Ramshaw Rocks and The Roaches 28 September 2025

Lots of visitors at The Roaches.

Tittesworth Water Reservoir the road below The Roaches.

The Roaches information board.

Hen Cloud, not on my itinerary today, but one for Mike later in the day.

The path to Well Farm with Ramshaw Rocks on the skyline.

Heading towards Well Farm with southern part of The Roaches on the skyline.

Ramshaw Rocks from Well Farm access track.

The Roaches from Ramshaw Rocks.

Stepping out on Ramshaw Rocks.

Ramshaw Rocks.

Ramshaw Rocks again.

Nearly at the end of Ramshaw Rocks.

Red grouse near Ramshaw.

Red grouse near Ramshaw.

Ramshaw Rocks behind us.

Ed's back, but he doesn't look too good!

Ramshaw Rocks from our lunch spot near Moss End Farm.

A common kestrel seen from our lunch spot.

Shining Tor from the path the path in the Black Brook valley.

The path from Roach End to the trig point on The Roaches.

Mike on the path to the trig point.

A Peak District on the The Roaches.

At the trig point on The Roaches.

At the trig point on The Roaches.

Heading for Doxy Pool on The Roaches.

Tittesworth Water from The Roaches.

The main descent from The Roaches.

The delightful path below the climbing rocks on The Roaches,

Mike starts his climb up Hen Cloud.

Rock Hall looking very sad!

Distance: 7.4 miles (8.1 miles)
Climb: 1444' (1644’).
Time: 2 hours 11 minutes
On the move walking average: 2.1 m.p.h.
Overall wall average: 1.4 m.p.h.
Temperature: 10.2 – 13.4 Celsius.
BWF: Max 3. A 9.2 m.p.h. Gentle breeze.
Birds seen or heard today were few and far between, but those we did see included: Meadow pipit, Carrion crow, Raven, Red grouse, Jackdaw and Common kestrel.
We arrived at the start below Hen Cloud to find that the layby we usually use already full. We didn’t find a parking space until we had driven half a mile further up the road. Thankfully we didn’t have use the £5 to park that a farmer offered to park in his field.
The forecasts were pretty accurate, dry with a cool wind making it feel like the 8-10 Celsius it suggested.
In fact, we wore our fleeces to well after lunch and we had started to set along the path across The Roaches.
The whole area was really busy, particularly The Roaches where there were lots of climbers as well as walkers, many with well-behaved dogs. Nevertheless, it was good to see so many young people and people of different ethnic groups enjoying being outdoors.
Conditions underfoot were good, even those areas where in the past had been somewhat boggy.
Distant views towards Tittesworth Water Reservoir were rather hazy all day.
After descending from The Roaches, I went straight back to the car, but Mike decided to extend his walk to climb of the top of Hen Cloud as well.
Overall, a good and enjoyable walk.
We headed to the Wilkes Head in Leek to celebrate our day out with a pint of Whim Ales Hartington Bitter, even if Mike did have to wait until he got home – we both had a carry out!
The Wilkes Head was in chaos as they were getting ready for one of their locals 60th birthday party in the evening.
Some improvements to the décor had been done since our last visit, but there is still plenty to do!

Ramshaw Rocks and The Roaches 13th November 2021

Our first sighting of The Roaches.

Our first views of Ramshaw Rocks.

On Ramshaw Rocks.

Hen Cloud and The Roaches from Ramshaw Rocks.

Lunch time on the bridleway south of Moss End Farm.

Shining Tor from The Roaches School.

Taking steps to repare the erosion on The Roaches.

More erosion control on The Roaches.

Doxy Pool on The Roaches.Walk stats: 

Distance: 7.5 miles. Climb:1391'.

Time: 4 hours 52 minutes.  On the move walking average: 2.0 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 1.6 m.p.h.

Max temperature: 15.2 Celsius at lunch. Mintemperature: 11.2 Celsius as we crossed Ramshaw Rocks.

Beaufort Wind Force: 0 - 3. Mainly calm / light air, increasing to a light breeze at times as we crossed Ramshaw Rocks and The Roaches.

Group: Martyn and Mike.

We were unable to take our usual route from Chester to Leek as the road was closed, so thanks to SATNAV we eventually arrived at the foot of The Roaches having used many roads and seen several villages that we had never seen before.

