Peak Forest Canal - Stalybridge to Whaley Bridge (★★★★☆)

Today we are setting off to walk along the Peak Forest Canal - having recently walked a short stretch of this canal as we passed through Marple on the way to meet up with the Macclesfield Canal.

This one is a particularly interesting canal, since it runs along quite a varied route, that used to connect up the limestone mines in the Peak District with the urban centres around Manchester.

As a result, the canal offers a lot of variety in it's span - with a natural evolution in the landscape between an urban (and formerly industrial) landscape in the north, and the beauty of the countryside in the south.

More specifically, the canal branches off from the Ashton Canal (which extends out from from the Rochdale Canal in Manchester), and then runs up to two (close together) possible end points at either Whaley Bridge or Buxworth.

The canal also forms part of the Cheshire Canal Ring - with this route heading along the Peak Forest Canal to the junction with the Macclesfield Canal, before then heading on the Trent & Mersey Canal to Runcorn, where it follows the Bridgewater Canal to Manchester, and then finishes off by following the Ashton Canal round to rejoin the Peak Forest Canal (and then start all over again).

But today our route will start at Stalybridge - more for train timetable reasons than anything else (it was quicker to walk from Stalybridge to Ashton-under-Lyne than wait for the connecting train) - and from Stalybridge we will head along the Huddersfield Narrow Canal, until it becomes the Ashton Canal.

From there we will head down the Peak Forest Canal, and then at the far end I have opted to finish at Whaley Bridge rather than Buxworth.

And so it is that we find ourselves in Stalybridge - and make our way along the Huddersfield Narrow Canal - which whilst a little abandoned and littered in places, still feels like an enjoyable walk - as it takes on this stretch towards Ashton-under-Lyne.

Heading along the Huddersfield Narrow Canal

Eventually we find ourselves, as if by magic, following the Ashton Canal - and here I am ashamed to say, I get lost.

Following the Ashton Canal, the towpath eventually comes to a bit of a halt as the onward route is blocked by dirty great supermarket (an Asda if that is important) that has been built over the top of the canal.

With this blockage lying ahead, the towpath falls fairly quickly into disrepair, and we get diverted around the fortified edge of the supermarket - before getting spat out on the edge of the car park.

From here, the Ashton Canal itself passes underneath the supermarket - with the supermarket having been built at a time when this canal, along with most others in the area, was in a state of disrepair. 

But since we cannot go under it, we must go round it - but it is at this point where I get a bit confused as to where I should be going, with the OS Maps being not particularly helpful in terms of finding a route through. 

And so, at this point I give up hope of getting through alongside the Ashton Canal, and try and work out how to cut across to the Peak Forest Canal.

As it is, I should have retained a little more faith in my ability to find an onward route, for there is a nice section of the canal that does indeed continue on the far side of the supermarket. 

But after unplanned visits to Portland Basin Marina and a few car mechanics - I do eventually make my way to the junction between the Ashton and Peak Forest Canals - where all is well again, at a lovely section of towpath.

Portland Basin Museum (1920s museum)

Looking along the Ashton Canal

Here we have moved into a more heavily restored section of canal, and the transformation from the Huddersfield Narrow Canal (which whilst well paved is a bit rough around the edges) tells us that a lot of work has gone into the canal here.

And indeed as we turn onto Peak Forest Canal, it is clear that we are going to be walking along a very well maintained canal - with the Canal & River Trust guys out in their boat collecting up some of the (fairly extensive amounts of) litter that has found it's way into the canal.

For all the effort that has gone into the canal, the wider area is still a little scruffy here - and our first section along the canal takes us past a lot of the industry that sits along the edge of Dukinfield, but it is hardly a bad area, and it's an okay walk.

And in many ways it is nice to see that the same effort that has gone into the well loved sections around Marple, have also gone into these perhaps less appreciated sections nearer to Manchester - and hopefully the locals will slowly come round to the idea of not chucking their rubbish into waterways.

Until then, it has to be said that the Canal and River Trust do a great job of maintaining these canals (and so far I'm yet to do a canal walk without bumping into one or more of their team).

Continuing on, the first section of the walk is fairly unremarkable, but soon we start to get a few highlights as we head through Hyde - after which the going gets better as a nature reserve of sorts sits between us and the passage of the River Tame below.

Meeting the locals at Hyde

Swapping side of the canal past Hyde

This crossing of the canal at bridge 7 - where we swap over to the opposite side of the towpath - really marks the end of the more urban section of the canal - and for those who would rather just enjoy the best bits, you have the option of starting this walk at Hyde Central train station (a very short walk from the edge of the canal).

From here, the onward route is very pleasant, as we now head along a narrow slice of countryside that remains surrounded by (what I guess are) suburbs of Manchester on either side.

Admittedly it is a little dull in winter, but imagine it in summer

Here we can settle in and just enjoy this fairly long section down until we reach the next major highlight along the route at Woodley Tunnel - which is one of the longer tunnels that you are able to walk through along the canal network.

Reaching the end of Woodley Tunnel

For those that are afraid of the dark, you might want to bring a torch for this bit, because this is a fairly long tunnel - and by the midpoint there isn't a whole lot of light (so on a wet day like today expect to step in a few puddles as well) - but there is a helpful railing to keep you from wandering into the canal.

This tunnel runs for about 160 meters (176 yards), and was completed in 1801 - and is the original route taken by the Peak Forest Canal, rather than a later addition. 

This tunnel has taken us under Woodley (where we once again have a train station), and on the far side of the tunnel we continue on through the rest of town - with a shorter tunnel of sorts coming as we meet up with a railway line coming down from Manchester.

Back into darkness

Before long we cease our southwards journey, and the canal turns sharply to the east at the base of Romiley - and here we once again pass along a narrow stretch of countryside, with another nature reserve of sorts now between us and the River Goyt.

Here we have another really enjoyable stretch of walking, before we reach the next tunnel along the canal - and this time we must head up and over the hills that block our path, as the tunnel has no space for a towpath.

Heading past Romiley

After a bit of a climb, and then a fairly steep descent, we rejoin the canal on the far side - and from here it is only a short walk before we reach Marple Aqueduct, the tallest in England - which takes us over the River Goyt.

The original view before the addition of the railway

Now looking out to the newer railway viaduct

A quick peak over the side

Here there is the option of popping down to the base of the aqueduct - although I think you would then have to turn back and climb back up on the same route.

As it is, I content myself with passing over the top of the aqueduct - and it is here that the Peak Forest Canal hits it's peak, for we now take on the Marple flight of locks that will take us up 16 locks and 109 feet (64 meters in modern measures).

Originally this section of canal did not exist - and by 1796 whilst the rest of the canal had opened, the funds had run out before this flight of locks could be put in place.

This section did follow, however, in in 1804 - replacing a temporary tramway that had connected up the two ends of the canal. 

By the 1960s this section had fallen into disrepair and was no longer able to be used - but by 1974 it had reopened, and it is a very popular boating route these days (and often used in combination with the Macclesfield Canal along the Cheshire Canal Ring).

Our first lock lies ahead

A few locks in by now...

Looking back from lock 6

By this point the path is starting to get busier - and as we pass locks 7 and 8 there are boats navigating both up and down this flight of locks before we reach the road.

After crossing this road, we head up through the next section of locks - which head up past the houses.

We've made it to lock 13 by now...

The last two locks

And eventually we reach the top of this flight, where we reach a junction between the Peak Forest Canal (which turns off to the left), and the Macclesfield Canal (which turns off to the right).

Last time I stood here I had taken the train to Marple (it's a short walk up the hill to the road crossing noted earlier), and then turned right here to head on to Macclesfield, and then on to Kidsgrove on the following day, on what proved to be a rather excellent walk. 

This time though, we turn left and stay on the Peak Forest Canal - as we now head on up the Goyt Valley to New Mills - and on towards Whaley Bridge.

Looking back towards the junction with the Macclesfield Canal

From here we start to get snatches of a view that looks out across the increasingly hilly landscape - and these views will continue to improve as we head further up into the Peak District.

But for all the peaks that will surround us on this section of the canal, we are still following a flat valley route - where the River Goyt has cut through the landscape.

Continuing on up the canal

Before too long it is necessary for us to divert off the canal - and head up onto the ridge above the canal - with a diversion that takes us up to Ridge End and back - to skip a section where the towpath is closed for maintenance work.

Whilst this does take us away from the canal - and does add in a fairly muddy section (although efforts have been made to improve some of the wettest sections of the diversion) - we do at least get some great views across the valley (and the canal) from above as we climb that ridge.

Looking down on the canal as we divert round a closed section of towpath

Eventually though, we make it back to the canal - and from here we continue to have a mix of views out over the countryside, and towards some of the more interesting canal features.

