Mick's Lightweight Pages - A Christmas Cuckoo
The Cuckoo Way follows the towpath route of the former Chesterfield Canal from Derbyshire to the river Trent at West Stockwith in Nottinghamshire.
Over dinner on New Year's Day my brother-in-law encouragingly remarked that he would be prepared to drive out and collect me from the finish and added that if I was up to completing the walk he would buy me a pint - an offer too good to miss!
FRIDAY PM:Three days later on a very cold and dark winter’s night I was dropped at the start. Shouldering up beside the large round sturdy stone gate post - (the only visible remains of the original canal wharf), I waved goodbye to my lift - not realising that my bum bag containing mobile phone and stock of cereal bars were fast disappearing up the road on the back seat of the car!
I had till 3pm Sunday to reach my destination, pint and lift home. It was now 9.20pm and 46 miles of easy 'navigation' lay ahead.
| The 'official' start of The Cuckoo Way is beside the bridge over the River Rother on the A619 at ref. SK 387715 |
Having reasoned that a canal wouldn't be difficult to follow in the dark, I started up the icy spiral of the footbridge that spans the by-pass. Wispy steam breath absorbed the orange glow of the road lights as I crossed to descend to the River Rother which formed the final navigable section back in the day of canal traffic.
| The Chesterfield Canal was opened on 4 June1777. It has 59 narrow locks, 6 wide locks and two tunnels |
A footbridge beside a wood yard delivered me to the river bank, where, after a few hundred yards, the canal junction was soon encountered. The river here flows off over a weir and a lock marks the beginning of the canal proper. The first bridge is crossed which transfers the towpath to the canal’s left bank. This section also forms part of the Chesterfield leg of the Trans Pennine Trail for some 4 miles.
Testing a new micro torch I found the amount of light emitted by the diode impressive. At only 6gms the lightest torch I'd ever used, but it only came on by pressure and required quite a bit of finger and thumb strength to keep it on for longer spells.
With an increase in traffic roar from above, I emerged from a road underpass to arrive at the former keepers' cottages at Tapton Lock from where boat trips are occasionally organised during the summer months. With the completion of a new road bridge at Brimington, round trips of around 8 miles are now possible as this western end of the canal is waterbound once again as far as Mill Green at Staveley.
As the traffic noise diminished I was able to pick out sounds of canal nightlife. Water voles or rats making hurried returns to the water and startled birds that at times startled me!
Near the recently restored road bridge at Brimington I encountered the first swans and ducks - the water unable to freeze where they had been paddling around for about a 10ft radius. Clustering on the far bank at the bottom of the beer garden of the pub (The Mill) they eyed me suspiciously. This was my first realisation of the cold conditions, as I hadn’t expected the canal to be frozen over.
Attuning to my new environment now, somewhere up ahead I could hear the powerful sound of gushing water. I took this to be the lock overflow at Hollingwood and knew that round the next bend I would have a mile to go before reaching the supermarket at Staveley where I would be able to restock on cereal bars. Somewhere near here on the opposite bank a tunnel is supposed to have been used to transport cannon balls from a foundry in West Wood, Brimington about a mile away during the Napoleonic Wars, but it is one of those slices of information that has long since lost its cake.
Passing signs that forbade fishing due to risk of high voltage cables overhead, I was soon at the shored-up bridge at Mill Green. Here I made the short diversion to the supermarket, hoping that they would still be open as it was now after ten.
Missing cereal bars replaced, I was back on track wondering how far I'd get before making my overnight stop. Beyond the Eckington Road (B6053) the Trans Pennine route forks left to follow the former LNER railway towards Renishaw and Killamarsh, but the canal route lies ahead to take the line of the massive (in engineering terms of the day) Staveley Puddle Bank. Waymarking here is lacking but a left turn is needed at the end of a road (Bellhouse Lane) by some former railway cottages. In a half mile I was clanging over the steel bridge above the river Doe Lea to clamber up the icy bank on the opposite side. Here a viaduct once bore the canal above the river.
