WALKS WITH NELLIE ~ FLASH ~ BY SALLY MOSLEY

I’ve been with Nellie to the back of beyond! We began our glorious walk in Flash where for a donation of £4, it is possible to park at the village hall when not in use.

Flash is a lovely little village with a very strong community spirit. Its friendly residents still uphold a traditional parade in June that was established in 1846 by the Flash Loyal Union Society, known as the Teapot Club. It was created as a ‘Friendly Society’ that you paid into when you could and made a request to draw from in times of need. During the parade adults and children walk in procession behind a giant papier-mâché teapot held aloft on a sedan chair style frame.

We headed to the Church dedicated to St Paul which covers the parish of Quarnford, best described as being an area rather than a specific village. Evidently there has been a church on this site since 1744 although the current structure dates from 1901. Flash must surely be one of the wettest and most exposed villages in the Peak District as it often appears to be sat in the clouds. This might explain why walls and trees surrounding the churchyard were shrouded in moss and gravestones appeared slanted from strong winds.

Nellie and I now walked past the New Inn, said to be the highest ‘village pub’ in Britain. We continued along a single track lane known as Back Oth Cross. As well as standing stones dotted about, these moors were once punctuated with crosses as way markers to aid early travellers. Most crosses were destroyed during the reign of Henry VIII but their existence remains in the names of places, properties, field names and roads such as this.

The road suddenly became steeply downhill with the reward of fantastic far reaching views ahead over the Staffordshire Moorlands and beyond, interspersed with jagged rocky outcrops and strange shaped summits. This panoramic landscape can look bleak and foreboding on a murky day but paradise on a plate when the sun shines.

We turned right to follow a bridlepath to Wicken Walls, crossing a brook by means of a little bridge, on a pilgrimage to Three Shires Head. There are numerous rights of way in this area in a criss-cross maze of paths and tracks with several green Footpath Society signs as guides.

Our rock-strewn path was no doubt eroded in part due to centuries of wet weather conditions but also from countless hooves, paws, boots, cart wheels and tyres. However, what a magical journey it was to visit the one-arched packhorse bridge with panniers pool before it, a true feast for the eyes and a fantastic photo opportunity.

Tucked away and hidden among the hills, little wonder Three Shires Head was long ago a place for clandestine meetings and illicit transactions, hence the term ‘flash money’.

We didn’t cross the bridge but turned right through a gate to follow yet another eroded old path to a junction then through a gate and uphill to Knotbury where I spent ages having a good chat with a local lady.

Knotbury is a little sheltered oasis of scattered old stone houses and cottages snuggled into a bowl in the hills with some fields of high pasture taken in long ago from the wild.

We followed the winding road downhill to a stream with the idea of crossing a wonderful single stone clapper bridge to access a footpath up to Wolfs Edge. However, it looked so steep and slippery than I decided instead to continue to Oxensitch where we crossed a stile, the first of several, to make our way over Oliver Hill. Up on high ground we came across the foundation footprints of a couple of abandoned buildings.

The easy to follow path eventually returned us to Flash where we emerged at the side of a house named Far View Cottage. I had a lovely chat with the owner who told me that on a clear day he was convinced he can make out mountains in North Wales. In 2007, after appearing on The One Show, the BBC settled an argument with Wanlockhead in Scotland, that this property is in fact the highest inhabited house in the UK.

Sally Mosley

FOOTNOTE BY NELLIE: My mum‘s hairdresser is called Amy who gives her a regular trim. Being smooth coated, I don’t actually need my hair cutting, however I recently got a wash and blow dry thanks to Storm Amy. If I had had my way I would have done a quick tiddle on the grass near the back door, but oh no, mum wouldn’t listen despite me sitting down and refusing to budge. I got dragged off in a hoolie of torrential rain and strong wind for a proper walk. I’m smug to say that my paws dried off quite quickly but mum’s boots were wet for a week! xx