Pub Walks with Chris Morris
Stockport Pub Round Part 4 - Middlewood to Bramhall

PLEASE REMEMBER: Details accurate at time of writing

The Stockport Pub Round is a series of linked pub walks, along traffic-free nature trails, visiting fine pubs in the process. Continuing from where we finished stage three (Marple to High Lane and Middlewood), stage four takes us along varied terrain of peaceful woodlands and open fields. A good pub features at the start, midway and at the end. As with all these walks, they are easily accessible by public transport.

Public Transport Information

Stage four starts in High Lane for bus users (using the 199 Skyline service) and at Middlewood Station for train users (services every two hours). The walk finishes at Bramhall with a railway station and bus stops for the 378, 378A and 379. A couple of bus stops can be found midway if you wanted to cut the walk short.

The Walk

Part four is the most challenging stage of the Pub Round, being six miles long. Although not hilly, some sections will be muddy after wet weather and there are some uneven paths, so hiking boots are recommended. All pubs welcome dogs.

Royal Oak - High Lane For bus users, get off the 199 in High Lane at the stop near the Royal Oak pub. As well as a useful point of reference, the pub also works as a great pre-walk meet up, opening at 1pm. An attractive, refurbished interior awaits, and a relaxing beer garden features at the rear. No food is available but a pizza van visits on Thursday evenings. On my last visit, the cask beers were Carlsberg Marston’s Wainwright and Hobgoblin Gold.

Leaving the pub, our route is along Middlewood Road, opposite the pub entrance, following signs for Middlewood Railway Station. After 300 yards, ignore the turning to the left for High Lane Cricket Club and carry on straight ahead. After 150 yards, turn right and follow the trail until you join the wide Middlewood Way track. Turn left here and, after 200 yards, take the steps down to the station’s platform 2. This is where train users can join the walk.

With the tracks on your right, continue to the end of the platform and join a path between metal railings, down the incline, left down steps and right along a gravel road to the main road. Turn right and keep right so you are facing oncoming traffic. Taking extra care here; it is advisable to briefly cross over twice so you can see around two bends in the road. When the road bends right to cross a river, we carry on straight ahead through Parkgate Farm on the main track and out the other side into woodland.

On the other side we enter the field ahead via a kissing gate. Turn right here and follow the track for half a mile until you reach a farm, squeezing through two farmyard gates and round to the farm’s front entrance road. Turn right to the edge of a field hugging the fence to a kissing gate that joins a smart residential street. Turn right here and, before you reach the main road, take the signed footpath to the left until you reach Anglesey Drive. Cross straight over here, through the car park to the scenic Poynton Pool, and then first right, to cross the main road via the traffic island to the path beyond through a tall kissing gate.

Cross the footbridge and continue along the path which narrows briefly, then pass through three further kissing gates and under the A555 road bridge, with the river on our right. On the other side, turn left to walk back up the hill and then to the right next to a garden fence to a lane and then a road. Turn right here and, watching out for traffic, cross over to the pavement at the bridge and continue along for 100 yards before entering a field on the left by untying a metal gate. Walk along the right edge of the field for half a mile, exiting into woodland, over a stile and left, down to another stile, and then right along the boardwalk.

Carry straight on for another half mile on the left edge of the open grassland. Passing through a stile, the path now goes through the Happy Valley nature reserve with the river on our left. After 600 yards, cross over the river at the footbridge and continue along the same tarmacked path, then the right-hand fork, to follow the riverbank until we reach a little car park. Cross over Valley Road and walk along the pavement with the main road to our right until we reach a large roundabout.

Ladybrook - Bramhall Our midpoint pub stop can be found by taking a left along Fir Road. After 200 yards we find the imposing 1930s mock-Tudor exterior of the Ladybrook. The interior is equally impressive, with a recent refurbishment undertaken. Despite the extensive size, some clever dividing up means a homely and cosy feel is to be found. Whilst majoring on food (served until 9pm), an impressive range of cask beers is at the heart of operations. On last inspection, the cask beers were Black Sheep, Taylor’s Landlord, Greene King Old Speckled Hen and Yardbird, with Old Golden Hen and Belhaven 80 Shilling found in the games room at the rear. A large area of outdoor seating is located at the front. Bus stops for the 379 are outside.

Returning to the roundabout, cross over Bramhall Lane South using the two pelican crossings and turn right to the bus stop (378, 378A, 379 services) where we turn left and join a tarmacked path into Bramhall Park. Turn left to join a road signed to Bramall Hall and after 400 yards we reach a crossroads with a café, toilets and the splendid Bramall Hall on our right.

To our left is the continuation of our walk, signposted GM Ringway. Take the tarmacked path to the right of the car park which leads to pedestrian lights at a main road. Cross over and head straight on through Carr Wood for half a mile along the main wide path, ignoring a path to the left. After exiting the woodland, walk clockwise around the roundabout along Robins Lane.

Mounting Stone - Bramhall After 150 yards, cross over and turn right following the GM Ringway sign along Hillbrook Road, under the railway bridge and up the street to the main road. Turn left and left again along Benja Fold, with a road on either side. Continue straight ahead, through woodland, across a stream, then up to a main road with Bramhall railway station opposite.

Quality post-walk refreshments can be found at the Good Beer Guide listed Mounting Stone in the centre of Bramhall. This welcoming micropub, set across two floors in comfortable surroundings, is the perfect reward for the day’s walk. On the well-equipped bar, you’ll find six handpumps, plus eight taps of quality keg. When I last popped in, the cask beers were Bollington’s Long Hop and Best, Milestone’s North Rock, RedWillow’s Nelson Idaho 7 and Bramhall Best from the in-house brewery, Made of Stone. The sixth handpump was for Kentish Pip’s Craftsman cider.

For full pub details, including opening times, visit whatpub.com

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