Ashley 7 mile circular 22nd April 2021

The day dawned bright and clear, so rather than continue with the decorating I should have been doing, I went for a walk. Like you do.

I needed to check out a couple of paths that I suspected may have been diverted due to changes close to the Lymm interchange / roundabout thingy. I’m leading a bit of a walk for a couple of members of the After Eight walkers next week, this was the only part of the route I needed to recce.

Parked up in Hale, I trundled down to the R Bollin and followed it’s northern bank on a nice dry footpath, eastwards, almost as far as Castle Mill….famous in the 1960s for it’s solar heated, open air swimming pool. 

The R Bollin near Hale

For Conrad

I only went in the pool a couple of times, it was always bloody freezing – and at 1/ˉ (5p), was a bit too pricey for me. The preferred, cheaper (=free) and much warmer option was to swim in the Bollin – along with all the other kids that didn’t have two pennies to rub together.

 Footbridge over the R Bollin, close to Castle Mill

Crossing the R Bollin by a footbridge I walked south(ish) to join a tarmac road that eventually took me through Ashley, and almost as far as Tatton Park. I could hear the not very distant M56, so much busier now than a few weeks ago – the easing of lockdown restrictions is becoming more and more apparent.

The only recently closed Ashley School - up for sale

The Rev Robin's 'old' church

The M56, still not that busy

 

I eventually crossed the M56 by a footbridge. Peering into some woodland I spotted some shelters - I couldn't tell what was going on, but a group of folk were certainly enjoying themselves.

 You'll have to take my word for it, there were shelters in there.

Re-crossing the R Bollin

 I walked NE back into Hale, re-crossing the R Bollin, and to my car.

I’d only been out 2½hrs but I thoroughly enjoyed my little jaunt. 20 minutes later I was back home and tucking into a rather late breakfast.

Oh, and the footpaths hadn’t been diverted, all was well.

Where I went:

7 miles of very pleasant flatness...I may run it next time