Soon the head of the Norbriggs cutting is reached. Again the walker needs to bear left and it is here that I found the way ahead barred with large hawthorne branches. As I man-handled them into the adjoining field I felt a sharp pain in my finger. Closer inspection revealed blood dripping from a nasty gash. I suspected that the local farmer had put the branches as a deterrent to kids from the nearby council estate. For whatever reason he was illegally blocking the queen’s highway and I would like to have gone and told him so in no uncertain terms! Grumbling away to myself and sucking my finger clean I continued ahead down the valley where all that remains of the canal today is a ditch and indistinct line between fields. Dripping blood I continued on to the outskirts of Renishaw near The Hague - reputedly once the home of Captain Cook's sister. Surprisingly I was very near to what was, until 1986, the world's most northerly vineyard at Renishaw Hall - seat of the literary Sitwells.
Here the path runs parallel with the TP trail, and some may prefer to walk on the cinder track than try to find the footpath as it edges unwaymarked around a new housing development as I did, backtracking and looking around till I came across the old viaduct that carried the canal over a Renishaw Iron Works branch line in the direction of the Spinkhill Rd. By now I was ready to stop and looking for a discreet level pitch. This turned out to be on the TP Trail itself on the intersection with the original line of the canal. Here the canal was straightened in line with the later construction of the railway.
With the ground being frozen or too stony, I couldn't get my alloy tent pegs in very easily, but managed by securing one guy with a brick and another to a low branch. A railway trackbed is not the softest of surfaces to pitch on, but a good test for a Therm-a-rest!
I’d trodden in something nasty enroute and the boots would have to spend the night outside. With this in mind, I gave my hands a good wash before dressing my finger and making a brew. I settled into my sleeping bag and ripped open a muesli bar. It was now 11.30 pm and with a fresh breeze flapping the tent I soon found sleep.
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Mick's Lightweight Pages - A Christmas Cuckoo
SATURDAY: The breeze had kept the frost at bay, but
I stuck my head out to find a shroud of mist - cold January
mist and I was keen to get moving; but first: breakfast in
bed ...
After
using the tea bag to 'wash up' I quickly dressed with clothes
nice and warm from the sleeping bag before packing up.
The mile-long section here
was straightened in 1890 with the arrival of the railway and the more
efficient power of steam. I set off with the realisation that the two
forms of transport had entered the realms of nostalgia within a
short two hundred years. The original line of the canal
follows the contour of the hill nearer to Chapelwheel Dam -
the remains of which can still be seen if time permits.
Although no official right of way exists along the abandoned
stretch, it is clearly marked on the 1:25 000 map. There is an
elevated tramway trackbed across the nearby golf course that
is worthy of note also as there are very few tramway remains
around - this one probably linked to a colliery or brickworks
to the west of Eckington.
Near Killamarsh the canal route bears right as the Trans
Pennine Trail heads off northwards to the east of Sheffield. At the
top of Bridge Street an information board has been installed showing proposals for the future reinstatement of the canal. This
outlines ideas for the actual route and includes a spectacular
proposal for raising the narrow boats as already used in
Scotland.
| The Forth and
Clyde Canal has been ingeniously linked to the Union
Canal with the amazing Falkirk
Wheel
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Shortly after I managed to
lose the line of the canal in a housing estate built on the
filled-in section at Killamarsh - (even the O/S haven't got this right...) - though eventually emerged on Sheffield Road. The route then continues past an industrial business park with some interesting nearby
remains of coal loading chutes. At the next road crossing I came upon
an assembling group of ramblers in the pub car park. With one
of their members putting boots on next to his motor caravan I
seized the opportunity to procure some water. But, he explained,
he didn't carry any in the winter as it ‘...freezes up, see’ -
then I spotted the cleaner emerging from the pub who kindly
obliged and filled my bottle.
After the road the canal is
briefly water-bound once again and the route continues into South
Yorkshire just before a very sorry-looking redundant bridge
dated 1833. Here the walker is lead through private property
that was once the inn of the Norwood flight of locks and all
too soon I was at the bricked-up entrance to the tunnel.
Beyond, at the top of the field roars the M1 motorway and the
walker emerges from the underpass onto the former tip of the
Kiveton Park colliery. The tunnel beneath was problematic and
suffered collapses from the outset.
| "In a
third of a mile a rise of over 72 feet made the Norwood
Flight one of the steepest in the country. The tunnel
was completed in 1775 - at 2890 yards (over one and a
half miles) then the longest in the country."
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In a fast flowing drainage channel, watercress appeared to
be flourishing - (mind you, I coudn't tell whether it was the
genuine article or the fool’s variety but there was no way I
was jumping in to find out...)
