100 British Bus Routes: Route 58
Macclesfield to Buxton
(and on to Chatsworth House on Sundays)
12 February 2023
ABOVE: High Peak Optare Solo 279 (YD63 VDC) sets off from Macclesfield Bus Station on route 58 towards Buxton. All pictures in this article were taken on Saturday 24th September 2022, unless otherwise stated.
Operator: High Peak
Runs: Daily (no evening service)
Weekday frequency: Hourly
Estimated Vehicle Requirement: two buses (also supporting other local routes)
Off-peak journey time: 38-39 minutes
Estimated route length: 13 miles
Runs: Daily (no evening service)
Weekday frequency: Hourly
Estimated Vehicle Requirement: two buses (also supporting other local routes)
Off-peak journey time: 38-39 minutes
Estimated route length: 13 miles
Before the Norman Conquest, according to Wikipedia, Macclesfield in Cheshire was held by Edwin, Earl of Mercia, and was assessed at eight pounds. The area was devasted by the Normans, to the extent that the value recorded in the Domesday Book was reduced to just one pound.
It certainly feels a lot more vibrant today. Sitting about 16 miles south-south-east of Manchester, Macclesfield is right on the edge of the Peak District National Park. Indeed, you can see the beginnings of the Park from the town.
It certainly feels a lot more vibrant today. Sitting about 16 miles south-south-east of Manchester, Macclesfield is right on the edge of the Peak District National Park. Indeed, you can see the beginnings of the Park from the town.
A cropped view (cropped so that Aldi isn't visible!) looking east from Queen Victoria Street in Macclesfield Town Centre, with St Paul's Church prominent on the right and what looks like an old factory building on the left. Behind are some of the hills that our number 58 bus will be climbing.
And that's where I'm heading today - into the Peak District on route 58. There may not be that much to say about the route, but that is part of its appeal. It's a straight-forward trek along the "Cat and Fiddle Road", a hugely scenic part of the A537, of which more anon.
I had a ride on route 58 a year earlier, before I knew that I was going to do the 100 Bus Route series, and before I even knew I was going to start a blog. I found it in the Bus Pass Britain book. When I started making my list of 100 routes, it was always going to be this route 58!
Macclesfield has a very decent central shopping area, based on Mill Street. The main road through the town is called The Silk Road. Both are a reminder of the huge role that silk mills played in shaping the town; a 300-year history as a global centre for silk production, textiles and design. I wonder whether Mitchell and Kenyon ever set their cameras up outside the factories here?
I'm at the small (eight bay) bus station, which is nicely positioned in the centre of town, for a Saturday mid-morning departure to Buxton.
A D&G Optare Solo awaits departure on route 130 to (Manchester) Airport. Given the propensity for young people to think that smoking rules don't apply to vaping on public transport, I wonder whether the rear advert is appropriate?
When I arrive, there are three Optare Solos in evidence from three different bus companies. A D&G vehicle is on what's left of the 130, which once ran to Manchester (I remember riding it some years ago - the driver somehow managed to accommodate four buggies on a Dennis Dart)! A victim not only of service cuts, but also of having county boundaries in the 'wrong' places, the 130 now only reaches Manchester Airport; literally a stone's throw across the border from Cheshire.
Solos from Arriva and High Peak are also in evidence. It's quite a mixture of bus operators in this town - Little Gem and Aimee's run services as well.
A selection of buses in Macclesfield Bus Station, with High Peak Optare Solos 285 (YJ15 AYA) and 296 (KX14 FHT) nearest the camera. Two Arriva North West vehicles complete the line-up. One has what looks like Wright's bodywork (maybe a Crusader) and the other is another Optare Solo.
My Solo on High Peak route 58 has pulled into the stand several minutes ahead of the scheduled 1015 departure time. Eight passengers are boarding as the driver warns of an almost immediate diversion due to roadworks.
High Peak Optare Solo 279 (YD63 VDC) is just arriving at Macclesfield Bus Station on route 58, just a few minutes before the title picture for this article was taken. I believe that the clock tower in the background belongs to the St Michael & All Angels Church.
Buses normally run down the Buxton New Road (part of the A537), but will today run down the Buxton Old Road (which I'm guessing was there first - I'm good at picking up these subtle clues).
A short ADL Enviro200 of D&G Bus is accompanied by two High Peak Optare Solos
We begin by squeezing through some tight residential roads in the south-east of the town. We're actually quite close to a picturesque lake called Knight's Pool (popular fishing territory, apparently), but you'd never know as there are buildings on all sides preventing views from the road.
We soon venture into the countryside proper, already on our brief diversion via the Old Road. We pass the Tegg's Nose Country Park, which looks very inviting. We reach Walker Barn, where we re-join the official route.
