Shutlingsloe, Wildboarclough, and Forest Chapel, near Macclesfield

Today’s adventure started badly after leaving home at 9.25..

I planned a hike up the Peak District’s third highest peak, Black Hill, from Crowden on the A628, Woodhead Pass. As I passed Stockport on the M60, the overhead gantries burst into life….

A628 CLOSED AFTER A57

I reached Denton Island, round I went, and returned home. I always leave a route plan with Caroline, so that I can be rescued in the event that I don’t come home! So, I found the retained copies of a great walk I’d done in June 2019, and started out again at 10 o’clock, dropped a copy of the walk with her at her mum’s house in Bramhall and headed off to Macclesfield!

A Fresh Start

Travel time 35 minutes each way.

Walk time 3 hours including a 20 minute lunch stop; the walk is 6 miles, with 1300 feet (400m) of ascent. There’s a fair amount of walking on minor roads, and through sheep fields, so perhaps not the best for dog walkers.

Weather – mainly cloudy, but occasional bursts of sunshine.

Ordnance Survey Explorer Map OL24

Parking – free at the top car park of Macclesfield Forest (past Leather’s Smithy, up past the Visitor Centre and Trentabank Reservoir, and the car park’s on the left at the top of the hill)

The Route

A Misty Start

There was an eerie damp feel to the weather as I set out on the path heading south from the road junction.

However, the mist was clearing, and views soon emerged in stunning fashion.

Taking the “walkers only” path to the left up Buxtors Hill, the summit of Shutlingsloe soon appeared.

The Summit

Fifteen minutes later and the ascent is completed!

Down to Wildboarclough

What a great place name! I’ve never seen a single one.

After descending to Banktop, turn sharply north and join the minor road near Clough House, and next to Clough Brook.

It turns out the road is closed for some drainage works. It’s usually a very quiet road anyway, but today was traffic free, which meant I could sit on the bridge parapet and take lunch!

Lunch With “A View From The Bridge”

I imagine this is not what Arthur Miller had in mind when writing his play!

As I set off again, there were a lot of pheasants in the fields. Here’s some….

Moving On

On reaching the next road junction, I took the track right and immediately left, past Broughsplace (another nice name!), on over the brook, and up to Torgate Farm, where a path left led to another minor road. This one’s busier, being a short cut if you’re stuck behind a lorry on the A537 (I know, I’ve been there!).

Great views south to Shutlingsloe and north to Shining Tor, above which hang gliders were soaring.

Refreshments

The Stanley Arms was open. Turning left here I found that the distillery wasn’t!

Turn right after the distillery, and then up the track where taking a car up this track would be completely impossible, so a superfluous sign!

Forest Chapel

As you reach the top of the track, a glance behind you gives a view of the Cat and Fiddle Inn,, whilst ahead the chapel greets you. Nice spot for a later lunch, it seems!

I now joined the Macclesfield Forest “red route” by continuing straight ahead, and as the road descends, I took the path left. At the bottom of the steep section a left turn led me through a beautiful section of Macclesfield Forest before rising up steps and eventually a grass slope which brought me back to the car park.

I hope no-one was hurt on the A628, but the change of plan led to a wonderful place with so many different points of interest.

And Finally……

This is a great track from 2011. Loved seeing Noah and The Whale Live at Manchester Academy, circa 2012.

The lyrics strike a real chord with me, evoking memories of leaving my home town of Kingswinford to live in Stockport in the late 1970s, not exactly all in one night, but I never really went back!