Sutton

October 2, 2019.

SUTTON HALL, COP MEADOW, BISHOP'S CLOUGH, SUTTON RESERVOIR, MACCLESFIELD CANAL, BOSLEY LOCKS, RODE HALL, RODE GREEN, HARRINGTON ARMS AT GAWSWORTH, GAWSWORTH PARISH CHURCH, DANES MOSS NATURE RESERVE, MACCLESFIELD CANAL AND SUTTON HALL

Distance: 10-11 miles.

Difficulty: Easy.

Weather: Blue skies and sunshine.

Walkers: Andy Blease, Mark Gibby, Alan Hart, Chris Owen, Julian Ross and Graham Stone.

Apologies: Mickey Barrett (Turkish hols), Peter Beal (Greek islands), Alastair Cairns (late return from London), Tom Cunliffe (Portugal hols), George Dearsley (in Turkey), Laurie Fairman (New Zealand hols), Hughie Hardiman (filial duties), John Jones (medical tests), Jock Rooney (hols)

Leader: Owen. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Car park at Sutton Hall, Macclesfield.

Starting time: 9.35am. Finishing time: 2.32pm.

Although the weather was beautiful after several days of heavy rain with the promise of more to come, it was pointed out that two of our wanderers were wearing gloves, This harbinger of winter does not normally occur until late November at the earliest and I won't embarrass the culprits by naming them. No doubt Andy and Mark had good reasons for their attire.

Chris set a brisk pace on the outward journey of this predominantly flat walk so we were able to cover a greater distance than normal in the same timespan. We also had the added bonus of being able to sit outside enjoying the sunshine at both watering holes.

From our cars we returned up the drive to the entrance to Sutton Hall's grounds and turned left along the road before going left over a wooden stile marked with a green footpath sign (7mins) to enter a field. We crossed the field, exiting by a wooden stile (13mins) and turned left along a road. Just beyond a bus stop we turned right (16mins) into a road called Cop Meadow.

At the end of the road we entered a field by a green footpath sign indicating Bishop's Clough (18mins). We went through a kissing gate marked with a yellow arrow (23mins) then dog-legged left and right to cross a bridge and walk with a stream on our right (25mins). After passing through a metal kissing gate (27mins) we crossed a road and followed a path to the left of Sutton Reservoir, known locally as Turks Head Ressie. At its end we turned right then swung sharp left down an embankment (39mins)

This brought us through a metal kissing gate to cross a main road (42mins) and go over a wooden footbridge, numbered 48a, to the far side of the Macclesfield Canal (44mins). With the waterway on our left we then proceeded under five more bridges until we reached the start of Bosley Locks at Bridge 54 (84mins) where we paused for pies and port.

Macclesfield Canal was designed by Thomas Telford and opened in 1831. It is 26 miles long running from its junction with The Peak Forest Canal at Marple in the north through Macclesfield and Congleton to its junction with the Hall Green branch of The Trent and Mersey Canal in the south. Commercial barges continued until 1954, after which the North Cheshire Cruising Club successfully lobbied for it to remain open for pleasure boats. The canal became part of the Cheshire Ring in 1965. Bosley is the site of a single flight of 12 locks which alter the water level by 118 feet.

After Pietime we left the canal, but not before Julian had posed a pertinent question about the need for a lock on a bin provided for dog poop. Answers on a postcard please.

Next to the lock was a road where we turned right and crossed a bridge over the main railway line from Manchester to London and into Park Road before continuing straight ahead on to a lane (90mins). This took us past a lake on our right with Rode Hall behind it in the distance (99mins)

Rode Hall was bought from the Rode family in 1669 by the Baker Wilbrahams. The medieval manor house was replaced between 1700 and 1708 by a brick building. A second building was added in 1752 and the two were joined in 1800 to form the present Rode Hall. Its current owners are Sir Richard Baker Wilbraham, the eighth baronet, and his wife Lady Anne. The hall and gardens are open to the public from April till September.

We crossed a cattlegrid and turned immediately left (101mins) through trees in a field where several placid bulls gazed at our group. We had to trudge through mud to reach a concrete lane where we turned right (105mins) with bulls on either side of us showing little interest in our presence. The lane took us through a farmyard (112mins) and over a series of three wooden stiles.

When we reached a road we turned right (118mins), passing Rode Green Cottage on our left. At a T-junction we crossed the major road and went through a metal gate (121mins). Our route then took us through gates and over stiles until we reached a lake surrounded by anglers. Here we turned left (136mins)

Proceeding uphill away from the fishermen we went through a metal kissing gate and aimed for the distinctive tower of Gawsworth's magnificent parish church. The path took us to a lane some 50 yards to the left of the church (146mins). We turned left and reached The Harrington Arms on our right (148mins).

By now the sun was shining brightly and we sat around trestle tables outside the front door, drinking everything from pints of Dizzy Blonde at £3-50 to cups of tea and glasses of lime and soda. It being the first Wednesday of the month, the pub was crowded with cyclists. Suitably refreshed in different ways we retraced our footsteps up the lane and passed the church on our right.

St James' Church, Gawsworth, is a Grade 1 listed building. There has been a chapel on the site since the 13th Century. The present building dates from the 15th Century with its nave built in 1430 and the tower and chancel 40 years later. Nearby Gawsworth Hall was the home of the Fitton family, and there are four tombs inside the church containing the bodies of Fittons who died between 1608 and 1643.

Beyond the church on our left was a statue of Sir Robert Peel, the MP who created the forerunners to our modern police force. Their nicknames of “bobbies” and “peelers” survive to this day.

We turned right at a green public footpath sign (155mins) and went through two metal kissing gates (158 and 165mins) to reach a road. Turning left we arrived at a wooden public footpath sign on our right with a sign towards Danes Moss Nature Reserve (177mins). At another sign for the reserve we paused for lunch (181mins)

Continuing our journey we reached the Manchester to London  railway line and crossed it by a footbridge (190mins). The path then led us to the left bank of The Macclesfield Canal at Bridge 47 where we turned left with the canal on our right (194mins). We left the canal at Bridge 44 (210mins) and crossed the bridge before turning left into the grounds of Sutton Hall to reach our cars (214mins). After-de-booting we enjoyed further refreshment in the hall's sunny garden.

Next week's walk of just over eight miles will start at 9.35am from the free car park at Tom Brad's Croft next to Whaley Bridge Basin. We intend to inspect the recent damage to the dam at Todd Brook Reservoir before a steady ascent to the ridge above Taxal, heading past Taxal Nick to Windgather Rocks. We will then descend to Fernilee Reservoir and call at The Shady Oak, Fernilee, for a bracer about 12.20pm before walking along The Goyt Valley back to Whaley Bridge. If it is open we will have our final libation at The Navigation at around 2.20pm having considered other alternatives on the way back to our cars.

Happy wandering !