Poynton

 October 15, 2024

POYNTON, PRINCES INCLINE, MACCLESFIELD CANAL, MIDDLE WOOD, NORBURY HOLLOW, PARKGATE FARM, TOWER FARM, MILL HILL HOLLOW, HAPPY VALLEY, THE LADYBRIDGE AT BRAMHALL, BRAMHALL HIGH SCHOOL, BIRCH HALL KENNELS, POYNTON POOL

Distance: 11 miles.

Difficulty: Easy.

Weather: Dry with early cloud, giving way to sporadic sunshine.

Walkers: Peter Beal, Andy Blease, Alan Hart, Cliff Worthington.

Alternative walker: Jock Rooney with Milly.

Short walker: Mark Gibby.

Non-walking drinkers: Hughie Hardiman and Julian Ross.

Apologies: Alastair Cairns, Tom Cunliffe, Mark Enright, Chris Owen, Dean Taylor, Keith Welsh, Simon Williams.

Leader: Hart. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Poynton Pool free car park off Anglesey Drive, Poynton.

Starting time: 9.40am. Finishing time: 3.20pm.

This was a radical change of plan after weather forecasts showed it would be dry on Tuesday, October 15, and raining all day on Wednesday, October 16. Many wanderers were unable to walk on dry Tuesday and none wanted to brave the elements on wet Wednesday.

For my birthday hike, I had devised a new route by stitching together familiar paths which enabled us to stop for reasonably-priced food and drink at a dog-friendly pub.

There are few advantages to becoming old but one of them is the ability to buy a three-course pensioners' meal at The Ladybridge in Bramhall for £7-99. They also have a choice of cask beers.

From the car park, we headed into Anglesey Drive, turning right uphill to pass some of Poynton's more prestigious houses. Between two properties on the left (5mins) is a hidden public footpath under a canopy of evergreen trees with fenced gardens on both sides.

We followed this and emerged on the unadopted Towers Road, turning right. Just before the road became tarmaced we turned left uphill along a public footpath called Princes Incline.

This dates back to Poynton's coal-mining days when tubs laden with coal went via gravity down to a yard next to the main road through the village. Here the tubs were unloaded and the weight of the full tubs coming down took the empties back uphill on a parallel track.

The path went through fields and woods before crossing The Middlewood Way and reaching Macclesfield Canal (35mins), where we turned left with the waterway on our right.

Approaching Bridge 13 on the Macclesfield Canal

After passing Bridge 13 we continued towards Marple until we took a left fork in the towpath and turned immediately left into Middle Wood (47mins). The path brought us out on the Middlewood Way opposite Middlewood Station (57mins). We turned right and then left (59mins) at a public footpath which took us down to the Manchester-Buxton railway line.

After crossing this and heading down a flight of steps we turned right along a gravel track. Just before it reached a road we turned left with a stream on our right and crossed a footbridge. Opposite, on the far side of the road at Norbury Hollow, was a public footpath uphill.

The path took us over a wooden stile and through a field by the side of telegraph poles. At the far side was a stile which we crossed, passing a derelict building on our right to reach a lane. Here we turned right and followed it as it swung left towards a wooden stile (74mins)

We took the right of two forks in the footpath and went through a metal kissing gate marked with a yellow arrow to enter a field. Crossing to the far side of the field we reached another metal kissing gate where we paused for pies and port (82mins)

Continuing we went through the gate and headed downhill through another gate to reach a lane inside Park Gates Farm. We turned left passing two giant wigwams on our right (85mins)

No sign of injuns !

These are used for holding parties such as birthdays and wedding receptions by revellers seeking something different to impress their friends.

Following a yellow arrow we swung first right then left downhill before crossing a wooden footbridge, entering a wood and turning left. As we walked Lady Brook was on our left. Exiting the wood by a metal kissing gate (90mins) we turned left and crossed a bridge over the brook with the new A555 by-pass on our right. At a metal kissing gate we turned left to cross a field, left it by another metal kissing gate and turned right to follow a sign for Poynton Lake (93mins)

This took us through Towers Farm, turning right beyond it to reach a metal kissing gate and Towers Road on its other side. Turning right we reached the T junction with London Road North and turned right (103 mins). After crossing the main road we reached a large metal gate on our left just before the by-pass (105mins). We went through this a followed a path with the stream on our left

After crossing a bridge over Lady Brook we turned right alongside the stream as it flowed through a tunnel under the A555. We swung left and then followed a yellow arrow on our right which indicated a path leading to the houses and cottages of Mill Hill Hollow (110mins)

At a T-junction, we turned right along a narrow but busy road linking Hazel Grove with Woodford. We crossed this and turned left at a gate by the side of a public footpath sign (116mins). The path went along the right edge of a field with trees on our right until it went right through the trees (127mins) and over a stile to a path. Here we turned left and crossed another stile leading on to duckboards.

Beyond was a path with Lady Brook on our left. We were in Happy Valley.

In Happy Valley with Lady Brook on our left

We followed the path until it divided, taking the left fork over a bridge and then turning right with the brook now on our right. This brought us to the exit in Valley Road which we crossed and walked uphill with impressive houses on our left. At the end, we turned right and followed the path down to Bramhall Roundabout (144mins)

Turning left we reached Fir Lane and turned left again. This brought us to The Ladybrook pub on our right (150mins)

Mark, Hughie and Julian were already in situ as we arrived to drink pints of Black Sheep bitter. We were soon joined by Jock and Milly as we ordered our pensioners' lunches while Hughie and Julian left to attend prior engagements.

Mark now joined the group on its homeward leg to Poynton and Andy departed to walk to his home nearby. From the pub entrance, we went diagonally left to enter Waterloo Road and set off uphill.

Just before the road ended in a cul de sac we turned right and took the second on the left to walk past Bramhall High School on our left (160mins). We continued until we reached Lytham Drive (169mins) and turned left. The drive swung right into a lane which we followed past Birch Hall Kennels on our right and emerged on Woodford Road by the left side of the bridge across the A555 (189mins)

We turned right and crossed the road. On the far side of the bridge, we swung sharp left to walk along the path by the right side of the bypass. We turned right at a metal kissing gate (194mins) and walked through a field, exiting by a metal kissing gate and turning left.

A road took us past houses to a lane on the left side of a field. When the lane crossed the confluence of two streams we went straight on before turning left along a path which ran parallel with Glastonbury Drive.

At its end (212mins) we crossed London Road North and went up a bank next to railings to reach Poynton Pool. We turned left with the lake on our right.

Nearly home

It led us back to the car park (220mins) to de-boot.

Next week's walk will start at 9.40am from Kinder Road, Hayfield, near The Sportsman pub (SK22 2LE). We will be aiming to reach The Lamb Inn on Hayfield Road, Chinley (SK23 6AL) for a livener around 12.30pm before returning to The Sportsman at about 2.30pm.

Happy wandering !