Bollington

October 4, 2023

BOLLINGTON RECREATION GROUND, MACCLESFIELD CANAL, BRIDGE QUARRY, KERRIDGE RIDGE, RAINOW, THE PLEASANCE GARDENS, THE VIRGINS' PATH, INGERSLEY VALE WATERFALL, THE VALE AT BOLLINGTON, MIDDLEWOOD WAY, WHITELEY GREEN

Distance: 9 miles.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Weather: Mainly dry with sunny finish.

Walkers: Andy Blease, Alastair Cairns, Mike Cassini, Tom Cunliffe with Daisy, Mark Gibby, Hughie Hardiman, Alan Hart,

Alternative walkers: Jock Rooney with Milly.

Apologies: Peter Beal (convalescing), George Dearsley (in Turkey), Mark Enright (w*^king), Chris Owen (watching soccer in Leipzig), Dean Taylor, Simon Williams (recovering from long drive the day before), Cliff Worthington (attending funeral)

Leader: Hart. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Free car park overlooking Bollington Recreation Ground.

Starting time: 9.43am. Finishing time: 2.25pm.

This was a figure-of-eight walk with Bollington at its start, middle and finish. On a previous occasion when this was tried, your diarist led the first section of the loop with Chris shepherding us on the second stage. The latter was unable to join us on this occasion for the very good reason that his son had won a prize which any Manchester City fan would treasure – two tickets on the team plane to Leipzig to watch them play in the Champions' League !

On the first time this walk was tried in the summer of last year, Chris got lost whilst trying to remember the route. This time around your diarist got lost whilst trying to follow his own directions. After a 10-minute search we eventually located the stile which had eluded us.

The reason for this unusual route was because of the closure of The Robin Hood at Rainow, which has blighted popular walks in the Lamaload Reservoir and Walker Barn areas. Without a pub to break our journey, we had to create a walk which solved the problem. Unfortunately, this involved covering rather more tarmac than we like and perhaps an alternative might be considered. All suggestions are gratefully received.

Our Magnificent Seven left the car park and headed for the right corner of the recreation ground next to the River Dean. We exited the sports fields and crossed the road, turning left and then right up a flight of steps built into the bridge holding the Macclesfield Canal aqueduct. At the top we reached the waterway and proceeded with the canal on our left as we walked under Bridge 27 (9mins)

Various proposals to connect Macclesfield to the national network of canals were discussed from 1765 but it was not until 1824 that a scheme came to fruition and the 26-mile canal finally opened in 1831. It linked Marple in the north through Macclesfield and Congleton to the Trent and Mersey Canal in the south.

However, the embryonic railways were starting to take business from canals and by 1954 the Macc Canal was no longer commercially viable.

Spirited campaigning succeeded in revitalising the canal as the leisure facility it is today.

After passing the converted Adelphi Mill on our right we reached Bridge 28 and exited the canal by heading right up the cobbles and swinging left over the bridge.

We swung right on the far side of the bridge (21mins) and followed the track until we reached a road at Dawson Farm and turned right (29mins) before soon swinging left uphill on Higher Lane.

When we reached a flight of steps on our left indicated by a green public footpath sign on our right we ascended them (34mins). It was a tough climb and we had momentary respite when we reached a road at Bridge Quarry. There was a flat stretch when we turned left for 40 yards before turning left towards Bridge House and heading for another steep ascent to Kerridge Ridge (46mins)

At the top we turned right and to our right was the Astra Zeneca factory on the Hurdsfield Industrial Estate. To our left were views across the hills with the pretty village of Rainow nestling in the valley below.

The view to our right of Astra Zenica

The village of Rainow to our left in the valley below

When we reached a metal gate we turned left and took the lower route (50mins). At the next metal kissing gate we followed the direction of a yellow arrow pointing diagonally left downhill. Through two more gates with yellow arrows, we continued downhill until we reached the main road through Rainow (63mins). Here we turned left.

