Introduction
We are dog sitting Rolo this week, and, with hot weather forecast, I took Cal’s advice and took the boy with the black fur coat to the cool woods for a walk.
The weather was partly hazy, but mostly sunny and very pleasant.
The drive to Alderley Edge takes 15 minutes, and the 4.5 mile walk took 2 hours 30 minutes including a 15 minute drink break.
For dog walking, this is a fantastic walk. The only times the lead is needed are a couple of road crossings, in the immediate vicinity of other dogs and the short start and end sections.
The walk is on OS Explorer Map268.
There is free on street parking on Mottram Road opposite the tennis / cricket club, use postcode SK9 7DT.
Swiss Hill To Hagg Cottages
Swiss Hill is a public road, but there is no tarmac here, and it’s a delight to stroll up.
After turning into Woodbrook Road, a short distance on a left turn leads to the woods, and quite a precarious, narrow path along the top of the edge.
Through the trees there are glimpses out to the Cheshire Plain.
After reaching the rocky outcrop to which we will return later, we head down to the road, admiring the sunny field over the nettles to our left.
The narrow path on the opposite side of the road is also nettle-lined. I was slightly regretting opting for shorts!
At the bottom of the slope we swung around to the left to reach the site of the former Hagg Cottages, long gone with their industrial past.
Hagg Cottages To Clock House Wood
We headed back up the path towards the road, a pretty, open path.
Over the road, we are in the busiest part of the National Trust site.
We soon reached the disused quarry that is shown on the map.
We went off track to explore the quarry. Rolo thought it would be a nice spot for a portrait!
At the five ways junction we took the second right, keeping the view over the fields, to the hills above Bollington, on our right.
After the house a left turn leads onto open country.
After following the hedgerow downhill, we ignored the shorter route down the lovely Waterfall Wood, and went straight over past the ponds at Hill Top.
We were now in Clock House Wood. I was thrilled to see a spotted flycatcher hunting from a branch above me, but, with Rolo’s interest in a passing dog, I couldn’t get a picture! It flew one way, Rolo marched on the other way!
The woods are beautiful, and a rustic log bench was a fine place to stop. Rolo was very relaxed here, as shown in this walk’s cover picture.
Clock House Wood To Squirrel’s Jump
We waited as a group of (possibly) “Real Housewives of Cheshire” passed by with their designer clothes, designer sunglasses, and designer dogs!
We were now at the bottom of the edge, with the tall trees towering above us.
I love this section where the adit (horizontal mine) disappears into the cliff face. It’s just soooo Scooby Doo!
Soon, we had completed the climb back up the edge, and we could once again enjoy the amazing views from here.
After heading back past the Beacon we reached the classic viewpoint, where once again Rolo photobombed the picture!
After a short retrace of our earlier steps, we avoided the precarious high level path, and made our way through the wood to the delightfully named road that is “Squirrel’s Jump”!
This is a simply great walk, taking in all the best parts of the National Trust woodland. Highly recommended!
And Finally…..
Tomorrow night, Rolo will be home alone, as we are off to The Apollo to see Leon Bridges. This is the beautiful, chilled “Coming Home”