Bollington

 August 10, 2022.

BOLLINGTON RECREATION GROUND, THE MACCLESFIELD CANAL, DAWSON FARM, KERRIDGE RIDGE, RAINOW, BULL HILL LANE, TEGG'S NOSE COUNTRY PARK, SADDLERS WAY, BOTTOMS RESERVOIR, LANGLEY, THE KING'S HEAD AT GURNETT, THE MACCLESFIELD CANAL, THE MIDDLEWOOD WAY, THE VALE INN AT BOLLINGTON

Distance: 12 miles.

Difficulty: Strenuous.

Weather: Sunny and hot.

Walkers: Alastair Cairns, Mark Gibby, Alan Hart, Jonathan Hart, Chris Owen and Dean Taylor.

Apologies: Mickey Barrett, Peter Beal, Andy Blease, Tom Cunliffe, George Dearsley, Dave Dunsford, .Mark Enright, Mark Evans, Hughie Hardiman, Jock Rooney, Julian Ross, Dave Willetts, Simon Williams.

Leaders: Owen and Hart. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Free car park overlooking Bollington Recreation Ground.

Starting time: 9.52am. Finishing time: 3.03pm.

As the temperature soared into the 80s our leader Chris chose to walk five miles from his home to the starting point. He misjudged not only the time this would take but also the state of his bowels when he arrived. Consequently by the time he emerged from the nearby public toilets we were 17 minutes late.

In a bid to gain the lost time Chris set a cracking pace as we ascended two of Cheshire's most demanding summits. Alas Dean, one of our fittest and fastest, suffered from dehydration after the first long climb and decided to retire early for a cold shower. Happily he soon recovered when he reached home.

Meanwhile the remaining five continued our upward journey to Tegg's Nose Country Park before starting our descent nearly two hours after the start. On this first section of the route we enjoyed spectacular panoramic views all the way along Kerridge Ridge and down Saddlers Way to Bottoms Reservoir.

We welcomed the fact that the return journey from Gurnett along the Macclesfield Canal and Middlewood Way was predominantly flat. By then we had enjoyed our fill of hills and valleys.

From the car park we headed across Bollington Recreation Ground to the right corner of the sports field from where steps led us up to the main road into Bollington. We crossed over and turned left, soon climbing a set of stone steps on our right which led steeply from the aqueduct bridge to the right side of The Macclesfield Canal (7mins)

After walking under Bridge 27 and passing the former site of the Adelphi Mill on our right we left the canal at Bridge 28.

To do this we turned right before the bridge, turned left to cross it and then swung immediately right along a track which led to Dawson Farm on our right (25mins). Here we turned right and immediately left up Higher Lane.

As we approached a distinctive house with an outside clock we went to its left and after 30 yards we turned left up a long and steep flight of steps (30mins). This brought us to a road (32mins) where we turned left for 50 yards then turned left again at a green public footpath sign towards Bridge House.

The village of Rainow in the valley below

Another flight of steps appeared marked with a yellow arrow (34mins). We climbed these to reach the ridge at Kerridge (40mins). Here we turned right with views of the Astra Zeneca plant on the Hurdsfield Industrial Estate and the Jodrell Bank radio telescope on our right. To our left the village of Rainow nestled in the valley below.

The path along the ridge brought us to a metal kissing gate marked with the Gritstone Trail logo (43mins). On the far side of the gate we took the higher track uphill to another metal kissing gate (46mins). We continued up to the Trig Point at 313 metres where we paused to admire the view and a photo opportunity (48mins).

The team at the Trig Point: or Taylor's Last Stand as it became known

We descended on the far side of the ridge, going through another metal kissing gate (49mins) before reaching the A5002 road through Rainow.

It was on this snow-covered road in January, 1977, that a crime known as The Pottery Cottage Massacre reached its bloody climax. Billy Hughes, 30, from Blackpool, was being driven to court charged with rape and grievous bodily harm in a prison van. He produced a knife, stabbed two officers and escaped across the Derbyshire moors.

Hughes found the isolated Pottery Cottage near Chesterfield where he armed himself with an axe and held Gill Moran and her family hostage while police hunted him.

