{"id":1008877,"date":"2024-07-25T16:18:14","date_gmt":"2024-07-25T15:18:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.half-daywalker.com\/?p=1008877"},"modified":"2024-07-25T16:18:22","modified_gmt":"2024-07-25T15:18:22","slug":"rushton-north-staffordshire-between-leek-and-macclesfield","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.half-daywalker.com\/?p=1008877","title":{"rendered":"Rushton, North Staffordshire – Between Leek And Macclesfield"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Introduction<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

A very pleasant day for walking – not too hot and not too cool, took me to the village of Rushton Spencer, between Macclesfield and Leek. Unfortunately, a cloudburst had occurred just before I arrived, and the numerous fields of long grass were very wet, as were my boots, socks, and feet by the end!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This walk is 5.8 miles long, with 750 feet of ascent, and took 3 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The journey is about 35-40 minutes each way by car from Cheadle Hulme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not brilliant for dog walkers, but there is lots of empty grass pasture to run in, but a few fields with livestock, a few stiles to cross, and some short road sections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I walked in an anti-clockwise direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The walk is on OS Explorer Map 268.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I parked at the car park, adjacent to the Knot Inn on the disused railway line from Leek to Macclesfield, postcode SK11 0QU. What 3 Words \/\/\/ postage.wobbles.assess<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The public car park is up the track on the extreme right of the picture below.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Knot Inn To Long Edge<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

From the car park, I returned to the road and after a few yards, took the lane to the left up the hill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It was only a few minutes before the view down Rudyard Lake appeared to my left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Across the valley Sutton Mast would be pretty much omnipresent during this walk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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As would rabbits! At first, I thought this one was a hare. Then it hopped off, looking every inch a rabbit. Still not sure though!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I was crossing fields of deep, wet, grass now. Keeping my feet dry was impossible, and I was pleased to reach the road, Beat Lane.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I took to the fields again to cut the corner offf, and rise to Long Edge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the far skyline, the mast was joined by the familiar outline of Shutlingsloe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Long Edge To The Knot Inn<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

After a brief road section, it was down through a couple of fields, and over a stile onto a narrow path next to a wire fence. A sharp right turn led to the top of a steep, overgrown path down into a pretty clough with an old, but well built bridge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Over the bridge , the ground rises quickly, and looking back gives a good view of this secluded wooded feature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Rising quickly, the view left, to the north, brought the city of Manchester skyline into view, some 30 miles away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bizarrely, Sutton Mast now seemed to have been joined by a ghostly sheep peering from the clouds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I hurried on!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond Lower Oxhey, a long field ran downhill, eventually reaching Dingle Lane and Dingle Brook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A narrow pretty lane led off to the right, dropping down, then rising past a pond, marked on the map as a spring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Turning left at Great Hough, the path led back to Beat Lane and a short way along the road, to the lovely disused rail line, which has been converted to a proper footpath, but unlike many, it isn’t greatly used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A short stop at the car for a sandwich, and time for some well earned refreshment, homemade flapjack and a pint of Zephyr by Storm Brewing Company!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And then home!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are numerous ways to walk from Rushton Spencer, and my route today is a fairly unlikely choice. However, I like to keep off the beaten track, and it was very enjoyable, despite the wet conditions underfoot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And Finally….<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Zutons are well known for the original version of “Valerie”, and are still going strong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is “Water” from their new album “The Big Decider”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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