What’s happening now…

As things get moving, here’s what’s happening down at Chadkirk.

In the last week of July we’ll be preparing for the Well Dressing Blessing.

Monday 26th July TaiChi in the Red Barn

Tuesday 27th July Preparations for our annual Well Dressing

Wednesday 28th July Preparations for our annual Well Dressing

Thursday 29th July Preparations for our annual Well Dressing

Preparation for the Well Dressing : Friends of Chadkirk will be getting crafty and creative.

The Chapel will be open 11-3pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Visitors welcome. A one way system will be in place with visitors entering through the main door and using the other door to exit.

Saturday 31st July Well Dressing Blessing at 1pm

Chadkirk Chapel will be open to visitors from 12 midday until 3pm

There will be refreshments in Chadkirk Chapel. For refreshments provided by the Friends of Chadkirk donations are welcome. Friends will offer drinks (tea and coffee) and cakes. Suggestion for donation is £1 for a drink £2 for a slice of cake. Children’s drinks free.

Food and drinks will be served in disposable cups and bags. Again there will be a one-way system in operation to allow safe movement.

There is a toilet in the Chapel. Please ask at the kiosk for access.

Stalls available will include the plant stall, tombola, craft stall and cards and paintings stall.

Thursday August 5th: Friends of Chadkirk meet in Chadkirk Chapel at 11-00 am.

Saturday 7th August: Gardening in and around the Walled Garden 10-00 to midday. Gardeners welcome. Old hands and newcomers invited.

July blessing: August meet up

Dates for your diary:-

Saturday 31st July 2021 – Blessing of the Well Dressing.

The event will be open to the general public from 12 o’clock with the blessing taking place at 1pm.

There will be refreshments and some stalls and the chapel will be open.

Friends will be on site from around 10am to help set up.

Thursday 5th August 2021 – Friends of Chadkirk Meeting at Chadkirk Chapel @ 11am.

Also: a gentle reminder that the gardening team continues to work on task days.

Our TaiChi group is meeting regularly in the Red Barn.

Saturday 31st July 2021

A date for your diary.

A small celebration of what is.

The small joy of coming together.

An appreciation of the water of life and all that springs from it.

Some collective creative endeavour in dressing the well.

A local event, for the community, by the community.

A blessing.

Just honouring life.

Whatever it might mean for you.

On Saturday 31st July there will be an event at Chadkirk. Yeh!

The team will work in the week before, in the Chapel at Chadkirk.

The dressing will be blessed in a small ceremony at St Chad’s Well.

More details will follow.

See you there.

Well Dressing 2021

The Chadkirk team of Well Dressers will be preparing the Well Dressing inside the chapel from Tuesday 27th July to Friday 30th July 2021.
The blessing of the Well Dressing will take place on Saturday 31st July 2021 by St.Chad’s Well just up the lane beyond the chapel.
A time has not yet been agreed for the blessing and it is not known yet whether there will be any other activities. We will keep you informed when more information is available.

May 2021 : Gardening and Tai Chi re-start

Good news! This month the gardening team is back in action.

On Thursday 20th May the team will be in the Walled Garden from 10 to midday.

Join us for fresh air, gentle activity and some satisfying social interaction. After the months we’ve had, how wonderful to be able to get together. It’s that time in the gardening year when big improvements can be seen, with all hands on deck.

There are some changes to how we work to stay safe. Refresh your memory here.

In June, the team will be in action on the first Saturday of the month and the third Thursday. Please note that this year Saturday’s gardening time is in the morning from 10 – midday. This change has been made to take account of the increased number of visitors to Chadkirk particularly during the afternoon.

Tai Chi is also back on : Monday mornings 10-11 in the Red Barn. It’s an open air venue, so please dress accordingly. Again a reminder: there are no toilets or other facilities

Temporary footpath closures in Chadkirk Country Park March 29th until early May

Today I have received news of an additional footpath closure. The plan for footpath improvements includes not only the path through KirkWood but also the circuit near the river. The footpaths affected are indicated on the maps and plans attached to the two messages received from representatives of Stockport Council: these are included in the two previous blog posts. These paths will be closed from 29th March for a number of weeks. Please plan your visits with this in mind between March 29th and the beginning of May.

The maps and plans of the paths affected and the diversions suggested can be viewed by clicking on the download buttons.

