Rainow and the hills of East Cheshire
25 people attending
0 places left
18 people waitlisted
Join us for a walk over the hills around Rainow, a village that lies just east of Macclesfield! Rainow lies in the valley of the River Dean, surrounded by hills as the ground rises from the Cheshire plain towards Shining Tor, the highest point in Cheshire. Beyond are the moors stretching east to Buxton in Derbyshire.
Despite its rural location, Rainow is a former mill village and a number of small water-powered cotton mills were built in the area during the early years of the Industrial Revolution. Theee are now long gone and the area is predominantly agricultural, with cattle and sheep grazing the slopes of the hills.
The walk takes us up onto the Kerridge Ridge to the structure known as White Nancy, seen in the photo above. From here, there are extensive views north to Manchester and west across the Cheshire plain. The route passes close by Lamaload Reservoir, the first reservoir to be constructed with a concrete dam (between 1958 and 1964) in England, and the ridge known at The Tors with Shining Tor at its southern end.
This is a circular walk of 8.5 miles / 13.5 kilometres, with 550 metres of ascent. It’s not an overly-challenging walk, in distance, but there's plenty of ascent to work at! The start / end point is close to a pub that serves food and hot drinks, as well as a range of real ales.
It should be possible to arrange a pickup from Macclesfield railway station with the event leader if you’re intending to travel to this event by public transport. Contact the event leader well in advance.
If the event is fully booked: join the wait list if you really want to go on this walk, as people frequently drop out during the week before an event and you are likely to get a place.
Dogs: well-behaved dogs are welcome on the walk, but must be under control at all times and on a lead when walking through fields with livestock. A large part of this walk is over farmland so your dog will need to be on a lead for much of this walk.
IMPORTANT! - Participation Statement
You MUST complete a Participation Statement, in addition to booking your event space before attending an OutdoorLads event. You only need to complete this Participation Statement once, not for each event you attend.
Photo credits: photos by the event leader with permission granted to ODL for their use, except for:
Lamaload Reservoir © Richard Buck, used under licence CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
What to bring
Boots: your most important piece of kit: comfortable, waterproof, breathable and designed for hiking. Trainers may be OK, depending on how rough the ground is and if its dry. Socks: proper walking socks will keep your feet dry and help prevent blisters. Gaiters: recommended for wet weather or boggy conditions.
Layered clothing: lets you quickly adapt to changes in the weather and to body temperature. Go for a base layer (vest or t-shirt), a mid layer (micro-fleece or shirt) and in cooler weather add an outer layer (windproof jacket or thick fleece). Trousers: avoid jeans as they become heavy and cold in the rain, and take ages to dry out. Breathable fabrics are more comfortable and dry more quickly. On warm days shorts may be ok.
Waterproof jacket: carry one in your rucksack when walking in all but the calmest of weather. Breathable fabrics are more comfortable and dry.
Hat or cap: useful for staying warm in winter and shaded in summer. Gloves: essential in winter and ideally waterproof.
Day rucksack: typically 20-30 litres, this should be comfortable to wear and allow you to use your arms freely.
Sunglasses: for any sunny day, even in winter. Sun cream: can be useful even on cloudy and winter days.
Lunch: bring a packed lunch unless otherwise stated. Snacks: a range of biscuits, energy bars, bananas, chocolate or dried fruit (for example) are always good to have. Put them in your rucksack where they are easy to grab.
Water and other fluid: bring between one and two litres, depending on season of the year and temperature. A combination of water, fruit juice, energy drinks and a hot drink is a good idea.
Medicines: essential if you have hay fever, diabetes, minor ailments, etc. A personal first aid kit with hand sanitiser, bandages and paracetamol or ibuprofen (for personal use only) is a good idea.
Food & drink
Bring a packed lunch, snacks for along the way and sufficient fluids (hot or cold) to drink during the walk. A hot drink is recommended in cooler weather.
The walk starts and ends near to the Robin Hood Inn on Church Lane, Rainow SK10 5XE. The pub serves food and hot drinks, as well as a range of real ales, and will be open by the time we finish the walk.