Bollington

  

March 20, 2024

 

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: Light Drizzle Throughout but mild in temperature

Walkers: Andy Blease, Alastair Cairns, Colin Davison with Tom Cunliffe and Daisy joining us at the mid point.

Alternative walkers: Jock Rooney and Kieran Rooney with Milly.

Non Walking Drinkers: Peter Beale, Alan Hart

Apologies: George Dearsley (in Turkey), Mark Enright (w*^king), Chris Owen (holiday in Cyprus), Dean Taylor, Simon Williams, Cliff Worthington, Julian Ross, Keith Welsh (all didn’t fancy getting wet)

Leader: Blease. Diarist: Blease.

Starting point: Free car park overlooking Bollington Recreation Ground.

Starting time: 9.40am. Finishing time: 2.25pm.

 

This was a figure-of-eight walk with Bollington at its start, middle and finish. On this occasion there were only 3 walkers for the top loop of the figure of 8, joined by Tom and Daisy at lunchtime for the shorter bottom loop. Jock and Kieran with Milly did an alternative 5 mile walk meeting at the Vale pub at lunchtime. 

 

Please be aware that these notes have been heavily plagiarised from those well crafted notes made by AlanHart following a previous walk on 4th October 2023.

 

This day, 20th of March is International Day of Happiness, the weather had no respect for this day, it was truly miserable. I met Alastair in the agreed car park having navigated the nearby road closure which almost entirely changed our route to this venue. Alastair and I decided the best place to don our boots and waterproofs was the undercover area in front of the public toilets on the car park. We were soon joined by a middle aged recreational lady jogger dressed in tight fitting, highly colourful lycra leggings, she also sought shelter from the rain. Alastair and I were subsequently joined by many other lady joggers, this flange of joggers soon increased in size to the point where we were almost overwhelmed. Fortunately, Colin appeared out of the blue and the WW’s numbers were bolstered by 50%. We departed at 0940, and with reference to the rain, each group wished the other a moist but enjoyable experience.

 

Our intrepid 3 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.

 

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, we paused for Pietime in a bus shelter on the right. We continued to Stocks Lane to the left of the main road running off Chapel Lane (74mins). On this corner is a garden for weary travellers called The Pleasance and previously we have paused for Pietime.

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 18th 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 and then

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. 

 

We followed 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.

 

On this occasion we celebrated Alastair’s birthday, he was ‘cock-a-hoop’, only 3 walkers and it was Wingsday in The Vale, all cask ales were £3.00 a pint. Although Alastair didn’t show any disappointment, within a few minutes of our arrival we were joined by Jock, Kieran, Milly, Tom, Daisy, Peter and Alan.

 

We all enjoyed pints of White Nancy, Long Hop, Bollington Best cask ales and soft drinks from The Bollington Brewery before embarking on the second loop of our trek, the intrepid three were joined by Tom and Daisy for the final loop of our journey.

 

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 previously we had struggled to find an exit. With advice from Alan in the pub and an unusual directional instinct from Tom we found the exit stile without problem. We 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). 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. 

 

Next week's walk will start at 0950 and will be led by Colin. An 8-9 mile walk, we will start from the centre of Hartington, SK17 0AL, free car parking is available close to the duck pond and the Cheese shop. The plan is to walk from Hartington via Biggin Dale to Alstonefield, drinks at the George pub,, returning via Wolfscote Dale

 

My apologies if any readers of this diary are offended by poor grammar, inaccuracies or inappropriate flangeuage.

 

Happy wandering !