Styal Woods

 

Leaders: Tom Cunliffe and Russ Spencer 

Diarist: Cunliffe

Starting point: Road outside The Old Ship Inn at Styal.

Starting time: 9.40am

Finishing time: 2.05pm.

A large part of diary has been plagiarised from Harty’s account written 12/10/22 but differs from the section of the wander where we emerge from Lindow Common towards the oasis known as the King William pub in wilmslow. Details documented later on.

The start of this walk was a cross between a rural idyll and a Royal Marines commando exercise. In the most picturesque of settings, we endured a roller-coaster ride of climbs and descents as we successfully negotiated a difficult route along the lovely Bollin Valley.

It has never been an easy course because of the twists and turns of the river which can be disorientating as you find yourself first on one bank and then the other.

For the return journey we were soon back along the banks of the Bollin in the Cheshire countryside as we passed the historic Quarry Bank Mill.

From the road outside The Old Ship we headed uphill and turned left at a sign for the Methodist Church, passing a thatched cottage on our left before dog-legging left and right to continue (1min). At the first path on our right marked with a red arrow we turned right and reached Styal Cross on our right (3mins)

 

Styal Cross was originally located at Cross Farm, Styal. Around 1860 it was moved to Holly Lane where it stood until 1980 when it was demolished by a runaway lorry.

The base, thought to be medieval, was rebuilt. The upper column remained a truncated stump until 2010 when the cross was restored to its original state.

We turned left toward Chapel Woods taking the right fork marked with a red arrow and then turned left to walk down and cross a metal bridge. After heading up steps on the far side we turned right and crossed Kingfisher Bridge and then Oxbow Bridge before turning left and heading first up and then down steep flights of steps before walking along duckboards.

At a T-junction we turned right and crossed Giant's Castle Bridge before turning left up a flight of steps. No sooner had we stopped climbing than we went down another flight of steps to cross a footbridge, then passed a wooden bridge on our left to follow a red arrow with the Bollin on our left

Ignoring a path on our right with a red arrow we continued to keep the Bollin on our left as we left the woods and turned left across a bridge. On the left was The Airport Inn, formerly The Valley Lodge Hotel where Thursday night discos were once popular with ladies of a certain age.

Crossing the main road we turned left and proceeded until we reached Morley Green Road where we turned right. When we reached a pair of benches on the village green at the end of the road we stopped for pies and damson gin kindly provided by Chris.

Resuming we crossed the T junction to follow a green public footpath sign by the side of a lane marked “Except for Access.” Where it forked we went left and entered Newgate Nature Reserve. We forked right and reached a lane where we turned right

This brought us to a junction where we carried straight on ahead with Sylvia Cottage on our right. After swinging left we turned left before a farm crossed a footbridge and then turned right. We crossed another footbridge and turned left

After forking right towards woods we turned left at a path leading into them. On reaching a T-junction we turned right. 

We continued a further 200m until we reached a track emerging on our left, at this point I consulted a passing local as to where exactly this track would lead. I got the answer I was looking for, an alternative route to the laborious schlepp through where wilmslow estate. 

We therefore turned left and continued until we reached a gated styal on our right. Going thro, we entered Lindow Common, skirting around Black Lake on our right we eventually emerged on to a road, crossing the road we continued along the same footpath until we reached a main road. We turned right, Russ speculated if there was an exit from the park on the side thereby reducing the suburban torture. Happily there was, we crossed said main road, entered the park whilst spotting where we were to exit the park. Five minutes later we reached the King Billy. This alternative should be incorporated in to Styal wander forever; it shortened the boring bit by 15 mins and 1/2 mile.

Inside we found Harty, Pete Beal and Jock lustily enjoying foaming pints of bitter. Harty gave us the latest bulletin on his health. I won’t go in to any detail in this account since Harty later circulated an email. Suffice to say that we all wish Alan the very best of good luck in his cancer battle.

Suitably refreshed we turned left out of the pub and crossed the busy roundabout to head left passing a church on our left before turning left into Boddington Playing Fields (154mins). Beyond the playground we turned right with the Bollin on our right and walked through an area known as The Carrs.

 

This comprises 70 acres of a picturesque linear walk linking Styal Country Park and Dean Valley. It was bought in 1935 by Wilmslow Urban District Council to mark the jubilee of George V.

 

We crossed a footbridge and turned right following a sign for Lindow Common. Continuing we ignored one bridge on our right and carried on until we reached Twinnies Bridge which we crossed to enter a car park on the left.

Following a sign for Styal with the Bollin now on our left we went through a metal kissing gate and crossed Heron's Pool Bridge before reaching Quarry Bank Mill on our left.

 

This was a former cotton mill built in 1784 by Samuel Greg, where adults and children worked 72 hour weeks until 1847 when a new law made such long working weeks illegal. The National Trust now uses the mill as a museum.

Beyond the mill we turned left towards Styal, then turned right to reach the road from where we had started. A short walk right brought us to The Old Ship on our left.

Mike and I debooted before meeting Harty in the Ship for a final pint.

Next week’s wander will be led by Russ starting from Bamford Edge. 

The next paragraph is a copy and paste of an email from Russ:

 

Start Point Post Code - S33 0AN New Rd, near to junction of New Road and the top of The Clough. NOTE - on last visit The Clough Rd was closed to vehicles so acces to New Road was off the A6013.

 

Parking - There is a lay by near the top of the The Clough, but there is also lots of verge parking along New Rd.

 

Time - 9.45am

 

Route - Bamford Edge - Ladybower Dam - Win Hill Pike (Pie time approx 12.15) - Bamford Stepping Stones - Yorkshire Bridge Inn (Drinks/refreshments approx 2.15) -short walk to vehicles, depart approx 3.15

Happy Wandering!