LYME WOODLAND TO POYNTON COPPICE

Rich in wildlife, Chorlton Coppice is classed as an ancient woodland — leading visitors from the Middlewood Way into the heart of the coppice

Start: Lyme Park, SK12 2NR (Alternatively, you can complete the walk in reverse by parking for free at The Coppice)

Distance: 4.5 miles

Elevation: 575 feet

Duration: allow approx. 2 hours

Navigation: follow the walk step-by-step here

It’s not news that we love walks that link up with The Middlewood Way. With 11 miles of traffic-free paths, we love hopping on here whenever we visit Stockport-way for a little mooch.

We’ve passed Poynton Coppice a few times along the way — and after realising we could walk there from our other favourite landmark in this neck of the woods, Lyme Park, we knew we had to give it a go.

Our favourite part about this part of Greater Manchester are the many off-road transport links that link up with each other. On this particular journey to the Coppice, we walked along The Middlewood Way and The Macclesfield Canal — both offering great links across Stockport.

Poynton Coppice is pretty at any time of year, with swooping trees canopying your every move. Many areas of woodland across the UK are called ‘Coppice’, ‘Copse’ or ‘Copy’ from the French word ‘couper’, meaning 'to cut’.

Traditionally, coppicing provided a continual supply of wood — a traditional method of woodland management which involves cutting young tree stems to near ground level for optimal regrowth.

Fancy a mooch in the woods this weekend? Follow the walk here