Torkington

December 12, 2018.

TORKINGTON PARK, HAZEL GROVE GOLF COURSE, OAKFIELD FARM, MIDDLEWOOD WAY, MACCLESFIELD CANAL, MARPLE RIDGE, CLOUGH BRIDGE, PEAK FOREST CANAL, BARLOW WOOD, GOYT VALLEY, ROMAN BRIDGE, ROMAN LAKES, MELLOR MILL, BEECHWOOD MANOR, RING O’ BELLS AT MARPLE, MACCLESFIELD CANAL, MARPLE GOLF COURSE, STOCKPORT GOLF COURSE, TORKINGTON MANOR AND THE THREE TUNNES AT HAZEL GROVE

Distance: Eight miles.

Difficulty: Easy.

Weather: Dry with cloud and sunshine.

Walkers: Peter Beal, Alastair Cairns, Tom Cunliffe, Mark Gibby, Alan Hart, Chris Owen, Jock Rooney, Julian Ross, George Whaites.

B walkers: Phil Burslem, Tony Job, Ken Sparrow, Geoff Spurrell, Barry Williams, Terry Jowett.

Recovering invalids: Colin Davison, Lawrie Fairman, Steve Kemp.

Non-walking drinkers: George Dearsley, Hughie Hardiman, Charlie Yates.

Apologies: Mickey Barrett (hols), George Fraser (watching nativity play), Mark Kean (supervising resurfacing of driveway)

Leader: Beal. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Free car park at Torkington Park, Hazel Grove.

Starting time: 9.48am. Finishing time: 2.15pm.

Unseasonably mild weather produced a record number of Wednesday Wanderers for our annual Christmas lunch outing. There were also a record number of categories as the fit, the lame, and the mentally retarded joined forces to celebrate Yuletide.

Only one absentee allowed religion to creep into the festivities as the rest entered into the true spirit of Christmas with excessive eating and drinking.

There was also a cameo performance from Jose, the Portuguese chef, who did a magnificent reprise of Manuel from Fawlty Towers. When he emerged from the kitchen to apologise for the delays experienced by some diners, he earned a round of applause which would have been even louder if he had concluded: “I know nothing.”

We were delighted to be joined at the final watering hole by George Dearsley, our blogsite founder, who has now made his home in Turkey and was paying a visit to Blighty. It was also great to see Steve Kemp again. He was looking remarkably chirpy after his recent medical problems.

Peter had devised a route to Marple which was basically flat because of the absence of hills between there and Hazel Grove. On these occasions timing is the first priority and we were able to arrive on time for the meal even if the meal was not on time for us. In defence of the catering department it has to be said that some of our group would make Basil Fawlty appear normal.

From the car park we left via a soccer pitch and a series of alleys which led us through suburban streets until we followed a footpath which went through a tunnel beneath the Hope Valley railway line (11mins). We turned left up a lane which led us into Hazel Grove golf course and past its clubhouse (17mins)

We left the grounds (27mins) and turned left towards Oakfield Farm. This path brought us to the Middlewood Way where we turned left (30mins) towards Marple before turning right up steps to cross a wooden stile (37mins). We crossed two wooden stiles (41mins), a main road (47mins) and the Macclesfield Canal (52mins)

After walking through two metal gates and crossing a wooden stile we reached Kitling Ridge, apartments which had until recently been a pub called The Romper at Marple Ridge. We passed the building on our left and as the road swung left we carried on into Hollinwood Lane (70mins). At a drystone wall we stopped for pies and port (74mins)

Resuming we crossed the Peak Forest Canal by Clough Bridge (78mins) and took a path to the right of the towpath which swung away from the waterway on our left. We crossed a main road (82mins) and headed downhill through Barlow Wood to cross Roman Bridge over the River Goyt (87mins)

On the far bank we turned left, passing Roman Lakes to reach the site of a once mighty mill at Bottoms Mill Road (102mins)

Mellor Mill was built between 1790 and 1793 by Samuel Oldknow, a Stockport-based businessman. Constructed in Palladian style it was six storeys high and 400 feet long. The Goyt was diverted to power its looms, providing employment for hundreds of local men, women and children. It was destroyed by fire in 1892. Oldknow (1756-1828) was a principal promoter of the Peak Forest Canal and Tramway which supplied limestone and coal to a battery of limekilns he built in Marple.

We passed the remains of the mill on our right as we carried on past Bottoms Mill Road, passing Beechwood Manor on our right (110mins) and crossing into Oldknow Road (112mins). This brought us to the towpath at the side of the Peak Forest Canal. We walked along it, with the canal on our left to Bridge 1 where it joins the Macclesfield Canal.

We left the canal at this bridge to reach the Ring O’ Bells pub (121mins) on schedule at 12.03pm. The Robbie’s Unicorn cask bitter went down well and, in Jock’s case, often.

Continuing we returned to the Macclesfield Canal, walking along the towpath to its right, and leaving after Bridge 4 to enter Marple Golf Course (134mins). After crossing The Middlewood Way (148mins) we entered Stockport Golf Course, emerging to pass Torkington Manor (183mins).

From there we walked along Torkington Road to reach Torkington Park and de-boot (206mins) before heading along the A6 towards Stockport and reaching The Three Tunnes on our left. Unhappily the late arrival of another group a few minutes ahead of us had the knock-on effect of delaying our meals and creating a measure of panic in the kitchen.

Next week’s walk will start from my house, 68, London Road North, Poynton, after the traditional breakfast of bacon sandwiches, mince pies and mulled wine. This will take place between 9 and 10am. Can I ask drivers to park in Poynton Pool car park at the end of my road to avoid congestion ?

We will be walking on a route aiming to reach The Boar’s Head at Higher Poynton shortly after noon, and finishing at The Kingfisher Wetherspoons around 2.15pm. Unfortunately dogs are not allowed so Tom, Alastair and Jock may wish to leave their bitches at home.

Happy wandering !