Poynton Pool

December 21, 2016.

POYNTON POOL, PRINCES INCLINE, TOWERS YARD FARM, SYD GOODWILL MEMORIAL BENCH, MACCLESFIELD CANAL, MIDDLECALE COTTAGE, LORD VERNON’S WHARF, THE BOAR’S HEAD AT HIGHER POYNTON, ANSON ROAD, DAVENPORT GOLF COURSE, LADY’S INCLINE AND THE BULL’S HEAD AT POYNTON

Distance: Seven miles.

Difficulty: Easy.

Weather: Mild and dry while walking.

Walkers: Peter Beal, Colin Davison, Lawrie Fairman, Mark Gibby, Alan Hart, Jock Rooney with Tips, and George Whaites.

B Walkers: Phil Burslem, George Fraser, Tony Job, Terry Jowett  and Ken Sparrow.

Apologies: Mickey Barrett (foot injury), Tom Cunliffe (pub duties), George Dearsley (in Turkey), Steve Kemp (convalescing)Chris Owen (domestic duties) and Geoff Spurrell (heavy cold).

Leader and Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Poynton Pool car park, off Anglesey Drive, Poynton.

Starting time: 10.19 am. Finishing time: 1.58pm.

Never has an instruction been so joyfully received. “It’s raining outside. We’d better have another pint” was the order. No vote was necessary. The Remainers were unanimous. Furthermore we were rewarded for our patience because 20 minutes (one pint) later, the rain had ceased.

So, on the shortest day of the year, we had our shortest walk. This is often the case on the Wednesday before Christmas when, traditionally, your diarist has hosted a bacon butty breakfast accompanied by mulled wine and followed by mince pies. 

Despite my best efforts the target of a 10am departure time is rarely reached as Wanderers are urged to finish off the last bacon sandwich or mince pie. The wine disappeared as usual without any encouragement being necessary.

After breakfast we assembled in the car park next to Poynton Pool and proceeded along the path with the lake on our left, containing its usual assortment of wading birds – mallards, coots, moorhens, swans, Canada geese, an Egyptian goose and a flock of inshore seagulls. We emerged on South Park Drive, turned right for ten yards and then left along the main road. After some 50 yards we turned left into Woodside Close (13mins).

With Lady’s Incline to the right of the houses we chose the path on the left which is Princes Incline. In the days of mining in Poynton, these were rail tracks which relied on gravity to bring down tubs laden with coal, the weight of which carried empty tubs back uphill for loading. At the end we crossed Towers Road (23mins), passing Towers Yard Farm on our left (25mins). On the right was a plot of land on which an application had been made to build a new detached house.

Our path crossed another and we followed a yellow arrow to cross a road (41mins). This took us past the former home of late Wanderer and local artist Ian Price on our left just before we crossed Hilton Road (44mins) and a bridge over the Middlewood Way. The path continued past a memorial bench to a local ancient called Syd Goodwill on the left (47mins) until we reached the Macclesfield Canal (51mins).

The Macclesfield Canal is one of six which makes up The Cheshire Ring system. It was built between 1826 and 1831 by Thomas Telford. It runs for 26 miles from Marple, where it joins the Upper Peak Forest Canal, south for 16 miles toBosley, where it descends 12 locks, and continues through Congleton to Hall Green, which is a branch connecting it to the Trent and Mersey Canal.

We turned left to reach Bridge 13, by the side of an increasingly decorated pill-box. We left the canal here by turning left and swinging over the bridge to the far side of the canal. We passed Middlecale Cottage on our right (61mins). Beyond it, in a field on our right, two friendly deer came over to the fence to greet us in a second seasonal display of goodwill.

At the entrance to a farm on our right, we turned left and then turned right at a path marked with a yellow arrow (68mins). We turned right again over a wooden stile (73mins). Another wooden stile on our left was crossed and we then turned right to cross Bridge 14 (81mins). This took us back to the far bank of the Macclesfield Canal where we turned left.

The towpath, with the waterway on our left, soon brought us to Lord Vernon’s Wharf (90mins). Here, among the geese and mallards, Lawrie spotted a goosander. We paused at benches for snacks and were joined almost immediately by the B team. Continuing, we walked slowly down away from the canal, anxious not to reach The Boar’s Head before noon. In fact we arrived at 11.59am (93mins) to find it already open and busy.

After sampling the Black Sheep (£3-20) or Landlord (£3-25) cask bitter, the rain started to fall and we were obliged to stay for further refreshment. There were no dissenters rushing for The Boar’s Head exit – or Brexiteers, you might say.

By the time another pint had been sunk, the rain has passed by and we left the pub, tuning left immediately into Anson Road. We walked downhill to the end of the road, crossed it, and then headed uphill on to the grounds of Davenport Golf Club (105mins). We turned left through a gate and crossed the fairway to exit the course via a kissing gate. The path crossed Towers Road and led to Lady’s Incline (115mins).

We walked down the path into Woodside Close and at its end turned right along the main road (128mins). This brought us, after crossing, to The Bull’s Head at Poynton. Here we enjoyed pints of Original at £3-30 or Christmas Cracker at £3-40.

Next week’s walk will start at 9.30am from the section of free parking spaces at Disley Railway Station. We will be heading towards Millenium Wood and Black Rocks before dropping down across the A6, up Hague Bar to The Fox at Brook Bottom, hoping to reach it at noon. From there we will return via Strines to Disley for drinks in The Dandy Cock at about 2.15pm.

Happy wandering !