There was an impressive turnout for Ted’s walk on Tuesday. Here’s what Graham had to say about it.
Todays walk saw Ted Bennett lead a group of 23 walkers on a 4.2 mile walk in the Renishaw and Eckington area. Ted had originally intended to use some paths around Spinkhill and Westhorpe but these proved to be too muddy the week before.
We started out on the Cuckoo Way which was the towpath for the Chesterfield Canal. After crossing Spinkhill Lane we continued to the Trans Pennine Trail which uses the now dismantled Great Central Railway line towards Killamarsh and Sheffield. After about a mile on the TPT we turned off towards Eckington and had the first of two coffee stops. Then after picking our way carefully over the muddiest part of the walk we carried on to the bridge under the Midland Railway line and along Pipworth Lane to Eckington traffic lights. From Here we headed across a field and onto the Renishaw Park Golf Course which was still badly flooded after storm Babet two weeks earlier. Luckily the path we were on was still walkable and Graham pointed out the remains of the Penny Engine Line. This was a narrow gauge railway that ran from Eckington, across the golf course to Renishaw Station. Carrying on we crossed the River Rother and the Midland Railway over two footbridges and up to our second stop. This was at the now named Brindley Loops, the original 1777 route of the Chesterfield Canal where there are the remains of two locks.
After the break we walked on the bed of the old canal for about half a mile and back to the Trans Pennine Trail where we turned right and back to the car park. It was a lovely walk on a mostly sunny morning, taking in a route that was full of history. Our thanks to Ted for leading and his friend Lynne for back marking.
Thanks to Graham for providing the photos
