Thursday 13 November 2008 - An Evening Stroll around Wilmslow

Notchy joined Sue and me for a pleasant evening stroll over the ground covered on 11 November, which was in effect a recce for this evening walk.

Starting into Lindow Common (above) we passed the slumbering ducks on Black Lake, which was indeed very black.

Quiet lanes and bridleways delivered us in due course to the boggy pathways of Lindow Moss.  The warm, calm evening was in great contrast to the weather that confronted us for last month's abandoned evening outing to Whaley Bridge, and it really was most pleasant.  Sadly, the full moon was obscured by heavy cloud, but the rain kept off and there was sufficient ambient light to avoid the need for torches apart from one short wet section under a thickly foliaged canopy.

Here's the birch lined path through the Moss.It leads over a couple of narrow, slippery bridges, precariously perched above deep drainage ditches filled with black water.  One slip, and you could be gone for another 2000 years, like 'Pete Marsh', Lindow Man.  Notchy joked "what would they make of this strange 'Gore' clothing and the peculiar 'Petzl' object on its head?"

We emerged safely on this occasion into Newgate Lane, past a private fishing lake and country residences on the edge of Wilmslow. Where the autumn colours are striking just now. Here's the 5 km route; it involves negligible ascent and takes around 1 hour 15 minutes.All in all, a pleasant little excursion, courtesy of Tony Bowerman's 'Walks in Mysterious Cheshire and Wirral', which describes this short stroll in luxurious fashion over a passage of 12 pages.

Would my readers like more than this brief description?  I could always revisit this venue, on a slightly different route; it's a 15 minute drive from Timperley.