Length: 17.6 km (10.9 mi) [shorter and longer walks possible]
Ascent/Descent: 400/742 m
Net Walking Time: ca. 4 ½ hours
Toughness: 4 out of 10
For the suggested Short Version of the Extended Walk, starting at the Cat
& Fiddle, or for a medium length walk from Tegg’s Nose Country Park:
Take the 10.15 Bus Line 58 from the Bus
Station, arrives Forest Cottage 10.25, Walker Barn 10.28 and Cat & Fiddle
at 10.36
For the Main Walk (24.7 km/15.4 mi): 10.15 Start
at the Train Station
For the Extended Walk (31.8
km/19.7 mi): 09.15 Start at the Train Station
This
is a varied route out of the historic Silk Town of Macclesfield through the
Tegg’s Nose Country Park and the Macclesfield Forest, across lonely pastures
with views into the Dean Valley and past the Lamaload Reservoir then back along
the 2 km long Kerridge Ridge with its picturesque folly, the White Nancy.
You
climb steeply out of town along residential roads to quickly emerge amongst
pastures and rolling hills and ascend further to Tegg’s Nose, a formerly
quarried hill, with its handful of fine viewpoints into the surrounding valleys,
from where you descend through the valley of the Walker Barn stream and rise
again through Macclesfield Forest to the isolated Forest Chapel.
From there,
cross undulating pastures with views to the stark high moors separating Dark
Peak and White Peak and to Cheshire’s highest tops, Shutlingsloe and Shining
Tor, eventually descending towards the remote Lamaload Reservoir in the Dean
Valley.The
Kerridge Ridge dominates the view for a while until you ascend it at the White
Nancy end and enjoy a casual return back to Macclesfield, first along the
ridge, then downhill through sloping pastures and lastly along a quiet stretch
of the Macclesfield Canal.
The
first 9.2 km of the walk to Forest Chapel (and a full 15.4 km –
all the way to Shining Tor – on the Long Walk) are
identical with the sister walk Macclesfield to Buxton.
Walk Options:
Bus Line 60 (Hayfield – Macclesfield) enables an earlier finish from Rainow, Robin Hood PH (8.9 km from the end)
or Kerridge-end (Bus Stop Rainow/Calrofold Lane, 4.1 km from the end). Departs 12.35, 14.35,
16.45, 17.35 and 18.32 at Robin Hood PH and 2 mins later at Calrofold Lane.
Bus Line 58 (Macclesfield –
Buxton via Cat & Fiddle), offers two stops close
to the route to shorten the Main or Extended Walks by
cutting out a stretch at the start. See the pdf or
the webpage for more details and the route map for the location of the stops.
A longer route via Shining Tor is 31.8 km (19.7 mi) long with 1115m ascent, and rated 10/10.
An easier route in the Chest Hollow open moorland within
that long route avoids the very steep ascent to the Cat &
Fiddle.
Lunch: Picnic
Tea
The Three
Crowns Hurdsfield.
Open all day every day. Food served all day every day. Located 2.2 km from the end of main and long walk options. The Puss
in Boots Macclesfield.
Open all day every day. Located 900m
from the end of main and long walk options.
Plenty
of options in Macclesfield’s Centre, the ones en route are mentioned in the text.
T=swc.382.a
For summary, walk directions, map, height
profile, photos and gpx/kml files click here.
2 comments:
2 more departures today, and 2 off to Buxton for a spot of sightseeing. Our walker from Kew was spotted on the bus to the Cat & Fiddle an hour behind the group, with the intent of walking the route, so n=11.
On the bus journey up it was already clear that the whole walk route would be out of the clouds, yet it still felt autumnal as we stepped off due to the sharp cold wind from the west, into which we then walked. Fine views from Shining Tor were followed by the steep descent through pastures to Lamaload Reservoir. There we had to alter the route due to a footpath closure for forestry works. Often these closures can be ignored as the works are way off the path, but here the machinery was actually hard at work right on the route.
Due a circumventing of the reservoir and an early link up with the main walk route.
The following possible picnic spots with views were a little too exposed to the wind, so we moved on to a crossing of the Dean River and a grassy slope, with a mixture of sunshine and clouds.
The rest of the day was mainly sunshine, if still with a cold breeze.
Up to Kerridge Hill and White Nancy, with fine views back to Shining Tor and the Cat, and on to Macc via pastures and the Macc Canal, arriving at 16.00 hours.
2 on the 16.35, 6 on the 17.36, apologies to anyone who bought Advance Tickets for later trains on the assumption we'd be having a full walk...
Spotted: 2 herons, 3 deer (down below from the high moor by the Todd Brook, and a mink (in the Macc Canal).
w=mostly-sunny-with-a-cold-wind
Thank you for amazing detailed walks and research into the area Which of course is close to my childhood home Sorry didn't see more of you Jane
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