Length: 16.2 km (10.1 mi) [Longer or shorter walks possible]
Ascent/Descent: 510m
Net Walking Time: 4 ½ hours
Toughness: 5 out of 10
Take Bus Line 58 at
09.15 from
the Bus Station (Bay 8), arrives Buxton Train Station at 09.52.
Return buses to Macclesfield: xx.25 to 16.25, then 17.05 and 18.05. [times as at
Sylvan Park, passes Train Station and Market Place a few mins later.]
This is an exciting but unchallenging circuit of a quiet moorland plateau
about half the size of Kinder Scout in the north western corner of the Peak
District, within easy reach of the spa town of Buxton. The route follows good –
if sometimes mud-prone – paths and provides for fantastic views to surrounding
hills and upland moors (in good weather) and into the green valleys below
around Dove Holes, Chapel-en-le-Frith and Whaley Bridge.
Further highlights are the gritstone scarps of Black Edge and Combs Edge with some dramatic views, the Iron Age promontory hillfort of Castle Naze and the views over Buxton from Corbar Hill before the final descent.
Walk Options
Start or Finish at
Chapel-en-le-Frith Station (trains from/to Buxton or Macclesfield via Stockport). This is 1.4 km from the route and 160m
height lower. You connect to/from the route 6.7 km into it.
Descend to the off-route
lunch pub:
adds 3.6 km and 200m ascent.
Picnic Lunch.
Lunch off route: The Beehive Inn & Farm Shop Open all day every
day. The Beehive is 1.8 km away from Combs Moss along a narrow lane and 200m
below.
Tea: Numerous options in the centre of town.
For walk directions, maps, height profiles, photos
and gpx/kml files click here.
T=swc.384
1 comment:
n=15 on this departure day walk in w=sunny-to-just-after-lunch-then-clouding-over type weather.
A slightly delayed bus plus the need for a few to fetch some sandwiches from Waitrose meant we started about 20 minutes behind schedule, but with this short walk it disnae really matter. In total contrast to yesterday's walk, we could actually see the surrounding hills, quarries and villages and it made for a great day. Not without some muddy stretches though after recent rain...
The bilberries up on the moor were aplenty if a little on the acidic side of the ripening cycle. Picnic was had at the excellent viewpoint (not that the route is short of them) at Castle Naze, and we got back to Buxton at 3 o'clock. That left time for a swift refreshing drink at The Bank (a Red Willow Brewery outlet) before the 15.27 bus back. Only that that bus did not come, and there was no online trace of it either. Just as several punters were settling into the next door cafe, the bus did turn up, all of 25 minutes late! The pleasures of living in rural Britain...
That meant that the 16.37 train from Macc to London could only be reached by dashing to the accommodation and picking up any bags in extra-fast time. 4 of us achieved that. All others had Advance Tickets for later trains anyway.
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