Walk 9 Haughton Green, Peak Forest Canal, Castle Hill, Hulmes Wood, River Tame, Haughton Dale Circular Miles: 3.9 Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes Grade: Easy To Moderate Starting Point: Junction Of Gibraltar Lane/Newport Road, Denton Grid Ref: SJ937937 The track in red on the maps may appear in places not to be on the actual path. Routes plotted by GPS are generally more accurate than traditional mapping methods, always take the obvious path on the ground. WP in the text and WP symbols on the maps refer to the waypoints where you are the time. A mainly flat walk along the Peak Forest Canal to Castle Hill and returning along the River Tame via Hulmes Wood and Haughton Dale. 1
Starting at the corner of Gibraltar Lane and Newport Road, walk down Gibralter Lane. This becomes a dirt track from this point, pass houses on the left and go down to the bridge at the bottom of the lane. Cross the Gibraltar Bridge (WP1) and take the path on the right uphill into Apethorn Wood. At a junction of paths take the second left up steps to the Peak Forest Canal (WP2) (10 minutes). Turn right and follow the canal, going under two footbridges, numbers 9 and 10 and past Unity Mills, a large building to the left of the canal. When houses are reached near the opposite side of the canal, go through the stile on the right (WP3) and take the signposted route down into the wood. The path passes a large area of kennel buildings on the right and then narrows, continuing between two wire fences. At the end of the grounds a pond is passed on the right and then a stile onto a tarmac lane. Proceed uphill, ignoring the turn off to the left. The path runs above the River Tame down to the right and soon reaches Arden Bridge. Carry on left past the bridge on the wide track, passing a weir on the river down below. The track then reaches a gate and stile (WP4). 2
This is Turner Lane, which is actually a narrow path. Turn right, the path twists and turns above the river before passing a stone pillar. This then becomes a dirt lane with Millhill Farm on a track up to the left. The lane widens and passes two ponds on the left, an old industrial building and a house next to it on the right, then becomes cobbled and bends left where it becomes Arden Road. It then passes some houses on the right before reaching the A6017 Stockport Road (WP5). Turn right and head uphill on the road for a ¼ mile, passing Beight Bridge over the River Tame. At the end of a layby turn right (WP6) (50 minutes), going through a barrier into Hulmes Wood, the direction is signposted 'Meadow Lane'. The wide track leads down to the River Tame, ignore the numerous turn offs to the left and keep following the signposts for 'Meadow Lane'. The track veers left of the river with open grassland to the right and then reaches Arden Bridge (WP7). 3
The track then veers off left uphill, away from the bridge to eventually reach a gate and stile at Meadow Lane, with Ivy Cottages to the left (WP8) (1 hour 10 minutes). Turn right here down the dirt lane signposted 'Broadbottom'. At the bottom go through a metal barrier by a gate to the left of the car park. The track is signposted 'Gibraltar Lane' and swings left then right by the river. Just after the track reaches a weir and where the river bends sharply right, ignore a signposted turn off to the right and proceed on the track uphill through the wood. Keep on the track ignoring any turn offs left or right until it reaches Gibraltar Lane (WP9). Turn left and go uphill back to the starting point (1 hour 30 minutes). 4
The steps up to WP2 on the Peak Forest Canal Bridge number 9 on the Peak Forest Canal 5
The River Tame Turner Lane 6
The River Tame in Hulmes Wood The wide track in Hulmes Wood beside the River Tame 7