CAT & FIDDLE
The Cat & Fiddle Inn is at the summit of the road between Buxton (Derbyshire) and Macclesfield (Cheshire) and is the second highest inn in England, at 515 m (1,689 ft) above above sea level.
The view looks NNW to Shining Tor (559 m) and its summit is a border point between Cheshire (to the L) and Derbyshire (to the R). It is the highest point in Cheshire.
The inn was originally built in 1813 and is just inside Cheshire by a few metres, Derbyshire being not far behind the building. The inn is completely surrounded by bleak Pennine moorland typical of much of the Peak District National Park. Apart from its own outbuildings, it's completely on its own. The bleak gloomy aspect is how it really was (heavy cloud and rain) when I took the photo - at midday! Also, the inn is constructed of local gritstone, with local gritstone on the roofs, and these have weathered almost to black. The inn was also shut for the Christmas/Boxing Day holiday so there were also no lights in the windows or illuminations.
CAT & FIDDLE PASS
The road here (A537) is popularly known as the 'Cat & Fiddle Road' because the inn is one of the few landmarks and significant buildings along its uppermost stretches. Although not usually referred to as a pass, it is one of several pass-like roads over the high moors between Buxton (Derbyshire) and the towns of the Cheshire lowlands to the W, and I like to refer to it as the 'Cat & Fiddle Pass'.
This road has long stretches of irregular tight bends and twists on both approaches to the summit especially on the Macclesfield side (in the direction of the camera), and is a challenging drive at the best of times, let alone in winter at night. It is a favourite road amongst motorcyclists but has been voted the most dangerous stretch of road on Britain mostly on account of its frequency of motorcycling accidents. However, recent safety measures have reduced the accident rate.
--- www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vSzV-50utA
GEOLOGICAL NOTE
Shining Tor (skyline L) is underlain by Carboniferous Chatsworth Grit, the uppermost grit of the Millstone Grit Series (Namurian).
--- information from British Geological Survey Sheet 111: Buxton (solid edition) 1:50,000 (1978) and www.bgs.ac.uk/discoveringGeology/geologyOfBritain/viewer....
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Photo
Brian Roy Rosen
Uploaded to Flickr December 26, 2015
© Darkroom Daze Creative Commons.
If you would like to use or refer to this image, please link or attribute.
ID: DSC_5495 - Version 2
CAT & FIDDLE
The Cat & Fiddle Inn is at the summit of the road between Buxton (Derbyshire) and Macclesfield (Cheshire) and is the second highest inn in England, at 515 m (1,689 ft) above above sea level.
The view looks NNW to Shining Tor (559 m) and its summit is a border point between Cheshire (to the L) and Derbyshire (to the R). It is the highest point in Cheshire.
The inn was originally built in 1813 and is just inside Cheshire by a few metres, Derbyshire being not far behind the building. The inn is completely surrounded by bleak Pennine moorland typical of much of the Peak District National Park. Apart from its own outbuildings, it's completely on its own. The bleak gloomy aspect is how it really was (heavy cloud and rain) when I took the photo - at midday! Also, the inn is constructed of local gritstone, with local gritstone on the roofs, and these have weathered almost to black. The inn was also shut for the Christmas/Boxing Day holiday so there were also no lights in the windows or illuminations.
CAT & FIDDLE PASS
The road here (A537) is popularly known as the 'Cat & Fiddle Road' because the inn is one of the few landmarks and significant buildings along its uppermost stretches. Although not usually referred to as a pass, it is one of several pass-like roads over the high moors between Buxton (Derbyshire) and the towns of the Cheshire lowlands to the W, and I like to refer to it as the 'Cat & Fiddle Pass'.
This road has long stretches of irregular tight bends and twists on both approaches to the summit especially on the Macclesfield side (in the direction of the camera), and is a challenging drive at the best of times, let alone in winter at night. It is a favourite road amongst motorcyclists but has been voted the most dangerous stretch of road on Britain mostly on account of its frequency of motorcycling accidents. However, recent safety measures have reduced the accident rate.
--- www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vSzV-50utA
GEOLOGICAL NOTE
Shining Tor (skyline L) is underlain by Carboniferous Chatsworth Grit, the uppermost grit of the Millstone Grit Series (Namurian).
--- information from British Geological Survey Sheet 111: Buxton (solid edition) 1:50,000 (1978) and www.bgs.ac.uk/discoveringGeology/geologyOfBritain/viewer....
----------
Photo
Brian Roy Rosen
Uploaded to Flickr December 26, 2015
© Darkroom Daze Creative Commons.
If you would like to use or refer to this image, please link or attribute.
ID: DSC_5495 - Version 2