The Gritstone Trail is a long-distance path, roughly following the western edge of the Peak District between Disley (Cheshire) and Kidsgrove (Staffordshire), taking in a mixture of parkland, woodland, moorland and canalside walking. It is billed as 35 miles/56 km long; whilst keen fell-runners might want to polish the whole thing off in a day, we opted for splitting it into three days, with overnight stops at Macclesfield and Congleton. This lengthened the route to around 52 miles/84km (because of walking to and from bus stops, or into and out of the towns). Here’s our itinerary, although several variants are possible:
Day 1
From our base in Matlock, we were able to travel to Buxton by bus (one hour), then to Disley by train (30 minutes). The trail starts right outside Disley railway station with a walk through Lyme Park, over Sponds Hill, past the distinctive folly of White Nancy (built to commemorate the Battle of Waterloo) and finally into Tegg’s Nose Country Park, where the eponymous gritstone is clearly visible. From here, a diversion to Macclesfield brought us to food, rest and a good night’s sleep.
Day 2
Once we were clear of Macclesfield, this was a remote and beautiful section, with fine views of Shutlingsloe from the west. I’ve seen this hill described as the ‘Matterhorn of Cheshire’, although I would not try to sell it to the Swiss as such. Sure, it has a lovely pyramidal shape, but with an altitude of just 506m (compared with the 4,478m of the Swiss Matterhorn), there the similarities end (trust me, I’ve climbed the ‘Swiss Shutlingsloe’). The day ended with an ascent of the Cloud at Timbersbrook and a departure from the trail to Congleton.
Day 3
After two days of fine dry weather, Day 3 featured torrential rain, but fortunately this was the shortest, flattest and fastest part of the route, with a substantial section along a canal towpath. The route also goes over Mow Cop, site of a ruined castle (another folly), as well as the spiritual home of Primitive Methodism. Here, in the early days of the 1800s, preachers led prayers, hymns and readings in the open air, in a bid to encourage participation by the workers from the local mines, quarries and farms.
From Kidsgrove, we returned home by train via Derby, making the whole hike fit comfortably inside three days, using only boots, buses and trains.
Further information
• A route description is available from https://www.cheshire east.gov.uk/leisure,_ culture_and_tourism/ ranger_service/country side_sites/the_grit stone_trail/gritstone-trail.aspx
• The trail is waymarked, but a map was essential in some stretches.
• Take food and drink; there are very few shops, cafes or pubs en route.
• Walking boots are recommended; also, take warm and waterproof clothing, whatever the weather when you set off.
• Follow the countryside code (https://www.gov.uk/ government/publi cations/the-countryside-code, https://www.national trail.co.uk/en_GB/ countrysidecode/)
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