River Dane

The River Dane rises on Axe Edge Moor near Buxton and flows southwest, forming the border between Cheshire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire for about sixteen kilometres. It passes through Congleton and Holmes Chapel before reaching Northwich, where it joins the River Weaver after about forty-eight kilometres. The river is the longest and cleanest in Cheshire and carries water that can be diverted into Rudyard Lake and the Caldon Canal. The Dane has shaped local industry since the fourteenth century, when water-powered mills appeared along its banks. In 1451 a flood destroyed much of Congleton, prompting the town to divert the river away from its centre. Historic bridges such as Hermitage Bridge, built in 1772, and the railway viaduct of 1841 still span the valley, carrying roads and trains across the Dane. Walkers follow the Dane Valley Way, a seventy-seven-kilometre path from Buxton to Northwich that keeps close to the river. The route passes listed bridges, the Macclesfield Canal aqueduct and the site of old salt-traders’ fords. Meadows near Holmes Chapel flood in wet years, while the river’s fast flow and clean water remain a feature of the Cheshire landscape.