Whaley Bridge, Eccles Pike, & Buxworth

Introduction

With a tennis match coming up this evening, I took a familiar, shortish walk in largely dry, cloudy, but cold weather this morning.

It’s a 30 minute drive from Cheadle Hulme to Whaley Bridge.

The walk is 4.6 miles long, with 775feet of ascent, and it took about 2 hours 15 minutes plus 15 minutes for lunch.

Lots of sheep and lambs in the fields today, so not ideal for dog walking.

I walked in an anticlockwise direction.

The walk is on OS Explorer Map OL1.

I parked on the car park next to the basin terminus of the Peak Forest Canal, postcode SK23 7LX, What 3 Words ///worksheet.destroyer.wishing. The car park was busy today, so a hunt around nearby streets could be required for a parking space.

Whaley Bridge To Eccles Pike

The route begins by crossing The River Goyt and progressing straight up the Whaley Bridge incline, once the end of the Cromford and High Peak railway which spanned the Peak District from the canal at Cromford to the Peak Forest canal at Whaley Bridge.

I soon took to the lanes and tracks as I rose above the village towards the cricket club which sits on a patch of level ground high above the built up area.

I passed a valley called Roosdyche, very pretty, and possibly thought to be a glacial feature.

The fields are full of delightful gambolling lambs. These three weren’t at all timid.

I joined a minor road at Sunart, and the views across to Combs Reservoir, and back along the lane were stunning.

The lane rose again, eventually arriving at Eccles Pike.

From the summit, there are is a 360 degree panorama with a metal circle describing each point of interest in the view..

Eccles Pike To Bugsworth Basin & The Peak Forest Canal

It’s a steep descent to the north through a small copse of pine trees. Soon enough I reached a cross track halfway down the slope. Here’s the view back up the hill from the track.

At one time, the track was walled, but now large parts of the walls have collapsed.

After crossing one rather swampy area, I made my way into Buxworth village.

Nowadays, the village is split by the A6 Whaley Bridge and Chapel-en-le-Frith bypass. A path between the football and cricket pitches took me over the main road, to a sign at the entry to the Bugsworth Basin.

The village name was changed from Bugsworth to Buxworth following a referendum in the 1930s! Bugsworth was considered an ugly name by the locals, but the basin retained its original name. Confusion reigns!

This is the end of the Peak Forest Canal.

The tramway, and this canal allowed limestone quarried in the Peak District to be transported throughout northwest England. It was a monumental enterprise. A plaque reveals that in 1808 over 2000 boats filled with limestone left this basin. Today, it is tranquil. I stopped awhile to read the history, and take my lunch.

It’s a short walk to the Whaley Bridge spur, and thence back to the car park.

This is a great short walk with superb views and great points of industrial archaeological interest. Highly recommended.

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