Cown Edge From Chisworth

Introduction

No sign of Storm Goretti just yet, so I had plenty of time for a walk in the nearby hills today. I’ve done Cown Edge a few times but it is a dramatic and easy to reach location that’s great to revisit regularly.

Chisworth is a 30 minute drive from Cheadle Hulme.

It took 3 hours to complete the 6.4 mile walk, but I walked an extra mile and a half due to safety concerns, of which more to follow!. So, it can be done quicker and shorter, hence my 4-6 mile classification!

This is not a suitable walk for dogs off lead, as it is largely on sheep pasture, and has a section adjacent to a steep cliff face.

I walked in a clockwise direction.

The walk is on OS Explorer Map OL1.

I parked on the roadside just above Bot Wood, postcode SK13 5DJ, What 3 Words ///giants.egging.manage

Holehouse, Chisworth To Close Wood

Leaving the car, I was taken by the dramatic layer of fog filling the valley of the River Etherow below me.

Joining the road I could see the curve of Cown Edge ahead of me.

From Bot Wood, I walked back down New Mills Road to the A626, Marple Road.

Here, the hedgerows were alive with thrushes and tits. Here is my best effort with the new phone at 24x zoom. A redwing – shame about that twig!

I made my way up towards the local Works where I chatted to one of the workers who were trying to secure the redundant buildings.

I entered Close Wood, with its pretty stream flowing through.

Coombes

Within the wood, I came upon a Hoseasons Holiday lodge site.

I emerged from the wood to a full view to Coombes, with Cown Edge beyond.

As I strode up the hill, the view behind me was appearing above the trees. The mist was still hanging in the valley.

I walked around the farmyard, where much sheep management was ongoing and met the track heading north towards Coombes Edge.

One of the joys of this route is that for most of it, you can see nearly all of the route you’ve walked and the route still to follow.

To prove the point, I thought I could just about see my car parked away across the valley. A good test for the new camera! That’s quite impressive.

Before reaching Coombes Edge I did a 170 degree right turn. I had to climb a locked gate, despite this being a public right of way.

Heading To Cown Edge

The track below the edge traverses the hillside and the views into the valley here are super.

The views up to the edge, with ravens swirling above were none too shabby either.

Both the map and the walk up had made it obvious that, at the end of the traverse it was a steep climb up the rocks to the top of the edge.

This frozen pool had made it evident that it would be a challenging ascent.

I reached the base of the cliff and took a few steps up to enjoy the view.

Then, I decided that the icy conditions were not to be risked, so I retraced my steps for half a mile and joined Coombes Edge just above The Banks. It’s a lovely gradual rise as the path curves around to Cown Edge.

Cown Edge

This photo shows the lower track I had first traversed and the sloping rise I then walked up.

Once at the top, the views are amazing, even on a day as dull as today.

Three-quarters of the way around the edge, I came to the point where the route I’d declined to take met the clifftop. A photo can’t really show how steep it is, but it was pleasing to see a worn path that others had ascended.

The Descent

On the way down, I took a photo that showed the steepness of that path up to the ridge – doesn’t look too bad there in the centre of the picture!

At the end of the ridge it’s still quite a steep descent, eventually arriving at Far Coombes.

From here it was a pleasant straight track back to the car.

I thoroughly enjoyed my day out – just a hint of regret that I didn’t complete the planned ascent of the ridge, but I know it was the right decision!

And Finally….

Here’s something new to whet your earbuds!

This is Sentry from the album Electric Hour by Sword II