Macclesfield Forest Sunrise

Welcome to Freshwalks. This Sunrise Hike event is part of our own vibrant business community programme and everyone is welcome to join us for an early morning of hiking and networking in the great outdoors. Feel free to come alone - most Freshwalkers do - and you'll be warmly welcomed or invite a colleague or client along for company. NB. Please note that these events start in total darkness and require you to bring a headtorch. We have a limited number of spares.

Route description

Macclesfield Forest is a working forest around a cascade of reservoirs; Trentabank, Ridgegate, Teggsnose and Bottoms. The mixture of water and woodland habitat make Macclesfield Forest an excellent place for wildlife lovers, with red deer and many birds including Heron Broods in Cheshire’s largest heronry, managed by the Cheshire Wildlife Trust.

Our route starts at Trentabank Car Park and immediately starts to climb through the forest to our sunrise destination at the top of Shutlingsloe. We should hopefully arrive just in time for sunrise and will take some time to refuel and enjoy the views. Thereafter, we drop down the other side before looping back via country lanes to our starting point.

Route: Trentabank Reservoir - Macclesfield Forest - Shutlingsloe - Trentabank Reservoir

Distance: 8km

Grade: Medium (more info on grading here)

Max elevation: 506m / Total ascent: 362m

Proposed schedule:

07:15 - Meeting

07:30 - Walk starts

08:15 - Breakfast stop (time for a hot flask and/or some light snacks)

08:19 - Sunrise

10:15 - Walk finishes

Walk leader: Michael Di Paola

Meeting location: Trentabank Car Park, Clarke Lane, Sutton Macclesfield SK11 0NS
https://w3w.co/pets.farmer.stall

Parking: 35 spaces | Pay & Display - coins only | RingGo Location 51726. Charges apply between 9am and 6pm every day and should cost £3.40 for max 2 hours.

Public transport: Please note the start of this walk is 4 miles (11 minutes) from Macclesfield train station and will require a pre-booked taxi transfer or lift which we can help co-ordinate with other walkers. We'd recommend taking the 06:29 train from Manchester Piccadilly to arrive in Macclesfield 06:52.

Toilets: None at start or en-route. Public toilets will be open when we return to Trentabank Car Park.