Ridgegate Reservoir

 

March 5, 2025

RIDGEGATE RESERVOIR, MACCLESFIELD FOREST, SHUTLINGSLOE, CRAG INN AT WILDBOARCLOUGH, PIGGFORD NATURE RESERVE, THE HANGING GATE AT HADDON FARM, SMALLHURST FARM, THE RYLES ARMS, LOWERHOUSE, GRITSTONE TRAIL, LEATHER'S SMITHY AT LANGLEY

 

Distance: 9.31 miles as recorded by the OS Maps App.

Difficulty: Moderately strenuous.

Weather: Clear skies and bright sunshine.

 

Walkers: Peter Beal, Andy Blease, Steve Brearley, Alastair Cairns, Mike Cassini, Mark Enright, Mark Gibby, Hughie Hardiman, Chris Owen, Greg Owens, Julian Ross, Russell Spencer.

Alternative walkers: Jock and Keiran Rooney with Milly.

 

Apologies: Clive Rothel (supervising building works), Dean Taylor (making funeral arrangements), Alan Hart (in Stepping Hill with throat infection), James Riley (Malaga holidays), Cliff Worthington (NZ holidays), Simon Williams (awaiting clearance from Doctor before resuming walking), George Dearsley (in Turkey),Mickey Barrett (leg injury), Tom Cunliffe (knee injury), Keith Welsh (Cornwall holiday)

 

Leader: Beal. Diarist: Blease.

Starting point: Lay-by next to Ridgegate Reservoir, Sutton, Macclesfield, near Leather's Smithy pub in Clarke Lane, Sutton SK11 0NE.

Starting time: 9.55am. Finishing time: 2.45pm.

 

At the start of this popular walk Hughie introduced us to a Newbie member, Greg Owens. Greg lives in Cheadle Hulme and is not a former Policeman.

 

The group waited in the lovely sunshine for Mark E who had encountered some traffic problems.

 

Thanks once again to Alan Hart as most of this diary has been copied from his work in March 2024. 

 

After a slightly delayed start a magnificent dozen set off down the road with Ridgegate Reservoir on our right.We walked along the road, turning right towards Wincle and then heading left by a gate leading into Macclesfield Forest. This was the start of a steady climb uphill.

When we reached a six-barred wooden gate on our right a sign warned us that this had been designated for mountain bikers only. Eleven of the group ignored this path and carried on uphill but Chris wanted to enjoy the views over Ridgegate from Nessit Hill and so ignored the sign. He caught up with the main group shortly later. The main group carried on uphill, turning right at a footpath sign. The path continued uphill through a gate. The group reached the foot of Shutlingsloe, 8 deciding to turn right and head up to the Summit and Trig Point the remaining 4 choosing the easier option and went straight on to walk along the left shoulder of Shutlingsloe.

 

The group reconvened at the stile on the other side. The path then led us to a lane where we turned right. This brought us to a road where we turned right to reach The Crag Inn at Wildboarclough and stopped for Pietime at around 11:10am.

 

Resuming we immediately turned right at a yellow arrow to enter a field and followed the well-trodden path uphill through a series of gates. Several fields later we continued along a steeper path towards a drystone wall where we used a stone step stile to climb over it.

We turned left along a narrow lane with Piggford Nature Reserve on our right and joined a road emerging from our left. After passing Heron Crag on our left we turned right through a metal kissing gate at a green footpath sign.

This path took us through a wooden gate and across a footbridge. On our right was the home of George Osborne when he served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in David Cameron's Conservative government and represented the Tatton constituency.

We crossed a wooden stile, crossed a road and headed uphill through a wooden gate at a green public footpath sign. At another wooden gate we turned right then went left over a wooden stile marked with a yellow arrow.

 

This path took us through a metal kissing gate where we emerged at a road with The Hanging Gate pub opposite. Sadly the pub is no longer open on Wednesday lunchtimes.

We went past the front door of the pub on our left with its separate toilets to our right, and reached a gate on our right marked with a yellow arrow.

The path took us through another metal kissing gate and down a flight of steps to a road where we turned left. After 20 yards we turned sharp left uphill then turned right towards Smallhurst Farm.

As we reached the impressive farmhouse we walked to its left following a footpath sign. It took us down steps and across a footbridge. We crossed a broken wall by the side of a ladder stile and through two metal kissing gates.

On reaching a wooden stile we turned left to reach the rear of The Ryles Arms. On entering the pub we were delighted to find Jock, Kieran and Millie the dog.

Here we enjoyed beer, lager and soft drinks. 

Suitably refreshed we retraced our footsteps to the lane leading to the back of the pub before turning right at a Gritstone Trail marker. After going through two metal kissing gates we walked through a wooden gate, climbed a stone step stile and reached a road.

We dog-legged right and left to follow the GT marker and go through a a wooden kissing gate and then a farmyard. 

Continuing to follow GT markers through metal kissing gates either side of a lane.

Another metal kissing gate brought us to a track where we turned left.

We went right through a wooden gate and crossed a wooden footbridge over a stream. The path then emerged on the banks of Ridgegate Reservoir. We turned left along the bank before reaching Leather's Smithy on our left.

 

Next week's walk will start at 9.40am from the road outside the Sportsman Pub on Kinder Road in Hayfield SK22 2LE. Mr Beal will lead us via Morland Road to The Lamb Inn on Hayfield Road Chinley SK23 6AL. We aim to be at the half way pub by 12.30pm. We will return to our cars via Dragons Back.

 

Happy wandering !