Following a quiet start to 2022, and a rest, Sarah and I joined our friends Andy and Mike for this bank holiday walk to Mellor Moor and Cobden Edge.

It was a cool and dry, though mild for the time of year, start to the day. We started from Longhurst Lane, next to Mellor Park.

Then started by walking up Gibb Lane.

At Mellor and Townscliffe Golf Club, Gibb Lane became Neilds Way.

Then, after crossing the Cown Edge Way, and passing Linnet Clough Scout Camp, Neilds Way becomes a track, and a muddy one today.

We walked down this track earlier in the year, in drier conditions (though it was still quite muddy even then), on our Linnet Clough walk.

At the bottom of the track we reached Roman Lakes Leisure Park.

Here, we turned left and followed a section of the Goyt Way (and Midshires Way) as it took us past the Roman Lakes.

And then alongside the River Goyt for the next mile.

After which the track turns away from the river and takes you through a tunnel under the railway line.

After another quarter of a mile or so, we turned off the track onto a path on the left. This took us up Strawberry Hill.

It starts steep …

And just keeps going!

There’s a brief rest …

Then up it goes again.

At the top is Mellor Cross, which we visited on a Mellor Cross cycle ride last summer.

Following a short break to admire the view, we continued on up along Black Lane to past the Cobden Edge trig point on our right and up on to Mellor Moor.

Then into Primrose Lane. We had, of course, walked much of this section of the route, in the opposite direction, and reviewed the walk in our Mellor Moor walk post a few years ago.

At the end of Primrose Lane, we turned left into Bogguard Lane.

We stopped briefly to take a look over Marple, Mellor and the surrounding area.

Next, we turned right into Whetmorhurst Lane.

At the end of the lane, we rejoined Gibb Lane and walked back to the start.

Tomorrow, it would be back to work. However, this walk of just over five miles had given us a fabulous start to the New Year and was an enjoyable finish to our Christmas break.

You can view our Mellor Cross and Cobden Edge walk route below: