The Mellor Society

Walking In Mellor

Ten Counties in less than 3 miles?
A flat walk in Mellor

Mellor is a great place to live for the walker and is the inspiration for the much loved 12 walks of Mellor booklet and it even has its own excellent walking map detailing all the local footpaths.  How many of us, however , work hard to persuade our less enthusiastic family and friends to venture out when they have the ready made complaint that they don't like hills? It is difficult to go for a walk in Mellor without involving some uphill and down dale.

This walk is a short stroll suitable both for the flat earthers and those of us who believe that climbing upwards is often rewarded by glorious views.

Park at the crossroads at the summit of the village where Bogguard Lane meets Moor End Road. Is Boggaurd a corruption of Boggart,  the lancashire word for a Ghost or mischevious spirit? Walk south east along Bogguard Lane until it becomes Cobden Edge. The views across Greater Manchester improve as you progress and the whole village of Mellor lies below to the right, together with an excellent prospect of St Thomas's Church.

At this point we can see the counties of Greater Manchester, Lancashire ( Winter Hill ) Cheshire and across to the Welsh Hills in Clwyd. Our fifth county is Merseyside and under the right conditions and perhaps requiring the aid of binoculars , Liverpool's cathedrals can be seen.

We pass Primrose lane, an unmade track on our left and continue round on the road until the junction with Whetmorhurst Lane is reached. Continue along the Cobden Edge Road , climbing slightly for around a quarter of a mile until the prominent Mellor Cross at Soldiers Knob. The highest point of Mellor Moor lies a couple of hundred yards to the East where an old trig point column marks the spot at 327 metres ( or 1075 feet in old money ! )

The road  continues south past the 3 Chimneys cattery, shortly past this building ignore the tarmac road as it descends to the right  and continue straight ahead along the track until a stile is reached by a few small trees. This stile is now known as Rachels Stile and is a delightful spot with a sad background. If you don't know the spot then all will be revealed when you visit.

In front , we can now see Kinder Scout and Bleaklow in Derbyshire,the hills beyond Bleaklow are in Yorkshire giving a seventh county. A little to the south , those  hills beyond Shining Tor and Shutlingsloe could be Croker Hill or Mow cop in Staffordshire. That makes eight counties.

Our last two counties could be the subject of some debate and would certainly need the right weather conditions. Beyond the Cheshire plain the faint outline of the Clwydian Hills rise and is too much to imagine that perhaps we can also see the highest peaks of Snowdonia in Gwynnedd. Thats nine, and I would not be surprised that one could claim to have made out the Wrekin or even Caer Caradoc in Shropshire away to the southwest to notch up a tenth county.

After the debate leave Rachel's stile and cross the the field down to the west to join part of the Mellor March route , following the footpath to Primrose lane.

Use either Pole Lane or the road from New Mills to reach your starting point.Less than 3 miles start to finish with hardly a climb and views of ten counties, who could ask for more?

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