Friday 3 July 2026 - A Bollin Valley Stroll

Today was supposed to be GM Ringway Stage 11, but we are in a period of travel disruption and we didn't fancy the replacement bus service to Littleborough.

So Sue and I met Paul, Jeanette and Sue W at 11am at Altrincham Interchange, for a short walk in the Cheshire countryside. We didn't really start until after a bacon buttie and coffee stop at the Two Brothers Café in Altrincham, after which suburban streets led to a ginnel beside a collapsing graveyard in Bowdon (above).

Our route passed across a small area of parkland to the side of Al and Hazel's allotment, avoiding the public footpath that Sue can be seen on that has been allowed to get completely overgrown.

Soon we were passing The Priory on paths leading to a familiar bridge over the River Bollin. No children playing there today, and the whole area looks different from usual thanks to the crops that are growing here.

Beyond the bridge, more crops, and an attempt by Sue to achieve an artistic portrayal of them.

Pineappleweed dominated the verges.

Welsh Poppies and Oxeye Daisies were abundant as we pressed on towards Ashley after crossing a footbridge over the M56 motorway.

The path near Stock Farm to Ashley cricket ground had not been preserved by the farmer, whose crop we could have trampled, but we were kind, and followed tractor tracks that led roughly to where we wanted to be.

That was ... to a sheltered spot under a tree next to the cricket ground, where refreshments were offered to those of us (me and Sue) who were travelling light. I think we all managed to enjoy a coffee (thanks P+J) and some delicious cherries (thanks Sue W).

Continuing past Ashley Hall, Hogweed now took centre stage in the verges.

We passed Brit Fest entrances. This appears to be a fairly major event.

Beyond that, a pleasant path beside the River Bollin, which we crossed again at Ashley Heath before making our way through Rosehill to Paul and Jeanette's house in Hale for chocolate biscuits and iced coffee in their garden on the warm, sunny afternoon.

Here's our route - 11.5km with very little ascent, taking 4 hours including a long break in Hale, before Sue W and Sue and I returned home via Altrincham Interchange. A lovely little excursion.

Diary Update

Thursday 6 March - crocuses in Solihull, before Sue's father's funeral, which went as planned apart from the unexpected illness of one of the mourners.

Friday 7 March - a lovely day with Isabella.

Saturday 8 March - Wythenshawe parkrun #609. 318 participants. 37:37 for me after I decided to walk after the first 2.5km lap. Full results are here.

Briefing from a DofE student

Volunteers getting ready to man the finishing line

318 fit easily onto the start line

The Barbers were out in force, with Frankie having returned from Vancouver for a few days.

Sunday 9 March - Wythenshawe Community Run - a 5km jog with Colin Davies. 33:46 for 5km today.

March 8 - 15 - a trip to Finland for Sue. She has sent me the following pictures and may in due course provide a separate diary entry. Envious? Yes!

Wednesday 12 March - Paul, Jeanette and Rufus joined me for a pleasant 10km Bollin Valley wander. A familiar route previously reported on here. 

Today the Bollin was calm and the hedgerows were showing the first signs of spring, though the weather is cooler this week.

At Ashley Hall some 'Tatton Studios' have appeared - a potato barn and a barley barn, but who knows their actual purpose?

Thursday 13 March - admin and TGO Challenge route vetting duties. 

Friday 14 March - a bit of planning.

Here's a summary of some walks and bike rides I'm planning. They are detailed on topwalks.com, and that web page will be updated for any changes. I'll try to add some travel tips for the GM Ringway stages. All welcome.

Monday 17 March
GM Ringway Trail - Stage 2 - Sale Water Park to Didsbury Village. Meet at 11:00am at

Sale Water Park metrolink station for this second 12km stage of the 20 stage circuit 

of Greater Manchester.

Monday 31 March
Stocks Reservoir circular walk. Meet at School Lane car park, Dalehead, near Slaidburn (SD 546 455) at 11:00am for a 11km stroll around the reservoir.

Friday 11 April
60km circuit: Timperley Bridge (meet there at 9:00am) > Bridgewater Canal > Stretford > Trans Pennine Trail > Peak Forest Canal > Ashton Canal > Manchester > Timperley.

Wednesday 16 April
GM Ringway Trail - Stage 3 - Didsbury Village to Bramhall Station. Meet at 11:00am 

at Didsbury Village metrolinkfor this third 12km stage of the 20 stage circuit of 

Greater Manchester.

Thursday 24 April

A 70km circuit starting at 9:00 from Timperley Bridge. Bridgewater Canal 

> Pennington Flash > Mucky Mountains Nature Reserve > Sankey Valley > 

Trans Pennine Trail > Timperley.

