David and Jacinta's Walks- 2023

Marsden and Standedge The weather forecast looked O.K. although the day was very misty in fact and, on the tops, dense enough to block out the view. We skipped our regular coffee in The Arcade but, instead, visited the delightful Wateredge Café for the first time. This is an eighteenth century lock keeper's house at the mouth of the Standedge Tunnel and largely untouched since this time. Inside the Wateredge Café- lots of reading and historic photo of the cottage Standedge Tunnel decked out for halloween As usual, we made our way up to the March Haigh reservoir, admiring the changing colours of the foliages- not that we could see a great deal! It's beginning to feel a lot like autumn There were few people about, save for a group of Chinese students who were having an adventure in the mist and having a break from their doctorial studies at Manchester University. Up March Hill in the mist, with a lonely cow lurking in the background. Company on the hill We stopped for lunch on St...

Marsden, March Hill and Pule Hill- David and Paul As Paul was back from New Zealand and had lent his car to Laura, we met at Marsen (for the convenience of rail travel) to start our training for September's trip. It was easiest to do a walk that we both knew well, and set out along the canal towards Standedge Tunnel and beyond. At Hay Green we took the somewhat neglected path up to Lower Green (up to Lower Green? Yes!), passing a new gate that had replaced a rather frail stile that Jacinta and I had passed back in March, just over a month ago. New gate on the way up to Lower Green We passed a number of workmen on the March Haigh Reservoir dam- they were wiring up several sensors which should be able to provide 3-D images of the dam and any movements. Up on Standedge we had our lunch and took in the view of the Castleshaw Reservoirs before descending to the foot of Pule Hill. Castleshaw Reservoirs and a clear if chilly view The ascent of Pule Hill (flattened perspective!) The ridge ...

Marsen and March Haigh We had a leisurely start and headed off to Marsen, where we had a pleasant Dark Woods coffee  at Arcade . We parked up in the station car park- always ample space, and no charge then walked along the canal to the start of the Standedge Tunnel. Just beyond this, there was a small enclosure with a number of beehives. Beehives at the Standedge Tunnel These had been set up and managed by a Syrian refugee. We made our way up towards the March Haigh Reservoir, by now a familiar route. On our way to the March Haigh Reservoir It's quite a stiff walk up to the top of March Haigh itself, and we stopped for lunch just before the very top. As we wanted to get home in good time to talk with Rachel and DK, we took a shorter route back, down Willykay Clough and down to Close Gate Bridge, where a passerby kindly took a picture of us. Portrait on Close Gate Bridge The return to the car was back along the outward path beside the canal- lots of toads about! 7.6 Miles, 320m asce...