Cycling in Bollington: Routes, Trails & Coffee Stops

Middlewood Way follows the former railway between Macclesfield and Marple. Cheshire East's map gives 10 miles, or 16km, for the complete one-way trail. Bollington is partway along, so that isn't the distance of a ride starting here.

South of Bollington, the trail heads towards Macclesfield and is hard-surfaced. Northwards, towards Higher Poynton and Marple, surfaces are firm and compacted but can be affected by weather. The council describes cycling here as easy and scenic; that doesn't mean every entrance or connecting street is easy for every rider.

For a shorter outing, use the map to choose your start and turnaround before setting off. We haven't checked a specific family circuit or set a short out-and-back distance. Mostly level ground is useful, but steps, ramps and barriers can matter more when riding with children, trailers or adapted cycles.

Cheshire East lists Bollington access at Adlington Road car park. Its guide warns that access at road bridges may involve steps unless otherwise shown. Check the council's access information and map for the entrance you intend to use; this isn't a promise of step-free access from the car park or the café.

Walkers, cyclists and horse riders share the greenway. Approach walkers slowly, use a bell considerately and give horses plenty of space and priority. Where the path divides, follow the council's guidance to use the wider path for cycling.

Macclesfield Town Council's cycling booklet includes a 6-mile circular route starting at Exchange Street Car Park, Macclesfield. It combines roads towards Bollington with Middlewood Way and playing-field connections.

The numbered directions use Beech Lane, Bollington Road, Henshall Road and Grimshaw Lane. This is not a wholly traffic-free ride, so read the road sections and junctions in the original booklet before choosing it. No formal difficulty grade or riding time is given here.

The published start is in Macclesfield, not at The Green. A detour to High Street isn't part of our checked route information.

The same council booklet maps a 40-mile road circuit from Exchange Street Car Park, Macclesfield, via the A54, past the Roaches and through Wincle.

It includes climbs, descents and sections of the A54 and A53. Its length and road riding make it a different proposition from a short greenway outing, not a beginner or family recommendation. Read the full map and directions and judge it against your own experience.

This is a regional route resource, not a ride beginning in Bollington or a circuit that we claim passes the café.

The Macclesfield Canal is another part of Bollington's landscape, but it isn't the same route as Middlewood Way. Canal & River Trust allows considerate towpath cycling without a permit. Pedestrians and people handling boats take priority: slow down, give space and be ready to stop or dismount.

Read the Towpath Code and cycling guidance, and check signs, closures, surfaces and narrow bridge approaches before riding. We haven't verified a canal cycling itinerary or a connecting loop, so the walking leaflet's distances aren't presented as a cycling route here.

The canal photograph is local context from 2024, not evidence of present-day towpath width, access or conditions.