On this page I will publish any memories you have of the Wallabies or Yaks
I was interested to come across your wallabies page, as I thought the animals had all died out. I first saw the Roaches wallabies in 1960 thereabouts when I was walking in a mist on the Roaches, and was suddenly confronted by what looked like a giant hare! It bounded over the edge into the woodland below, where there were about six more of them. Just looked at the website – very good (keep it going). Here is a memory of mine.
In the winter of 1977 (November?) myself and a colleague were driving back from Manchester to Leicester in the dark (after a long day – and it must be said a few pints). On the A53 around Naychurch, suddenly a ‘kangaroo’ appeared in the headlights and ‘bounced’ across the road. A deathly silence ensued in the car until, after a few minutes, my passenger said – ‘did you see that’. Only then did we both ‘confess’ that we thought we had seen a ‘kangaroo’ crossing the road. When we were unwise enough to share the tale with our colleagues at work the next day they teased us no end!!
In the following few weeks (in the days before the internet, of course) I visited the Library in Leicester and found out about the Wallabies and only then did we know that we were sane after all!
The following spring I visited Roach End and saw the Wallabies again (7 in total – in three groups of 3, 2 and 2).
David (Child) Jan 2010
I was student in Manchester in the 1970s and I wrote my dissertation on the area. I met the wallabies on many occasions so I thought I’d send you a picture.
Geoff Billington Apr 2008
In October 1969 I and 3 fellow students from Macclesfield College decided to
skip afternoon classes and walk over from Wincle to Lud's Church.
My companions were from Bramhall and Siddington and had not heard of the
Wallaby presence.
We had not gone far when one, Chris Ramsbottom, shouted out "you will not
believe this but there is a kangaroo( a wallaby of course) over there". Sure
enough we all crept up and way before we got close it simply hopped off.
Tremendous, I still remember the day with delight.
Around the same time the then Radio 4 wildlife programme investigated their
existence. Must have been a short visit as the landlord of the Ship at
Wincle missed them.
I also remember one male wallaby being released in the area ,don't know by
who, circa 1980.The stated aim was to improve/diversify the genetic strain
Wallabies are increasingly popular in the UK as alternatives to lawnmowers:
unfortunately people will change their choices and fads change,when they do
there will be more releases into the countryside
Regards
Tony Williams
Congratulations on your fascinating web site. I only came across it by accident when I was looking for information on wallabies in the Peak District. Walking magazine had written their article and I was about to write and say it was a load of rubbish – because I had heard that a Manchester professor, who had been studying them, had said recently that they had all died out. Imagine my surprise, and thrill, to find that they are still alive and kicking! I saw one in the heather above Lud’s Church – once – probably twenty years ago!
David R Lees
I was driving through kettleshulme, Cheshire around jan - feb 2007. both me and the driver in front had to stop our cars and allow the animal( a wallaby) a few seconds to cross over the road.
Hi from Canada.
Always remember my first introduction to the area--it was a field trip from Kings School -bus to Cat & Fiddle--walk to 3 shires-swim in panniers pool--continue to Gradbach--Luds Church and over Hanging Stone for pm bus from Wincle. As a 13 year old I was completely taken by the area and spent many hours in the next months exploring the area. I am certain that I saw my first wallaby (to me it was a kangaroo) in a clearing in the wood between Luds Church and the river in 1957.
I continued to visit the area until my departure to Canada in 1981. Over the years I had many observations-although some years were very lean. Have a record of one walk--coming out the far end of Luds Church saw 3--sitting quiet in the heather, one passed me with a joey. Heading to roach end saw 2 more. Went over 5 clouds and going in the derelict woods below observed 4 more.This was in 1968 or 1970. In the late 70's when the estate was sold ( I attended the sale at Macclesfield Town Hall and still remember the scene of some tenant farmers losing their farms) and many sheep than should have been allowed roamed the area, I think that the Wallabies were affected and got dispersed--some were seen in the lower valley of the Dane below Wincle. When the Peak Park finally got involved, I had the chance to be in charge of the part time Rangers covering the area, so spent many hours from 1979 to 1981 in the area. Never saw any Wallabies at Hen Cloud but the people who used to live at Roaches House said they would see the odd one. The main area seemed to be in Back Forest at the edges of the woodland/moorland. Would see 3 or 4 sometimes and other days nothing--you got down wind from them and they came close. At the time there was too much publicity and you would get groups of noisy people on Wallaby hunts. I also used to count deer (originally from Swythamley estate) within the Dane area (mainly from the A523 to Danebridge) and sometimes at 6 am you got good numbers (had to watch for one farmer who never wanted anyone on his land). Also used to cover Gun Hill and some woodlands as far as Big Wood. On one occasion saw a wallaby in Gun Plantation -think about 1974/1975.
Glad to hear that some may still be alive-although the main feeling is that they had all died out by 2000.
Paul Dicken Montreal Canada
Just a note to inform you but about 26years ago I was part of a group
staying in a kids club down at Gradbach. We went on a wallaby excursion
and low and behold we stumbled across a group of them, cant remember
how many exactly but I seem to remember about 6 or 7..............Happy
days indeed
Dave Bancroft
-April 2008
There were 3 Yaks - a bull, a cow and a calf. The cow and calf both died in the appalling winter of 1947. The bull died in 1956.
Frank Belfield -Feb 2007
I remember a Yak on the Roaches when I went to visit my sister. I must have been between 10 and 12 years old so that would put the date at 1959 to 1961.
Rose Robinson- Feb 2007
Joe Gold who used to live at Well Farm at the back of Hen Cloud can remember there being 3 Yaks - an adult pair and a young calf. They used to roam around Hen Cloud rather than the Roaches because unlike the Wallabies they could not jump the walls! One, presumably the calf, lived into the 1950's and was on it's own for a number of years. It once wounded a pony- which shared the land-with it's horns. The wound was under the belly about 2ft long and deep. The pony survived.
Joe Gold - Jan 2007
In about 1988 my son was driving home late one night when a wallaby jumped over the wall on Roach Rd right onto his bonnet. The wallaby was injured so he drove about a mile home(at breakneck speed), related the situation to me and I phoned the vet. The vet arranged to meet us at the practice( Moorland Veterinary Centre in Leek). We rushed back to the Wallaby which was clearly in bad shape. My son scooped up the Wallaby and got into the back of the car - we needed to curl the tail carefully- they are a big animal. I sped off down to Leek. Unfortunately half way there the poor animal died. The vet briefly examined the corpse and found it was a female with a little joey in it's pocket. Tragic.
Bob Foster - Jan 2007
In 1963, which was an exceptionally cold winter with day time temperatures below freezing for a number of weeks, I fed hay to the wallabies along with my sheep. However at the end of the cold spell, one night the foul weather returned with a vengence and the next morning I found 13 dead wallabies behind the north wall bordering Rock Hall wood. This is the same wall which has recently been renovated using a helicopter to cart the stone.
Frank Belfield - Feb 2007
In July 2001 I saw a wallaby grazing by the concession footpath that leads from Lud Church to High Forest Ridge. It was only about 10yds away. On trying to get closer it kept the same distance of about 10 yards.
Geoff Robinson - Jan 2007