End Stage 2 Manchester

Leaving the railway bridge at Knighton we left Wales for the last time and headed over the shoulder to the hamlet of Stowe. A steep climb led us to the forest on Hopton Titterhill, where a couple of stray route choices had us marginally off course but eventually a slippery downhill track and a climb over a menacing barbed wire fence led us on to the ruins of Hopton Castle and then to the Rock tea room which as a faithful recreation of a 1930s tearoom lived up to its reputation as one of the best cafes between Lands End and JOG. A wet afternoon ensued but after a number of field excursions we arrived somewhat bedraggled at Stokesay close to Craven Arms on the River Onny after having passed Stokesay Castle, a spectacular 13th century fortified manor house.

With trepidation we set off the following morning for our longest day so far. A steep climb brought us to the top of the Wenlock Edge, an ancient woodland full of woodland flowers, bird and animal life. Jo was surprised by a buzzard dropping a dead rabbit almost on her head. We initially followed the Jack Mytton Way but when drenching rain set in and the track became impassable we were forced to cross over the Edge to the Shropshire Way formerly a railway track which we followed for some distance before reverting to the Jack Mytton Way along an extensive limestone quarry and descending into Much Wenlock. An interesting feature of Much Wenlock was a 16th century Guidhall and the 13th century Wenlock Priory. A quick cup of tea under the disdainful eye of the hotel manager due to our wet and muddy appearance and we shuffled off to make a late dash along the Olympic Way out of town and on to Ironbridge about 8kms away.

Ironbridge despite its history proved to be an interesting and attractive town. The Iron Bridge was completed in 1779 and was the first bridge in the world to use cast iron. It crosses the Severn in a single arch with a span of over 30m and was built when the area pioneered the use of coke instead of coal for smelting iron at the onset of the Industrial Revolution. The town featured a number of museums including pottery, tile and the Coalbrookdale museum all in attractive woodland settings. From the outskirts of Ironbridge we followed a disused railway along the south bank of the River Severn stopping briefly at the Coalport Museum and the Inclined Plane a steep railway line up the valley side used to transport boats down to the river from a canal leading from the coalmines. From there we took a number of field paths to Kemberton for lunch, a quick cup of tea at the Bell Inn at Tong Norton and then it was a fairly long haul through to the edge of the canal at Wheaton Aston where we were collected and taken to Penkridge overnight to celebrate Jo's birthday.

The following day we resumed our journey at Wheaton Aston on the towpath of the Shropshire Union Canal. There were numerous houseboats either moored or travelling along this at times very narrow waterway and a number of fishermen trying their luck from positions on the banks.
One could not imagine consuming fish caught from the very muddy waters. With constant showers the path became very muddy and so we headed inland at Cowley to follow field paths and minor roads through to Stone a pleasant market town on the Trent and Mersey Canal.

A quick tour of Stone early the next morning and we resumed our trek along the Trent and Mersey Canal for a shortish walk into Stoke on Trent passing the Wedgwood factory on the way in. After settling into our accommodation at the Keele University we explored the city - very forgettable with much evidence of high unemployment and its associated problems. Determined to visit at least one of its potteries we compromised by dropping in to the Royal Doulton superstore outlet the following morning where there were some excellent shopping opportunities to be had. A few kilometres along the canal we were stopped by the Harecastle tunnels where the canal went underground for a distance of about 2 kilometres. Despite Frances' valaint efforts to hitch a ride on one of the leisure boats through the tunnel we were forced to take the long way round through Clough Hill to Kidsgrove where we switched to the Cheshire ring canal for a wet afternoon's walk into Congleton and a stay at very comfortable Sandhole Farm.

The following morning we returned to the Cheshire Ring Canal through the Bosley Locks where it became the Macclesfield Canal and then on to the outskirts of Macclesfield and Bollington.
At Bollington steady rain again set in and with the canal path becoming increasingly muddy we switched to the Middlewood Way, a dismantled railway line before stopping for the day at Wood Lanes and an overnight stay at Adlington.

Hoping for an early finish at Tintwhistle near Manchester the next day we made an early start and enjoyed an early lunch by the locks on the Peak Forest Canal at the delightful town of Marple. A silly navigational error At nearby Compstall led us into Etherow Country Park Compstall which despite its beauty left us all quite frustrated and due to the loss of time resulted in a decision to finish for the day at the railway station at Broadbottom a few kilometres west of Tintwhistle and about a half hour's drive from Didsbury in Manchester where we were to stay with Allan and Ingrid Gilbert.

End Stage 2