Introduction
Thursday’s weather forecast being quite grim, I had worked out a short walk relatively close to home.
When the opportunity arose to complete the walk a day earlier than usual, I thought it worth taking.
Prestbury is a location for big houses and pleasant, rolling countryside, interspersed with streams and coppices. This walk also includes a huge private school, and an exclusive golf club.
The weather was cold with hazy sunshine for the most part. The sleet and snow arrived just as I completed the walk.
It’s a 15 minute drive from Cheadle Hulme to Prestbury via Handforth Dean, A555, and the newly opened this week, A523 Poynton By-Pass.
Equally easy, would be a short train ride, as it’s just 3 stops away from Cheadle Hulme, and would add about 5 minutes to the walk.
This is a 5.7 mile walk, with no steep hills. I walked anticlockwise and it took 2 hours 20 minutes.
It’s mostly on fenced paths and tracks so it’s good for dog walking.
I parked on on the road at the entrance to Prestbury Tennis Club, postcode SK10 4JJ.
The walk is on OS Explorer Map 268.
River Bollin To Hunter’s Pool
The views along the Bollin Valley belie the fact that the path along the river heads straight to the sewage works.
The Bollin is a small, yet pretty river here.
I crossed the concrete bridge from where, looking back, the hazy sun was reflected in the water.
The path rises gradually out of the valley before dipping over a series of wooden bridges to cross a small stream.
Woodend Farm has a nice duck Pond.
The hills above Macclesfield now mark the eastern skyline.
At Legh Hall, the Old Hall is quaint, and the new hall is grand.
And there is of course, a duck pond!
After crossing the A538 I dropped down to Hunter’s Pool, a local fishing site.
Hunter’s Pool To Prestbury Golf Club
The path heads back up to the main road, then out across open fields, with views to a couple of modern mansions. Here’s one! Two ravens were in a nearby tree bellowing their guttural croaks – I love this big, confident birds.
After the fields, the path enters Big Wood, and across Spencer Brook, where an owl was toowit-toowooing. (Actually it must have been two owls as I understand that one gender toowits, and its mate toowoos!)
On leaving the wood, I found myself at the back of the recently fully reconstructed, private school, King’s School, Macclesfield.
I put my camera and binoculars away as I went straight through the school grounds, on the public footpath! After traversing the rugby pitches the path emerges near more mansions. Here’s another one. How many rooms can you need?
Another path leads downhill, and emerges on the golf course. I’ve never seen such immaculate bunkers, and all the sand is clearly new. However, the fairways and run-off areas were, I thought, unexpectedly scruffy looking in quite a few places.
Prestbury Village
I left the course onto Chelford Road. Lots more big houses here as I sauntered down to the pretty village with the sandstone church and ancient priest’s house.
This timber framed building was once a vicarage then cottages and later a bank. It dates back to the 16th century, but was, apparently, altered a lot in the 17th century.
The walk ends as it began, with a stroll alongside the bubbling River Bollin!
This is a lovely, easy walk which could comfortably fit into a morning or afternoon, and finish with lunch or tea in a hostelry or cafe in the village centre.
And Finally….
We headed to Liverpool University Student’s Union on Monday to see The Lathums. What a fantastic band they are. It was the Students Union yet the audience age range was about 7 to 75. They would be categorised as an indie band, but there are influences from the 1960s to the 2020s in their music.
Their new album, released last Friday, is “From Nothing To A Little Bit More”. This track is called “Struggle”. If you struggled growing up through childhood / adolescence, or can relate to that, then watch the video, listen to the words and love this song.
Then listen to the whole album. Magnificent.