Introduction

It has been extremely wet this week. So it was with some trepidation and a sense of adventure that I left home today. I decided to stay quite close to civilisation, and take some well used paths. Despite that slight concern, it is a walk that I knew was going to deliver some spectacular views.

Today was a day of light high cloud, dispersing to sunshine with a light, fresh north-westerly breeze.

Bosley is about 40 minutes drive from Cheadle Hulme. However first thing, Google Maps said it would be over an hour due to flooding closures on several major roads. By the time I left home, rush hour had passed, and I arrived in less than 50 minutes.

The walk is a tad over 8 miles, and took about 3 hours 30 minutes. I took lunch on the move as dry places to sit were non-existent!

It is quite good for dog walking. The first quarter is minor roads and a couple of fields, the second is open common ground and fenced tracks, then after a few more fields most of the return route is disused railway and canal towpath.

There is limited parking on the road on Tunstall Road. Use postcode SK11 0PE and continue over the bridge and there are a couple of spaces to pull in on the west side of the River Dane.

The walk is on OS Explorer Map 268.

The Cloud

A quick peek over the bridge shows the River Dane…. very full.

To the left of the picture is the derelict site of the former wood mills that made national headlines when it exploded with tragic loss of life about 6 years ago. The site is now a real eyesore.

I walk the other way up the road, and views across the Dane valley behind me soon emerge. I took the first side road on the left and to my right The Cloud rises majestically, but the wet fields in front of me have to be negotiated first.

As the ground rises the spectre of the hill loomed larger.

That stile soon seemed way below me.

Looking back and to the north, the magnificent railway viaduct sits proudly in the valley landscape.

After rejoining the road I am soon on the Gritstone Trail, and make my way towards the National Trust area. Before reaching it I am intrigued by a sign asking walkers and their dogs to take care not to scare the animals.

Suddenly, I see one of the animals through the fence!

I also spotted an emu a little further away. Having watched highlights of a second day of Aussie dominance in the first Ashes Test before I left home, I could have done without this, so I took umbrage and continued on.

The Cloud is a wonderful place.

The views are superb in all directions.

Return To The Valley

I was very unlucky not to catch the sun at the top, as the clouds were about to exit stage left!

As I made my way down the Gritstone Trail, sure enough the sun joined me.

I took a short cut from my marked route down some well made steep steps, crossed the road, and set out across the farmland, sensing that it might get a bit boggy after all the rain.

Another short stretch of minor road led to a pretty waterfall.

The Gritstone Trail bypassed the buildings at Pool Bank and led out onto the flat wet fields.

It was going well. My feet were still dry inside my boots.

I neared the gate at the edge of the third field……..

Plan B is the order of the day at the moment, so I headed off to my right, and found a place where the two strands of barbed wire on the fence could be held apart just enough for me to squeeze through with body and clothing unharmed.

Looking back, it was a lucky break! The Cloud now looked glorious in the sunshine.

A little further on, I met The Biddulph Way, where I turned right, leaving the Gritstone Trail. A short stretch on this former railway line led to the Macclesfield Canal which crossed the ex-railway by a short aqueduct, made of steel for the central canal section, flanked by stone.

Macclesfield Canal

One of those wonderful ancient milestones just about told me I was 20 miles from Marple where I’d walked this towpath last week. You can’t tell from the photo!

With little movement and low sun, the canal was particularly photogenic today.

After traversing the edge of Congleton, the canal turns east, under the the mainline railway, soon giving up a great view of the viaduct that I’d seen from a distant hill a couple of hours earlier.

Before leaving the canal, I took one last picture of The Cloud which had seemed to be with me throughout the walk!

I left the canal a very short distance before it crosses the River Dane. The path dropped down to river level.

You can’t get very close to the aqueduct, but it is quite an impressive structure, albeit not as pretty as the Marple Aqueduct.

The path led to a track, and a short stroll back to emerge at the car.

This was a really enjoyable walk, though the flood could have been disastrous!

And Finally…….

Robert Plant (well known celebrity Wolves Fan!), and Alison Krauss have a new album out, called Raise The Roof. Lots of excellent songs. This is Can’t Let Go.