Wednesday 30 April

Willington. A circuit of a length suitable for those attending, but at least 5km, 

from the Sandstone Trail car park at Willington Corner 0.5km southeast of 

Kelsall (SJ 534 667). Start at 10am.

Friday 9 May

GM Ringway Trail - Stage 4 - Bramhall Station to Middlewood Station. 

Meet at 11:00am at Bramhall Station for this fourth 13km stage of the 

20 stage circuit of Greater Manchester.

Thursday 5 June

Silverdale. A walk starting around 10:30am from RSPB Leighton Moss 

(members only car park) after refreshments in the cafe. 

Adjustable route, up to 23km.

Wednesday 11 June

GM Ringway Trail - Stage 5 - Middlewood Station to Strines Station. 

Meet at 11:00am at Middlewood Station for this fifth 13km stage of the 

20 stage circuit of Greater Manchester.

Sunday 20 July

Hathersage Hilly Triathlon.

7 to 17 September
Collett's Mountain Holidays - Austrian Alps - Ehrwald.

Sunday 7 December

The Tatton Yule Yomp - a 10km gallop around Tatton Park, starting at 9:30am.

Sunday 14 December

A Christmas Walk - provisionally starting at 10.00am from outside the 

Lime Lounge Coffee House in Bakewell (SK 218 686, by the bridge), 

stopping at The Crispin in Great Longstone for lunch.

Wednesday 21 December 2022 - Another Bollin Valley 10km Walk

We had planned to go to Silverdale, and perhaps call in on Conrad and on Rona if they were at home, but we didn't really have the time. Instead, Sue and I managed a couple of hours in the Bollin Valley, very close to home.

We've been here before. Reports are here. (There may be more - I just can't find them!)

Today the sun shone brightly as we crossed the River Bollin by one of many footbridges (above).

Then Sue befriended a little dog.

We continued towards Ryecroft Farm, where the work I'd seen on my last visit seems to have resulted in a flat piece of land with some lumps around the edges. Earlier crops of sweetcorn have been replaced with winter greens.

After a wet path in the M56 area, the pleasantly dry path beside a neatly trimmed hedge took us towards Birkin Farm and the village of Ashley.

A sunlit tree beside Ashley Road seems to have retained much of its plumage.

Further on, we passed Ashley Hall.

That was today's final picture - this walk has been well illustrated in the past. We didn't stop at the cafe in the woods, and we finished in rather less than two hours. My Garmin gadget accurately recorded the route shown below.

Monday 22 August 2022 - A Bollin Valley 10 km

I've reported on this route before - here (26/12/21) and here (9/11/21), and have failed (so far as I can see) to record other visits to the route, which was originally devised as a 10km route for a sponsored run for Bollin Primary School. [Step by step instructions are available, but most folk should be able to follow the route plotted on the map below.]

I'd been planning a 'Cicerone Lancashire' outing, but the weather forecast was poor. So, needing to get out somewhere, I donned waterproofs and jumped in the car for a four mile drive to Ashley Mill Lane, and set off along the track towards 'Into the Wild'. By now the sky had cleared and the waterproofs were superfluous.

'Into the Wild' had not yet opened - not a big surprise at 7:30 - and it was a bit early for a coffee break anyway.

Some of the crops have been harvested hereabouts, as per this typical Cheshire scene near the river Bollin. Wood pigeons and buzzards are overhead, with many smaller birds pecking in the stubble.

The sweetcorn has yet to fully mature, but the path left by the farmer through this field is impressive.

Just beyond the sweetcorn, the Bollin is crossed again. The river is very low compared to its level on my 2021 visits (see link at the head of this posting).

Something is going on next to the path by Ryecroft Farm. I couldn't work out what work is being done.

Very soon the path re-entered woodland near the M56 motorway, which was soon crossed by way of a convenient footbridge above the Monday morning traffic.

A good path continues beside the motorway, before heading beside a tall hedge towards Birkin Farm. This often boggy path was bone dry today. The prediction of rain had clearly been erroneous, and I wondered what it would have been like on my aborted 'Deepest Lancashire' planned walk.

I also wondered where the path went before the M56 was built. I wish my old 'quarter inch' maps from 1945 and 1946 showed a bit more detail.

Soon, a tree lined lane led me to the Ashley Hall complex.

There's even a tea room here that looked as if it was just opening up - 9am on a sunny morning. Being so close to the end of the walk, and a ten minute drive home, I passed by on this occasion.

At the entrance to the Ashley Hall estate is a small building with a door at the back. I've noticed this on many occasions and am still puzzled as to its use, and why the entrance should be at the back.

It's just a short stroll from here beside Ashley Road to Ashley Mill Lane, reaching the car after exactly 10km.

Here's the route, with a strange loop by the start, where my GPS must have been short of satellites. As usual, click on the image for a better version.