We
said goodbye to the lovely Peak Forest Canal this morning but we will be back
 |
| The Peak Forest and the Top Marple Lock |
 |
| The entrance to the Macclesfield Canal |
We
topped up with water at the services and set off along the Macclesfield
Canal. It is very pretty but I don’t
think I have ever seen so many moored boats!
I know there are a lot at the bottom of the Oxford Canal and again
coming out of Chester but we hardly seemed to be out of tick-over!
 |
| Goyt Mill |
We
passed Goyt Mill which is looks very impressive. It seems to still be in good condition and
for once, it’s a mill that hasn’t been turned into flats. It used to spin cotton which was imported
through Manchester Docks and taken between the two by canal. However the British textile industry declined
in the sixties as Far Eastern countries offered a more competitive deal. My late father worked for Horrockses in
Preston for a while and I remember going to visit the mill in the sixties – oh
dear that makes me sound old L
We
passed Lord Vernon’s Wharf which was originally built to serve His Lordship's
coal mines in the area and is now occupied by Braidbar Boats. However there are a lot of long term moorings
there which, I suppose, now lay claim to mooring at Lord Vernon’s Wharf.
 |
| Lord Vernon's Wharf |
Just
after Bridge 15 we came across a lovely wide expanse of shallow water which
Pearson’s think was probably caused by a burst and it was cheaper to pay our
compensation to the farmer than to repair the canal. There is a long length of visitor’s moorings
there and we got the last one!
 |
| The wide where we are moored |
Richard
wanted to find the Nelson Pit Visitors Centre which we eventually found behind
some public toilets! Stupidly I hadn’t
taken my glasses so could only read the big writing on the information
boards!! I don’t think it really told us
anything we didn’t already know though.
From there we walked along the Middlewood Way for a short distance –
this is a path for walkers, cyclists and horse riders and follows the line of
the former Macclesfield, Bollington and Marple.
 |
Middlewood Way
Somewhere
between bridges 20 and 21 to High Poynton
4.95
miles
0 locks
|
No comments:
Post a Comment