The best hikes from bus stations around Macclesfield

James the Greater (the Latin 'major' is not translated as 'great' in English), to whom this church in Gawsworth was dedicated, was, together with his brother, part of the inner circle of Jesus' disciples. In his version of the "Good News" (this is the meaning of the word "gospel"), the Evangelist Mark enumerates a list of the apostles: "James, the son of Zebedee, and John, the brother of James—them he surnamed Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder" (Mark 3:17). They were said to have had strong tempers, but were faithful followers of Jesus Christ, in whom they recognized the promised Messiah. According to the Acts of the Apostles, James was executed for his faith. His tomb in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia (Spain), is one of the most famous and important pilgrimage destinations in the world.

‘I got the shock of my life when I went in the Adelphi for the first time - you worked stripped - you just wore trousers and bare feet. The temperature was roughly a hundred degrees. Then, during the war, they started issuing us with rope-soled sandals. You couldn't wear shoes because the floor was just like an oil slick - oiling all those spindles’. Excerpt taken from a Bridgend Heritage Trail 8 Leaflet

In the 1950s a place had been desperately needed for Bollington's disabled children and the mill's gatehouse subsequently housed the Bollington Spastic Clinic. It was a daunting task but one that Bollington took to its heart. Within weeks, Mr. lan Oliver of the Mill offered us the brand-new nursery that had been built for his employers' children, as they preferred to stay in the building already in use. Slowly the children thrived and everyone, even though some were terribly disabled, blossomed in the love and care they received.' The Waterhouse Mill was demolished in 1962 but The Waterhouse, home of the Oliver family and now the Bollington Medical Centre.

This is the only remaining manually operated swing bridge on the Macclesfield Canal. The others have either been dismantled or are left open. After some earlier improvement work, it was removed, fully restored and reinstated in full working order in 1998.

Adelphi Mill in Bollington was constructed in 1856 by brothers George and Martin Swindells, expanding on their father's existing cotton mill business, Clarence Mill. Initially spun cotton, the mill later transitioned to silk and then man-made fibers. It closed in 1975, and now houses a variety of businesses, accessible from Grimshaw Lane.

A small, bustling town on the edge of the Peak District, with numerous independent cafés, shops and pubs. During the Industrial Revolution, Bollington was a centre for cotton mills, quarries and coal mines. Many of the historic mills are still standing, now mostly converted to apartments.

This is a lovely, beautiful walk along the Macclesfield Canal in Bolington. Here in Bollington Wharf  you can see colourful canal barges moored up, walk along a good footpath, and enjoy many access points to the canal from the town. Bollington is nestled in the western foothills of the Pennine range and is a great place to visit in its own scenic right, being bordered by the hills of the Peak District.

Good firm tow path with the option to come off at the retail park