The designation of the canal as part of the Cheshire Ring in 1965 was part of the strategy by the Inland Waterways Association to promote the leisure potential of canals. The whole canal was designated as a Conservation Area by Macclesfield Borough Council in 1975, and a large number of its structures have been Grade II listed in recognition of their historic importance. This includes a number of elegant roving bridges, which are known locally as snake bridges. Much of the canal is rural, passing through open countryside, and there are a number of impressive embankments and aqueducts, where the canal crosses river valleys. In the centres of population, there are several large mills, once served by the canal but now repurposed as small industrial units or apartments. Route The canal runs for in a generally north to south direction from Marple Junction at Marple, where it joins the Upper Peak Forest Canal, to a junction with the Hall Green Branch of the Trent & Mersey Canal at Hall Green stop lock. The canal runs along the edge of a tall ridge of hills, to the west of the Pennines, and was built using Telford's "cut and fill" approach, following as straight a course as possible, with many cuttings and embankments constructed to achieve this, rather than the earlier approach of following the contours. It is a narrow canal, designed for boats with a maximum length of and a width of . It joins the Peak Forest Canal on the eastern edge of Marple, at the top of a flight of 16 locks that raise the lower Peak Forest by to join the upper section. There was once a Stop Lock at Marple, although both canals were built to the same level, and the lock was provided only for cases where water shortages might have resulted in a temporary difference. The lock has long been de-gated, having become unnecessary once the Macclesfield and Peak Forest canals came into common ownership. The site of the lock remains as a narrows just in front of the junction bridge, and is overlooked by a canal warehouse with two storeys, built in 1835. It has a rectangular plan, and includes an internal waterway. As the canal reaches Hawk Green, just to the south of Marple, a huge mill with six storeys is situated on the east bank. Goyt Mill was built in 1905, and