Quarry Bank Mill and Airport perimeter walk, Sunday 28th June 2026

Reporter: Joy Parsons

This walk was originally planned as Helen and Brian's Midsummer Walk but Brian died in April and Helen led the walk herself in the company of 15 of us plus 3 well behaved dogs.

We met at the visitor centre at Quarry Bank Mill at Styal Country Park on a bright and windy day, rain threatening but not arriving.

We set off westwards along the Bollin valley through Chapel Woods on dried up muddy paths. We stopped briefly at a wooden bridge that has been closed for some time and which would have shortened our route. We then turned down a track to Bank House Farm before crossing the main road and turning south through Morley. We found the path through to the airport runway via Bollin House Farm, arriving at the south westerly runway and joining the North Cheshire Way which runs along it's southern edge.

This path greeted us with a wonderful array of wild flowers along it's length, vetch, trefoil and clover. A few planes were taking off but it was mostly peaceful. Andrew was able to tell us exactly which plane was taking off and it's destination. This added great interest!

We rounded the end of the runway and turned up towards the airport buildings, finding a nice, sheltered lunch spot in a field with frequent noisy planes taking off almost overhead!

The walk continued to some woodland where we descended back down to the Bollin river towards the tunnel where the path and river go under the runway. We went past some old security fencing which may have been there since World War 2, this area having a rather sinister feel about it.

We followed the river to the main road by the big roundabout near the Valley Lodge hotel and got back to Styal village via the Bollin river path. Helen had booked an outside table at The Ship Inn where we had refreshments, and many had meals as well. The weather was hot and sunny by then and this was a very welcome break after a walk which was more than 10 miles! We had been out for nearly 5 hours.

Our thanks to Helen for such an excellent walk and for the great memories of Brian. So many stories of times spent with Brian whether from the ski slopes or walks and his absence leaves a big gap in the life of the SCoM.