Leisure Drive: Hen Cloud, The Roaches & Ramshaw Rocks | Staffordshire, UK

Today we are doing a circular drive starting from Wincle on the Cheshire / Staffordshire border. Starting from the parking spot for Gun Moor on the road from Wincle to Meerbrook, we watch the sunrise before heading down the hill towards Meerbrook and the Lazy Trout pub.

We pause to take in the fantastic view of Hen Cloud and the Roaches which is our main destination today. In Meerbrook we pass the Lazy Trout and Tittesworth Reservoir, we’ve filmed here before.

We continue to the old roman road (A53) between Leek and Buxton and take a left then left again for Upper Hulme and the Roaches. We pause to look at Hen Cloud which if you squint does look like a roosting hen or perhaps the name comes from the Anglo-Saxon Henge Clud meaning steep cliff whatever the rocky gritstone ridge is worth a visit. Just beyond this point we reach the Roaches, again we’ve visited here before, the name come from the french word for rocks, well worth the walk up, the top has an otherworldly feel like you’ve been transported to middle earth.

We continue down to Roach End and around the other side before turning right and up to Ramshaw Rocks where again the wind has carved the gritstone into fantastic shapes. I wasn’t well enough to walk up to the ridge but you should, see if you can find the serpent stone, carved in the shape of a snakes head, its infamous as there is a picture of Myra Hindley sat on it, it’s said to have been carved long ago with the snake having significance in Neolithic pagan beliefs.

We then take a right towards Buxton and then as we approach the town turn left and follow the A54 back towards Congleton passing the Wincle turn to complete our route