Buxtid one

Verified Slow Way

Verified by 100.00% of reviewers

A great walk in Places, we took the bus to buxton leaving a car in Tideswell
and walked back. Very easy routefinding out of Buxton. Mixed scenery but not very accessible in places particularly on the way down to the cement works. A very dramatic industrial landscape in the White Peak.
After the cement works there is a brief steep climb to the farmland section that has a few routing challenges. There is significant tarmac section, about a mile however it is not that busy. The last mile into Tideswell is a joy with an easy traverse through grassy farmland mostly cow free.

Took a bus from Tideswell to Buxton then walked this route back. An interesting route which started by showing us the not often seen back routes of Buxton. It continued on to provide wide vistas, a fantastic working quarry bird's-eye view, a slight detour to view the blue waters of Waterswallows quarry lake, farm land traverses, some quiet road and lane walking. The farm land section was tricky to navigate due to indistinct pathways and signage and totally camouflaged stiles. Not really wheel friendly in sections. We felt this route was a bit unused so hopefully its newly gained Slowways status may change this!.

A good direct route see minor change at the Buxton end in Buxtid-2. A good down then up in the middle, no services on route and cows in the field. Good paths but some may be a bit of a challenge to follow so the plotted route needs constant attention.

Coming in you may prefer to follow the road for early refreshment at Wetherspoons but the climb out along the busy road can be avoided in Buxtid-2.

Once onto Waterswallows Road it's plain sailing along the same route as Buxtid-2. Waterswallows quarry is hidden behind a bank with 'Danger Keep Out' notices to invite trespass but pressing on the massive Tunstead Quarry can't be hidden. The footpath passes safely through with an excellent view of operations.

It's apparent that the path to view the quarry is well used but once over the other side it was quite overgrown before climbing steeply to cross over the mouth of the railway tunnel. This was once the main line from the Midlands to Manchester but now carries only limestone to distant locations.

From here to the road leaving Hargate paths are more difficult to locate so care and a good eye is required. The climb from the quarry follows a line of cable poles. The hamlet of Tunstead was the birthplace of the canal pioneer, James Brindley in 1716 but there was nothing I spotted to mark it, his memorial can be found in the mother village of Wormhill.

The sign directing traffic to Hargate Hall is perhaps intended to avoid the rough section of road passing the farm and our route might do better, taking this to avoid a path that was another challenge to locate. It's then road walking down into the dale and a steep climb up the other side, no pavement here but a fairly quiet road.

A short section along the Limestone Way to reach a finger post and Peak and Northern Footpaths Society sign wrongly located according to the definitive map. The stile located here allows access to field paths through pasture before meeting a track for the final yards into Tideswell. Two bits of slightly misleading plot towards the end but they shouldn't cause a problem.

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