We normally have six walkers but with two in Cyprus and two with car problems we were down to our last two hardy individuals.  This week our walk started at the Moat House car park on the Altrincham to Wilmslow road.  A small road exits the car park and after crossing the river Bollin there is a footpath immediately to the right running alongside the Bollin.  We ignored this first footpath as we had noticed a newfootpath that started at a kissing gate about 70 yards further along the road.  This footpath, built by Manchester Airport, crossed the fields and came out at the airport perimeter fence.  As we walked along the track adjacent to the fence we passed a new gate going nowhere and finally reached a sign saying closed to the public.  A footpath led off to the right and shortly came out at the old Altrincham Road next to a collection of portacabins belonging to airport construction workers.  My walking companion, who is strongly opposed to the building of the second runway, had promised me that she would be on her best behaviour and not trade insults with anyone we met, but I was quite glad when the site had passed behind us. The old Altrincham road being closed at the end behind us now sees only the odd constructor's vehicle and is safe to walk along though it was sad, as the picture shows, to see the uprooting and lopping of trees that had been necessary for safety reasons.  A couple of houses along the road are still occupied but what will living there be like when the second runway opens in February!!  At the junction of Atrincham Road and Moss Lane there is a part closed gate across the piece of Altrincham Road we were exiting and the next part of the Altrincham Road sweeps into Moss Lane.  There are many fine houses and Norcliffe Hall along this stretch of Altrincham Road and you are conscious of moving further away from the airport noise.

At last we turn into the old Styal village which is part of the 300 acre estate left to the National Trust by Alec Greg in 1939.  A quick trip to The Co-op shop to check for special offers and we leave the village to walk past the apprentices house (the chap in the garden is moving even slower than us) and down to Styal Mill to use the facilities and have a welcome hot drink in the NT restaurant.

We leave the restaurant, walk back up the road, and then takethefootpath that brings us out at the church in the old Styal village.  A good footpath leads down through the woods and we reach the river Bollin at the Kingfisher footbridge.  Further along the footpath we cross the Bollin at another footbridge and reach the first lot of steps.  Up down and around until we reach the Giants Castle Bridge where once again we cross the Bollin.  My companion had already started to identify fungi but I thought that this picture of tree roots was more interesting.  Now up even more steps, along for a 100 yards, and then down again to the banks of the Bollin.  We are now walking back to Overley Ford where we parked the cars and are still trying to find the elusive Lesser Spotted Woodpecker.  Emerging from the wooded section we plough our way through a 300 yard strip of mud (cross country runners keep passing us and seem to be enjoying the mud) until the path enters the trees again and we leave the mud behind.  A really good bridge crosses the Bollin at this point but I would like to know why it was built.  Maybe it was built to carry cattle and farm machinery to the fields on the other side of the Bollin but a fence blocks access on the far side of the bridge and it looks like it has never been used.  A pleasant walk through Arthur's wood takes with many stops to identify fungi until we reach the cars. Ten minutes later and we enter the Greyhound at Ashley for a well deserved lunch.

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