Agree completely. Also, parking's free at Disley station, but you have to pay at Kidsgrove. But, if you're in danger of it going dark on you, the south end is easy navigation from Mow Cop - down the road, along the canal. The north end is a bit fiddly in the dark.
I found the route easy enough to navigate first time, with a 1:25000 map & compass, apart from the last couple of miles in the dark! The route's marked on the OS maps.