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The South West Peak District

Welcome to ThePeakDistrict.net - the site for all things Peak District and Derbyshire related including local information, online links and holidays in this wonderful part of northern England.

The south western 'wedge' of the Peak district can be 'chopped' into two distinct areas, one that is bounded by the encircling 'A' roads between Ashbourne - Leek - Buxton - Ashbourne, and the other, to the north, around Macclesfield Forest.

Leek itself, an old market town, is just outside the boundaries of the Peak District National Park, but this area on the fringe is more than worthy of a visit. Still on this 'outer fringe' is the beautiful Rudyard Lake and Tittesworth Reservoir into which the River Churnet empties.If you go towards Congleton, from Leek, you can see Bosley Cloud, rearing up from its flat surroundings and, nearby an ancient burial mound known as the Bridestones.To the south of Leek you'll discover the short, but beautiful, restored stretch of canal between Cauldon and Froghall Wharf. Along this canal you'll discover the remains of lime kilns, ironstone workings and ironworks. Perhaps the best is the Flint Mill at Cheddleton, now restored as a museum of industrial archaeology. The ground flint was carried along the canal to be used in the Potteries in the manufacture of bone china. Also at Cheddleton is the station on the Churnet Valley preserved railway.

In the Peak District National Park 'proper' of this area the landscape is characterised by open moorland and, carving their way through it, are the rivers Dove, Manifold, Goyt and Dane. It's in this lower corner of the National park that you'll see the massive outcrop of rocks, famous with climbers, known as The Roaches. It's around here, also, that you just might see one of the fabled wallabies. The original 'settlers' came from a small private zoo and numbers in the group, in the wild, increased. They have been seen occasionally, over the years, but even less frequently these days as, perhaps, the inhospitable terrain, is proving too much for them.

From Axe Edge Moor, just to the south west of Buxton, on a good day, the view can stretch as far as Shropshire's Wrekin and the Welsh hills.

Turn your attention to Macclesfield and towards the east and its character changes yet again as the rivers Dane and Goyt traverse the area. It's here that you'll find the famous Cat and Fiddle Inn perched above all else, the villages of Kettleshulme, Pott Shrigley, Rainow, Wincle and Flash. Macclesfield Forest and Wildboar Clough are 'must visits' on any trip. For panoramic views walk to the top of Shining Tor, the highest point in Cheshire and on the Cheshire/Derbyshire bounday, or to the top of Shutlingsloe. Not far from away is 'Three Shires Head' the point at which the three counties of Derbyshire, Staffordshire and Cheshire come together. Right at the tip of this region of the national Park you'll find stately Lyme Hall and Lyme Park, the park with its famous herd of deer.