Introduction
The weather forecasters couldn’t seem to agree on Thursday, though it was evident that the hills were going to be wetter than the plains, so I chose to stay close to home.
Bramhall is a 5 minuets drive from Cheadle Hulme!
It turned out to be a dull day with occasional bouts of light rain. Not too bad really.
The 5.5 mile walk took 2.5hours.
The walk is OK for dog walking with plenty of quiet paths, but there are quite a few tricky stiles to negotiate, particularly in the last quarter of the route.
I walked in an anticlockwise direction.
Half of the walk is on OS Explorer Map 268.
I parked on the old Daryhouse Road pull-in off Hall Moss Lane, opposite the end of Moss Lane, near postcode SK7 1AR, What 3 Words ///tones.dreams.ships
Hall Moss To Handforth
Spath Lane is an ancient trackway between these two locations, much of it now being in the shadow of the two major bypasses, the A34 and A555, and the Stanley Green Business Park and Handforth Dean Shopping Centre.
However the first section is a pretty lane with a stream which showed plenty of water today.
There is further interest as the lane passes the rear of Manchester Rugby Club / Cheadle Hulme Cricket Club before following the stream round the back of the mobile home park to approach the A555.
After crossing the main road (by bridge) and the government offices on the left, the woodland returns.
The racket in the trees above me was being made by a host of silhouetted ring-necked parakeets!
After briefly passing through the Business Park, I reached the passage beneath the West Coast main line and into the former Manchester Council overspill estate now managed by Contour Housing Association.
Handforth To Woodford
I re-crossed the railway then headed Hall Road towards Handforth Hall. Just before the stream I came upon this interesting inforation board.
Over the stream I passed the familiar Handforth Hall Tennis Club on my right, then came upon the magnificent 16th century Hall itself (see my featured header picture), on the left. The inscription over the door dates to the hall’s origins.
Beyond the hall I took a right turn where I expected a field to be on my left. Instead, I found a housebuilding site, so hurried along into a wood with the A34 on my left. At the bottom of the slope I met the River Dean, beautiful and secluded downstream, and a concrete underpas upstream.
After the underpass, the river valley is delightful, and leads to a bridge. The path over the bridge is closed as the bridge is unsafe, but fortunately that was not my route.
I took the path ahead up the bank, admiring the mighty beech trees.
Emerging from the wooded slope, I took time to enjoy the open fields here on the edge of Woodford, as I expect this will be covered in more housing in a decade or two.
The path some becomes a lane, passing the former turkey farm. I took the path to the right, and over a stile where the hedgerow is alive with birds, eg this coal tit.
The path comes out on Church Lane.
I followed the road round to the lovely Christ Church, Woodford (where we were married over 45 years ago).
Woodford To Bramhall
I crossed back over some fields using Church Lane, and another field to Blossoms Lane. Finally, a narrow path with several tiles took me back to Hall Moss Lane.
All in all, this is a thoroughly varied and interesting walk, close to home. It’s close to noisy roads, and built up areas, yet has some beautiful, secluded spits thrown jn, which many local people will never visit.
It’s easy, largely flat, walking and highly recommended.
And Finally….
The Cribs have a new album out this month, Selling A Vibe. When I heard this track I could only think it was written for The Beach Boys to sing in 1965. Excellent!