As we approached our usual parking place, cars were parked everywhere and our usual spot was alredy taken. Thankfully we did find spaces further up the road having noted a farm was offering all day parking for £2-00.

I think this is the busiest that I have seen The Roaches, particularly noticeable as we started from Roach End towards the trig point and decended on the path below the climbing rocks. The level of erosion was also a testimony to the popularity of The Roaches for outdoor recreation.

Our first objective on the walk today was the quieter Ramshaw Rocks, although even there we met several walkers, most with dogs.

The views today were superb, but that of Shining Tor bathed in sunchine was probably the best.

In several places the terrain was quite boggy, particularly across the moorland from Lower Stake Gutter to Hazel Barrow and the path adjacent to Black Brook.

We saw and heard very few birds today, but those we did included: Jackdaw, Red grouse, Common pheasant, Stonechat, Winter wren and Raven.

Overall a very enjoyable walk, celebrated with an excellent pint of Whim Ales, Hartington Bitter (my favourite beer of all times) at the Wilkes Head in Leek.

 

The Monsal Trail and Three Tunnels 16th October 2019

Heading down the steps to the Monsal Head viaduct.

Cressbrook Mill from the Monsal Trail.

Looking over Cressbrook weir to Water-cum-Jolly Dale.

I think we need to look for an alternative route to Litton - the path through Water-cum-Jolly Dale a flooded a little too much to even attempt.

"Are you sure this is the right road or did someone send you a text?"

Looking downthe valley owards Cressbrook from the top of the escape route road.

The start of the track leading to Litton Mill.

Looking back to Litton Mill and the route we hoped to taking.

Outside Litton Tunnel, the first of the tunnels on our route.

Men behaving badly as they emerged from Litton Tunnel.

Emerging from Cressbrook Tunnel.

Lunchtime on he platfom at the Upperdale station on the Monsal Trail.

Only the Headstone Tunnel left.

The Monsal Trail at Thornbridge Hall Station.

Pennyunk Lane.

Look down the muddy track towards Pennyunk Lane.

Walk stats: 10.0 miles. Climb: 770'.

Time: 5 hours 13 minutes. On the move walking average: 2.6 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 1.9 m.p.h.

Group: Martyn, Mike and Nigel.

We arrived at Monsal Head with dampness in the air and the valley tops in mist, but it wasn't cold. In fact I decided to put my waterproof jacket in my rucksack before I suffered too much from "boil in the bag syndrome". Near views down the valleys were pretty good, but this wasn't to be a day for crystal clear distant views.

 Our first problem occurred after we had dropped down from the Monsal Trail to the Cressbrook Mill.

 The path leading into Water-cum-Jolly Dale was well and truly flooded, but thankfully there was an easy escape routeclimbing up Bottom Hill Road that led to a track taking us back to Litton Mill.

 Once again we came across a section of road that was flood, but with care we managed to get round it without getting wet feet.

 Once on the Monsal Trail, problems with flooded paths was a thing of the past and we could look forward to he main objective of the walk, going through Litton Tunnel, Cressbrook Tunnel and Headstone Tunnel.

 Though we all had head torches, the tunnels were all well lit and disappointingly we didn't have to use them.

 We decided to have lunch at the Upperdale Station, sitting on the edge of the platform as this seemed preferable to all of the wet benches we had passed on route so far.

 After lunch it was the Stonehead Tunnel that led to the Thornbridge Hall Station and the road heading for Ashford in the Water. 

 However we turned onto Pennyunk Lane, a pretty good stony track for a mile so, before we left to take a muddy track that contoured round the fields back to Monsal Head.

 Not many birds seen or heard today, those we did included: Mallard, Woodpigeon, Blue tit, Rook, 7 Whooper swans and a Common kestrel (seen as we started our journey homeward.
Overall a veryenjoyable, one I will do again, but perhaps in the Summer when we can walk through Water-cum-Jolly Dale along the riversided path.

 As a one off change we decided to sample the Lees bitter at the Bears Paw at Upton, and Celia was able to join us. It was only Celia joining us that made this choice worthwhile. The Lees bitter was only on smooth flow, but they did offer MPA and Founders on hand pump. Both the Lees bitter and MPA were served too cold to make them enjoyable. I assume the temperature of Celia's lager was OK.