From here, we are traversing the Cat & Fiddle Road, which has its own Wikipedia entry. Perhaps not entirely reassuringly, the entry states that the road "is often classed as the most dangerous road in the United Kingdom", on account of its "continuous series of sharp, and often blind bends".
Reportedly, motorcyclists like this road because they can get up some speed and practice handling those bends. I can see why; the road reminds me of the mountainous stretches of the T T racecourse in the Isle of Man. Perhaps these roads are used for pre-T T practice?
It might explain the high number of accidents recorded - 44 serious or fatal crashes between 2007 and 2011. But since then a number of measures have been taken to improve the safety of the road. Wikipedia says that a mobile speed camera is in use during "most weekends through the summer". Maybe we've passed one today?
But we have nothing to fear from our driver, who is experienced and careful. It's a perfectly comfortable drive as we ascend steadily.
The scenery is breath-taking. I take some pictures, as below, but they only do limited justice in capturing this stunning landscape, where you can see for miles.
At 1689 feet above sea level (515 metres), we reach the Cat and Fiddle Inn, after which the road is named. It's reportedly the second-highest public house in England (there's one in Tan Hill, North Yorkshire, that is higher still). It closed down as a pub a few years ago, and is now used as a whisky distillery. But it does have a (pre-bookable) bar, a shop and a café, so is most definitely open for business!
A view of the Cat & Fiddle, taken from the 58 bus on Thursday 30th September 2021.
There's even a bus stop opposite, to give reassurance to someone who might have had one too many, that they're still able to stand up straight...
Soon after The Cat & Fiddle, we cross the border into Derbyshire, which is the county I most associate with the Peak District.
This anonymous building lies about one-and-a-half miles east-south-east of The Cat & Fiddle. No idea what it is but it looks functional. Also worth noting how much the road curves from this point - the road that can be seen stretching from the right to the centre of the picture is the same road we are on.
As we descend back into civilisation, the residential parts of Buxton start to come into view, albeit we're still a little way from the Town Centre.
We make a brief double-run via Burbage (a suburb). On my first ride this generated quite a lot of the customers for the 58, but it's quiet today.
And all too quickly, we're into Buxton. We're still 1000 feet above sea level here, and this is England's highest market town. It's a pretty spot, on the River Wye, with its own geothermal spring, making it a spa town. An opera and arts event is held here in the summer, based on the striking Opera House, and there is also an International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival - this annual event moves around the North (eg, Harrogate or Halifax), but often settles here, as it will in 2023.
Quite a few bus routes converge on the Market Place, which I think of as being at the top of the town as everything else seems to be downhill from there.
High Peak is responsible for several of the services here, and the buses that come in as route 58 transform into other local services. My bus from Macclesfield now becomes local service 76. It will take less than 20 minutes for it to zip around the town, before it comes back to form the next service 58 back to Macclesfield. At the other end, it will run off to cover local route 14 before coming back again to route 58! The drivers keep busy!
High Peak 285 (YJ15 AYA) has just arrived from Macclesfield on route 58 but now becomes local service 76.
Stagecoach Yorkshire 37186 (YY64 GUA), an ADL Enviro300, seen here in Buxton, is heading for Sheffield / Meadowhall on route 65. This route is now on my list as a "must do" - it even made it into a list of scenic bus rides in The Guardian.
Whilst I am awaiting the bus back to Macclesfield, I stumble across a very unusual vehicle:
It's a 1991 Morrison Electricar milk float, converted into a pseudo double-decker bus (although the top deck is just for show). It is operating Buxton's Wonder of the Peak Tram Tour. These are very similar vehicles to those that used to work the Polperro Tram service in Cornwall (mentioned, but not seen, in my route 73 article).
285 again, in front of Buxton Town Hall - it's been round town as local route 76 and is now starting back to Macclesfield on route 58.
So Buxton is the end of the weekday service on route 58. On Sundays, however, it continues substantially further east, to Bakewell and then to the delightful Chatsworth House, adding another 44 minutes to the journey. I can't see a particular reason for this extension (it doesn't appear to be covering another service that only runs on weekdays, for example), so I assume it's a tourism initiative.
Bakewell is a delightful spot; make sure you stop off and sample a lovely home-cooked Bakewell Tart - there are plenty of places available to do so. And I recommend the Chatsworth Christmas Market, although it is only on for a couple of days each year so you do need to plan ahead.
One day I am going to come back to sample the Sunday 58, but, if you like scenery, particularly rolling hills where you can see for miles, I would recommend the weekday version.
Just choose a fine day - the first time I did the ride, the cloud briefly descended and, for a moment, I was barely able to see my hand in front of my face! That sort of thing happens at high altitude.