Sunday, December 13, 2009
Walk report 13th December 2009
It was my turn to lead today, and 21 members set off from the Racecourse Road car park adjacent to the Boddington & Dragon pub. After a short section along the busy and noisy Altrincham Road, we turned into Mobberley Road then almost immediately right into a 'green lane' that took us to Nansmoss lane. A few footpaths across the fields took us from there onto that busy Altrincham Road again, but not for long. Opposite the Valley Lodge (Holiday Inn) we took a path that, after an initial climb up a steep bank and across a couple of fields, descended (by a new-looking footbridge over a steep sided narrow ravine) to the river Bollin.
This section of the walk was particularly delightful, the path rising and falling as it clung to the steep bank above the river. In spring the air here is thick with the scent of wild garlic, but today we had to be content with the sight of the low winter sun sparkling on the water below us and highlighting the trees of Hooksbank Wood on the far side of the river.
A hydraulic ram to raise water from the river to the fields above used to be located at the point where the steep valley of Burleyhurst Wood meets the Bollin, but today the only sign that it ever existed is the rust coloured water of the brook, and some old brickwork. A climb out of the valley brought us to the access lane to Bollin House Farm hard by the newer of the two runways of Manchester Airport, and the aircraft landings on it (from the west in the prevailing high pressure system which granted us the lovely sunshine and the frost, but also tends to bring us easterly winds) had been clearly audible for some time. We turned left and followed the lane to Oak Farm, where we took to the path across several fields to emerge on Burleyhurst lane. After a short walk in the direction of Morley Green, we turned off the road to head down towards Ross Mere on the edge of Lindow Moss, then left to emerge at the top end of Rotherwood Road, one of the major trackways on the Moss. We followed it southwards before turning left to skirt the site of the what years ago was a tip, but is now a pleasantly landscaped area of the Moss.
Passing the allotment gardens on another moss track, Greaves Road, we emerged again onto Altrincham Road a few hundred yards from out start point. Despite this being a full five mile walk, we were in plenty of time to adjourn to the Horse & Jockey for a post-walk natter and pint.
Vince Chadwick