Wednesday 6 Aug 5.25 miles
Donna, Jane and Hilary
A Cheshire Life walk from 2024
From the Badger pub we turned left, then right at the roundabout on to Cross Lane and across the bridge over the River Weaver. At a sign reading ‘Woodmeadow’ we turned right past the cottage into riverside fields. We couldn't see the River Weaver as there was so much balsam growing. We followed the path through the trees and went over a couple of footbridges.
The path led upwards towards the canal and in places there were open sections which gave views of the countryside. Just near a canal bridge we climbed a stile on the left to join the towpath, and we turned left here. We saw only a few boats on the canal, we thought the Trent and Mersey Canal from Middlewich to Kidsgrove being closed due to low water was the reason there were fewer boats than you would normally see in the summer. We passed under Cross Lane at bridge 14, and went past Minshull Wharf, a former canal warehouse and cottage with exotic gables. We continued along the towpath bridges 15, 16 and 18, and there were plenty of blackberries growing here.
At bridge 19, we went under the arch then climbed the steep bank to a gate. Here we turned right and headed across the field. On the far side we crossed a stile in the hedge and crossed the next field to a metal gate by a cattle trough. We followed the edge of the wood, over another stile to the River Weaver and followed it for a short distance to a concrete footbridge.The river didn't look very deep.
We decided to stop here for lunch finding some shade under a tree. There had been animals in this field as there were dung heaps in places so we had to find a clear space. At the gate at the bottom of a hedged farm track we thought the gate was locked to start with until Hilary realised that the chain holding the gate could be unlocked. We followed the track up out of the valley and onto the road. The road continued past Lea Green Villa Farm. Fortunately we ignored the fingerpost by the entrance to Lea Green Hall, as when we got to the main road we discovered the path was closed.
We continued along the lane past Home Farm mobile home park. There was a man strimming the long grass by the entrance, he made a comment about 'the good, the bad and the ugly' as there were three of us, but I don't to whom of us he was referring!!!
At the B5074, we turned left and followed the road with care for the mile back to Church Minshull, we tried to walk quite quickly but stepped onto the verge as the cars went by. We were able to step off the road onto a grass path by some houses and then we used the pavements. At the roundabout we turned right past the church back to the Badger.
We went to the Aqueduct Marina and the Waterfront Café for tea, coffee and a yoghurt covered flapjack, water and icecream. The marina has created a lovely covered outside space where we sat.