Marple is very much the epitome of where Greater Manchester meets the old-world vibes of the Cheshire countryside in what is, for our money, one of the most idyllic vistas anywhere in the region.
While many Mancs may have never ventured out to the reaches of this Stockport town and its adjacent villages before, Marple is not only home to roughly 13,000 locals but it’s also a regular haunt for walkers, canal enthusiasts and plenty of people just yearning for a little taste of the countryside.
One feature of the town that plays no small part in the influx of tourists and other residents from in and around Manchester is the famous Marple Aqueduct, sometimes known as ‘The Grand Aqueduct’ — and for good reason, as it’s the biggest canal aqueduct anywhere in England.
You might think you have seen many like it in various rural towns over the years but believe us, this is one of those things that you have to see in person to truly appreciate it.
Credit: The Manc Group
Built all the way back in 1794, Marple Aqueduct measures 800 feet long, over 100 feet tall and its central-most point and contains approximately 8,000 cubic yards of red sandstone and white stone from Chapel Milton near Glossop.
It took seven years to build this incredible piece of masonry and functioning aqueduct — a life sadly lost for each year of construction — and it goes without saying that erecting a structure of this size in an era with much cruder tools and when health and safety weren’t exactly at the forefront of people’s minds.
The men that built that this thing literally put their lives on the line to try and ‘impress the engineering world’, put Marple on the map and carve their own little slice of history.
One of those people was civil engineer Benjamin Outram, the man who was responsible for many of the North West’s famous waterways, including the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal, Ashton and Maccsefield canals and even as far as the Huddersfield Narrow.
In the instance of the Grand Aqueduct, he designed to carry the Peak Forest Canal above the River Goyt which runs for around 15 miles from Dukinfield Junction along the Ashton Canal to the canal’s terminus at Bugsworth Basin.
It had to undergo some repairs down the years, especially after the long winter of 1961 (the year before the so-called ‘Big Freeze’), with significant chunks of stonework falling into the Goyt which cost the local council and British Waterways £350,000 in today’s money to replace them.
Beyond taking in the marvel that is Marple Aqueduct itself, the reason this site is so popular when it comes to Greater Manchester walks, bike rides, picnics and so on is that you can walk the entire length of Marple Canal Flight, which consists of 16 locks and is one the steepest in the UK.
With plenty of nearby parking, the train station literally a stone’s throw from locks seven and eight, not to mention Lock 16 literally on the doorstep of Marple town centre (the Grand Aqueduct sitting at the other end), you can hop on plenty of points along the canal depending on how long a walk you fancy.
Marple and Stockport at large might have been part of Greater Manchester for nearly half a century now, but for those of you who enjoy scenic walks or simply swant to immerse yourselves in the local heritage and old Cheshire roots, there aren’t many better places to start than this.
You can see our recent Short Stuff episode on Marple’s Grand Aqueduct down below:
Rochdale to become colourful canvas as internationally-acclaimed artists bring mural festival to town
Thomas Melia
A well-renowned mural festival is making its way to Rochdale and bringing a whole host of international artists along with it this autumn.
The Common Walls International Mural Festival is making its mark on Rochdale, leaving a splash of colour throughout the Greater Manchester town courtesy of all-new striking street art.
Set to run from 7 through to 14 September, a collection of artists are descending onto the streets of Rochdale to give walls around the town centre a lick of paint that will not only brighten us the space, but also leave a lasting legacy.
10 of Rochdale’s notable town centre buildings will undergo a drastic change as part of this art-focused event.
Each art piece will pay homage to moments in Rochdale’s captivating history.
Rochdale-raised artist AYLO and Manchester-based Le Mai are two of the creatives getting involved, alongside Smug / Credit: Supplied
The artists involved in this creative, colourful, and cross-continental campaign include Greek artist Insane51, Swiss-born Onur, Manc-based Lei Mai, and so many more.
This new initiative is fronted by local artist Hayley Garner, known by her artist pseudonym AYLO, who was raised in Rochdale.
The festival’s main celebrations are taking place on Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 September, when you’ll be able to walk through the town and admire all the pieces of art dotted around.
There will also be BMX stunt shows, a live grafitti jam, pop-up galleries, artist talks, and live music, as well as street art workshops so you can unleash your inner Bansky.
Insane51 and Smug join AYLO as just some of the other artists involved / Credit: Supplied
“I’ve painted murals all over the world, but nothing compares to painting in your hometown alongside artists I have looked up to and admired, especially during Rochdale’s year as Greater Manchester Town of Culture,” commented lead artist and curator of Common Walls, Hayley Garner aka AYLO.
“I’m excited to see every day spaces transformed into landmarks of creativity and connection.
“What makes this even more special is welcoming world-class artists I’ve met on my journey, many of whom will be painting in Greater Manchester for the first time. They are amongst the best in the world and to bring them to my hometown is a real honour.”
Common Walls International Mural Festival is coming to Rochdale from Sunday 7 September to Sunday 14 September, and you can find out more information and further Greater Manchester Town of Culture listings online HERE.
Featured Images – Publicity Pictures (via Supplied)
Things To Do
Manchester’s newest bowling venue Wynwood Lanes is giving away 100 FREE sessions on opening week
Emily Sergeant
An exciting new bowling venue is opening in Manchester this week, and they’re giving away 100 free bowling sessions to celebrate.
Manchester get ready, as Wynwood Lanes is taking over the legendary Dog Bowl site and giving it a full Miami makeover.
Think five upgraded bowling lanes, pool tables, basketball hoops, sun drenched tunes, poolside cocktails, smoke machines, and a brunch menu from Kong’s NQ that’ll have you salivating before you’ve even sat down.
Wynwood Lanes will be running on a ‘unique’ day-mode and night-mode model.
This means that by day, guests can expect fresh brunch dishes and low-fi tunes, with children welcome until 7pm, and then when it’s in night mode, the Miami heat is turned up with party beats, celebratory smoke machines, late night snacks, and bar games.
Manchester’s newest bowling venue Wynwood Lanes is giving away 100 free sessions on its opening week / Credit: PICRYL | Supplied
As mentioned, fuel for the fun comes from Manchester legends Kong’s NQ, but this time with a Miami twist, so expect Cuban sandwiches, lime chicken avo arepas, tacos galore, and Miami-style brunch plates.
A boozy bottomless brunch will also take every Saturday and Sunday from next Saturday 30 August, with 90 minutes of Miami plates and free-flowing cocktails from £39.50 per person – with the option to upgrade to bowling for just a tenner
With the grand opening date just days away now, Wynwood Lanes wants to start things off with a bang… or you know, a strike.
In a bid to do this, they’ll be giving away free bowling sessions to the first 100 people through the doors on bank holiday Monday (25 August) from midday through to 11pm – with up to six players allowed per group.
Wynwood Lanes is open from 4pm tomorrow (Friday 22 August).
Bowling prices will start at £9 (or totally free if you’re one of the first 100 to book for opening weekend), so follow this link to grab access to bowling booking slots when they’re released, and secure your lane before they’re gone.
Danny Jones -
11th May 2023 
