Marple circular

Whilst a first glance at the map suggests that this route crosses urban Marple. In fact most of the route uses green spaces. It makes use of both the Peak Forest and Macclesfield canal towpaths and also follows a path across Marple Golf course and a section of the Middlewood Way. The return section between the Middlewood Way and the Macclesfield canal is the most urban, but sections of road walking are connected by several green passageways and for this reason I have sometimes referred to this walk as the "ginnels" of Marple.
The walk can start from the pay car park at Marple library where there are toilet facillities, or you may find parking nearby where you can access the Peak Forest Canal. After following the Canal towpath for around a mile, you cross by a footbridge and take the steeply rising fotpath up to Marple ridge then continue ahead to cross the front of Hawk Green, then ahead again into Barnsfold Road which descends and winds until it crosses the Macclesfield Canal where you should access the towpath to turn back towards Marple. Once you are level with buildings on the right look out for the path you must take across the golf course on your left. On reaching the Middlewood way turn right,ahead ignore the first exit point on your right, then take the next exit up steps at an over bridge. This isThrostle Grove which you walk up to a T junction and then turn left for a short while crossing the road to take a footpath on the right which leads to a car park area and into Carver road where you continue upwards until it bends left. At this point a short passage way ahead takes you to Hibbert Lane which you must cross and turn right (a suitable crossing is on your left). Then along Hibbert Lane and opposite Buxton Lane a pathway
leads through to Coombes Avenue which you must follow until it bears off to the left where a further passage along which you keep left at a fork, then turn R and then L at T junctions to emerge on Mount Drive. Turn right and upwards for a very short distance to the T junction ahead, where you will find a short footpath that takes you ahead between houses to the Macclesfield canal where you turn left to return along the towpath to Marple and the Peak Forest canal .