This time we went to an area of the Peak District to the west of Buxton that encapsulates the Goyt Valley, Shining and Cats Tor. Maybe around three to four miles up along the Cat and Fiddle route between Macclesfield and Buxton (A537).
We started off early around 9am, and made good time and arrived at the top of the valley at around 10:30. My detailed instructions however would have taken people down the wrong way on a one-way track down the Goyt valley. Oops not the best. However we parked at the car park at the top. Antony joining us (Helen P, Rach, Stuart and myself) shortly after. We decided to don on our boots and walk down to the other car park. Recognising some of the car parked it seemed the others had done the same.
As we walked down the valley we noticed some rather butch goats or deer to me and you on top of the hill on the eastern side. They were nicely silhouted by the low winter sun, which would make a lovely photograph if I had a better camera. We walked a mile or so down to the car park in the quarry at the bottom of Stake side. At which point we bumped into ed and his dog daisy and Mark. Now I thought Paul for once may be early but he didn't disappoint he got lost and arrived around an hour late. Oh well, we had Daisy to entertain us, who was going nuts, probably something in the heather!! With Paul was Helen E and her friend Louise. So with all the group together we departed in a northward direction. We kept to the contour of the hill and ended up at Erwood Reservoir.
We negotiated a rather boggy path, where my feet got erm a bit mucked up! But as we got to the reservoir we had lovely views over to the other side where we could make out Shining Tor and Cats Tor over stakeside. At this point I was beginning to get hungry no surprise so I was trying to gauge how long it was to lunch :)
With some of the group a little desperate for the loo, we crossed over the dam, and made our way towards Erwood Hall. I'm still a little dumbfounded why this building had to be demoloished because of the reservoir? But it made a good place to stop to eat some lunch. After a few poses for the camera and some delightful homemade sandwiches, or more to the point all the sitting down had made our bums cold we headed of northwestwardly up and out of the Goyt Valley.
A curious little building set in a copse of trees appeared to the left. A shrine I was told, quite pretty it was. We then strolled uptowards Pym Chair to which point we could see a long way west outward over towards Macclesfield. The weather made it an oustanding sight.
Anyway we then plodded along southwards from this point to Cats Tor (518m) and then Shining Tor (559m). Plod does it a bit of injustice as the views from this point were brilliant, the winter sun descending towards dusk and causing lovely shades of yellow and red on the horizon. Wind was now picking up a bit and the cold, so just in time really we saw a sign to our final destination - the pub - why of course! Where we picked up a well deserved pint and/or a mug of hot chocolate.
The Cat and Fiddle pub staff were a bit grumpy though and a bit particular about dogs. Strange really considering where it is situated. A curious sign on the wall basically summed up the problem of the road the pub sits on. Anyway with a few shuttle runs back to the car park and back where a poor family had got stuck in the mud, we parted our ways.
A few little facts:
i) We walked around 14km or about 8 to 9 miles.
ii) Saw three butch goats
iii) A few interesting birds - helen e will probably know them - i'm rubbish with names.
People who came along were: Me (Adam Hicks), Helen Puxley, Rachel King, Stuart Mason, Paul Matthews, Helen Eden, Louise Kesterton, Antony Huchinson, Mark Farmer and Steven Kipping and his dog daisy :)
Thanks for coming along :) and hopefully see you all in Wales at the end of February if not before :)
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