Wednesday 30 April 2025 - 'Little Switzerland'

Andy kindly gave me and Sue a lift to Willington, where we planned to do an extended version of Tony Bowerman's 5km route - number 5 in his 'Walks in Mysterious Cheshire and Wirral' book.

We started from 'coffee on a bench' at a small but adequate car park at Willington Corner (SJ 534 667), on a glorious summer's day.

As we walked up Chapel Lane we passed bouquets of Bluebells, and the four petalled flowers of Greater Celandine, its Lesser Celandine cousin having seeded in most places.

Until WW1 this area was known as 'Little Switzerland', following access by train to nearby Mouldsworth from around the 1840s, allowing visiting townsfolk to stay in local cottages and explore the nearby hills. Today we got to the top of Chapel Lane and turned left into Gooseberry Lane, where the views open out and the old cottages of 'Little Switzerland' have been tastefully extended. Long gone are the days when owners of the original cottages cleared out bedrooms to offer B&B to visitors.

It was hot and hazy, with the nearby Bickerton and Peckforton hills partially obscured by the haze. 

Nevertheless, lovely views over the Cheshire Plain were a reminder of what the visitors from smoky cities would have enjoyed in the Victorian / pre WW1 period.

 

A delightful path led high above Boothsdale towards Castle Hill.

A view from the head of Boothsdale

I love this time of year, when the emerging foliage seems to be a myriad shades of green before subsiding into uniformity as the summer progresses.

At the head of the dale the path rises up some steps and emerges into open pasture and an information board about 'Kelsborrow Castle', an Iron Age fort.

The site is described at length in Tony's book, and there is also a Wikipedia entry for this home of the peace loving people of the Cornovii tribe, who were easily subdued by the Romans.

Our path continued through a field being used for environmental reseeding tests. 

After a while, Quarry Bank Lane was reached by a small pond, a larger pond being hidden by the hedge across the lane. A short walk up the hill brought us to the King's Gate car park, offering access to Primrosehill Wood and the Sandstone Trail.

At the bottom of a slope the well signposted Sandstone Trail proper is joined, near where the next picture was taken.

A left turn from the dip in that last picture is signposted to Urchin's Kitchen, which is a sandstone gorge overhung by Scots pines. It's one of a number of glacial drainage channels in the area, and according to Tony its curious name may derive from an old country name for hedgehogs, who may enjoy hibernating amidst the drifts of autumn leaves.

Urchin's Kitchen

Scots pines overhanging Urchin's Kitchen

A hibernating human?

Returning from Urchin's Kitchen, we left the main track, crossing over it to ascend along the Sandstone Trail. The path soon turns left at a fence then rises to a point where another signed path is taken, through a kissing gate beyond Peak & Northern Public Footpath sign number 335, which also houses a memorial to Jim Morris, Secretary of Cheshire Tally-Ho Running Club 1985 to 1995 'A gifted sportsman and keen walker'.

Nice paths lead from here beside a couple of fields to Summertrees, where old guide books, and my memory, hold tributes to an excellent tearoom and garden. Sadly the owners have moved on and the property has reverted to being a private house.

Here, Tony's route turns right along Tirley Lane and returns to Willington Corner on quiet tarmac.

Our extension of Tony's route crossed Tirley Lane and headed along a delightful path through Willington Woods to a tarmac lane where a chap was returning his elderly horse called Beau to a field We didn't see anyone else until near the end of our walk.

Greater Stitchwort in Willington Wood

A pleasant path led from Home Farm to Well Lane. Easy in today's dry conditions, but there was a grassy field that could get boggy in winter.

Oak trees and Horse Chestnuts were coming into leaf and providing a lovely canopy. Buzzards glided on thermals above us.

We passed Fir Tree Farm and took a field path to a footbridge.

After the footbridge a surprisingly lovely path led to and around a golf course where we found a great spot on a bridge parapet for lunch. Just a small golf course bridge over a little stream/drainage channel.

Red horse-Chestnut

After leaving the golf course, good paths led towards The Commons, and on past Green Lane Farm to Boothsdale.

Leaving the golf course

Pretty thatched houses looked like very desirable properties.

We soon reached The Boot Inn, outside which we had reckoned on enjoying a beverage near the end of our walk. A sign welcomed those using the car park, but a larger sign stated 'WALKERS - BOOKING ESSENTIAL'. 

So we strolled on up the lovely, enclosed by trees, Gooseberry Lane, then back down Chapel Lane to the car. We'd walked 12km, with about 200 metres ascent, taking a leisurely 3 hours plus stops.

