Greater Manchester's idyllic countryside spot where you can get a slice of pizza from a beautiful canal

Passing through idyllic countryside, and punctuated by remnants of the area’s industrial past, The Macclesfield Canal has long been a popular destination for boaters and walkers alike. Running for about 27 miles from its junction with the Peak Forest at Marple, the tree-lined canal is ideal for leisurely strolls, picnic pit stops and now, believe it or not, Neapolitan-style pizzas.

Since its inception last spring, The Waltzing Matilda - a narrowboat turned café - has been making waves on this picturesque stretch of the canal network, thanks to its wood-fired pizzas and artisan bakes. Founded by father-son duo Paul and Chris Edwards, the floating restaurant cruises the Macclesfield Canal, pitching up in different locations each weekend.

Travelling between Whaley Bridge and Mossley Locks, visiting towns and villages including Bollington, Marple and Poynton along the canal, the boat, which recently reopened following a winter sabbatical, has become an instant hit, with queues meandering around the towpath most weekends.

While it is only open on Saturdays and Sundays due to the pair’s full-time work commitments, this hasn’t stopped them from building a loyal following, and each week, Waltzing Matilda regulars will patiently wait for Paul and Chris to share the boat's exact coordinates.

For Paul, who has lived on a canal boat for over five years now, and Chris, a professional chef, the idea - like most great ones - came about over a brew. “To be honest it all started over lockdown when I was on furlough,” says Chris, who currently works as a chef at Tom Kerridge’s Bull & Bear restaurant within the Stock Exchange Hotel in Manchester.

“I’m not really the sort of person to sit around and do nothing. We had been toying with