Martha's Marvellous Munchies

My final walk to wrap up the Churnet Valley Way was a circuit around the town of Leek. The Caldon Canal had taken me to the outskirts , but I felt that Leek deserved a little more exploration. After all, how often do you get to go to a place with the same name as a vegetable?   I started at Ladderedge Country Park, on the south side of town. The first part of the walk was along the canal feeder - a little man-made stream running along the side of the Churnet valley, supplying water to the Caldon Canal. The canal feeder collects its water from Rudyard Lake. I was tempted to follow it all the way there. But instead I turned right at a path junction and continued along the Churnet Valley Way. This went under a disused railway bridge and dropped me out on the A523 - at the pretty end of town, obviously. I was interested to see Brindley's Mill, but it turned out to be closed, and rather hemmed in by industrial buildings and supermarkets. At least when I turned a corner I got a view of t...

It was a grey and misty day in a succession of grey and misty days. The sun seems to have gone into hibernation. There are still autumn leaves around to brighten things up, though, and I was glad to get out. Cheddleton is not well-endowed with car parks. I found a roadside spot near the primary school and walked back along the road, past a war memorial gate, to St Edward's Church. Inside there were candles to light - always a nice touch. door to St Edward's church I followed a well-used path along one side of the canal to Basford Bridge, where I finished last time, and then back along the towpath on the other side. Two miles' walking to end up almost where I started! A metal fabricating business proved that there is still some functioning industry in the area. Its yard was piled with galvanised troughs and what looked like giant coat hangers. Basford Bridge The Flint Mill is a reminder of past industry. There are two water wheels which used to power machinery to grind flin...