'Nostalgia Trails'

In 2001, the Reminiscence Project expanded to include setting up Nostalgia Trails. The trails encourage local children, their families and visitors to the area to gain an interest in Bollington's heritage and surroundings, while discovering the health benefits and joys of walking in the countryside.

Each Nostalgia Trail Pack contains a map, directions, memories, quiz with answers and a furry keepsake for the end of the walk. Markers will guide you around the trail and don't forget to look for surprises along the way!

Seven Nostalgia Trails have already been constructed, all starting and finishing at the Drop-In Centre. One was opened this year on 17th June and the other, opening in 2008, will complete the circuit. These last three Trails have been funded by 'Your Heritage' Heritage Lottery Fund and Peak District National Park Sustainable Development Fund. The Trails bring to life times gone by. They encourage people of all ages to celebrate their heritage, explore and respect the countryside and improve health through exercise, while absorbing local history and reminiscences through the pamphlets and quizzes.

When the 8th Trail is opened, the areas around Bollington, Pott Shrigley, Rainow, Butley Town, Lyme Handley and Adlington will be linked by a unique network of walks created by the local community for the local community, visitors and residents from larger conurbations such as Macclesfield and Buxton.

The walks have very diverse themes, designed to cover many aspects of local heritage. They complement each other in creating a comprehensive account of Bollington’s industrial, cultural and natural legacy. The themes of the first six are: Stone Quarrying, Wildflowers, Lives of Mill and Agricultural Workers, Coal/Clay Mining and Ecology through Time.

The 7th Trail, ‘Travelling in Time’, compares different modes of transport from Shanks’s Pony to air travel and the last trail will have an ‘Upstairs Downstairs’ theme; a comparison of lifestyles between the rich and poor in Victorian times.

Local primary schools and teachers are always involved in design and construction of the trails and both pamphlets and packs encourage the schools to walk the trails, increasing knowledge and enjoyment of heritage and environmental issues via cross-curricular activities. All trails are modified to be used as walks in the ‘Walking for Health’ programme.

The trails are between three and seven miles in length with differing degrees of strenuousness, so everyone who is able-bodied will be able to walk some or all, while gaining an insight of local history and heritage from the pamphlets. Those unable to walk can view the exhibitions, which include both history and reminiscences.

All age ranges and abilities help to design, construct and install the trails, so the local community is encouraged to understand Bollington’s past and take a greater interest in its heritage. Through having a personal input, individuals and families feel more inclined to look after and help maintain the trails, a very important element of the project. Educating children helps to ensure the next generation has greater respect for, and more enjoyment of, their heritage.