Easter Weekend - Day 4

Distance : 10.7 miles
Ascent : 370m
Weather : Rain, easing, then heavy

Today's weather forecast had been quite concerning, but as it happened it wasn't that bad. Light rain eased off, until we were almost home, then the heavens opened.

We started along the Biddulph Valley Way again, enjoying the old railway way line path, which by now had some big puddles as it rained most of the night but was easy going and there were lots of birds including a bullfinch. Reluctantly, we left that path and, following the Gritstone Trail, turned off up a lane towards a farm. Before the farmyard, the path crossed a field and led into muddy woods. Here it was very muddy, however our mud tolerance has been adjusted and we splashed happily through. Ok, maybe not happily.

The path exited the woods onto a track, that gradually climbed up to Mow Cop, in cloud, along muddy but rocky paths that are more like what we are accustomed to, and along a road for a short while where there were lots of laybys where people cosy in their cars can enjoy the views. Leaving the road we followed a misty, snow lined wood path to the top. At the top there was a bench that we didn't stop at, as although I imagine there there are occasionally lots of views up here there weren't any today but it did make for an atmospheric visit to the castle. We also stopped to admire the Old Man of Mow, which is very erm geological.

Coming down off the hilltop we followed a straight grassy waterfall of a path that was a little slippy in places but did clean the mud off my shoes. The cleanish shoes lasted a while as the towpath along the Staffordshire Canal was paved nicely, but too soon became less gravel and more muddy, then grassy and very muddy. We past the boat with the best name, The Snooty Coot, and were soon near Kidsgrove, swapping to the Trent and Mersey Canal, then leaving the canal at the train station to catch the imminent train back to Manchester.