Recommend a 90 min route in Leek/Ashbourne

Mefster

In the Peaks this weekend for a reunion. A few of us are taking our bikes and hoping to get out for a quick blast for and hour and a half on one of the mornings.

We're staying near Waterfall, between Ashbourne and Leek. I know the Dark Peak and Goyt Valley pretty well but am not as familiar with this area. Does anyone have any local knowledge of a good road route that will keep us entertained?

Thanks in advance!

jgsi

90 mins isnt long..
you could get yourself into Leek , head up A53 , turn at Blackshaw and get Gun Hill... loop back round, re join the 53, back towrds Water on the minor roads, via Blackshaw again and Thorncliffe.

thetrotter

If you want to stay off the main roads then head from Waterfall to Grindon and then to Butterton. After crossing the ford in the village (don't try to ride it because it has cobbles on the bottom) climb the steep hill and trun right by the church, keep left at the school and you drop down to the Manifold Trail. You can either take that all the way back to Waterhouses and then make your way back to Waterfall from there. Alternatively, you can can turn right after you have passed Wetton Mill and take the very (!) steep climb back up to Grindon and then make your way back to Waterfall.

Or, drop down to Waterhouses, turn left on the Manifold Trail and do either of the two routes in reverse.

Mefster

Thanks for the tips. I was wondering if the ford was rideable- sounds like you saved some embarrassment!

I think I'd prefer a few quieter lanes than the Manifold Trail, but hopefully plenty of options.

MrZ

'Cat and Fiddle, gun hill, flash, gout valley all within range.
Check route of Polka Dot Challenge sportive for options in both directions from Waterfall.

thetrotter

Mefster wrote:

Thanks for the tips. I was wondering if the ford was rideable- sounds like you saved some embarrassment!

I think I'd prefer a few quieter lanes than the Manifold Trail, but hopefully plenty of options.

The ford is a problem because you have to turn into it - rather than ride across it - from the Grindon side. If you want to avoid the Manifold Trail then when you drop down from Butterton keep on the road and when you reach the T junction turn right towards Wetton and then take the signs to Grindon, drop into the valley and then climb out the other side. All extremely quiet and very picturesque and should fit within the 90mins.

As Mr Z says you could also use part of the Spud Riley Route. Drop down to Waterhouses go past and the Manifold Trail and start climbing the hill on the main road. Turn left up Calton Bank (very steep) and then follow the road through to Ilam (there's a sharp left turn that is easy to miss). You then find yourself going through a farmyard (it is a road), and past a ruined hall on the left. When you reach the T junction turn left up the hill (arther than right to Ilam) and follow the signs to Wetton and then Grindon.

Mefster

Thanks for the route details. We got a visa from the wives to go out for an hour on Saturday morning- weather was so good it seemed a crime not to go out! Just did a small loop to explore the area.

Went out this morning and followed the route via Ilam, Wetton and Grindon. Directions were spot on thetrotter; thanks. Great little ride. Unfortunately the limited visibility probably limited some of the views we may have experienced. Some good testing little climbs to get the legs burning. Combination of damp weather and plenty of mud on the roads made grip a little challenging: the hairpin corners on the way down to the old bridge between Wetton and Grindon were particularly dicey. The climb back up might have been better suited to a cross bike- certainly technical with the rear wheel spinning!

Thanks again for the responses- always helpful to get a little local knowledge!