The line is indistinct
here, but with the help of a lady walking her dog, I found
myself at a small footbridge and decided it was an ideal spot
for a brew. Until, that is two rather large muddy setters made
me their focal point of interest. “Go on, shoo….”, “no don’t
sniff in there…”, “da, don’t wee on that… go on, gid off!”
These two were happier than Larry’s, that’s for sure. When the
owners caught up they turned out to be very knowledgeable
about the canal and its history. They spoke of how
shareholders' money had been creamed off with shoddy
workmanship being the final outcome.
NB: At the
time of writing (Feb 2005) Rights of Way over the tip
are closed due to reclamation. There are no diversions
in place. The relevant authority is Rotherham
Borough Council
UPDATE: JAN 2007 - Work on the Tip site is now complete with a new Cuckoo Way waymarked route
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Beyond the road, the cutting
is soon picked up at the other end of the tunnel site and
there are no more dry filled-in stretches from here to the
Trent. Here a part frozen feeder from nearby ponds made a
spectacular winter waterfall. Ahead was Kiveton Park Station -
workers from the adjacent works had thrown large rocks onto
the canal from above leaving the dinted surface looking more
like bullet proof glass under test. The industry here soon gives way to
one of the more pleasant sections by Hawks Wood and Old Spring
Wood enroute to Turnerwood. From a quarry hereabouts 500,000 tons of limestone was supplied for building (and
later repairing) the Houses of Parliament.
I’d read that the Turnerwood
flight of locks (22 in 1 mile) was under reconstruction and
soon came upon a barrier and diversion notice, but it appeared
the contractors were having difficulty in preventing access to
the towpath. Like many before me I detoured round the hedge
and was soon back on the canal side. Come Monday morning no
doubt their first job would be to make good the fencing.
Interestingly, canal towpaths are not necessarily rights of
way. Certainly the work in progress proved interesting to view
though and I was surprised to see just how shallow the empty water
course in fact was. At the attractive hamlet of Turnerwood the barrier
was less accommodating though - where and how had all those
other trespassers got out?
On the ramp up to the Shireoaks road I passed one of the very
few other canal users I’d seen: a cyclist. He “...were just
tekkin’ it steady like”, when he, “...just come off like.” He
said this light-heartedly like. “Comes keen that ice…”
The ice had been broken up and the re-frozen surface
of the canal resembled a giant ill-fitting jigsaw. This may
have been due to boats venturing out from the neaby Shireoaks
Marina (no pedestrian access). I realised too that some of the
boats had occupants, and reminded myself that some choose to
live long term and make home of their vessel - very different
today to the original, and very basic, Chesterfield Canal
barges that were referred to as Cuckoo’s - hence the ‘Cuckoo’
Way.
I passed fishermen
near Rhodesia and realised that it must have been much milder
on the approach into Worksop, where I took my lunch, having
first purchased it in the nearby Co-op.
After availing myself
of the nearby public toilets with their lashings of hot water,
I continued eastward. The gate to the former
British Waterways yard was open so I was able to pass under
the main road and warehouse that straddles the canal in the
town centre and not find a detour round as I have had to in the
past. Ahead a trail of litter flotsam and half-submerged
super market trolleys made swift exit from Worksop seem
most desirable. I passed a grand brick building with
impressive tower that once housed a steam powered pump, but
whether it originally served to provide water for the canal
or a sewage pumping station I couldn't say. Here the canal
does a sharp right then left over the river Ryton on an
aquaduct.
At the brick
built rail bridge on the outskirts of town one of my toes felt
a little sore - time for a foot-stop and a little Vaseline,
then onward through the Osburton estate as darkness began to
descend. I’d hoped to be in Retford by now, but I’d still got
around 8m yet to go. The lights on Christmas tree at a pub in
Ranby gave me something to aim for beyond the busy A1
underpass, but when I got there it was quite unreachable on
the opposite bank.
From
Ranby to The Barracks the canal runs straight alongside the A1
before swinging right in an arc eastward towards Retford. By
now it was well and truly dark with a capital ‘D’ and my
fingers were beginning to ache from keeping the small torch
on. The beam was still powerful though and I could see over to
the other bank at times. A good opportunity for a sing- song …
now let’s see…25th, 26th...3rd, 4th, 5th: 12th night! And two
three four: On the first day of Christmas, my true love sent
to me ... all very much 'inaccurately mine' of course: cuckoo
indeed! Thus occupied the miles are condensed, but what’s this
ahead … low flying aircraft ..? UFO? No, this is the main
electrified East Coast line … from a distance the long rows
of lights looked kind of surreal floating silently along.
