Brabyns Park

June 10, 2020

BRABYNS PARK, COMPSTALL, ETHEROW VALLEY, REDBROW WOOD, PEAK FOREST CANAL, HYDE BANK TUNNEL, ST CHAD'S WELL, CHADKIRK CHAPEL, OTTERSPOOL WEIR, OLD MANOR FARM, MIDDLEWOOD WAY, MARPLE GOLF CLUB, MACLESFIELD CANAL, RING O' BELLS, MARPLE, PEAK FOREST CANAL

Distance: 8+ miles.

Difficulty: Easy.

Weather: Cloudy but mainly dry with light drizzle at the end.

Walkers: Tom Cunliffe with Daisy, Alan Hart, John Jones, Julian Ross, Keith Welsh, George Whaites.

Leader and Diarist: Hart.

Apologies: Peter Beal (awaiting medical approval), Andy Blease (sore heel), Alastair Cairns (self-isolating in Lake District), George Dearsley (in Turkey), Mark Gibby (self-isolating for health reasons), Chris Owen (digging footings for house extension), Jock Rooney (self-isolating with vulnerable wife Mary), Graham Stone (awaiting response to application to join alternative walkers)

Alternative walkers: Colin Davison and Laurie Fairman.

Starting point: Car park at Brabyns Park, Marple Bridge.

Starting time: 9.41am. Finishing time: 1.17pm.

For the second successive week the wet weather which had been forecast dried up moments before the start of our journey. Unlike last week we did endure some light drizzle towards the end but conditions were better than expected and there was little mud to avoid.

The absence of haircuts during the Corvid 19 lockdown was apparent with several walkers looking like ageing rock stars with their collar-length locks. Tom sported a bouffant style reminiscent of the late 70s and early 80s when Roxy Music, Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet were in their heyday.

We also welcomed a debutant, Keith Welsh, who is a neighbour of Julian. We hope Tom's bickering over the route taken does not preclude future appearances.

From the car park we followed the path to the left of the fields which swung gradually right until we exited the park by a footbridge over the River Goyt (10mins). We carried on along a lane to reach the main road (17mins) and turned left into Compstall. After passing a former pub called The George on our left we crossed a road bridge over the River Etherow and turned immediately left to walk along its right bank towards Redbrow Wood (19mins)

Ignoring paths on our right we carried on until the footpath led us away from the river (31mins). It took us over a wooden stile to the left of a farm. After climbing steadily we turned left over a wooden stile (38mins) and crossed fields heading towards two viaducts. The first carried a railway line which we passed under. The second was an aqueduct which we climbed up steps to reach (45mins)

The Peak Forest Canal, engineered by Benjamin Outram, is 15 miles long and was built between 1794 and 1805. After commercial barges stopped using it, the canal became impassable in the 1960s but was dredged and renovated for leisure purposes.

Instead of going right across the aqueduct we turned left with the waterway on our right to reach Hyde Bank Tunnel (54mins).

The tunnel is 308 yards long, 16 feet wide, and has a height above water of 6ft 8ins. When commercial barges used it, the shire horse would leave the towpath and walk unaided to the end of the tunnel where it waited to be reconnected. Meanwhile the bargees would “leg”through the tunnel by lying on their backs and walking along the roof to propel the boat forward.

On the far side of the tunnel, on the left of the canal, is Hyde Bank Farm on Oakwood Road, Romiley, which was once the home of a future queen of England.

Anne Hyde (1637-71) was the daughter of courtier Edward Hyde (later created Earl of Clarendon) and was born in Windsor. But she spent some childhood days in Romiley before her family went into exile in Holland after the execution of Charles 1, whom her father had supported.

In the Netherlands she met James, younger brother of Charles 11. They married in 1660 and two months later she gave birth to the first of their eight children. Even more shocking, according to my fellow diarist Samuel Pepys, was that she and her husband, who became King James 11, were seen kissing and showing affection in public !! Although six of their children died young, the surviving daughters, Mary 11 and Anne, became monarchs.

After rejoining the canal at the far side of the tunnel (59mins) we continued along the towpath before turning left down a flight of steps (68mins) and turned left passing the eccentrically-named Burymewick Cottage on our right. The road swung right and on our right was St Chad's Well, believed to have been named after a medieval bishop (71mins)

The road then swung left and on the left was Chadkirk Chapel where we were able to stop for Pietime at a row of benches (72mins). Due to an aberration brought on by his advancing years, your diarist forgot to produce the customary snifters of port.

Continuing we proceeded in the same direction, reaching a road where we turned right (77mins) and reached the main Otterspool Road, where we turned left (83mins). We took time out to examine the community-owned hydro-electric plant at Otterspool Weir.

The weir was built by a 19th Century Stockport millowner but his planned cotton mill was never erected. The electricity-generating machinery, including two massive Archimedes screws named Thunder and Lightning, was opened in 2012.

We proceeded past the boarded up Hare and Hounds, which has a letting sign, on our right and reached a T-junction at traffic lights. We carried straight on up a track leading to Old Manor Farm (101mins). The path took us to the left of the farm and we crossed a field through a wooden gate marked with a yellow arrow (116mins)

On reaching The Middlewood Way access was achieved by turning left before the bridge over it and following a path (123mins) which brought us to it on our right. We then turned sharp right to walk back under the bridge in the direction of Macclesfield (126mins). This brought us to a footpath sign pointing left to the Macclesfield Canal (133mins)

The path took us along a public right of way through Marple Golf Course where poor Daisy was the victim of one of the worst sliced tee shots you are likely to see. The golfer – and I use the term loosely – took an iron off the tee for a short Par 3 hole. Unfortunately it went like a full-blooded square cut and hit Daisy on her left front leg. As she squealed in pain both Tom and the culprit rushed to her assistance. Happily she was able to limp on and was soon walking normally again.

When we reached the canal we turned left (148mins) passing Goyt Mill on our right before reaching Bridge 2 next to The Ring O' Bells at Marple before exiting (162mins). As the pub beer garden was locked we continued along the Macclesfield Canal to the point where it joins the Peak Forest Canal and stopped at a row of benches for lunch (168mins)

Proceeding past Marple Locks on our right we crossed Station Road, dog-legging right then left to continue along the right bank of the canal (178mins). After passing the final lock we turned right at a gap in the fence (181mins) opposite a tennis court and turned left along a path. This brought us back to the car park at Brabyns Park (192mins)

Meanwhile the alternative walkers had started from Jenkin Chapel to walk up Shining Tor and back via Lamaload Reservoir.

Next week's walk will start at 9.30am from Chinley War Memorial in Stubbins Lane (SK23 6AE).

The route will take you to Whitehough, along the Tramway to Chapel Milton, passing Breckead, Shire Oaks, South Head, The Lamb Inn (sadly closed) and returning via Monk's Meadow to the memorial in Chinley.

Happy wandering !


photos taken by John Jones 

 Pietime on the benches next to Chadkirk Chapel. L to R: Jones, Whaites, Welsh, Hart, Ross, Cunliffe.

Otterspool hydro electric scheme.

Weeping Willows at Hawk Green