BOLLINGTON
January 19, 2022
BOLLINGTON RECREATION GROUND, MACCLESFIELD CANAL, ADELPHI MILL, KERRIDGE, KERRIDGE HILL, RAINOW, GRITSTONE TRAIL, TEGG’S NOSE COUNTRY PARK, LANGLEY, MACCLESFIELD GOLF COURSE, THE HOLLINS, THE JOLLY SAILOR IN MACCLESFIELD, HOVIS MILL, MACCLESFIELD CANAL
Distance: 12 milesAscent/descent: 1,540 ft
Difiiculty: Moderately hard
Weather: Dry and bright
Walkers: Micky Barrett, Peter Beal, Andy Blease, Alastair Cairns, Tom Cunliffe and Daisy, Mark Enright, Chris Owen, Jock Rooney, Kieran Rooney, Julian Ross, Dean Taylor, Keith Welsh, Dave Willetts, Cliff Worthington,
Non-walking drinker: Alan Hart
Apologies: Hughie Hardiman (domestic stuff), George Dearsley (Turkey)
Leader: OwenDiarist: Beal
Starting point: Bollington recreation ground car park
Starting time: 9.28amFinishing time: 2.35pm
Barely half-an-hour before today’s walk began the rain was torrential and the surrounding hills cloaked in thick mist. Walkers heading for Bollington could perhaps have been forgiven for turning for home.
But the Wanderers are obviously made of sterner stuff and we had a bumper turn-out of 14 hardy souls for a longish walk around the Cheshire hills and a visit to a splendid Macclesfield town centre pub.
And sure enough, just before our appointed departure time, the skies cleared and the weather forecasts of a dry and bright day proved spot-on for once.
We welcomed a debut walker – Mark Enright, who it turned out is a neighbour of your diarist in Birch Vale, near Hayfield. In what he might have thought was some bizarre Wanderers’ initiation ceremony we managed to lose him for some time on the approach to Macclesfield, together with Tom.
We can only extend to Mark sincere apologies for our carelessness and hope it will not put him off joining us on future expeditions.
Today also marked the upcoming 80th birthday of one of our longest-standing members, Jock, who generously marked the occasion with a round of drinks in The Jolly Sailor. We were also pleased to welcome back Jock’s son Kieran on one of his occasional appearances.
We set off through the recreation ground to emerge on the road at the far end and crossed to climb a steep set of steps in the wall of the canal aqueduct immediately opposite. Emerging on the Macclesfield Canal towpath we turned right and followed the waterway to the imposing former Adelpi Mill. Just past here, at Bridge 28, we crossed the canal and took a track through a field with the ridge of Kerridge Hill ahead of us (22 minutes).
We ascended a steep flight of stone steps to a lane and another set of steps brought us up to Windmill Lane, a route formerly used by coal miners and quarrymen. Near us was the landmark of Clayton’s Tower, once thought to be a chimney connected to William Clayton’s coal mining operations here, but since proved to be a 19th century folly erected by him.
A short distance along the lane another flight of steps led us to a path skirting the old Bridge Quarry and soon after we reached the path running along the ridge of Kerridge Hill (35 min).
We turned right here and a short climb soon brought us to the 1,026-foot trig point at the highest point of the ridge. A descent on a rocky path emerged on the Macclesfield road at the southern end of Rainow village. We turned right her and very soon toook a stile on the left in to fields.
A short climb brought us to the minor road of Bull Hill Lane, where we turned right to follow it to it’s junction with the Cat and Fiddle Buxton to Macclesfield road. We turned left and almost immediately crossed the road to take a stile on the right.
We had now joined the Gritstone Trail, the 34-mile route between Disley and Kidsgrove in Staffordshire. The clearly-signed route through fields brought us to a lane right next to the visitor centre at the Tegg’s Nose Country Park, where pietime was declared at a picnic area with tables and fine panoramic views (100 min).
Resuming, we took a path immediately opposite, which dropped steeply on flags and stone setts to reach a track at the bottom where we turned right. We forded a stream and emerged on a lane between Teggsnose reservoir on our right and Bottoms reservoir on our left. The road from here took us in to Langley Village and past the Dunstan Arms, a pub that never seems to be open.
Just past the village centre and its impressive hanging sign we took a gate on the right in to fields. It was here that Mark and Tom, chatting at the rear of our now strung-out party, understandably failed to see we had left the road. When we realised, telephone contact was established and Tom was given directions on how to find us in Macclesfield.
We climbed through fields and came to Macclesfield golf course, above us to the right. We descended on a track to reach a lane, where a narrow path to the left of a red-brick bungalow brought us across the canal and through the Windmill recreation ground. We turned left under the Silk Road flyover and dropped through an industrial estate to emerge near the town centre with The Jolly Sailor visible on our right in Sunderland Street (167 min). Mark and Tom rejoined the party on the descent.
The Jolly Sailor proved a most cosy and welcoming little pub, with a roaring coal fire and excellent Bradfield Brewery Farmer’s Blonde beer. Jock announced his upcoming 80thbirthday and opened a tab behind the bar for further drinks.
It was here our leader Chris announced that when we reached the canal on the return journey he would be leaving us to walk home. Julian innocently inquired whether this would be the first time a Wanderers’ leader had announced his defection mid-walk. It was decided this was probably the case.
Tom had to leave slightly early to reach a hospital appoinment, so your diarist decided to join him in the straightforward four-mile walk back along the Macclesfield Canal, reached by turning up Brook Street on our right and swinging left in front of Macclesfield Marina. At Buxton Road we turned right and crossed the canal to join the towpath. The hour-long walk from here brought us back to Bridge 28 and then to the aqueduct where we dropped down to the recreation ground and our cars (247 min), followed soon after by the rest of the party.
Six Wanderers repaired to the Vale Inn to enjoy the excellent Long Hop biiter.
Next week’s walk will start opposite the Navigation Inn at Buxworth at 9.40am and go over Cracken Edge before calling at the Old Hall at Whitehough for refreshment, around 1pm. From here it is only 20 minutes back to Buxworth.
For information – the Navigation Inn car park has now become pay-and-display at £5 a day. This is refundable on buying drinks at the pub, but with a £5 minimum spend. Parking should be availble opposite on the approach track to Bugsworth Basin.
Happy wandering!
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