70 Country Rambles. 



birches, covered with their pendent catkins; and in the 

 autumn we seem to have flowers over again in the scarlet 

 berries of the holly and mountain ash. 



Not only is the road beautiful in itself, but to residents 

 upon the Greenheys and Chorlton side of the town, the 

 opportunities which it provides of access to scenes of 

 rural beauty are peculiarly advantageous. Stretford way, 

 there is nothing worth mention till we reach Dunham. 

 There are plenty of quiet lanes, it is true, and the farm 

 land is well cultivated; but in landscape, the whole of 

 the great plain intersected by the Bowdon Railway is 

 totally and admittedly deficient. With Didsbury, on the 

 other hand, we enter a country fit for a Linnell. We 

 may turn down by the church to the river-side, and follow 

 the stream through pleasant fields to Northen; or we 

 may push forward another mile, cross the Mersey at 

 Cheadle Bridge, and strike into a scene of such singular 

 and romantic beauty, and so thoroughly unique in its 

 composition, that we know of nothing in the neighbour- 

 hood to liken it to. This is the place called "Gatley 

 Carrs." It is easily found. Immediately the bridge is 

 crossed, take the broad path through the meadow on the 

 right, and look out for the chimney of Mr. Jowett's corn- 

 mill. Go through the mill-yard, and over the brook, 

 then through another field or two into a lane red with 

 refuse from a tile-croft, and in a little while there will be 

 seen, again upon the right, a cluster of cottages and 

 barns. These surround a bit of sward called " Gatley 

 Green," which must be traversed, and after a hundred 



