Poynton

October 16, 2019.

POYNTON SPORTS CLUB, PRINCES INCLINE, MACCLESFIELD CANAL, BOLLINHURST BROOK, LYME PARK, PLATTWOOD FARM, HILLTOP BUNGALOW, VICTORIA PIT MOORINGS, THE BOAR'S HEAD AT HIGHER POYNTON, ANSON ROAD, DAVENPORT GOLF COURSE, HOCKLEY, LADY'S INCLINE

Distance: 8miles

Difficulty: Easy.

Weather: Early brief drizzle and cloud followed by blue skies and sunshine.

Walkers: Andy Blease, Alastair Cairns with Daisy, Mark Gibby, Alan Hart, Chris Owen, Jock Rooney with Tip, Graham Stone, George Whaites and Barry Williams.

Non-walking drinkers: Tony Job, Ken Sparrow and Geoff Spurrell

Apologies: Mickey Barrett (unhappy with weather forecast), Peter Beal (prior engagement), Tom Cunliffe (returning from Portugal), George Dearsley (in Turkey), Lawrie Fairman (New Zealand hols), Hughie Hardiman  (filial duties),L Julian Ross (w*^king)

Leader: Hart. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Poynton Sports Club car park.

Starting time: 9.52am. Finishing time: 1.55pm.

A damp, cloudy start soon gave way to dry weather which grew increasingly brighter as we and the day progressed. We finished the walk in blue skies and sunshine and then proceeded to celebrate your diarist's forthcoming birthday with a meal at Poynton Sport Club. The ranks of A teamers were swollen by the inclusion of Barry, making his debut after discovering that none of his usual B team chums would be able to accompany him.

Barry is clearly more than capable of matching our pace and distance but has intimated that he prefers a more sedate stroll with his less energetic pals. He also complained that we had ignored a road and taken a route through a soggy field. (That is why we wear boots, Barry)

Macclesfield canal

Pie time

From the club we turned right along the main road and right again into Woodside Close, where we chose the left fork to head up Princes Incline (6mins). The light drizzle at the start of the walk now disappeared for the day. We crossed Towers Road (14mins) and continued along the path which took us across a lane (22mins)

With Davenport Golf Course on our right we continued and crossed Middlewood Road (31mins), passing Prince Studio, the home of late Wednesday Wanderer and noted landscape artist Ian Price, on our left before crossing a bridge over The Middlewood Way.

The Middlewood Way is an 11-mile “linear park” between Macclesfield and Rose Hill, Marple, which was opened in 1985 by Dr David Bellamy, the environmentalist and TV personality. It follows the route of the former Macclesfield, Bollington and Marple railway which operated between 1869 and 1970.

The path straight ahead brought us to the Macclesfield Canal, where we turned left (41mins). On reaching Bridge 13 (47mins) we turned left, then swung left over the bridge and immediately left again to reach the right bank of the canal with the waterway now on our left. As we did we passed a World War 2 pillbox which has been systematically decorated over the years to create a colourful display (see photo).

We soon turned right at a green public footpath sign for Lyme Park via Bollinhurst Brook (50mins). The path brought us down to a footbridge over the brook and across a wooden stile marked with a yellow arrow to enter a field (55mins). We crossed another wooden footbridge (58mins), and passed a derelict cottage (see photo) before crossing a  ladder stile, a lane and a wooden stile to cross the Manchester to Buxton railway line (62mins)

Another wooden footbridge and two metal kissing gates took the route under the railway line and we followed a yellow arrow left through a field (75mins). After crossing a ladder stile on our right (78mins) we followed a path for 100 yards until we reached a cottage on our right where some rocks afforded us seats for Pietime (83mins)

Fortified by port (see photo) we turned sharp right round the cottage, crossing a bridge over the brook and a cattle-grid to exit Lyme Park and turn left (90mins), leaving the road to cross a large meadow of wet grass described by Barry as a “paddy field.” What sheltered, pampered lives the B-teamers must lead !

After crossing a wooden stile marked with a yellow arrow we reached the right corner of the next field, turning right and crossing a cattle-grid (108mins). We carried straight on through Plattwood Farm (111mins) passing a wood on our right and then swinging left to go along the right of way through a house garden, exiting by a wooden stile marked with a yellow arrow. We turned left and then right after crossing the next wooden stile (119mins) and heading uphill.

After going through two metal kissing gates we passed Hilltop Bungalow on our left (123mins) and crossed a cattle-grid (127mins), turning right to pass Victoria Pit Moorings on our right (128mins). The lane now took us over a bridge to the far side of the Macclesfield Canal where we swung right past Vernon Mount  then left down the road. Passing The Nelson Pit Museum on our right we crossed the road bridge over The Middlewood Way to arrive at The Boar's Head in Higher Poynton (132mins). Here we enjoyed pints of Wainwright for £3-80 and an assortment of soft drinks before leaving by turning left out of the pub and immediately left down Anson Road. This took us past the entrance to The Anson Engine Museum on our right and down to Middlewood Road (144mins)

After crossing the road we headed uphill along a lane dividing Davenport Golf Course. We turned left at a public footpath across the fairway. On the far side we exited the course by a metal kissing gate and climbed uphill, turning right at the top. The path took us down through a metal gate to the Hockley end of Towers Road.(151mins) We crossed to start our descent to Poynton down Lady's Incline, reaching Woodside Close (165mins) where we turned left and retraced our footsteps back to the club to de-boot (179mins)

Here we were soon joined by three non-walking drinkers who had declared themselves hors de combat because of a variety of ailments. Their stoicism in managing to drink Wainwright's cask bitter at £2-95 a pint despite infirmity was an example to us all.

Next week's walk will start at 9.55am from the main cobbled square area in Longnor, on the Derbyshire-Staffordshire border south-east of Buxton. Under the leadership of Jock, aided by Tip, we will aim to reach The Pack Horse at Crowdecote around 12.30pm for a tincture before returning to The Cheshire Cheese at Longnor around 2.15pm for further refreshment.

Happy wandering !