Luckily Andy had some nicely chilled beer in the car, so we didn't miss out on being rejected by the local pub.

I'm still no good at selfies...

Thursday 24 to Monday 28 April 2025 - This and That

After the day's splendid bike ride, it was a pleasure to revisit the Aspire Restaurant with Paul and Jeanette. The usual excellent meal was nearly perfect, the grilled flatiron being a little chewier than it should have been.

Duck salad

Bream

Delicious oxtail pudding

Great desserts

Sadly the next opening times, current dates being fully booked, aren't until September.

Friday's adventure was at the RHS Bridgewater gardens, where an Easter Egg Hunt covering the best part of 5km kept a 4-year old entertained for several hours.

Here are a few 'garden' pictures from a lovely outing.

Yes, she did get an Easter Egg prize for completing the hunt.

Saturday morning was spent at Wythenshawe parkrun #616. Here are some of our team after the run, which took place in the lovely weather that embraces this entire diary entry. Full results for the 424 participants are here.

We invited Robert and Lyn round for a bite to eat (guess the main course), and let them win at cards!

It's all in the preparation

Sunday morning found me marshalling at The Bridge for the 5km Community Run, then Sue and I cheered on some of the Manchester Marathon runners. We missed the leaders. Here are a few images from just outside Timperley Village. It was a lovely day for it, if a bit warm. I was wishing I had entered the race.

Monday was a Jazz Club at Eagley day. They've changed some of the performances to lunchtimes. This meant Sue was unable to attend due to another commitment. So I decided to cycle there.

It's about 15km along the towpath (grey and pied wagtails much in evidence here today) to Monton, where the route to Bolton switches to a loopline that goes all the way. About 3km after joining the loopline a junction is reached. The left turn goes to Leigh and Pennington Flash via a busway, whereas we keep right and proceed to reach Bolton after about 25km cycling from home.

Take the right fork to Bolton

After reaching Bolton, I took minor roads and paths via Queen's Park and the Eagley valley to reach the Conservative Club where the bands play on...

Having left home around 9am, I reached the club at about 11:30, in plenty of time for the New Orleans Joys' excellent performance.

The band comprises Dave Pogson (Clarinet and Alto-sax),  Andy Wallace (Tenor sax and clarinet),  Richard Slater (Trombone),  Malcolm Horne (Banjo and guitar),  Howard Worthington (Bass),  and Brian Woods (Drums).

Whilst the novelty of lunchtime performances initially brought a good attendance, that novelty appears to have worn off. The lure of being able to drive home in daylight has been over-ridden by other commitments on Mondays - such as work, grandparenting, sitting in the garden, etc. The attendance today of an audience of not many more than 40 is unsustainable. I suspect that the programme will need a drastic change back to evening performances, and those unable to drive in the dark (many of whom appear to have elected not to bother driving in daylight) will just have to get lifts or taxis.

My route home stayed as off-road as I could manage to devise, descending first to a footbridge over Eagley Brook. 

Soon afterwards I rose on a steep path to pass the Hall i'th Wood, a Tudor wooden-framed manor house dating from C16. Sadly closed to visitors today.

Beyond this I made my way mainly on footpaths through the Tonge Valley and up to Leverhulme Park, where there's a sparkly new looking athletics track. I parked myself on a bench in the park before a steep descent then ascent to the track. The coffee was much appreciated.

After Leverhulme Park I joined a route that is familiar, heading through Darcy Lever to the paths of Moses Gate Country Park.

The disused Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal is soon reached. A large pond with goslings was a prelude to an area where the canal used to branch off to Manchester, near what I know as the 'Meccano Bridge', where much work is in progress. To what end, I'm unsure.

Further on, the familiar green sheen of a disused waterway.

After a while my path plunged down a hill to a bridge over the River Irwell, before rising to join Sustrans route number 6, crossing over a very congested M60/62 motorway and using old loopline routes all the way to Salford.

I muddled my way through Salford, crossing the River Irwell firstly on the bridge shown below, then three further times as the river loops its way through Salford. I'll find a better way next time.

 

After mixing it with Manchester's slow moving 'rush' hour traffic, I eventually found myself at the Museum of Science and Industry, from where it's easy to reach Castlefield and the busy towpath that leads in about 11km back to Timperley, reached in over three hours after leaving Eagley.

My route is shown in blue below (click on the image for a more readable one). The morning's ride was 33km, with 280 metres ascent, taking 2:20 plus stops, and the afternoon's route from Eagley was 41km with 240 metres ascent, taking 2:50 plus stops.

What a lovely way to spend a Monday.