|
Posted: Monday 04 May 2009
Manchester Area Associates Walking Group
- Our first meet - April 27th -
The Cheshire countryside beckoned for the inaugural walk of this
Manchester Associates group.
The Nelson Pit Visitor Centre, Higher Poynton, in north-east Cheshire was our meeting point, from where we set off south along the Middlewood Way, a ten-mile corridor which is a valuable legacy from the remains of the defunct Macclesfield, Bollington and Marple Railway.
Built in 1869, at a time of recession, the railway carried cotton, coal and silk produced in the area but always struggled to make a profit.
It was closed in 1970.
The visitor centre listed 74 pits in the area.
Reopened in 1985 as the Middlewood Way this attractive track is popular with walkers, cyclists and horse riders.
|
 |
Plenty of space to walk gave us plenty of space to talk as we headed south, dodging the puddles which had developed overnight. This scenic route runs through "old" Cheshire at about 140m elevation along the western edge of the Pennines.
We covered just over two miles of the total before reversing our direction to return to base, under the guidance of Cyril Heap.
For this second leg of the walk we headed uphill to reach the Macclesfield Canal, which sits at 158m and is one of the highest navigable waterways in Britain. It was built at the end of the canal era, being opened in 1831, so was not able to fulfil its potential as competition from the developing railways grew.
The "Macc" survived closure plans, however, and like many similar waterways it is now part of a popular pleasure cruising network covering a large part of the country. We joined it at Lyme View Marina, still home to many craft waiting for the season to begin.
Sticking to the towpath we enjoyed the many views over the Cheshire Plain as we headed north. Alderley Edge, the Welsh and Lancastrian hills were seen - just! Lots of aquatic wildlife here also, and the odd narrowboat too, as we covered the three miles back to lunch without anyone falling in.
The railway alignment was pretty straight, but not so the canal!
We were slightly wet outside due to the rain but this in no way dampened the spirits of the group of ten - including two visitors claiming "Dual Associate Nationality" - who then all sat together over a hearty lunch at the Boar's Head pub in Higher Poynton planning a series of walks for the future.
Delamere Forest is next, in June, so check out the Manchester Region page of our website for more dates and information. Also look for details in the inserts accompanying your copy of "The Associate" magazine as it arrives each quarter, and please enrol or come along to join these events.
ph 30/04/2009
pictures: ian beardow, ph
« Back to News
|
