Styperson Stroll

Introduction

Caroline had a two hour lunch break from caring for her mom, so I prepared a picnic, picked her up, and 15 minutes later we were at the little known and unspoilt Styperson Pool, just north of Bollington.

Walk time – no more than 1.5 hours, and though it’s just 3 miles distance there’s a reservoir, a wood, a pretty lane with lovely views and benches to sit, take it in, and have a picnic, a mill with a lovely cafe (when open), and a pretty canal. There is a long road section where dogs would need to be on a lead, but the woods above the reservoir would afford some free-running opportunities.

Weather – warm sunny at first but some cloud rolling in

OS Explorer Map 268

Parking – on the road (Sugar Lane), at the end of the drive to the reservoir

Styperson Pool

The pool is man-made, and seems to be linked to past quarrying and mining in the area. Today, it was frequented by many fishermen, a tranquil spot in the still autumn air.

A short way along the poolside, we took the steps on the right into the woods which have now overgrown the former Breck Quarry.

Glimpses of the views to come appeared through the edge of the wood.

We soon emerged onto the road and turned right.

Long Lane

This is a quiet lane, open to traffic, but we didn’t see any, other than cyclists. Fields with sheep are on the left, and, looking to our right, the full panorama appears from Alderley Edge in the south to Manchester city skyscrapers in the north.

We saw this chimney, but don’t know its purpose. The Saddle of Kerridge is behind.

Bollington

The lane slowly descends into the pretty village of Bollington with all its stone buildings and two rivers, Dean and Bollin.

As we emerged down the steep cobbled road we turned right and at the traffic lights turned right up the slope towards the mill

Clarence Mill and the Macclesfield Canal

Clarence Mill is now home to many small businesses, and seems to be thriving. We take the bridge over to the towpath and walk along the canal past the mill. It’s very photogenic along here!

Strolling along, we pass the small car park where the walk can be started from, and from which a short walk down the road leads to the Middlewood Way and The Windmill Inn. After this, we walked on to the third bridge, where we leave the canal, cross it and head back up to Sugar Lane. A right turn takes us back to the car, with the merest glimpse over the surface of the pool.

And Finally….

Euron Griffith’s Facebook post this morning reminded me of a great song that I really enjoyed on its release in 2017. So here it is –