Higher Poynton (Macclesfield Canal) to New Mills (Upper Peak Forest Canal)

Thursday 18th August

Sue & Shaun's Boat

Poynton

Yesterday (Wednesday) we stayed put and walked to Poynton, it is a nice town with a variety of shops, it is about a 25 to 30 minute walk downhill, so unfortunately it is uphill on the way back, but not too bad, it was a nice walk.  In the evening our friend Sue who we met on our trip two years ago walked down to see us, they moor at Bridge 13 just along the canal.  It was lovely to see her and catch up.  Her husband Shaun unfortunately couldn’t make it, but we had a lovely time with Sue. 

Approaching Marple Junction

passing Goyt Mill

Today we are moving on, so we set off fairly early as we wanted to stop at the water point to fill up.  We did that and then we were on our way.  Just before Bridge 13 is where Sue and Shaun moor so we waved as we passed their boat, they were at work but never mind.

We went on along the canal, past Goyt Mill and soon we were approaching Marple Junction where the Macclesfield canal meets the Peak Forest Canal to the left and we are turning right onto the Upper Peak Forest Canal.  

Lovely views while chugging along

Going through Turflea Lift Bridge

We chugged on along, this first section was very shallow and when we met a boat coming the other way we went up on the side a bit, and came to Turflea Lift Bridge which is lifted by using a windlass, luckily there was a boat in front of us and they had done the bridge so we went straight through.

Working the lift bridge

going through the swing bridge

Just along from there is another lift bridge and it was my turn to do it, but guess what this one is electrically operated so easy for me.  The other boat came along and went through and just as Kev was going to go through, two cruisers came the other way so we let them go through and then it was our turn.  Kev went through and I lowered the bridge and we went on our way.  Not far along the canal was a swing bridge this time and the boat in front had that open for us, a public footpath goes across this bridge and so we held up some walkers, cyclists and dogs much to the amazement of the lady on the boat Hot Metal, she said “I have got a queue”.  I think they do this stretch regularly but don’t usually hold anyone up! 

Swizzles Sweet Factory

We wanted to stop at New Mills but as there is a marina there, there isn’t many places to moor, but I read on the internet about a boat mooring where there was some metal piling before the sweet factory, so we looked out for that and pulled in when we saw it and moored up.

New Mills

We had some lunch then went out for a walk, and we must have moored in the right place as just around the corner from us was the Matlows Swizzles factory which make Love Hearts among other sweets and you can smell the sweetness in the air as you walk by.  We walked up onto the bridge and up the road to the train station as we are catching the train to Buxton tomorrow and wanted to check how far away it was, which was not far.  We then walked back down the road and then uphill to the Heritage Centre. 

51 steps down into the Gorge

We had a look in there, it tells you the history of New Mills and the mining and cotton and weaving mills.  

We then walked to the shops, it is a nice town with a variety of shops.  We had a coffee in one of the cafes then walked back down to the path by the Heritage Centre.

Millennium Walkway and Weir

We had picked up some leaflets about the various walks, the Bridges Trail and the Torrs Trail so decided to have a walk around and set off down the 51 steps to the bottom of the gorge where there was a good view of Torr Vale Mill which was built between 1788 and 1790.  

Union Road Bridge

Millennium Walkway

Directly under the town centre, the Torrs is a natural gorge now crossed by the Union Road High Level Bridge built in 1884.  It is an important industrial archaeology site of the late 18^th century and the ruins of the old mills and cottages can be seen along the banks of the rivers.  The only surviving mill is Torr Vale and is in a stunning location in the gorge and holds the record for the longest continuous textile production in the country for over 200 years until its closure in 2000.

Torr Vale Mill

Church Road Bridge

pathway through the woods

The Riverside park called the “Park under the Town” by locals extends for two miles along the Goyt valley linked by the Torrs Millennium Walkway which opened in 1999 designed to complete the Goyt Way, part of the Midshires Way, through the Torrs.  The walkway is built on pillars at one end and beyond, is cantilevered out from the magnificent retaining wall below the railway.  There is a plaque at the entrance telling you that the design engineer, Stan Brewster, was tragically killed in the London bombing of July 2005.

Torrs Hydro Information Board

By Torr Vale Mill is the Millennium Walkway so we walked over that, I wasn’t too keen but it was okay. We then had to walk back over it and then we came to Union Bridge which is spectacular when you are stood underneath it, it is 180 feet long and 94 feet from the top of the parapet to the bed of the river.

Ruins of Torr Mill

Torrs Hydro

We then came to the ruins of Torr Mill which dates from 1794, there is only a few walls left now.  Right by this is the Torrs Hydro which takes the form of reverse Archimedes screw (a classical Archimedes screw uses power to lift water upwards, here it is the movement of water downwards under gravity that creates power.  It was installed in 2008 to generate hydroelectric power for the local Co-op supermarket and for feeding the National Grid.

Midland Railway Viaduct

This was a superb walk partly through woods with lots of different bridges.  We then went over a footbridge and along a track and as we wanted to get back to the canal and it is up on an embankment, we had to walk uphill on a track through a wooded bit but we had a wonderful view of the Midland Railway Viaduct in the distance.

Boat with big Chimney!!

We then got back to the canal and walked along past the marina and it looked like one of the boats had an enormous chimney, perhaps they are trying to compete with all the mills around here!  Actually it was some wooden structure between the boats, but it did look funny.  We then carried on along the towpath back to the boat.

It was a great walk and really interesting.  We didn’t know all this was here in New Mills so it was a nice surprise.  We are staying here tomorrow as well as the forecast is not good and are getting a train to Buxton so looking forward to that.

Moored at New Mills