Poynton
Walk - three
Poynton Coppice and Macclesfield
Canal
A
walk of 5 miles. Of particular interest are the path through Coppice Wood, the
good views of Poynton from the fields to the south of Coppice Road, the Anson
Museum and the fine views towards Lyme Park.
This
walk was designed and written by Mr. H. Hadfield of the Ramblers Association.
Start at Middlewood Way car park in Higher
Poynton on Shrigley Road South. Take path 48 which leaves the car park and cross
the defunct railway track, into the wood away from Shrigley Road.
The railway which closed in 1970, ran from
Macclesfield to Marple, Rose Hill.
Continue along the top Path 51 and later 45
with the Coppice Wood on the left. Pass the garden nurseries on the right and
continue down the unmade road to take Path 44, on the right between two
bungalows. Cross the stile into the meadow and make for the pond on the far side
of the field. Cross the stile at the rear of the pond into the next field making
for another stile at the bottom left corner. Cross this stile and keep to the
hedge until Coppice Road is reached. Cross the road and take Path 38 which goes
between two houses. Pass the allotments, turn right along the dirt track with
the allotments on the right. Cross to the left into a large field. Keep the
fence and hedge on the right using path 38 and continue to Anson Road. Turn
right along Anson Road for about 100 yards and then take Path 4 which leaves the
road on the left. Pass the Anson Museum, the old Anson waste tip on the right,
the golf course on the left and leave the path at Green Lane.
The Museum, well worth a visit, is open 11 am
to 5 pm, May to October, or by arrangement.
Turn left at Green Lane and after 50 yards
turn right into unmade Hawthorn Grove. Continue to Prince Road and turn right.
After 100 yards turn left down Hilton Road. Take Path 20 across the field and
then continue along the other part of Hilton Road to Poolhouse Road. Walkers
crossing this field often make an arc to the right to the low ridge near the
boundary hedge to avoid the centre of the field which is normally very swamped
indeed.
The lowest part of this field
once held a large pond containing water for Worth Corn mill. later still the
pond became much used by fishermen.
Turn right at Poolhouse Road, cross Middlewood
Way and continue along path 1 (signposted LVIT) until Macclesfield Canal is
reached.
LVIT, the Ladybrook Valley
Interest Trail, is a route from the River Mersey, near Cheadle, along the stream
known variously as Micker Brook, Lady Brook, Norbury Brook and Bollinhurst
Brook. The interest trail leads to Lyme Park and the source of the brook above
Kettleshulme.
At the canal turn right towards Higher
Poynton.
Cross the canal at the first bridge and take Path 24 which goes past Barlow
House Farm. Immediately after Barlow House Farm Path 24 goes over a stile and
slightly to the right across a field to the rear of the farm. Cross the field
and the stile at the far side and then follow the hedge on the right until the
path passes through the hedge and across a small bridge. Cross the bridge and
continue across the field, over a stile and along the path to Hill Top Farm.
There are lovely views of Lyme
Cage and the countryside in between from this path. Near the farm is the
original gas holder from Poynton gas Works which was situated near Poynton
Station. Before the new reservoir was built the gas holder had a second use for
water storage for Higher Poynton.
Turn right at Hill top farm down Path 23 until
Path 22 is reached. Turn left along Path 22 to go in the direction of Lyme Park.
Pass a wood on the right and then take Path 27 which leads off the track, over
the field, on the right. Follow the waymarks until the canal is rejoined. Turn
left along the canal until the bridge. Cross the bridge and take the path which
runs for a short distance downwards. The path is in an attractive tunnel of
trees between hedges. Pass Hagg Farm on the left and then, almost immediately,
take Path 50 on the right which enters the wood and crosses Poynton Brook. Walk
through the wood, largely on a well duck-boarded path, to meet Shrigley Road and
the car park.
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