Poynton
Walk - one
Norbury and Poynton
Brook, Park House Farm and Lady's Incline.
A
level walk of 4 miles with a shorter alternative of 2.5 miles.
This
walk was designed and written by Mr. H. Hadfield of the Ramblers Association.
Start
at the Anglesey Drive car park at the junction with London Road North. From the
car park go towards Poynton Pool away from Anglesey Drive. After about 50 yards
use the gap in the hedge to get onto the pavement of London Road North. Take
great care and cross the main road to the footpath 3. Follow this footpath, crossing Poynton Brook near where it joins Norbury
Brook.
The
footpath after the bridge follows the lade which brought water to power the
large water wheel at Poynton Mill which stood near Norbury Brook just east of
Woodford Road.
Continue
to Woodford Road. Turn left along the road. Take great care here and hold the
hand of any child walking with you as there is no
footpath. Continue for about 300 yards and look for Path 37 which leads off to
the left. Cross over the stile, pass the fishing pond on the right, go through a
gate and head towards Park House Farm.
There
are excellent views of Poynton parish church and the hills towards Sponds Hill
when crossing these fields to the farm. Park House Farm is a good example of a
sturdy brick building erected by Lord Vernon for a new farm created out of
former parkland in the 1840s.
Go
through the farmyard and down the drive to the junction with the dirt track
which is Lower Park Road. Turn left and shortly, cross into the bollarded
Cul-de-sac Vicarage Lane to London Road North. Take care and cross the road and then turn right
until the entrance to South Park Drive. At this point the short walk can be
selected.
The
lodge is 18th century and is a listed building. Although it was inhabited until
the 1980s it is now empty and rapidly falling into ruin. the lodge was
associated with the park round the Towers which was one of the residences of the
Vernon family.
For
the long walk continue down the main road and turn left along Path 56 which is
Woodside Lane.
Lady's
incline was a railway bringing coal from the Lady and Lord Pit situated at
Hockley. Woodside Lane was, until the 1930s, the exit of both Lady's and
Prince's inclines. The railway crossed London Road North by a level crossing and
eventually joined the main line further to the west.
Walk
down Woodside Lane and turn right at Kingswood along Path 87 which is Lady's
Incline, and continue to Towers Road. Turn right at Towers Road for about 30
yards and take the dirt track, Path 52, going to the left.
Where
path 52 descends sharply are the remains of a sand and gravel quarry and nearby
can be seen the waste tip from one of the collieries. Looking back there are
interesting views over the field towards the centre of Poynton.
Follow
this path until it meets Path 55. Do not take the track but walk through the
practice ground of Davenport Golf Club along the line of the broken hedge on
Path 55 and make for the tunnel where the path passes beneath Princes Incline.
Prince's
incline was a railway bringing coal from Park and other pits which worked to the rear
of Prince's Wood.
Head
diagonally left across the field making for the stile at the far corner where
Path 55 meets Towers Road opposite Path 68. Take Path 68 between the houses and
at Anglesey Drive turn right to the car park.
Short
Walk
Pass
through the gates of Poynton Park and almost immediately take the signposted,
but un-numbered path on the left. This path follows the Pool edge until it leads
into the car park.
|
