Monday 26 October 2026 - The Steel Cotton Rail Trail Stage 6 - Marple to Guide Bridge

Paul, Sue B, Jeanette, Andy and Sue W

After a long run of dry outings, I suppose it was inevitable that we should eventually need the waterproofs that we had so diligently been carrying around for the last couple of years. Despite the forecast of heavy rain, six of us turned up at Piccadilly and made our way to Marple on the 9:48 train. We were sorry to be missing Rick, the instigator of our walks along the Steel Cotton Rail Trail. He has plans to 'catch up'.

In the event the 'heavy' rain forecast turned out to be not much more than a determined drizzle that didn't really spoil our walk.

We followed the designated trail up to the road bridge over the canal, rather than taking our usual route over this familiar ground around the back of the tennis courts. This took us back to the Marple Locks where Sue and I left off last week to go to the station.

The trees are starting to turn, offering nice autumn colours in some places but retaining the summery greens in other places.

Mandarin ducks have a large colony nearby at Etherow Country Park, but I've not seen them in such numbers here until today.

There are always Mallards.

Our downhill route took us to the bottom of the locks and on to Marple's 'Grand Aqueduct', built from 1794 to 1800. An impressive piece of engineering.

Soon after the aqueduct and viaduct, we passed a narrowboat and reached Hyde Bank Tunnel, through which there is no towpath.

Our route then lay up some steep steps, past Hyde Bank Farm, and back down to reach the canal after passing under the ornate stone bridge pictured below.

The canal emerges from Hyde Bank Tunnel, soon after which we could have taken some steps on the left and visited St Chad's Holy Well and Chadkirk Chapel. Sorry folks, I missed the turn; I've mentioned these places of interest in previous entries such as this one.

By now we had passed Romiley and had ticked off Stage 11 of the official 14 stages which we are walking in 7 stages. A short tunnel/long bridge is easily walked through near Top-o-th' Hill, and Sue was tasked with finding a nearby coffee shop that's open on a Monday.

Soon after this bridge/tunnel, Sue instructed us to walk up some steps and into a housing estate. "Don't worry, we are heading for the main road." We found that, and somehow managed to find a back door that looked an unlikely entrance. So some of us entered the StartPoint Coffee Shop via the back door, others found the correct front entrance. Waterproofs came off (we didn't need to use them in anger for the rest of the walk) and Table 10's shipping order soon arrived. This is a great spot that we commend to anyone walking this route. Excellent coffee, tea and cake.

The only disadvantage to the coffee shop visit was that by taking the shortest route along the main road back to the canal we missed the excitement of walking through the 161 metre long Woodley Tunnel. We were very close to it...

A short squall and a bottle top sculpture interrupted our progress. We've seen such sculptures before, in Stockport outside the Air Raid Shelters.

Our route took us past Haughton Dale Nature Reserve, to join a towpath route back to Manchester that I cycle from time to time, so it's very familiar territory. The Trans Pennine Trail crosses our route near here. 

There are some interesting bridges that take the towpath across the canal, where just now there is lots of unwanted weed.

We passed an area where some of the trees have been protected, and we found a spot for lunch on some spaced out slabs of rock from an eroded wall.

 

Then we resumed the towpath walk, past Hyde, seemingly on a narrow 'green belt' between housing estates on one side and industrial units on the other side.

In a space between industrial units, we looked down to a substantial new property with interesting garden furniture.

 

Autumn colours grace the canal, elsewhere it remains green.

Here a lady called Mary Moffat is remembered. She was an African missionary who inspired her son-in-law, David Livingstone.

A distinctive lift bridge is always a 'marker' to me that I'm approaching the end of the Peak Forest Canal at a junction with the Ashton Canal and the Huddersfield Narrow Canal.

Another 'marker' is this tall chimney next to the Ashton Canal.

Before the Portland Basin is reached, bridge number 1 has been passed. I imagine that the railway was a later addition to the transport infrastructure, so the additional bridge was named 'A' rather than zero.

 

It's a shame the museum at the Portland Basin is closed on Mondays. We would have paid it a visit.

Our route was simple. Turn left beside the Ashton Canal, pass the impressive 210 feet high Junction Mill Chimney, continue for 2 km to a zigzag ramp that leads to Guide Bridge Station and a train back to Piccadilly.

Here's today's route - 15 km with just 100 metres of ascent, taking us three and a half hours plus elevenses and lunch stops.

Well, a wet morning morphed into a pleasant afternoon on another lovely walk. We plan to complete the Steel Cotton Rail Trail walk on Tuesday 3 November, via a train to Guide Bridge leaving Piccadilly at 11:03. It's an easy 9 km along towpaths, diverting for refreshments at the Velodrome and 'compleation' celebrations in Manchester. 

After that it's Chester to Altrincham in five stages, starting with Chester to Mouldsworth on 10 November. See here for more details.

Meanwhile - feel free to join me on this:

Saturday 31 October

Spunch

Around Bramhall. See here. Meet 5pm at The Crown and Conspirator, 26 Bramhall Lane South, Bramhall, SK7 1AF.