Higher Poynton.

              

We had difficulty leaving our mooring as we were grounding on a rock at the stern. Anyway with a bit of gentle jiggling around we managed to get going. Just around the corner was the magnificent red and yellow brick built Goyt Mill. Cotton was imported through Manchester Docks and brought here for spinning, until it’s closure in the 1960s. We cruised past many boats at Mount Vernon Wharf, including the cleverly named one above. A reminder that we are passing through the coal mining areas of the past. Again we had intermittent sunshine and showers until we reached Higher Poynton where we spotted an empty place on some Armco, ah bliss! We hadn’t realised just how dark it was at our last mooring until we reached this lovely open space, reminiscent of Tixall Wide.

  

On walking around the area I found the Tea Room, The Boars Head and a small unmanned Mining Museum. The metal sculpture outside depicts a lift winding wheel and the location/names of the seventy-four coalmining shafts that were once worked in the area. Near the Braidbar boat builders yard is a useful little Cafe/Chandlery/Shop called The Trading Post. Poynton once had it’s own railway station which is now part of a linear wildlife corridor walk along 10 miles of the old line called the Middlewood Way which is also National Cycle Route 55.