March 15, 2023.
TORKINGTON PARK, HAZEL GROVE GOLF COURSE, CLOUGH HOUSE FARM, OAKFIELD FARM, HIGH LANE STATION ON MIDDLEWOOD WAY, MACCLESFIELD CANAL. BEESTON PARK LODGE, HOLLINWOOD LANE, PEAK FOREST CANAL, MARPLE LOCKS, THE NAVIGATION AT MARPLE, MACCLESFIELD CANAL, GOYT MILL, STOCKPORT GOLF COURSE, TORKINGTON MANOR
Distance: 9 miles.
Difficulty: Easy.
Weather: Cloudy but dry.
Walkers: Peter Beal, Alastair Cairns, Mike Cassini, Tom Cunliffe with Daisy, Alan Hart, Jonathan Hart, Chris Owen, Dean Taylor with Tommy, Dave Willetts.
Non-walking drinker: Jock Rooney with Milly.
Apologies: Micky Barrett (in Australia), Andy Blease (supervising plumber), George Dearsley (in Turkey), Mark Enright (w^*king), Mark Gibby (monitoring Cheltenham Races), Mark Jones (w^*king), Simon Williams (w^*king), Cliff Worthington (asthma attack)
Starting point: Torkington Park free car park, Hazel Grove.
Starting time: 9.30am. Finishing time: 2.35pm.
Recent cold weather and icy winds relented for this walk through two golf courses and alongside a pair of canals. It remained dry throughout and had the added bonus of two celebratory rounds of drinks.
Chris invited us to raise a glass to his seventh, yet-unnamed grandson and Alastair was toasting his 66thbirthday. Congratulations to all concerned. Ten of us enjoyed the generosity of our chums and there could have been more if three w^*kers hadn't cried off. Indeed we suspect Julian might have been w^*king as well !
From the rear of the car park we walked along a path with a soccer pitch to its right which rose uphill then swung left and down to bring us out on Torkington Road. Here we turned right. Where the main road swung left and became Offerton Road we swung right along the continuation of Torkington Road and passed Torkington Primary School before turning right at a green public footpath sign (15mins)
We went through a metal gate and kept to the left of a field before exiting it via a wooden stile, This took us through a copse of trees on to Hazel Grove golf course. We kept left, passing a sign for the course before turning left to cross a wooden stile and enter a field (26mins)
After crossing a wooden stile and going through a metal gate we emerged at a road with Clough House Farm on our right (32mins). We turned right and then headed left (37mins) towards Oakfield Farm.
As we followed the track we passed a pretty thatched cottage on our right.
We reached the Middlewood Way and turned right (39mins) to pass the platform of the former High Lane railway station.
The Middlewood Way is an 11-mile shared use path for walkers, cyclists and horse riders between Macclesfield and Marple which opened in 1985. It is on the track bed of the Macclesfield, Bollington and Marple Railway which operated from 1869 until 1970.
We left the Middlewood Way just beyond the old station platform to reach the A6 and turn left. When we were opposite The Bull's Head on our right (55mins) we turned left down stone steps to reach the Macclefield Canal at Bridge 11. Turning left with the waterway on our right we proceeded to Bridge 8 (69mins) where we left the canal and turned right.
Where the lane swung right we carried in straight ahead through a metal gate (71mins) along a footpath. At a T-junction we turned left (74mins) and went through a metal gate passing a green sign indicating that we were heading for Strines.
Crossing a wooden stile marked with a white arrow (76mins)we went through a metal gate (83mins).
After discussion we ignored a wooden stile on our right, recalling the eager beavers who had already crossed it in misplaced anticipation. After passing Beeston Park Lodge on our left (88mins) we turned left past an imposing house which had once been a popular pub called The Romper on our left (90mins)
A few yards beyond it, where the road swung left, we went straight on along Hollinwood Lane and paused for Pietime on a wall (95mins). Resuming we started our descent and crossed Bridge 22 over the Peak Forest Canal. With the canal on our left we walked along the towpath until we reached Bridge 19 where we switched to the towpath on the left of the canal (115mins)
Fearing that our intended refreshment stop, The Ring o' Bells, might not be open until noon Tom improvised with a loop taking us past the Marple Locks (120mins)
As we walked past The Navigation at the back of the group, your diarist instinctively glanced at the pub door (123mins). It was only 11.45am but the bar was open and early customers had already taken their regular seats. Peter needed no second invitation and we notified our chums by phone of this opportunity.
They returned from their vigil outside the Ring o' Bells thus emphasising the Wednesday Wanderers' motto “Firm of purpose: flexible in design” to join us.
Our happiness was almost completed when Chris announced he would be buying a round to celebrate the birth of a son to his daughter Jessica, who has already produced a daughter. At 10lb 10 oz this hefty addition to the family promises to be a big lad like his grandpa.
Just when we thought things couldn't get much better, Alastair revealed that he was celebrating his 66thbirthday and we were treated to another round of Robbies Unicorn cask bitter. The welcome was warm and the beer was good but the landlady had to be reminded repeatedly that we liked full pints.
On leaving the pub we turned right and right again to walk uphill alongside Marple Locks. We took the towpath at Bridge 1 (131mins) and changed sides at Bridge 2 opposite the Ring o' Bells to walk in the direction of Macclesfield alongside its canal with the waterway on our left.
After passing The Goyt Mill on our left (141mins) we stopped for lunch at a handy bench. A few yards beyond the bench was a yellow arrow marker at a path into Stockport Golf Course. The path took us left and then across the course to cross the Middlewood Way (156mins) following a sign for Offerton Road. This took us over a wooden stile and across a wooden footbridge (162mins)
We turned right at a T-junction (164mins) and crossed another footbridge (171mins), went over a wooden stile and turned left. The path took us to the left of a pond (175mins) as we crossed a stile to exit the course, where Chris had pocketed three lost golf balls.
We swung right through a muddy field and crossed a wooden stile to exit it and enter a farmyard (179mins). We went through a metal gate, turned left over a wooden stile and then turned right (181mins)
After walking through a gap stile we were on a main road opposite Torkington Manor (190mins). Turning right we followed the road leading back along our earlier footsteps to Torkington Park and our cars (206mins)
Next week's walk will start at 9.50am from Chapel-en-le-Frith railway station, Bridgeway, Chapel-en-le-Frith, High Peak SK23 0XT. To park on the station car park you need a valid rail ticket so we invariably park by the side of the road leading to the station.
Tom is intending to lead us to Castle Naze, the site of a Bronze Age hillfort on Coombes Edge, before guiding us to The Beehive at Coombs around 12.30pm. We will have the option of a flyer at The King's Head in Chapel after we finish the walk at about 2.15pm.
Happy wandering !
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