New 11 mile walking and cycle path complete

The council hopes the traffic-free route will attract more visitors to the area

A walking and cycling route that follows a former railway line has now been completed.

The 11 mile (18km) Middlewood Way traces the line of the former Macclesfield, Bollington and Marple Railway.

It runs from Marple in Stockport on the fringes of the Peak District to Macclesfield, further south.

The council hopes the traffic-free route will attract more visitors to the area.

'Far nicer commute'

Cheshire East Council has worked with the UK’s walking, wheeling, cycling charity Sustrans to install two upgraded crossing points, on Black Lane and Hurdsfield Road.

Improvements have been made to Macclesfield railway station and footpaths have been widened to be more accessible with funding from the Department for Transport.

Councillor Mark Goldsmith, chair of Cheshire East Council’s highways and transport committee, said: “I know local residents will love using this new route, while many others will now visit Macclesfield for a beautiful day out in the Cheshire countryside.

“The new scheme will also increase activity all along the Middlewood Way by bringing more people directly to and from the town centre.

“Finally, it also provides a far nicer commute for pedestrians and cyclists."