He raped Gill several times as he systematically killed her family – father, husband, daughter and finally her mother before fleeing in a car. He was caught in a police roadblock on the A5002 in Rainow and shot dead as he raised an axe to kill Gill as she cowered in terror.

At this point I later learned that Deano had been feeling groggy and informed Chris he was taking a direct route back to his car. Meanwhile the rest of us, blissfully unaware, soldiered on, turning right along the road (58mins)

After 60 yards as we approached a bend we turned left up stone steps at a foliage-enshrouded public footpath sign to enter a field and keep to the right of a newly-erected electric fence (59mins). The path took us to a road where we turned right uphill (64mins)

We walked to the end of Bull Hill Lane (71mins) and turned left along the A637 for 30 yards before turning right at a Gritstone Trail marker to head up stone steps and a wooden gate to enter a field (72mins). After crossing a wooden stile (76mins) we carried on uphill, through a metal gate (81mins), crossing a stone step stile and turning left for five yards to reach a road (85mins)

Turning right we walked along the road before turning left (88mins) into Tegg's Nose Country Park for a belated Pietime. Here we learned of the fate of Desperate Dean, whom we had assumed had raced ahead.

Suitably refreshed we proceeded to the concessionary path called Saddlers Way and started our descent along the rocky track. It was the sweatiest part of the day as we dripped down Tegg's Nose.

We took care at the fork (100mins) to turn right following the Tegg's Nose symbol. This uphill track took us across a stream by stepping stones (105mins) before we continued our descent to Bottoms Reservoir (115mins)

A parched Bottoms Reservoir

The water level was especially low but when we reached the dam wall on our right we were delighted to see Vanessa Owen who had driven over specially to bring Chris a change of clothing and bottles of beers for the thirsty chaps: a kind and lovely gesture from a kind and lovely lady.

This also gave your diarist a rare opportunity to appear in a diary photograph as our reduced number posed with Tegg's Nose in the background (119mins)

Chris Owen, Jonathan and Alan Hart, Mark Gibby and Alastair Cairns

We continued walking downhill until we reached a road and turned right, passing Langley Village Hall on our right (126mins). As we approached The Church House pub on our left (137mins) we followed the road as it swung right, finally reaching the King's Head at Gurnett on our right (148mins)

An outside marquee provided welcome shelter from the hot sun as we sampled a choice of real ales next to the pub. They were all deemed to be highly quaffable.

It was at this stage that Chris announced he would be handing the poisoned chalice of leadership to your diarist for the final leg of the journey (Chris having already covered the five miles on his way to the start that morning)

Under new management we turned left out of the pub's front door, heading towards the bridge but immediately climbing a flight of steps before it to join The Macclesfield Canal on our right (152mins) and walked left along the towpath.

At the next bridge (43) we crossed to the opposite bank (155mins) and now walked with the canal on our left. At Bridge 40 we stopped on a bench for lunch (170mins)

Continuing along the towpath was monotonous but by now the hedgerows were providing welcoming shelter from the hot sun above. At Bridge 30 (213mins) we left the canal to the right, crossed the bridge and bore right at a yellow arrow along a path which led us to The Middlewood Way. Here we turned right towards Bollington (214mins)

The paved path led us to a zig-zag section (226mins) which in turn brought us to a road (232mins). We crossed this and passed the Bollington Labyrinth on our right (233mins)

The Bollington Labyrinth

We were now in sight of the finishing post and after crossing a lengthy bridge we turned right to walk down to the car park where we de-booted (244mins). From here it was a short journey left to The Vale Inn for pints of Bollington Best and Long Hop cask ales from the Bollington Brewery nearby.

Next week's walk will start at 9.35am from free parking at the junction of the A6015 New Mills to Hayfield Road and Oven Hill Road. Approaching Hayfield from New Mills it is 150 yards before you reach The Grouse on the right. Dean will lead the group to Pietime at Mellor Cross before arriving for a livener at The Pack Horse in New Mills around 12.45pm and returning to the cars at about 2.30pm.

Happy wandering !