thousandmilesblog | Walk Post 009 - Bollin Valley, Alderley Edge and Prestbury

Date of Walk: 17/02/10
Walk organized by: Manchester and High Peak Area Ramblers
Start time: 10:20
Start location: Prestbury station
Walk length: 9.05 miles
Weather conditions: Some sunny spells, snow later.

View from the lunch stop at Alderley Edge

Details:
Around thirty people completed the walk, starting from Prestbury station and heading to the Bollin Valley way. Early views weren't great, as it passes a large sewage treatment works, but the view and smell improved greatly once we were past this. We continued along the Bollin Valley Way, stopping at a nice spot for coffee next to a meander in the river that's well on its way to becoming an oxbow lake. We then went a little further along the path before crossing a bridge and part of a golf course to head for Mottram Cross, where there was a short section of road walking. We passed a Saxon cross near a junction in the road, and continued up to Alderley Edge, where we stopped for lunch.

After lunch we headed through Alderley Edge and back towards Prestbury, passing Wayne Rooney's house and some unexpected residents of North West England that weren't very willing to pose for photographs but got snapped peeking through the trees anyway. We passed Hare Hill, which has a National Trust woodland garden. We didn't see the garden, but instead walked along the edge of the parkland. Some people spotted a buzzard as we were walking on the road just after Hare Hill, but I missed it. We then descended steeply to cross a small stream, sadly spotting a dead fox next to the bridge, and climbed steeply to reach some farm fields, then a road. It started snowing around this time.

We walked across a golf course and past some very lovely houses that the owners probably don't have to worry about cleaning, because if you can afford one you don't do your own cleaning. On reaching Prestbury we missed the train by a few minutes, and since the next one wasn't for nearly an hour we warmed ourselves while waiting in the very lovely Ye Olde Admiral Rodney, where nobody complained about our muddy boots and the coffee was reasonably priced. Yes, you read that right, reasonably priced coffee in Cheshire. Whatever next?

Two people from the Stockport Ramblers walk I did on Saturday were also on this walk, and everybody made me feel very welcome. This is definitely a good group to have in mind for midweek walks when I'm not in work. The pace was relaxed and the terrain was quite flat, so the distance seemed easy to cover and I wasn't constantly watching my feet and missing the views. I'd like to do a bit more exploring in the area, especially around Alderley Edge and Hare Hill.