An off-the-beaten-track beauty spot provided "wonderful" memories for generations of Manchester kids.
Described as being like "an oasis", the M.E.N published a story about the tucked away spot last year. The story was prompted by a photograph being uploaded to a Manchester Facebook group of a riverside surrounded by woodland, with swimmers taking a dip in the clear waters.
The charming summer scene took place at an idyllic section of the River Bollin in Castle Mill, part of the Cotteril Clough Nature Reserve by Manchester Airport. Up until the early 1970s, not far from this location, there was also the popular Castle Mill open air swimming pool which sadly no longer exists.
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After the story appeared, readers took to the comments section of the M.E.N website and Facebook page to share their own memories of the beauty spot. Posting in the website comments, Campbelltown123 said: "OMG, me and my friends use to ride our bikes to this exact place in the summer holidays from Wythenshawe [in the] late '70s early '80s with a bottle of orange and a sandwich.
"We would spend all day there and just have a great day out. Had forgot all about this place till I seen the pics of the bridge and the beach."
Patricia Lowe shared similar memories on Facebook. She posted: "In the '50s we used to take a bottle of corporation pop (water), jam butties and walk through the farmer's field into Styal Woods, across the swinging bridge and come out at the [River] Bollin and spend all day playing. Loved the place - good memories."
Yvonne Coop, said: "I lived in Hale barns and, in the school holidays, my mum used to send me with my young brother [with] a bottle of water and a jam butty to Piggley Stairs at Castle Mill. Told us [to get] back for tea-time. Loads of kids having a great time: adventures, making rafts, playing hide-and-seek, swimming in the Bollin. Good clean and happy fun. No trouble - innocent days."
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While Sara Bray, commented: "Love it. None of us had mobiles then - we just used to all meet up on our bikes, cut through the lanes behind Wythenshawe Hospital. A couple of us would go via the shops and get food for picnics or little barbecues, and we'd just spend the entire day having a good laugh and a play - making rope swings with tree branches and rope."
The overriding response to the story was how lucky people felt to have had the local beauty spot play such a memorable part of their childhood. Stella Livesey, said: "So lucky to have had the Bollin Valley as a big part of my childhood."
Jackie Wilde, posted: "Loved it there. Spent many a lazy summer's day in that exact spot".
While Stuart Keelan perfectly summed it up, adding: "Wonderful childhoods, beautiful memories forever. I thought St Ives was perfect but Castle Mill was perfect."
Photographs obtained from the Manchester Libraries collection show how earlier generations chose sections of the Bollin as an ideal spots to bathe or picnic on a sunny day. The Bollin is a major tributary of the River Mersey and flows through Macclesfield and Wilmslow where it has a confluence with the River Dean near Styal Prison and flows through Styal country park.
From there it defines the southwestern portion of the border between Greater Manchester and Cheshire before merging with the River Mersey north of Lymm. It remains a popular fishing spot with most species caught there said to be Chub, Mirror Carp, and the Common Carp.
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The River Bollin remains a popular beauty spot enjoyed by bathers and swimmers, although as an untreated natural water source, the water is not suitable for drinking and caution is advised on swimming in open water, rivers and reservoirs. More information can be found on the Public Health England website and the National Water Safety website.
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