A view out from the canal

A raised bridge

From here we head on round to New Mills, where the canal passes not one but two train stations - and three separate train lines.

To the south we have New Mils Newtown train station on the Buxton Line - which connects Buxton to Manchester and Stockport - and this line was the first line to go into operation.

Originally this was built with the intention of Buxton being a key join to Derbyshire - and indeed lines opened to join Buxton and Matlock (now closed and containing the Monsal trail), and Buxton to Cromford Mills (now closed and the High Peak trail).

But the Buxton line was built to a lower specification, and is a bendy and undulating line - and so when the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway and Midlands Railway looked to put in their own route through this terrain, they opted to build a new route slightly to the north.

These days this new line - the Hope Valley line - has a station at New Mills Central, which is part of a northern branch of the line that heads up to Manchester via Marple, with a split in that newer line to the east of New Mills - where an alternate route heads through Disley Tunnel and into Manchester via Stockport (joining back up with the far end of the Buxton line).

Nowadays the Hope Valley line is one of the prettiest lines in the country - up there with the Settle-Carlisle and the West Highland Line - and gives easy access to the Peak District to those living in either Manchester or Sheffield.

And any walkers will find that journey times home will differ substantially depending on which station they choose to travel from - and indeed this has implications for our decision of whether to finish this walk in Buxworth (where we can join the Hope Valley line at Chinley) or Whaley Bridge (where we can take the Buxton line to Manchester).

But it is too early for us to be worrying out implications for our journey home, as we still have a decent chunk of this canal left to walk. But as we leave New Mills we do at least get a nice view out towards that Hope Valley line, as it passes between us and the houses in the distance.

Looking across towards the Hope Valley line

Focusing back on the canal as we head towards Furness Vale

Upon reaching Furness Vale, we are now passing in between two peaks - with Black Hill lying to the west (408 meters), and with Chinley Churn lying to the east (452 meters).

And although there is no sight of it from here, behind Chinley Churn it is only 2-3 miles further as the crow flies before you would reach Kinder Scout (636 meters), as we start to head into the meaty end of the Peak District.

Passing between the peaks

In all honesty, I'm not sure exactly how much you can see from the canal on a clear day - it could be pretty spectacular for all I know - for whilst the weather has been pretty dry, we have a lot of low lying cloud today - which could easily be hiding quite a view.

Still even on a day like today, you get a great feel for being among the hills, and it is almost a shame to find that we are soon reaching a split in the canal, where you can either turn off towards Buxworth, or towards Whaley Bridge.

To Buxworth (left) or Whaley Bridge (opposite)?

My plan here is to head to Whaley Bridge - but I do plan to return at a later date, and head out along the spur to Buxworth - and then cut across to previously explored terrains around Edale and Bamford. 

And that will allow me to follow a bit more of route of the barges took, as they set off to collect limestone from the quarries beyond Chapel-en-le-Frith (which are now marked by small ponds on the map).

But taking the other onward option, we soon get to the terminus at Whaley Bridge - and from here it is a short trip through town to the train station - where it is time to head back up the Buxton line into Manchester, and then home.

End of the canal at Whaley Bridge

The view from Whaley Bridge train station

At Whaley Bridge one of the big attractions is Toddbrook Reservoir (famous for having been considered at risk of collapse back in 2019, after some of the concrete slabs were damaged after heavy rain).

And we will hopefully see more of that reservoir in the summer when I plan to come back and do a walk from Cromford to Whaley Bridge.

Total Distance: 16.9 miles (14.5 miles on the Peak Forest Canal, 1.9 miles on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal)

Total Ascent: 958 feet (902 feet on the Peak Forest Canal, 13 feet on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal)

Enjoyment Rating : ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ★ / 5

This canal was quite a hard one to score, because at it's northern end, whilst well maintained it is quite a plain canal - but the overall enjoyment of the journey as you head up from here to finish deep in the Peak District undoubtedly makes for an enjoyable day.

But in many ways this canal is best done as an introduction to the area - because once you get here, you'll also want to keep going.

Click for the writeup for a walk along the Huddersfield Narrow Canal from Huddersfield to Stalybridge - which is my favorite canal walk so far.

Disclaimer: This writeup provides a narrative of what to expect rather than a route guide to follow. The route is covered by the 109 and the tiniest bit of 110 OS Landranger maps (links redirect to Amazon). Aside from the diversion (which shouldn't be in place for too much longer) the route was generally easy to follow (Asda car parks aside)