Macclesfield
Forest
Macclesfield Forest is the
area of mainly coniferous planting around the Trentabank and Ridgegate
Reservoirs of North West Water at the head of the infant River
Bollin that flows on through Macclesfield.
Turning north and then west
the River Bollin flows through Wilmslow where it is joined by
the Dean (which confusingly flows through Bollington!). It then
flows on under the Bridgewater Canal at another Bollington(!),
between Lymm and Bowdon, to join the waters of the Mersey and
the Manchester Ship Canal at Warburton east of Warrington.
At the start of the Forest
by the dam wall for Ridgegate Reservoir. Just behind me is a strategically
placed hostelry - the Leathers Smithy
Here is the Smithy viewed
from across the reservoir with the notice board in the first picture
visible on the r.h. edge of this picture.
Macclesfield Forest in history
was a royal hunting preserve which may have been only partly wooded
and which was subject to the Monarch's direct rule and differing
from other areas not in the forest. In the earliest mediaeval
period there would have been boar, wolves and even bear in addition
to deer.
Nowadays only deer survive
in the wild, red, roe, fallow and small groups of more exotic
creatures. They are of necessity capable of disappearing into
the surrounding vegetation. But look carefully at the centre of
the picture and you should see a female red deer looking just
as carefully back. The picture was taken 20 yards along the road
from the first picture - about 2/300 yards from the pub!
In early February, with
snow on the hills, there's ice on the water.
Up the hill above Trentabank
Reservoir the ever more infant Bollin rushes down this glen below
the patchy snow on Toot Hill.
The single track 1:3 road
climbs up to the ridge overlooking Wildboarclough.
Distant view of Shutlingsloe
'the Cheshire Matterhorn' seen when driving round to obtain better
observation of the setting sun.
In position at the most
northerly point of Macclesfield Forest looking south across to
the 'Post Office Tower' on Sutton Common and the faint outline
of The Cloud and/or Mow Cop behind and to the right.
Looking northwest back down
the road to Walker Barn with Kerridge continuing the line.
Looking northwards over
the Dean valley with the conifer plantations around Lamaload showing
in the midground.The light from the setting sun really augments
the natural russet colour of the reeds/grasses.
Tegg's Nose at sunset.
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