Another Muddy Walk

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Another Muddy Walk

Post by Horus »

I took Annie out for a few hours on Saturday, we were going stir crazy with all this awful cold wet and miserable weather so the first glimpse of a change for the better and we set off. I thought long and hard as to where we should go as just about everywhere was still sodden so the woods and fields were ruled out, even some other favourite walks would have really muddy paths including the canals. Eventually I decided on the canal, but for a change I would turn the opposite way once we reached the tow-path near the church. We usually turn right on this walk and make a wayside pub our destination, but the last time we went that way there were large areas of mud to negotiate, hence trying the other direction. I had this mental map of doing a shortish (3 mile) circular walk which would involve heading back again into the village area along the Trent & Mersey canal and then intersecting an aqueduct that carried another canal (the Macclesfield Canal) and then heading back out into the countryside again to regain our starting point.

It is a fairly typical canal scene along the first stretch and thankfully not so muddy and we ascend the ‘triple locks’ that take you towards the two Harecastle tunnels that run for a fair distance under the Harecastle Hill, once a formidable obstacle to the canal system until the canal engineer James Brindley constructed the ‘legging tunnel’ through the hillside. As this proved to be inadequate after several years of use a second tunnel was constructed by the engineer Thomas Telford and it is this tunnel that is now in use, the other tunnel became derelict many years ago.

Our canal system is now a charitable trust where once it was a national asset and maintained by British Waterways, at first I had some reservations about this change and wondered if it would be the demise of our industrial heritage as funds would be more limited. However, so far I have seen plenty of work being carried out along my own local sections, so maybe it will still be maintained in good condition for years to come, I really hope so. Winter is a good time for them to carry out a major repair job and such a job would be the repair to a lock itself or the replacement or repair of a lock gate as this involves a complete shut-down of that section of canal. At one time it would not have been such a major problem as the majority of locks were constructed as a pair, one up and one down although either lock could be used for travel in any direction if required. Unfortunately over the years many locks in poor condition were simply closed off and put out of use, some were even filled in and grassed over. The place we were heading for was one such place and known as the Red Bull Locks after the canal side pub of the same name, one good feature of walking canals is there is rarely a shortage of pubs along the way.

As we approached the Red Bull locks the main road passes over the top and creates a long approach to the locks, old and new side by side. I could tell that some major work was in progress because a transport barge was blocking the approach and it contained a large section of a lock gate and the red coloured netting that was blocking off the pedestrian route across the lock.
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As we passed by it was obvious that a major job was in hand and no doubt they would be trying to complete it before the Easter break which always sees a resurgence of canal barge leisure craft. By the size of the work-site and the accompanying barges loaded with parts and bags of cement it looks like a major repair.

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Only a few hundred yards past the Red Bull locks we reach the Macclesfield canal aqueduct, it is common enough to see a road passing over a canal or even a canal passing over a road, but here we have one canal passing over another canal, not very common. We will climb up the steps on the left of the aqueduct and turn left to continue our walk where in a short distance the canal will pass over a road, so within a very short distance we have a road passing over a canal, a canal passing over a canal, then a canal passing over a road.
Approaching the Aqueduct carrying the Macclesfield canal
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Top of the steps on the Macclesfield canal
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The canal then crosses the road on another aqueduct.
I always remember my mother telling me about her own father, my grandfather who as a dare would walk across the parapet of this bridge while standing on his hands. :sd

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We only go a short distance along this stretch before cutting off again at the next road bridge and returning to the main road. A few hundred yards further and we cut through a modern housing estate to connect with a track taking us back towards the church.
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Everywhere is still very bleak and the woods are bare with no early signs of Spring.
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Even the lake looks pretty featureless with just a few ducks paddling around, lots of water going down the overflow to continue on as the small stream that you often see Annie having a paddle in by the wooden bridge. It is just after this overflow that we would normally turn into the woods that will be full of Bluebells in a month or so, but today it will be far too muddy.
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We eventually reach the open fields alongside of the church where in a few months it will be head height with Indian Corn, lovely to walk through on a warn day with all the butterfly’s insects and bees that frequent the opening flowers.
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We keep to one side to avoid most of the mud from the field and pass along the outside wall of the churchyard which also looks pretty desolate at this time of the year. Again this is another good spot for butterfly’s in the Summer as there are lots of wild flowers growing along the old brick wall. Today we have to contend ourselves with these lovely big clumps of naturalised Snowdrops that grow in patches along the length of the wall.
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Back at the church Annie gets her muddy feet baptised with water from the churchyard tap before we head back home again where a warm feet and belly wash awaits her.


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Re: Another Muddy Walk

Post by Grandad »

Looks as dreary up your way H as it is down here. But the history remains and it is so good that charities and conservation societies keep our heritage in good repair. :up Aqueducts and viaducts, brilliant solutions to the problems of building the canals in our industrial past. But aqueducts have a much earlier history and I remember the Roman Valens aqueduct in Istanbul built to carry water from the mountains of Bulgaria to Constantinople.

I have not seen any signs of spring yet, I have a problem with the small oak tree on the embankment in that it takes light from our patio in summer. I am waiting for a tree surgeon to come and cut it back BEFORE the new spring growth. This is it a few days ago looking south.
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:gg:
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Re: Another Muddy Walk

Post by Kiya »

Enjoyed your walk with you & Annie even though it was dreary, not to worry soon be Easter & the summer months to look forward too :)
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