It became something of a
relief to arrive in Retford, and I read the information board
to learn that from here to the Trent the canal is much wider
and was constructed to accommodate river barges that had a
larger payload. An embankment and viaduct carries the canal
over the River Idle and I was soon heading into darkness once
more at the back of a housing estate. In about a mile and a
half I passed under the last road bridge in Retford and the
canal swung to the right and I tramped the next three miles
wearily.
The lights ahead turned out to be a pub and I was
beginning to think of finding a nice level pitch hereabouts. I
dodged in for a half, but felt very much out of place … A bit
too posh for camping on the lawn perhaps? I studied the map.
This was Clarborough and a decision was made to walk into the village to
check out t’other pub. This added a good mile and t'other pub
turned out a bit ‘posh’ also, and busy too … still there was some
flat grass to the rear - so in I went …
… and out I came, flea in
ear! Nothing offends like a refusal to a tired walker! It was
the way the guy leaned over the bar and looked me straight in
the eye as he said a very definite “NO” that shook me. I used
his outside tap anyway … mind you I was half expecting to be
set upon and stoned.
With
one more PH shown on the map I made my way back to the canal. Passing
a phonebox I tried to phone home but the phone was quite dead.
Another mile and a half of
advancement into a small illuminated pool of black void
delivered me to the haven of the Boat Inn at Hayton. 'Hmm,
this looks more like it… small beer garden? Just fit on there
nicely. 'Tha’ll do fo’me!' A bonus too: Kimberley Ales... and
the pint is good. In fact the pint is better than good ‘cos
the landlord is sat over there, and the barmaid has just
forwarded my request and he’s nodding. I open a bag of crisps
to celebrate.
As food
had finished at the pub (after 9pm) a snack rice supper of
Tikka Masala was soon prepared. Aided down with a couple of
Ryvita followed with a cereal bar and nice cup of rosy, and thereafter
soon settled nice n’cosy ...
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Mick's Lightweight Pages - A Christmas Cuckoo
SUNDAY:
... too cosy in fact with the Berber fleece liner as it was after 8.30 when I finally unzipped the fly sheet and shook away the ice. Beyond the shadows a welcome sunshine beckoned. This was useful for airing the down bag and the black Pertex soon warmed to the touch. I had to remind myself this was January …
The cleaner let me in for use of toilet and hot water. I made a mental note to return one day as she told me they do a good Sunday lunch. I must have been reluctant to leave as I wasn’t back on the towpath until after 10am.
Once underway though a cold mist crept up on the canal blotting out the views westward over the lower lying Idle.
Passing the Clayworth moorings many of the narrowboats had smoking chimneys. Though ice bound, they appeared warm and homely inside. It would have been pleasant to have been invited aboard, but there was nobody out on deck in these conditions. I couldn’t very well just knock and strike up a conversation, could I? I imagined the conversation thus:
‘Knock Knock’ - or ‘Dong dong’ in metallic.
“Morning! Nice day for it!”
“Yes? What do you want?”
“Well, now you come to mention it, a cup of coffee would be lovely ...”
“What do you think this is a café? Piss off! You walkers are all the same - think you can come round here snooping around. Go on get out of it.”
A log sails past my ear’ole as I leg it!
Hmmm? No, maybe not… a cool £1000 a foot minimum for these babies ... best just press on ... whistle whistle.
I only got four and a half miles of the remaining 12 that morning before I was brewing up coffee of my own. I sat on the canal wall beside a bridge near Clayworth with my feet resting on a slab of ice at least an inch thick that spanned across to the other side. I tried to break it by stamping on it (from a sitting position that is!) but the great sheet merely shuddered slightly.
The canal here twists and turns like a lazy snake and I passed under a Roman Road to curve past
Wiseton Hall: pleasant walking indeed.
Within a half mile the Drakeholes tunnel cuts a neat 150 odd yard hole through the hill. Here the bargees would have laid on their backs and ‘walked’ their cargoes through - the horses being led over. No doubt there was some form of victualling house here, if not the very same public house that stands imposingly on the hill (White Swan now - formerley the Griff Inn) - today busy with the travelling Sunday Lunchers. I used the payphone in the entrance to check arrangements, but no one was home - perhaps they’d forgotten all about me!
