Sunday 23rd June, A Buglawton Bimble

I’ve been following Conrad’s blog for some time now and when I saw that he was backpacking the Cheshire Ring, a 100 mile canal towpath walk, it seemed an opportunity had presented itself to meet the famous man for the first time AND to get out for a walk.
I’d not seen Mick & Gayle for a while, and knowing that they’re ALWAYS up for a walk, I sent an email suggesting we all meet up.
At 8am (the one in the morning) I met up with M&G outside the G.R. Ming Salon in Wheelock. A strange name for an establishment.

Anyroadup, we piled into my car to drive to the wonderfully named Buglawton, close to Congleton. After my failed attempts to confuse my passengers by multiple roundabouts orbits, we eventually found Conrad waiting for us in the rain. He’d camped at a small campsite around the back of the Church House in Buglawton – a Robbies house with a rather nice sign:
Greetings exchanged, we headed off to join the Macclesfield Canal towpath and splosh our merry way south -ish.
North-West Englandshire has enjoyed good weather of late, but not today. It was quite cold and showery, but what the hell – if you wait around for good weather you won’t go anywhere!
Conrad had been told there was a canal-side tea / coffee shop marina thingy a short distance up the canal. We either all blinked a very long blink or we were walking in the wrong direction, but we didn’t find it. Mick was gagging for a bacon butty, and poor Conrad had only had a cup of tea that morning.

  Gayle (note her immaculate hair), and the hungry Mick and Conrad

3 1/4 miles to Hall Green…but still no bacon butties

The peace and quiet of the towpath (and of Conrad’s walk) was well and truly shattered by our group chattering away. Four people with common interests always have plenty to say to one another. Much talk was of Mick and Gayle’s plans and my plans for next year’s TGO Challenge and other planned trips.

   Ramsdell Hall, a rather nice little house on the banks of the cut

Approaching Kidsgrove and a change of canal to the Trent & Mersey, we found ourselves directly behind a group of walkers – probably out on a sponsored walk. I felt quite sorry for them, the weather wasn’t too good and they were nearly all ill-clad. We managed to get past them, I think they were rather surprised to find there were others out walking in the rain!

Red Bull Services appeared…but still no coffee shop. We ended up sheltering from the rain under a bridge carrying the A34 in Kidsgrove. Butties, cake and drinks fuelled us for the next section.

Ducklets and swanlets were a common sight on the canals today – this lot were lurking alongside a narrowboat as it’s crew were trying to moor up:

A few short miles later we spotted a pub which enabled us to have a decent sit-down and a cuppa – courtesy of Conrad. Thanks Conrad!

Before going in, Gayle thought it important to show off her new hairstyle, we all thought it very trendy:

That will be 29 miles to Preston Brook then.

Canal walks can be fascinating journeys through history. Those who designed and built the canals were brilliant engineers, the lock systems and bridges are testament to that, but expecting cows to read is pushing it:

We left the pub as the weather improved….well it wasn’t QUITE as wet as earlier. Wheelock and Sandback Sandbatch Sandbach soon came into view.

 On final approach to Wheelock

 All about Wheelock

It was time to leave Conrad to continue another 2-3 miles to his campsite at Elworth. I gather from Conrad’s blog that the campsite leaves rather a lot to be desired – but at least there’s an adjacent pub that does food.

Conrad continuing on his merry way

It had been a cracking day out – good to meet Conrad for the first time, and also to catch up with Mick and Gayle whom I’d not seen since last year’s Challenge.

You can’t get much better than a decent walk in good company….even if we didn’t find bacon butties.

Memory Map reckons we covered 15.25 nominally downhill miles:

We were walking this section of the Ring in a clockwise direction, ie Right to Left.

Oh, Conrad – you really should consider doing the TGO Challenge – you’re made of the right stuff!