Another one to tick off

Friday, 04 June 2010 17:48

A lovely canal - completed at last!

Yesterday we said goodbye to the Macclesfield Canal; another ambition achieved, as I had wanted to come down the Macclesfield last autumn, but we needed to beat the stoppages so went south on the Trent and Mersey.

We left High Lane Arm behind and turned north on the Macclesfield Main Line

We were soon in open countryside after Windlehurst Bridge (9) and the bridges quickly "counted down" to Marple Junction.

Lovely countryside

Goyt Mill loomed large before Eccles Bridge (3), another of the memorable canalside mills that the Macclesfield Canal is known for. Built in 1905 as a cotton mill, its situation allowed the easy transport of raw cotton and cotton products and coal from the Poynton coal fields. The mill looks rather the worse for wear, but the tower has been put to good use by mobile phone companies!

Looking back to Goyt Mill and Eccles Bridge

Church Lane Bridge (2) heralds the beginning of moorings at and around Marple Junction. Beyond the bridge, narrowboats were moored abreast, taking advantage of the Ring of Bells pub!

Passing the visitor moorings

Ahead of us was the iconic Marple Junction changeover bridge and the restored warehouse (now occupied by BW) with a gauging/stop lock beside it.

Warehouse and lock

Junction Bridge 1

We negotiated the lock and nosed out onto the "new" canal - new territory for Epiphany, but not for us, as we were now about to repeat another part of our first ever cruise on Twelfth Night in 2001.

Marple Junction, Peak Forest Canal from under Junction Bridge

The sign post says: right to New Mills, Bugsworth and Whaley Bridge, left to Dunkfield, Manchester and Huddersfield.

Guess which way we went!

You will have to wait to hear about it .........

Macclesfield Canal, High Lane Arm to Marple Junction

1 hour 6 minutes, 2.4 miles, 1 lock (stop lock)