The long straight section by Dunstan Farm seemed to go on and on, and I broke it up with a light cheese and Ryvita lunch and brew at the next lock near Middle Bridge.
Looking forward to my pint I strode the remaining miles past a new marina at Walkeringham and on to pass more anglers at Misterton. Had they wanted to fish back up at Clayworth they would have needed a saw! Beyond here a friendly setter wanted to play - showing a little too much interest in my nuts for sure. His lady owner most apologetic.
Soon I began to see waymarks for the Trent Valley Way and other well wrapped walkers were about - walking off their Sunday lunches perhaps.
Under the last rail bridge the canal runs a good straight half mile to the basin. I could see a figure on the final bridge … and yes it was Roger. I broke into a run for the last few hundred yards, just to help me get a thirst up you understand.
“I’d given you up,” he said at last, as we walked round to the tidal lock and the banks of the Trent. Fair comment - well I was twenty minutes late!
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see kit list below
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Mick's Lightweight Pages - A Christmas Cuckoo
Kit List (Cuckoo Way)
4-6/1/02
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* see
notes |
grams
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| Pack* |
Regatta Access 30 |
610
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| Tent* |
Lodestone Solitude (modified) |
1750
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| Ground
Insulation* |
Therm-a-Rest 3/4 U/Lite |
494
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Closed Cell Mat (full length) |
328
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Reflective and Anti Slip Pads |
92
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| Sleeping
Bag* |
RAB Summit 300 |
808
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|
Bin Liner (cut down) |
42
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|
Berber Fleece Liner |
592
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Compression Sac |
96
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| Wet
Wear |
Craghopper Rain Jkt. |
416
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Overtrousers |
146
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Gaiters |
158
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Visor |
40
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| Kitchen |
MSR Pocket Rocket |
86
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Mini Trangia Pan+handle |
92
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Plastic knife & spoon |
20
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|
Matches (35mm Can.) |
14
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|
DoubleEggBox (empty wt.) |
24
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|
Gas 100Cartridge (full) |
186
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|
Bowl (as mug) |
18
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|
Bowl |
18
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Platypus Bottle |
28
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| Spare&Warmwear |
Inner Socks |
48
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Outer Socks |
108
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Leggings |
204
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Thermal Vest |
164
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Fleece Top |
314
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Head Jacket |
450
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Gloves (Damart) |
52
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Balaclava (Fleece) |
78
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| Accessories |
Wash Kit |
132
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First Aid |
58
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Compass |
30
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Maps & Booklet |
276
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Pencil
& Paper |
5
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|
Leki Trekking Pole |
274
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Micro Radio |
32
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Tea Light Candle |
16
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Pulsar LED |
8
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Spare Batteries |
5
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Total: |
8312
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(18 lbs 5
ozs)
Pack: After weight, a down
bag's big advantage is its small pack size, which in turn allows a
much smaller pack to be used. I'd been experimenting with a
25litre day sac (Landtrekka), but this just couldn't accomodate
the Berber fleece liner (even in compression sac). I'd intended to
buy a more 'serious' Mountain Marathon type of pack by Karrimor at
around 800gms. However I'd already 'whittled' down the Landtrekka
from 1040gms to 816gms anyway (less frame and back mesh). I found
the sorry-looking faded Regatta Access Pack reduced to £9.99
hanging outside my local Yeomans Outdoor shop - the Post Office
was conveniently next door, and I found it to be a hefty 200gms
lighter and around £30 less.
Tent: Single hoop budget tent with mesh inner made by
Sunncamp - £30. Came with nasty heavy groundsheet (replaced with
lighter material from Pennine Outdoor) and heavy f/glass pole set
(replaced with alloy set £20 - Yeoman's Outdoor) - initial weight
(as purchased): 2400 reduced to 1750gms.
Ground Insulation: 900gms! Ok so the Thermarest is good
on comfort but bad on insuation - so I put 'em both in (well
closed cell out, open cell in!) The small square of bubble wrap
just about managed to keep the thing in place!
Sleeping Bag: Remembered just how much difference a
fleece liner made with the old Shearwater liner by Vista (still
got - 800gms), so purchased a few metres from Pennine Outdoor and
had it run up by a local curtain maker with an overlocker - cosy!
Compression sac needed though.
May2005©m.l.weller
