New Mills, home of some mills

I've travelled from Manchester to Edale quite a few times on the train, and was always intrigued by one station on the line, New Mills, as the board displaying the station name proclaimed that one could alight there for the Millenium Walkway, which sounded quite exciting. Seeing as I'm now living right next to Brinnington station which is only three stops down the line I decided to spend the afternoon finding out what New Mills had to offer.

Well I found the Millenium Walkway easily enough thanks to several helpful signs which led me down from the station to the Torr valley below, where the river Goyt flows through an impressive gorge cut out of sandstone. Immediately opposite me on the other side of the river was a fine looking and only slightly decrepit Torr Vale Mill building, which apparently stopped working only in 2000 (just in time for the Millenium Walkway to open), I could see a strip light on in one of the upper floor rooms and a man in a fluorescent jacket was doing something maintainy on the outside. I don't know what I was expecting from the Walkway, it was pleasant enough, basically taking you over the river past the above mentioned mill, but was over unfortunately too quickly. A plaque at the other end of the Walkway told me that the designer of the bridge had died during the 2005 London bombings, which made me appreicate his lifetime achievement a little more.

The majesty of the Millenium Walkway

I wandered around the river area for a bit, coming almost to the start of the Sett valley trail which apparently runs to Hayfield and which I will try another day, when I've gotten an earlier start than midday and maybe when its not so cold. By a large weir there was asmall hydro-electric power plant, featuring a reverse archimedean screw, although it was generating 0 volts when I was there. Then I backtracked and found a path leading past a farm with some Alpacas, a pleasant change from sheep or cows, and on to the Peak Forest canal. I walked for about half an hour before I turned back. There were lots of nice canal boats moored at the Furness Dale Marina, and a few in action sailing past. One unfortunate boat was tilted to the side, and on closer inspection was flooded, such a shame. There were quite a few people walking dogs, and one man with a backpack and wearing shorts, despite the ice sheets floating down the canal that you would think would indicate sub-zero, non-short wearing conditions. This evening I finished Bill Bryson's Notes from a Small Island, I laughed at the part where he describes short-wearing in British walkers as a sign of dementia.

If I'd had a map, I would have realised that I could walk down the canal back nearly to my home, in fact it passes through all the same places that the train did, besides Brinnington. Instead I went back the station for 3, as unless I wanted to hang around New Mills until 7, I would have to get off at Bredbury and walk. I'm sure it is nice, but Bredbury looked like a large industrial estate to me from the vantage of the train, and I didn't fancy getting lost there. I never even saw the town centre of New Mills with its promised heritage centre, but I doubt that I'd come back just for that, unless I do happen to walk it next time.