Bollington

In its 19th century heyday, there were 13 cotton mills working away at Bollington, a little town perched on the foothills of the High Peak. Two of the largest mills, the Clarence and the Adelphi, still stand, although now adapted to other purposes. The Victorian shops and cottages around Water Street and the High Street recall those busy days. A striking feature of the town is the splendid 20-arched viaduct which once carried the railway over the River Dean. It is now part of the Middlewood Way a ten mile, traffic-free country trail which follows a scenic route from Macclesfield to Marple. The Way is open to walkers, cyclists and horse riders and, during the season, cycles are available for hire, complete with child seats if required. Just as remarkable as the viaduct, although in a different way, is White Nancy, a sugarloaf-shaped whitewashed round tower standing high on Kerridge Hill. It was erected in 1817 to commemorate the Battle of Waterloo.