Sunday Walk - Macclesfield to Buxton

Length: 25.2 km (15.7 mi) [shorter and longer walks possible]

Ascent/Descent: 971/805 m

Net Walking Time: ca. 7 hours

Toughness: 9 out of 10

 

For the Morning Shortcuts: 09.20 Bus Line 58 from the Bus Station

For the Full Walk: 09.15 Start at the Train Station 

Return Bus: Buxton Colonnade (in Lower Buxton) 17.04, Buxton Market Place Stand D (in Higher Buxton) 17.10, Burbage Way 17.14, Burbage Level Lane 17.17, Cat & Fiddle 17.26. 

A taxi won’t cost the earth. Note: the bus does not call at the train station on Sundays!

 

An exciting route from the fringes of the Dark Peak to the fringes of the White Peak, namely from the historic Silk Town of Macclesfield in Cheshire to the even more historic Spa Town of Buxton in Derbyshire.

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, from where you descend through the Walker Barn Stream valley and rise again through Macclesfield Forest to the isolated Forest Chapel. Cross the Tor Brook valley and ascend along the Clough Brook valley over open moorland along permissive paths, then steeply up the moorland wall to the ridge separating Cheshire and Derbyshire. 

From the ridge, divert for an out-and-back ascent of Cheshire’s highest top, Shining Tor, then descend into the lonely Upper Goyt Valley, passing the Goytsclough Quarry and crossing the Goyt River. You rise over Goyt’s Moss’ moorland and up along the Berry Clough onto the British watershed between the Irish Sea and the North Sea, i.e.: between Goyt and Wye. From here descend into the Upper Wye Valley via Burbage to Buxton, along residential roads and through the Pavilion Gardens, where the gritstone and limestone arms of the Wye meet.

Return by bus. The bus line also offers multiple ways of reducing the length of the walk

 

Walk options: 

Late Morning Shortcut: from Forest Chapel, descend along Oven Lane to Bottom-of-the-Oven instead of routing down and up through the far north easterly corner of Macclesfield Forest (cut 1.5 km and 40m ascent). 

Easier Route in the Chest Hollow open moorland: avoid the very steep ascent to the Cat & Fiddle. 

Mid-walk Shortcut: cut out the out-and-back ascent of Shining Tor (cut 2.0 km and 75m ascent). [Note: the ascent of Shining Tor also features on Monday’s walk.]

Bus Line 58 (Macclesfield – Buxton via Cat & Fiddle), offers various stops on - or close to - the route to either shorten the walk by cutting out a stretch at the start or by finishing the route early, and in any case of getting back faster from Buxton to Macclesfield (or London) than via the railway. See the pdf or the webpage for more details and the route map for the location of the stops.

 

Elenvenses

Tegg’s Nose Tea Room Tegg’s Nose Country Park. The Tea Room is located 5.8 km (3.6 mi) into the walk. Open 09.00-17.00.

 

Lunch

The Forest Distillery Bottom-of-the-Oven. The distillery is located 11.3 km (7.0 mi) into the walk. Bar open most afternoons.

The Stanley Arms Hotel Bottom-of-the-Oven. The Stanley Arms is located 200m off route, 11.5 km (7.2 mi) into the walk. Food served 12.00-18.30. A Marston’s pub with accommodation.

 

Lunch and Tea

The Cat & Fiddle Buxton New Road. The Cat & Fiddle is located 150m off route, 14.2 km (8.8 mi) into the walk. Open 11.00-17.00. Built in 1813, and long England’s second highest pub, it closed in December 2015 with an uncertain future. Robinson’s Brewery have recently sold it to the Forest Distillery though, who have opened it as Britain’s highest altitude distillery, with a pub attached.

Peak View Restaurant & Tea Room Buxton New Road. The Peak View is located 14.0 km (8.8 mi) into the walk, if cutting out the direct ascent to The Cat & Fiddle, or 250m off route and 14.6 km (9.1 mi) into the walk, if not. Open 10.00-17.00.

Plenty of options in Buxton, either around the Market Place or close to the Train Station. T=swc.383

 

For summary, walk directions, map, height profile, photos and gpx/kml files click here.