Marple, Lyme Park And Two Canals

Introduction

Snow and mist were forecast for the hills today, so I stayed close to home for this walk. This gave me time for a longer than usual walk of 10 miles.

It’s less than a quarter of an hour’s drive from Cheadle Hulme to High Lane.

This was easy walking and took 4 hours minutes to complete plus 15 minutes for lunch.

It was a dry, chilly, cloudy day with barely any breeze.

This is a good walk for taking the dog, as long as they can be trusted in Lyme Park, where you’d have to use the drive from the entrance as there are high stiles into and out of the wood near the entrance. Alternatively, take a route up via The Cage.

I walked in a clockwise direction.

The walk is on OS Explorer Map OL1.

I parked at High Lane Park car park, on Windlehurst Road postcode SK6 8AE, What 3 Words ///hazy.worth.rentals

The Birds

There were numerous active birds around today, a sure sign that spring is on the way!

I’ve decided to put all the bird photographs I took into an opening picture gallery!

Macclesfield Canal To Marple

I was soon passing my first classic canal bridge.

The suburban gardens backing onto the canal are well decorated. Here’s an angling flowerpot man!

Another robin sneaked onto this picture of the milestone.

The birds weren’t the only active life about, I noticed as I passed Marple Golf Club.

A little further and I reached the junction with the Peak Forest Canal.

Peak Forest Canal

A left turn would have taken me down the Marple 16 lock flight, but I went right, towards Disley… no locks along here.

Not looking so active here was this fine shire horse.

The River Goyt is flowing far below me, and right across the valley my camera could easily pick out Mellor Cross on the opposite hillside.

I reached Turf Lea, where my son and daughter in law used to live (the house roof is just visible on the upper right picture), and found an active engineering project in hand on the canal.

I’ve no idea what the purpose of the project is, but I was lucky that the towpath had just reopened.

Approaching Disley, I left the canalside and enjoyed the views eastwards to the snow-capped hills.

Lyme Park

I made my way into Disley village, crossed the A6, and took the road behind the Ram’s Head, and up past the church.

A gap in the hedgerow gave a glimpse of The Lyme Park Cage.

This leads to the entrance to the National Trust managed Lyme Park. It’s free to enter the grounds on foot so I crossed over the drive by the entrance hut, and alongside a babbling stream.

I took the stile into Elmerhurst Wood. Woods at the end of February feel quite dead and in desperate need of springing into life!.

A short section leaves the wood so as to avoid the wastewater tretment works!

Here, a bench provided an excellent site for lunch, with a valley one way, and The Cage behind.

After passing through the busy centre of the park, I climbed the hill, and admired the majestic hall behind me.

Then I headed off towards Higher Poynton, taking in the misty view across Stockport to Manchester.

Back To High Lane

It’s downhill here, so I was soon at the wharf area.

Then I saw my first, and last, active narrow boat of the day!

And in a few minutes I was back at High Lane.

I knew all these paths well, but have never joined them up in a single walk before.

It’s a great walk, and I loved it!

And Finally….

I’ve been listening to The Lemonheads recently, and will be going to see them live later in the year.

This is 58Second Song from their 2025 album Love Chant.