Footpath closures in March and April

MESSAGE FORWARDED BY THE FRIENDS OF CHADKIRK CHAPEL AND ESTATEFrom: Rights of Way <rightsofway@stockport.gov.uk>Sent: Friday, 12 March 2021, 15:06:24 GMT
Subject: FW: Planned works and Footpath closure on Alan Newton Way slope to Chadkirk Bridge – Footpath 62/64M
To Whom It May Concern,

Stockport Council are planning to undertake maintenance/improvement works on Footpath 62/64M which will including the relevelling of the existing path and the laying of Flexipave (a flexible rubber/stone porous material). This is to protect the area from surface water runoff that has caused damage to the path in the past and replace the timber steps that have deteriorated. Works are programmed to start on the 29th March 2021 lasting for approximately 3 weeks when the footpath will be reopened.  The second phase of the works will depend on availability of the specialist contractor for Flexipave and will involve a closure for one week at a later date. 

During the works the footpath will be closed with a proposed diversion for pedestrians to the footpath adjacent. Due to the location a viable route for Equestrians and cyclists is not available. The attached diversion plan which will be put up on site at the time of works. The Legal closure has been put in and is currently being advertised on site and in the local newspaper.   Your support and co-operation during these works will be greatly appreciated and should you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact me.

Regards, 

Hassan Javed MEng (Hons), GMICE

Senior Engineer

Highway Design & Construction

Stockport MBC

Hassan.Javed@Stockport.gov.uk

It is important to keep yourself and others safe from coronavirus – keep 2 metres away, wash or sanitise your hands regularly and wear a face covering – www.stockport.gov.uk/coronavirus

Confidentiality:- This email, its contents and any attachments are intended only for the above named. As the email may contain confidential or legally privileged information, if you are not, or suspect that you are not, the above named or the person responsible for delivery of the message to the above named, please delete or destroy the email and any attachments immediately and inform the sender of the error.

c_8010_0000_001-location-planDownload

d_8010_0100_005-6264m-prow-closureDownload

What’s happening… and what’s not

Spring has arrived and there are signs of new life at Chadkirk.

There’s much for visitors to look out for. And Stockport Council is working to improve and maintain footpaths so that we can continue to enjoy walks through Chadkirk Country Park. This means that for some weeks there will be restricted access to Kirk Wood.

Looking ahead, today I received notification that some footpath restoration will begin soon in Kirk Wood. Here’s what Stockport Council Sustainable Travel Officer:

Dear Public Rights of Way forum Member, 

The improvements works at BR20 Kirk Wood path, Romiley have been delayed and will now start onMonday 29^th March 2021. The work are anticipated to take 3.5 weeks. The legal adverting post for the path closure will be posted on site this week.

The diversion route will stay the same and is as follows:

•             Vale Road, from its junction with Vale Road (section between Otterspool Road and BR20) in a northerly direction to its junction with BR85(a)

•             Footpath BR85(a) Peak Forest Canal, from its junction with Vale Road in an easterly direction to its junction with BR20

f-8006-002-diversion-routeDownload

Appropriate signage will be on display to notify users once the works start.

Sustainable Travel Officer

Transport Strategy

Highways and Transportation

Stockport Council

Enjoy the start of spring in Kirkwood until March 29th when the footpath restoration begins.

The path will re-open after 3 to 5 weeks. With any project like this it is not easy to say exactly how long it might take to complete. Hopefully the usual pathways through Kirkwood will be open by the start of May. Fingers crossed…

2021

It will be no surprise to discover that, for the start of this year, the usual activities organised by the Friends of Chadkirk are not happening. Once we see a change that allows us to get going again, we’ll let you know.

Until then…I was delighted to discover that Chadkirk Chapel is enjoying a surge in popularity. It has always been an attractive wedding venue. For those who are looking to marry in a unique setting which resonates with history it has an undoubted appeal. The beauty of the stone work, interesting local art work, the particular sense of place and the surrounding woods and meadows – their appeal is unchanged. However, limitations in the size of gatherings have attracted couples who might have been tempted by a larger venue, like Bramhall Hall. If you’ve enjoyed a ‘small is beautiful’ wedding at Chadkirk, we’d love to hear from you. Adding a few photos would provide some welcome good cheer.

November 2020

Tai Chi classes and Gardening Task Days at Chadkirk will not happen after November 5th. In line with government regulations for England, we are unable to meet in this way, until December 2nd.

We will let you know about what’s happening in December, when we get there.

May you be healthy. May you live at ease.