a little while later, I heartily wished that the car was once again parked behind the pub, but it wasn't and so we continued through Northfield Farm, past some very soggy horses, who eyed us warily as we flapped past (it was very windy and our waterproofs were making an awful din).

Chrome Hill, Parkhouse Hill, Hitter Hill, Alderly Cliff and High Wheeldon

Having crossed the A53, our way lead down a track to Nield Bank and then up over the hill to Summerhill.  The views over towards Crowdecote was quite stunning, particularly as patches of sunlight lit them up.  Once again we missed our way as we followed the road along, trying for the perfect photograph.

We dropped down a sunken lane across the fields until we picked up a lane that took us back up the hill (steeply!) to the A53, just across the road from where we'd left the car.