Sutton Hall

Sutton Hall, Sutton Reservoir (aka Turks Head), Macclesfield canal, Bosley locks, Bullgate lane, Shellow lane, Gawsworth Hall, Danes Moss, Macclesfield canal, Sutton Hall

 

Distance: 9/10 miles.

Difficulty: Flat

Weather: Dry with early chill giving way to blue skies and sunshine.

Walkers: Jock Rooney with Millie, Chris Owen

Apologies: Too numerous to list

Leader: Owen Diarist: Owen

Starting point: Sutton Hall

Starting time: 9.35am Finishing time: 1.30pm.

 

Jock and Millie were waiting on my arrival and in the absence of any further wanderers we set off. We left Sutton Hall via the drive and turned left along Bullocks lane. After about 300yds we crossed a stile on the left and walked diagonally across a field arriving at the side of the poor house on Walker lane.

This was our first change to our route with Jock still suffering from sciatica we continued following the lane directly opposite Parvey Lane. At the end of Parvey Lane we turned left onto Leek Old Road and continued down to the entrance to Turks Head reservoir and walked along the north bank which proved a folly as at the end of the path it was in flood, which was impassable without tall wellies or waders.

We retraced our steps back to the entrance and then followed the south bank. More successfully, we walked across the dam and proceeded west to Macclesfield canal. We turned left along the canal and arrived at the first of Bosley flight where ‘pie time’ was taken.

We turned right along Bullgate lane as far as Shellow lane where we decided, given the forecast of inclement weather, to keep to Shellow Lane rather than the track which would have taken us past North Rode Manor and its dam at the lake.

We continued along Shellow Lane until we came back on track and turned right into a field. After a series of kissing gates, we arrived at the fishing lakes to the rear of Gawsworth.

We again chose to go ‘off piste’, having consulted with a fisherman who advised against going through a no-entry sign. We ignored him! This brought us out by the side of Gawsworth Hall very close to the one-handed ‘Bob Peel’.

We turned right crossing a number of fields and came out onto Woodhouse lane turning left towards Danes Moss.

We had sacrificed our call to the Harrington Arms ‘for a wet’ to avoid getting externally wet.

After crossing Danes Moss we crossed the West Coast line via a metal footbridge and again came back to the Macclesfield canal where we turned left. We continued along the canal via Lyme Green arriving back at Sutton Hall where we enjoyed pints of ‘Lord Lucan’.

Next week's walk will start at 9.30am from the free car park at High Lane Village Hall off Windlehurst Road, High Lane, SK6 8AB (Turn off A6 at Horseshoe Inn traffic lights and turn right after 100 yards). This new route is 10.5 miles but largely flat going along the Macclesfield Canal to Bridge 13 then up via Platt Fold Farm through Elmerhurst Wood to Lyme Park. We exit via Green Farm back to Lyme Marina, returning via Wards End, Poynton Coppice, The Middlewood Way and Jacksons Brickworks Nature Reserve to reach the canal and retrace our footsteps.

We may stop for refreshment at The Miners Arms, Wood Lane Ends, or The Boar's Head at Higher Poynton: most likely both.

Happy Wandering !