Macclesfield Outdoors Walk 10: Bollington to Adlington

Start: Bollington. Length: 7 miles (11 km). Difficulty: Mainly medium, one long climb.

1	From the car park on Clough Bank, walk back to Grimshaw Lane, and turn right. Walk under the canal, up the hill, and bear left along Chancery Lane.
2	Bear right up Cow Lane.
3	At the end of Cow Lane there are two footpaths across a farm field. Take the left path, which goes slightly down hill.
4	The footpath goes downhill to meet a lane. Bear right along the lane, which eventually passes a disused mill building.
5	A short distance past the disused mill, follow the Gritstone Trail sign which directs you over a stile to the left.
6	Follow the Gritstone Trail down hill, over the River Dean, and uphill again (through a metal kissing gate). After passing through a wooden kissing gate then another gate, the Gritstone Trail follows a paved path, with a small estate on the left (Savio House).
7	At the end of the grounds of Savio House is a 'cross roads' of footpaths. Turn left here, still following the Gritstone Trail.
8	The Gritstone Trail continues downhill, and then up to a lane (Oakenbank Lane).
9	Turn left along the lane. Eventually a cross roads is reached. Go straight across to follow Spuley Lane.
10	The Gritstone Trail eventually follows a lane off to the right, then continues along a footpath.
11	Follow the Gritstone Trail signs now going gently uphill, passing a farm on the left, and crossing over a tarmac road and several stiles.
12	Eventually a small pond is reached. Here the route leaves the Gritstone Trail. Bearing left away from the Gritstone Trail, to pass to the left of the pond.
13	The footpath is a wide grassy bank (ignore the rough stone track off to the left). As you walk along the footpath, you can see Bakestonedale Farm in the valley down to the right.
14	The wide grassy path descends to Bakestonedale Road. Turn left down the road.
15	After a short distance down Bakestonedale Road, take the bridlepath off to the right. Immediateley bear left, uphill, after passing through a gate.
16	Follow the bridlepath uphill onto Bakestonedale Moor. Moorside Quarry is down to the left. The bridlepath bears left, downhill, after passing the quarry. Here there is an old display, in the shape of a triangulation point, about coal, and containing a broken model of a mine cage.
17	Follow the bridlepath downhill, heading straight down to the lane (Moorside Lane) below.
18	Cross straight over the lane, and follow the wide path between two walls.
19	Pass small ponds on each side of the path. Pass to the left of a large house (Birchencliff).
20	Follow the tarmac lane down to a road (Shrigley Road) and turn right. Here there is a cafe on the right.
21	Shortly after the cafe, a narrow road leaves Shrigley Road on the left - ignore this. Take the next footpath on the left.
22	Follow the footpath on the left hand side of a field. Eventually the footpath bears right towards a house.
23	Pass to the right of the house, and climb over some stiles. Turn left just after the house, and follow the lane away from the house.
24	This lane now heads towards the canal. Follow the lane over the canal, and turn left along the canal towpath back towards Bollington. There is a cafe adjacent to the canal here.
25	Follow the towpath along the right bank of the canal all the way back to Bollington.
26	As you reach Bollington, Clarence Mill is on the other side of the canal, following which the canal passes over a viaduct. Continue along the towpath a short distance more.
27	To return to the start of this walk, look out for a small brick building adjacent to the towpath, which belongs to the Macc and District Canoe club. There is a flight of stone steps descending to Grimshaw Lane just after this brick building. This is just before you reach Adelphi Mill (on the right of the canal), so if you reach this imposing mill building you have walked too far.
28	Continue down Grimshaw Lane, and turn left into Clough Bank, to return to the car park.