LDWA walk on behalf of the Bollington Walking Festival

Twelve walkers - LDWA members and others - met John at the Adlington Road car park at 9am on the first day of this year's Bollington Walking Festival.  Festival organisers, including town mayor Andrew Langdon, were also there to see us off (Andrew would be leading his own Boundary Walk later that morning).

This year, we would turn our backs on the Peak District in favour of an exploration of the river valleys and undulating lowlands of the Cheshire Plain to the west of the town.  Leaving the car park, we first headed north along Adlington Road and the parallel footpath for quarter of a mile.  Reaching the Macclesfield Canal, we transferred to the towpath, which we followed for a mile, as far as Bridge 22.  Leaving the waterside, we now headed west, crossing the Middlewood Way at Barton's Clough and continuing downhill to Harrop Green Farm.  Through the extremely muddy(?) farmyard, we crossed a couple of fields to reach Wych Lane, bringing us into Adlington village. Crossing the busy A523 at the lights, we continued along Mill Lane, past the entrance to Adlington Hall, home to Lady Camilla Legh.

After the best part of a mile, we were glad to leave the road to follow the access drive past the water treatment works, across a couple of fields and into Dairyhouse Wood.  Crossing the Red Brook, we followed it downstream to reach the Avro Golf Club.  Skirting the greens, we soon came to the confluence with the River Dean, making its own way down from Bollington to meet us here on the Stockport boundary.  Continuing to the far end of the course, we climbed to briefly follow the lane alongside the site of the former aerospace works, descending again before Old Hall Farm to cross the Dean and back into Cheshire East.  Around the field, across a stile and Woodford Lane brought us into Newton.  Carefully crossing Lees Lane, we continued along Mill Lane, soon turning off along the drive to Newton Hall Farm.  Continuing west along the path, we soon descended to a coffee-stop by the banks of the River Bollin.

Continuing upstream, we presently crossed the river at Vardon Bridge.  We now followed the south bank through post-industrial parkland until the next bridge, where - leaving the Bollin for the time being - we climbed the road (Wilmslow Park South) to cross Macclesfield Road near Wilmslow rail station, with the noisy A34 running alongside through a cutting. Next, along Land Lane - a footpath for most of its length, tarmacked with houses at each end - before climbing a bank, crossing Prestbury Road and into a small wood, the sounds of traffic now fading behind us.  Through fields and across lanes, we headed south, across Whitehall Brook, to reach Mottram Road near Hough.

Straight across and entering the National Trust's Alderley Edge estate, we now started to climb steeply through the woods, emerging at Stormy Point near the summit of the Edge.  Stopping for a few minutes to look back across the plain, we could see the White Nancy monument above Bollington, with the the Dark Peak hills rising up behind.  Continuing south now along a surfaced track, we emerged to turn right at a lane.  After a few minutes, John led us back up into the woods for a view of the Engine Vein, the site of extensive Bronze Age copper workings, now fenced off as an important archaeological site.  Circling back down to the lane, we soon reached the Wizard tea room, pub and picnic area, where we stopped for a rest and meal break.

Refreshed, we backtracked for a couple of hundred yards, then crossed a field to Edge House Farm.  Now descending, we followed a zigzag route by Hilltop Farm, Danielhill Wood and Oak Road.  Reaching Hunter's Pool Lane at Allen's Farm, we shortly passed apples hanging invitingly over a garden wall, then a bucket of the fruit left on a stile for passers-by. Gratefully accepting the "windfall", we crossed the A538 - carefully, again - to pass Legh Hall and Woodside Farm and onto Mottram Hall golf course.  Crossing the drive, we skirted around the Hall and through the car park to gain a path along a belt of woodland through the golf course, to once more encounter the Bollin.  At first following a high bank, the path soon dropped down to cross a bridge, over a field and into a narrow wood between the river and Prestbury water treatment works (much nicer than it sounds, as long as we stayed close to the river). After a mile or so, we arrived in Prestbury village, where we stopped for a quick tea-break.

Continuing south, after another mile we said a last "goodbye" to the Bollin, now turning east under the railway, then alongside Tytherington Wood.  We followed this green corridor right through Tytherington, across Dorchester Way, Manchester Road and Tytherington Drive.  On the way, we passed a third water treatment plant - possibly a record, even for John!  Reaching the end of the wood, it was just a short step across Rugby Drive to the playing field and onto the Middlewood Way for the final mile and a half back to Bollington, arriving at half past five.

Distance - 21.25 miles; weather - cloudy with sunny intervals; wind - light; temperature - just right.

Special thanks to Duncan, who acted as backmarker for the day.

Any photos from the day would be welcome - please send to John.Anthony.Knight@gmail.com