Bosley

 

March 1, 2023.

BOSLEY, THE CLOUD, TIMBERSBROOK, RAINOW HILL, POOL BANK MILL, THE COACH AND HORSES, BIDDULPH VALLEY WAY, MACCLESFIELD CANAL, DANE VALLEY, ST MARY THE VIRGIN CHURCH, BOSLEY

Distance: 12 miles.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Weather: Mainly dry but cloudy with bright sunny spells.

Walkers: Alastair Cairns, Tom Cunliffe with Daisy, Mark Gibby, Hughie Hardiman, Alan Hart, Jonathan Hart, Chris Owen, Simon Williams, Cliff Worthington.

Non-walking drinkers: Jock and Keiran Rooney with Milly.

Apologies: Mickey Barrett, Andy Blease, Peter Beal (domestic duties), George Dearsley (in Turkey), Mark Enright (w^*king), Dean Taylor.

Leader: Cunliffe. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Lay-by opposite The Harrington Arms at Bosley, on the A523 road out of Macclesfield towards Leek.

Starting time: 9.45am. Finishing time: 3.15pm.

The best views on this popular walk along the Cheshire-Staffordshire border were observed in the first hour as we climbed The Cloud at Bosley.

View from the summit of The Cloud

At 1,125 feet this landmark hill commands views over Congleton, Biddulph, Macclesfield, Holmes Chapel and Manchester. From its picturesque peak we descended to the scene of a tragedy where four workmen were killed in a factory explosion.

We then visited a welcoming pub which was rescued from closure by a residents' campaign before finishing with a lengthy trek along the Macclesfield Canal. En route we also spotted the unusual sight of three wallabies in an enclosure.

One of the wallabies

From the lay-by we headed in the direction of Leek, immediately crossing the A523 and passing St Mary The Virgin's Church on our right before turning right at a green footpath sign. This path led us across fields and emerged at the site of a factory (15mins)

In July, 2015, four workers were killed here when an explosion, followed by a fierce blaze, destroyed a four-storey building at a wood treatment works. The owner was subsequently fined £12,000 for breaches of Health and Safety regulations.

We walked between the surviving buildings and crossed a bridge to head up a tarmac road. Turning left (26mins) we proceeded for 80 yards before turning right across a wooden stile to enter a field. This was the first of three fields separated by wooden stiles as we aimed towards The Cloud.

Heading up to The Cloud

On reaching a road (37mins) we turned left passing Duke's Well on our right before turning right to follow a wooden footpath sign for The Gritstone Trail. This led us to the Trig Point at the summit (55mins) for a team photo.

Left to right: Chris, Hughie, Mark, Alastair, Cliff, Jonny, Tom and Simon

We followed a path down from the Trig Point which snaked its way until we reached a flight of wooden steps on our left heading steeply down to a road (82mins). At the road we turned left (84mins). After passing Ivy Cottage on our right we descended a flight of wooden steps to enter a picnic area where we stopped for Pietime (87mins)

Resuming we retraced our route back up the steps and turned right and right again into Weathercock Lane (88mins). After 100 yards we discovered we could have continued through the picnic area to emerge at this point. However this proved to be an ingenious tactical ploy on behalf of Tom to delay our arrival at the pub until the very second the doors were opening at noon.

Before that happy moment arrived we continued down Weathercock Lane, passing a farm, going over a bridge and turning left at a wooden footpath sign (94mins). We followed a sign for Pool Bank Mill and emerged on a lane where we turned left. At a road we turned right and arrived at The Coach and Horses on our right to find Jock and Keiran already waiting outside just as the doors opened (118mins)

Robinsons' Brewery, who had owned the traditional hostelry and wanted to convert it for domestic use, sold it to a consortium of Timbersbrook residents after a successful Save Our Pub campaign. They now serve Timothy Taylor's Landlord cask ale and draught Bass. It was encouraging to note the barmaid knew she should pull off the beer which had remained in the pumps overnight before pouring the first pint for consumption.

The beer advertised in the toilet was no longer on sale

Leaving this cosy pub we turned right along a road which merged with the A527 until we walked under a bridge (129mins) and crossed left to follow a sign for the Biddulph Valley Way.

A stream on our right as we approached the Biddulph Valley Way

We turned left to cross over the A527 and after pausing at a handy trestle table for lunch (131mins) we went under a bridge and turned immediately left to reach the Macclesfield Canal (138mins). With the canal on our right we headed away from nearby Congleton, soon passing under Bridge 72 as we began a long trudge to exit the canal at Bridge 57 (208mins)

We crossed this bridge and followed a path over a wooden footbridge and through fields until we returned to the site of the factory explosion (219mins). From here we retraced our footsteps back to St Mary The Virgin's Church and turned left to reach our cars (234mins)

Next week's walk will start at 9.30am from the free Jacksons Brickworks car park at the end of Pool House Road, Middlewood (SK12 1TY). To reach it head up Park Lane from the double roundabout in the centre of Poynton and fork left at the end of Park Lane on to Middlewood Road. After a mile follow the brown sign indicating the car park on the right. You will reach it 30 yards beyond Melrose Crescent on your left.

We will be following a new walk through the nature reserve and across the Macclesfield Canal along The Ladybridge Trail into Lyme Park, returning via Pott Shrigley to The Boar's Head at Higher Poynton at about 12.45pm for a couple of pints (or in some cases tea and biscuits !) before walking the last mile back to reach the car park at about 2.20pm.

Happy wandering !