Friday 23 November 2018 – Around Anderton

This is another route from Jen Darling’s 1990 edition of ‘Pub Walks in Cheshire’, adapted to start at the Anderton Lift Visitor Centre. That was shut, but at least the ‘Pay and Display’ machines had been turned off.

It seems that the Visitor Centre by the huge lift that transfers boats 50 feet between the River Weaver and the Trent & Mersey Canal is only open at weekends at this time of year. I’m not sure whether the lift works outside weekends.

We pootled past the lift and along the canal towpath for a while.

Six of us were on this walk, on a cool but fine morning. We left the towpath via the footbridge that shows in the distance in the above picture.

Easy field walking soon led past Claycroft Farm to a footbridge over Cogshall Brook at SJ 646 764. Here, an obstacle was encountered as the bridge had been declared unsafe and was fenced off. We could have waded the stream – probably knee deep. But we didn’t. We could have turned back. But we didn’t.

We were later classified as ‘rebels’ by the nice ladies in the George & Dragon. Climbing the fence wasn’t exactly straightforward.

Some might say he was ‘resting’ in this position (below). Surely the old geezer wasn’t struggling ‘to get his leg over’? [Just there, he would have a long drop into the water.]

Back on dry land, and another member of the team shows skills that could have been acquired from a period behind bars.

It’s an ungainly exercise, but long legs just reach the safety of a piece of plastic.

Arson is suspected. The two side beams were quite firm, but the bridge really wasn’t in a very good state.

Luckily, I had some cake with which to atone for my ‘poor route finding’, though I got a feeling that everyone had enjoyed this little adventure in a funny sort of way. It certainly added a bit of spice to the walk.

A little further on, we passed the pub that Jen’s 1990 version of this walk starts from. I’ve done it before from this starting point – on 26 March 1995, and on 17 April 2006 – so not on these pages.

The rebels posed dutifully.

Scones on a bench in Great Budworth’s church yard were on offer. But instead we succumbed to the roaring fire inside the George & Dragon, where the ladies took pleasure in serving as good a coffee as I’ve had in a pub. I’m sure they’d have allowed us to eat the scones had we asked.

We discussed the burnt bridge and they were impressed that we’d negotiated the barrier… “Well done you rebels!” A swift repair is hoped for, though it has already extended beyond the 21 day estimated closure period we noticed on a sign as we exited the path.

An easy path led down to Budworth Mere, and a view back to the village and its huge 16th century church.

Field paths took us gently back to the canal towpath. Here, the site of the Lion Salt Works is now a museum worthy, I’m told, of a visit. It has many awards.

Then it was a gentle stroll back to our starting point.

Luckily we were not heading to the signposted destinations.

We passed The Rum Wench. “Shiver Me Timbers” she gurgled.

At last. An opportunity to nosh JJ’s fresh scones. Just as well he’d brought them, what with the Visitor Centre being closed.

Here’s our route – 12 km with about 100 metres ascent. It took us 3.5 hours, including an hour’s worth of stops.

Then we went home. Thanks for the company, folks.

Next:

Friday 30 November
Tegg's Nose and Lamaload Reservoir. Meet at Tegg's Nose Visitor Centre (SJ 950 733) at 10 am for a 9 km stroll to Lamaload Reservoir and back. A537 and Buxton Old Road from Macclesfield.