The road took us down Tower Hill until we saw Stocks Lane to the left of the main road running off Chapel Lane (74mins). On this corner was a garden for weary travellers such as ourselves. It was called The Pleasance and it was here we paused for Pietime.

After a well-earned rest we continued left down Chapel Lane and turned right into Sugar Lane as we headed back towards Bollington. As we walked along Sugar Lane we could see Kerridge Ridge on our left with the distinctive White Nancy folly at its far end in the distance. We turned right following a green public footpath sign and the stone-flagged path at the back of Flagg Cottage (79mins)

This was the start of the historic Virgins' Path (also known as The Brides' Path) which was built in the 18^th Century when there was no church in Rainow. Village maidens were obliged to walk through sometimes muddy fields to the nearest church in Bollington to marry. Local farmers, seeing their daughters arrive in church with their white dresses besmirched, laid rows of flags through the fields to spare their blushes.

We followed this trail until we reached Ingersley Vale waterfall on our left. On our previous visit dry weather had reduced it to a trickle but this time it was in full flow.

Ingersley Vale waterfall in full flow

How it looked in June, 2022

By now we had been joined by Jock and Milly as we continued past the derelict Ingersley Clough Mill (97mins) and passed the old millpond on our left. Beyond the pool we turned right and passed a church on our left as we walked to the roundabout (104mins).

From here we continued along the main road, passing the aqueduct tunnel and turning right to once again enter Bollington Recreation Ground. By following the path as it swung left behind the tennis courts and bowling green we were able to turn right and emerge at the car park of The Vale Inn (125mins). The pub's entrance door was on our left.

Inside we enjoyed pints of White Nancy and Long Hop cask ales from The Bollington Brewery before embarking on the second loop of our trek. With Chris away in Germany I was obliged to follow my own directional notes made while following him 16 months earlier.

From the front door of The Vale we turned right and headed uphill for 20 yards before going left over a wooden stile marked with a yellow arrow. We turned left at a sign for Four Winds Farm (129mins). We crossed a wooden stile and turned right along a footpath (131mins)

We swung left to reach The Middlewood Way (135mins) and turned right under Bridge 7. After 50 yards we turned left (151mins) up a flight of wooden steps and turned right. We went through a gate marked with a yellow arrow and crossed a field where, without the benefit of a well-trodden path, we scoured the perimeter for an exit stile.

Aided by Andy's pathfinder device we eventually found it and turned left into the next field. We exited this field (158mins) by a wooden stile and turned left along a minor road.

At a passing point in front of a metal gate we turned left (168mins) and walked down a farm track before turning right at a metal gate with a yellow arrow (172mins). Here we paused for lunch.

Resuming we went through the metal gate and a wooden gate beyond it (174mins) to cross a field with a fence on our immediate left.

After negotiating a metal kissing gate (177mins) with a council tip on our left we turned right along a road which passed a church on our right to reach the main road into Bollington. We turned left passing the post office on our left. On reaching Waterwheel Way on our left (195mins) we turned left and then right into Leat Place. We headed uphill then swung left before turning right over a wooden footbridge (198mins). Under a railway arch was the car park where we de-booted. Nobody was anxious for further refreshment, leaving Jock a forlorn figure as he and Milly waited in vain for our return.

Next week's walk will start at 9.45am from the car park near Fairholmes Visitors' Centre on the banks of Derwent Reservoir (S33 0AQ). To reach it head east along the A57 Snake Pass, turning left just before the road bridge across Ladybower Reservoir.

The visitors' centre car park on the right after three miles is pay-and-display but there is, according to Tom, a free car park on the right just before it where we should assemble.

Tom will lead a 13-mile walk taking in the cliffs known as Alport Castles, finishing with a drink at the Ladybower Hotel around 2.15pm (which might, in your diarist's humble opinion, be a rather optimistic target)

Happy wandering !