Stage 6 Strines to Marple
Distance: 8 miles
Weather: warm and windy
Willow warbler, goats, bunnies, curlew, swallows.
At the end of yesterday's walk, I discovered the sides of my legs were covered in angry red rashes where I'd brushed against some plants, so today was wearing knee length socks to try and prevent more contact. I never wear shorts while out walking but was surprised it was so bad through my trousers. At least it wasn't as hot today.
We bought joint tram and train tickets, which was slightly more expensive than getting them separately but meant we didn't have to worry about which train back to catch. There wasn't quite enough time to get brunch in Manchester, so we bought Co-Op meal deals at the station before getting the train out to Strines. The gap between the train and the platform is especially big here, quite the jump down, but it is a pretty station and very proud of its connection to The Railway Children, the nearby tunnel and viaduct being the inspiration for the story.
Leaving the station we walked up a steep cobbled lane into Brook Bottom, passing the Fox Inn (which was open and serving nice-looking lunches) and up the hillside, up and along a pretty byway, and up into woodland, emerging out on to a heath with a trig point at 327m.
We followed a green lane edged with dry stone walls over Mellor Moor, stopping for a windswept lunch and a meet and greet with a friendly but nervous alsatian dog. There was a short section of road walking and then lanes and rocky paths down into the wooded valley and along a very pretty river with little bridges and the viaduct.
Coming up some steep steps and crossing the road, we were on to the Peak Forest canal towpath again, with narrow boats and a million geese, before heading into Marple beside the flight of locks to the station. At the station there was much confusion about when (if) the train would be arriving due to a points failure at the next station out but all was well as the train just arriving from Manchester turned around and headed back to town.