Bollington

On the Macclesfield canal between Bollington aqueduct and bridge 27. The boat Hebble under the business name of Birtles & Morris, Runcorn, was pictured in 1977 delivering coal to local houses. The boatman was actually a young lady. The timber yard is on Beard's Wharf (see wharves pages).

The first sight of Bollington is of Clarence Mill. This enormous stone building dates from 1853 and has been extended several times since. It was built, like the other mills in Bollington, to spin cotton. The raw cotton was brought from Liverpool docks up the River Irwell to Manchester then via the Rochdale, Ashton, Peak Forest and Macclesfield canals. The cotton thread was then sent to other mills in Lancashire to be woven into finished cloth. The Waterhouse Mill (now demolished) was said to spin the finest (thinnest) cotton in the world and it was sought after by lace makers everywhere including Nottingham and Brussels.

Clarence mill today houses Bollington's Discovery Centre, right on the water side, almost next door to the Chilli Jam Café.

There is good mooring on Lord Vernon's Wharf on the embankment at Bollington. Coal once was unloaded here and thrown down the embankment which provided staithes (still visible under the trees) where the coal was stored before being loaded into carts and barrows for local delivery. Walk to the aqueduct and look down on the old part of the town; look up at Kerridge Hill to the obelisk known as White Nancy. This is thought to have been built to commemorate the Battle of Waterloo (1815), but the origin of the name is a mystery; there are many stories but not a shred of evidence for any of them! White Nancy is ¾ mile uphill from br.27 (take the footpath on left just past Poplar Drive, straight through Gleave Avenue, down footpath, left at road, keep right, footpath into field at start of Cow Lane).

Aqueduct Cottage was, until it lost its licence in about 1905, the Navigation ale house and the canal horses resided in stables beneath. Walk carefully down the Hole i' th' Wall Steps beside the aqueduct to visit the many shops and pubs. Look at the River Dean which runs in a tunnel deep under the canal - see it in the park or over the bridge in Water Street. Incidentally, Water Street is widely known for its fantastic displays of window boxes and hanging baskets in June and July. In the park notice the foot bridge just by the tunnel mouth - this was built as an aqueduct to carry water from the River Dean through the village to a water powered corn mill.

Pass Hurst Lane wharf, thought originally to have been Beard's Wharf, where three generations of the Needham family had their timber yard for 85 years and Kerridge Bridge, no. 27, and on to Adelphi wharf. The building on top of Grimshaw Lane aqueduct was once a stable.

Beyond stands Adelphi mill, another enormous relic of a bygone age, but one that is today full of thriving modern businesses. Boats are fitted out opposite on the site of the Macclesfield Canal Company's warehouse - notice the remains of the quay side crane. Just by Greens Bridge, no. 28, behind the canal side houses is the site of the now demolished Beehive cotton mill. Opposite, nature lovers will enjoy a walk in Tinkers Clough, a wet woodland laid out with access paths and decking.

Another quarter mile brings us to Kerridge Dry Dock (01625-574287). Rescued from dereliction by John Jackson in the early 1980's, the dock provides an important service for boat owners from far and wide. The land around the dock was once occupied by canal side businesses such as stone cutting and dressing, and a farrier. The driveway to the dock was once the route of the tramway known locally as the rally road (railway road). This came from the quarries on Kerridge hill and began with the very steep Victoria incline followed by a lesser slope all the way to the canal. A steam engine was located at the top to manage it all. Plenty of footpaths enable visitors to see what remains.

Almost opposite the dry dock is the point at which the canal breached on leap day, 29th February 1912. This swept water through Tinkers Clough, across the railway yard, through the gas works extinguishing the furnaces and into the streets around the Waggon & Horses inn, now the Bayleaf Restaurant.

Clarke Lane change bridge no. 29 gives access to the west to the Middlewood Way and to the Lord Clyde inn, whilst to the east the road winds back to Kerridge.

Next page - Macclesfield.