Two bottoms and a top: Marple Circular Walk
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Marple is a beautiful town, sitting just 9 miles from Manchester in the River Goyt valley. It's quiet green setting contrasts with its industrial past.
Starting from Marple train station, this circular walk first wanders along the Peak Forest Canal passing the impressive Marple Lock Flight completed in 1804. Then we turn off the canal and descend into the river valley to pass over the River Goyt on Windybottom bridge (first of our bottoms of the day).
From there it is a steady climb up through the trees onto Mellor Moor, where we will have great views back over the city on one side and imposing hills on the other. We will skirt round Broadhurst Edge Wood, Hilltop Farm (our top of the day) and wander down into Mellor village. We will walk through the churchyard which is situated next to an Iron Age hill fort.
As we descend back through the woods we pass Bottom’s Farm (our final bottom) and we will stop to explore Mellor’s Mill. This mill was originally 6 storeys tall but was destroyed by fire in 1892. The foundations have recently been excavated allowing you to see the pit for the water wheel. From here it is a short walk back into Marple.
This is a circular walk of 8.7 miles (14 km) with 425m ascent. It isn’t too challenging but does contain a fairly long ascent through the woods. It can get muddy in places, so please bring appropriate footwear, particularly if it has been raining. We are starting and ending near Marple train station, which is within walking distance from two pubs for food and a liquid refreshment after the walk.
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All images - Will Eldrid-Otterburn
What to bring
Hand sanitiser and a face covering: whilst we are living with Covid-19, please bring your own to events to help keep everyone safe
Water: bring at least two litres
Medicines: if you have hay fever, diabetes, minor ailments etc.
Day rucksack: typically 20-30 litres, they are comfortable to wear and allow you to use your arms freely
Boots: waterproof and breathable and designed for hiking, trainers are OK if the ground is dry and there’s little chance of rain
Gaiters: recommended for wet weather or boggy conditions
Socks: proper walking socks will keep your feet dry and help prevent blisters
Layered clothing: lets you quickly adapt to changes in the weather and body temperature. Go for a base layer (vest or t-shirt) and a mid layer (a micro fleece or shirt) and in cooler weather add an outer layer (a windproof jacket or thick fleece)
Trousers: ideally no jeans as they become heavy and cold in the rain, breathable fabrics are more comfortable and dry and on warm days shorts are OK
Waterproof jacket: essential when hiking in all but the calmest of weather, breathable fabrics are more comfortable and dry
Gloves: Windproof, or better still, waterproof gloves are the best choice, bring a spare pair if expecting rain
Hat or cap: stay warm in winter and shaded in summer
Sunglasses: for any sunny day, even in winter
Sun cream: can be useful even on cloudy and winter days
Snacks: bring biscuits, energy bars, gels, bananas, chocolate or dried fruit for example and put them somewhere easy to get hold of
Lunch: bring a packed lunch unless otherwise stated
Food & drink
Bring a packed lunch as we won’t pass any shops on the way. Also bring snacks and drinks for during the day.
We will end at either the Midland Hotel pub or Norfolk Arms which both serve food and drinks.