The Middlewood Way is a 10-mile (16 km) shared-use path in north-west England, between Macclesfield and Rose Hill, Marple; it was opened on 30 May 1985 by Dr David Bellamy. It serves the needs of walkers, dog walkers, cyclists, joggers and horse riders, playing host to a wide range of flora and fauna. The management of the length of the Middlewood Way is shared between Cheshire East Council's Countryside Ranger Service and Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council. The railway played a significant role in transporting goods, particularly cotton and coal, and provided passenger services connecting Macclesfield to Marple.
Initially, there were five stations on the line: Marple (Rose Hill), , , and .
On 5 January 1970, the section between Rose Hill Marple and Macclesfield closed to all traffic, as part of the Beeching cuts which targeted underused railways across the UK and the track was lifted in early 1971. Only Rose Hill Marple station remained in operation, due to the high number of passengers commuting to Manchester Piccadilly; the station is now a single-tracked terminus for a spur off the Hope Valley Line.
Route
The path runs approximately parallel to the Macclesfield Canal and passes through Bollington and Higher Poynton. It can be reached by rail at Macclesfield, Middlewood, Rose Hill Marple and , via the Goyt Valley Connect 2 scheme.
The trail forms part of National Cycle Network Route 55 from Ironbridge to Preston.
Key access points and features along the route include:
- High Lane: Features a disused railway station and a picnic site; the A6 crosses over the line
- Middlewood: Access to the Ladybrook Valley Interest Trail; Middlewood station, on the Buxton Line, provides services between Manchester Piccadilly, and .