A towpath journey: Peak Forest Canal
TRESPASSING into England’s woolly hat walking territory, the Peak Forest Canal lets anyone taste the sheer pleasure of this remote landscape. A peaceful canal with big views over the Goyt Valley and uplifting whiffs of the countryside, while Marple’s locks do their bit with stonework screaming with history.
The Peak Forest Canal was completed in 1800, but Marple Locks weren’t built until 1804. A temporary tramway was used to bridge the one-mile gap until the canal company had enough money to build the flight of locks. The locks are now all listed and among the deepest in the country. The canal’s main purpose was to transport goods and raw materials, particularly limestone from quarries at Dove Holes. A great supply of local stone was easily available to the canal builders and was used almost exclusively in the construction of lock chambers and bridges.
At Dukinfield Junction, the canal leaves the Ashton Canal and the sparkle of Manchester behind, with the promise of Peak District views ahead. The canal at Hyde is dominated by the noisy M67 but soon heads quietly southwards. A couple of aqueducts and short tunnels, including Rose Hill cutting which was originally a tunnel but opened out many years ago, lead on to the Goyt Valley. The glorious Marple Aqueduct carries the canal across the River Goyt from 100 feet above, while the parallel viaduct huffs past with those fast trains that once stole trade from the canals. Whatever old rivalry led to the dynamic construction of a canal and a railway hugging so closely, it’s the treat of the traveller today.
Marple Lock Flight is equally charming with its cluster of 16 beautiful locks built into a canalscape of local stonework. Near the top of the flight look out for the tiny cobblestone tunnel built on the towpath for horses that pulled canal boats more than 200 years ago. Look harder and you’ll discover a second, even tinier passage hiding by the lock side – this was for boatmen working the lock.
Marple Junction at the top of Marple Locks is where the Peak Forest Canal and Macclesfield Canal meet, surrounded by views towards the Goyt Valley and wistful mountain peaks. The canal now heads out into open countryside. Bridges and leafiness mark the way.
Warehouses and boats of New Mills come into view near bridge 28, with the smells from the Swizzels sweet factory transporting you back to your childhood.
Just beyond Furness Vale, the original main line heads left to Buxworth while the canal continues into Whaley Bridge where the canal terminates. Bugsworth Basin was once the largest and busiest inland port ever created in England’s network of narrow canals. The site opened in 1796 and handled more than 600 tons of limestone each day at its peak, as tramways brought stone down from the hills to be loaded on to boats for transportation along the canal. Today it’s a tranquil complex of restored basins surrounded by lush Peak Forest views, and a fascinating trail packed with information panels.
The Peak Forest runs from the excitement of Manchester through the Goyt Valley to the edge of the Peak District National Park. Bugsworth Basin and Whaley Bridge were crucial to enable limestone to be transported all over the UK, and today the canal offers a fascinating glimpse into our industrial heritage.