Country pubs, canal walks, and soon a brand new swimming pool in a £20m community hub – Marple is a town on the up with lots of reasons to visit.

Nestled on the edge of Greater Manchester in the borough of Stockport, it offers a mix of independent shops alongside food and drink outlets on a busy high street, but also quiet areas of calm.

In the town centre is the historic Memorial Park which opened in 1922, with a skatepark, play areas, multi-use games areas, and a bowling green.

Marple has plenty of transport connections too, with two train stations, buses to Stockport, and the Peak District National Park nearby.

No wonder locals say they're seeing more and more visitors making the trip to Marple for days out, and footfall numbers to the area are up year-on-year according to Stockport council.

"There's so much to do in Marple, it's an escape from Manchester and very tranquil here," says Julie Lawford, a 68-year-old resident.

Marple residents praised the fact that the village centre has lots to do, with countryside close by (Image - Nub News)

"We've got the canal locks which our MP is campaigning to be a World Heritage site. We've got country pubs and loads of places to go for walks, there are lots of cafes too.

"It's a place people want to come to, it's becoming a destination for people to visit."

Like many in Marple, Ms Lawford is excited for Marple's new community hub to open next year, especially after the closure of the former Marple Baths in 2018.

Construction of the new site is already well underway, and once ready it will bring a library, a five-lane swimming pool, a small café, a 60-station fitness suite plus the relocated Marple Clinic.

"The new community hub will be so important for the town. I think it's long overdue, it's been a while since the old baths closed, this will give us a place to swim again," Ms Lawford added.

Another resident, Stuart Gray, said: "Most people are quite pleased about the new community hub, it could even bring more people to visit here. Marple is a great place, it's got famous canals and people are very friendly. It feels more like a seaside town."

Marple resident Stuart Gray (Image - Declan Carey LDRS)

Marple's canal locks are a key part of the town's heritage, and played an important role in the Industrial Revolution in Greater Manchester.

These days, it is a popular spot for walking and cycling, and Hazel Grove MP Lisa Smart is campaigning for the locks to gain UNESCO World Heritage status in recognition of their significance.

There are also plans for a new heritage centre, cafe and community space along the canal locks, which has been supported with more than £860,000 from a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant.

This will be housed in a former warehouse built around the time of the construction of the Peak Forest Canal and Macclesfield Canal in the early 1800s, which sits between two grade-II listed roving bridges.

The canals are a source of pride in Marple, says resident Tim Clarke who went to school in the area.

He added: "I would say that that part of Marple has a very nice feel, it's calm. There's plenty to do around here and you can go on long walks along the canal."

Another local named Mary said: "Marple has got everything you could want really, there's loads to do here, and I'm looking forward to the Marple hub being open."

Resident Tim Clarke has lived in Marple most of his life (Image - Declan Carey LDRS)

Steve Gribbon is a councillor for Marple North and said there's a feeling that 'everything is on the up' in the town at the moment.

"The hub will be a hugely welcome addition not just to residents of Marple but people from the borough as well, no doubt when it does open people will want to come and have a look, it will be a fantastic new safe fun experience for people of all ages," he added.

"We're blessed with the fact that to get here we've got two train stations, we're a bus ride away from Stockport, it's very easy to get to.

"We've got the canal walks, Etherow Park, fantastic country pubs both in the town centre near the canal locks and in the surrounding areas as well.

He continued: "Having visitors come here to spend the day is what we're after, we're a very welcoming town and we want to keep it that way.

"We're right on the border of Derbyshire and Cheshire, so we're out to the side to an extent, whereas you've got places like Sale that are more central.

"Because we're right on the periphery of the borough we are a little bit out of the way, but connections to us are improving and with the hopeful addition of Metrolink coming soon in the borough as well it will be even easier to get to."

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