Upper Peak Forest Canal

We've been hanging around the Macclesfield area for a few months, moving every few days to stay within the rules, but never going too far as we needed to keep the car close by for hospital visits etc.

This week's planned chemo session has had to be postponed for a bit while I recover from a nasty chest infection, but this means we're able to go further afield for a week or so. With that extra bit of freedom we've left the Macclesfield Canal, turning right at Marple Junction onto the Upper Peak Forest Canal. It's absolutely beautiful up here. There are wild primroses, daffodils and even the occasional blue bell in the hedgerows and the wild garlic (Ransoms) is starting to appear.

The Canada geese are sitting on their nests and there have been plenty of big fat hairy bees and Painted Lady butterflies flying about. The weather's been glorious today and the views over the Peak District are stunning.

The canal is very shallow in parts and mooring places are few and far between but we've stopped in this particular place a few times over the past few years.

We're on a bend and can just get the bow and stern in to the pilings to moor up. A few feet before and behind us there are rocks just under the surface so a longer boat probably wouldn't fit.

Once we'd moored up we went for a walk to The Sportsman pub and sat in the beer garden in the sun. It was the first time this year and hopefully it'll just be the first of many happy spring/summer evenings spent in a similar fashion.