Early Winter 2012 – Wintry Walking!

As 2012 comes to a close, there has been time to get some walking done. Sometimes by myself and others with the Ramblers.

On a blowy day in late November, I walked up from Sutton on the Macclesfield Forest 'Horseshoe'. The first climb is up Tegg's Nose and then having dropped down the east face, climbed steadily up through Macc Forest to Forest Chapel for lunch.

  Forest Chapel – originally from 1673 and rebuilt by the Victorians in 1834, in sandstone with Kerridge quarry roof slates.

The porch makes a great stop-over place for a bite to eat and a coffee – often in the company of other walkers!

 

My route then threaded back into the forest and climbed up to the top Standing Stone car park. On the road corner is the 'Walter Stone'.

This route then takes the ridge across to Shutlingsloe and back down through the forest, back to the car at Sutton. I reckon I covered about 11 miles (including the 2 miles from Sutton to the hills) and climbed about 1380 feet.

Looking up at the climb up to Shutlingsloe at 1660ft.

Having joined the Ramblers, I met up with them in Kerridge for a loop around Rainow on one of our cold and sunny days.

In Cheshire, you are never far away from canals – here we used the Macclesfield Canal to get the distance around Bollington.

Looking north at Bollington Wharf – our old mooring – with the impressive Adelphi Mill on the left. Cold and icy!

Just a little further on, the striking chimney of Clarence Mill with the ramblers ahead