We parked the car at 9.45am alongside the children’s nursery in North Rhode and by 10am we were off.  Again there were only five of us with one member back from foreign holidays but another absent on sick leave (cold).  The forecast was not good and today’s walk was going to cover strange ground (fields).   Over the last few months all our walks had been chosen with the absence of muddy fields as a priority, but the weather was now improving, and with the increasing difficulty of selecting walks that do not include fields it was time to include short field sections in our walks.  The first two miles les us across tracks and fields towards Gawsworth Church about two miles away.  As we neared the church we came to some large fishing pools which looked very attractive with clumps of bright red Dogwood on their banks.  Leaving the fields we entered a lane and turned right towards the church.  On our right we passed the ‘new’ rectory built in 1707 and climbed the steps to enter the confines of the Parish Church of St James which is over 500 years old and stands on the site of a Norman chapel.  We walked back down the steps and continued down the lane passing a fine black and white timbered house before reaching the lych gate to the church which is positioned between two fish pools that used to supply fish for the hall.  Further down the lane we had a partial view of Gawsworth Hall from across another fish pool and then passed a large attractive house on our left before passing the entrance gates to the hall and a statue of Mr Peel.  The lane at this point passed some good looking out buildings of the hall and then made a sharp right hand turn.  We left the lane at this point to walk across more fields with Croker Hill and its tall communications tower on the skyline ahead of us. On reaching a lane we turned right and then after a short distance it was right again into Cowbrook Lane.  Here we were sheltered from the stiff westerly wind and felt much warmer.  Passing over the railway line and then by Cowbrook Farm we dropped down hill to cross Cow Brook and then up hill again as we made our way to the Macclesfield Canal.  Reaching the canal we joined the canal bank and turned right to make our way back to North Rhode. The canal is very narrow but passes through beautiful countryside and is normally very busy.  Today there was not a boat to be seen until we reached Bosley Locks where the canal banks by the moored boats had been planted with flowers and looked very cheerful.  At Bosley Locks we left the canal and turned right onto a lane which then crossed over the railway line again and turned sharply right.  As this point we left the lane and walked through the lodge gates, ignoring the private sign which applies only to vehicles, and carried on down the track.  On reaching a large lake the Manor House could just be seen through the trees but this is the only view as a footpath to the left takes you away from the track and across a field and back onto the lane where our car was parked.  My walking companions take ages to change into and out of their walking boots so I popped into St Michael church grounds to try and photograph the church.  The church grounds are so small I was too close to the church and could only get a partial picture.  Ready at last and we were off to our pub lunch.  The Plough Inn at Eaton looked a bit up market for a bunch of scruffy hikers so we carried on and within a few hundred yards came to the Waggon & Horses.  Our luck was in again with a starter and a main course for only £5.50.  Despite a chill wind at times it had not rained and a good meal was an excellent way to finish a 6 mile walk.

INDEX PAGE for the THURSDAY GROUP WALKS