North West England parkruns
The parkrun Regionnaire status used to be a major part of parkrun tourism. Changes in the parkrun website in 2019 removed the regions making it harder to track completion status. All is not lost though, as here’s the complete parkrun guide to what’s in and what’s out of the counties of North West England.
The North West of England is a diverse and heavily populated region of the UK, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea and to the east by the Pennines, serving as a major economic and cultural powerhouse in Northern England. The region is composed of five ceremonial counties: Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, and Merseyside. Geographically, the North West is characterised by its dramatic transition from expansive urban areas to rugged upland terrain, most notably across the Lake District: a mountainous National Park spanning much of the length of Cumbria. It contains the prominent, sweeping ridges of the Forest of Bowland (predominantly in Lancashire) and the vast, scenic estuary of Morecambe Bay. Landscapes across the region are varied, ranging from the flat, agricultural expanse of the Cheshire Plain to the towering peaks of the Cumbrian fells and the rich, historic river valleys of the Mersey and the Irwell.
The administrative map of the North West underwent a significant transformation following the Local Government Act 1972, which came into effect in 1974. Prior to this, the region was defined by the ancient historic counties of Lancashire, Cheshire, Cumberland, and Westmorland. The 1974 reforms sought to modernise local government, particularly to address the sprawling urban growth around major industrial cities. This led to the creation of the metropolitan counties of Greater Manchester and Merseyside, which absorbed large, heavily populated swathes of historic Lancashire and Cheshire. Further north, the sparsely populated historic counties of Cumberland and Westmorland were merged, alongside the Furness area of Lancashire and a sliver of Yorkshire, to form the new county of Cumbria. These boundaries were later solidified for the purposes of appointing Lord-Lieutenants by the Lieutenancies Act 1997, firmly establishing the modern "ceremonial counties" we recognise today, even as the region's historic identities continue to hold deep cultural significance.
parkrun event numbers per county
There are currently 79 parkrun events in the counties of the North West England region.
Notes and exceptions.
Birkenhead and Brimstage were in historic Cheshire and are now in Merseyside.
All other Merseyside parkrun events were in the historic county of Lancashire.
Widnes was in historic Lancashire and is now in Cheshire.
Bramhall Park, Cheadle Hulme, Hyde, Marple, Sale Water, Woodbank and Wythenshawe were in historic Cheshire and are now in Greater Manchester.
Fletcher Moss was in historic Lancashire and is now in Greater Manchester but a small part of the course crosses into present-day Cheshire.
Barrow, Fell Foot and Ford were in historic Lancashire and are now in Cumbria.
Rothay Park was in historic Westmorland and is now in Cumbria.
All other Cumbria parkrun events were in the historic county of Cumberland.
Alexandra, Bolton, Burnage, Chadderton Hall, Clarence, Fletcher Moss, Haigh Woodland, Heaton Park, Kingsway Park Urmston, Oldham, Peel, Pennington Flash, Philips Park, South Manchester, Stamford Park, Stretford, Watergrove and Worsley Woods were in historic Lancashire and are now in Greater Manchester
Crosby, Croxteth Hall, Kew Woods, Knowsley, Princes, Southport, St Helens and Sutton Manor were in historic Lancashire and are now in Merseyside.
Warrington is in Cheshire but the route cuts through a small part of Lancashire.
Centre Vale straddles the border of historic Lancashire and Yorkshire but is currently fully in West Yorkshire.
The North West England Counties parkrun pages
Click on each of the images below to go to the page with details of the parkrun events for the county.
More parkrun posts
parkruns are free, weekly, community 5k events all around the world. I started in December 2012 and have been obsessive about it ever since. See my parkrun Collection page for details.
Featured and popular parkrun posts:
Completing all Merseyside parkruns
There are currently 10 parkrun events in the present-day county of Merseyside, of which I have not yet completed any. The first was Princes, which started on 26th March 2011 and the newest is Brimstage, which started on 3rd October 2026. The name for having completed all parkrun events in the county is “Mersey-Beat”.
The present-day / ceremonial county of Merseyside is made up of land that was previously in the historic counties of Cheshire and Lancashire. Birkenhead and Brimstage were originally in historic Cheshire but is now in Merseyside. All other Merseyside parkrun events were in the historic county of Lancashire.
Numbers exclude 2k Junior parkruns and any events that are not open to the general public such as prisons or armed forces facilities.
All of the Merseyside parkrun events …
Below are each of the Merseyside 5k parkrun events in alphabetical order. A few things to note:
The interactive maps below take you to the approximate location for the course, typically the centre of the park. See the course instructions in the parkrun page for each event for specific directions to the start.
Course maps and elevation profiles show the route at the time that I ran it and may have changed since then. See the Course page in the event’s page on parkrun.org.uk for the current course outline. Note that course outlines are from Garmin data during a specific run and may vary from the officially measured distance.
Please contact me if you spot an event that doesn’t have a course map and elevation profile and you would like to donate one from your own run. I’m also interested in maps and elevation profiles for courses that have changed or where there’s a regular alternative route (e.g. Horsham). I’ll need a GPX file from your run plus the date. I’ll include a credit for you and will donate £1 to parkrun.
Birkenhead
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Cheshire
Ceremonial County: Merseyside
Inaugural: 18th July 2015
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Brimstage
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Cheshire
Ceremonial County: Merseyside
Inaugural: 3rd October 2026
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Crosby
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Lancashire
Ceremonial County: Merseyside
Inaugural: 14th November 2015
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Croxteth Hall
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Lancashire
Ceremonial County: Merseyside
Inaugural: 14th March 2015
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Kew Woods
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Lancashire
Ceremonial County: Merseyside
Inaugural: 15th December 2018
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Knowsley
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Lancashire
Ceremonial County: Merseyside
Inaugural: 10th December 2016
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Princes
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Lancashire
Ceremonial County: Merseyside
Inaugural: 26th March 2011
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Southport
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Lancashire
Ceremonial County: Merseyside
This event is also part of parkrun Compass Club
Inaugural: 11th June 2016
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
St Helens
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Lancashire
Ceremonial County: Merseyside
Inaugural: 5th July 2014
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Sutton Manor
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Lancashire
Ceremonial County: Merseyside
Inaugural: 7th December 2019
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
More parkrun posts
parkruns are free, weekly, community 5k events all around the world. I started in December 2012 and have been obsessive about it ever since. See my parkrun Collection page for details.
Featured and popular parkrun posts:
Completing all Greater Manchester parkruns
There are currently 25 parkrun events in the present-day county of Greater Manchester, of which I have not yet completed any. The first was Bramhall Park, which started on 19th April 2008 and the newest is Kingsway Park, Urmston which started on 18th November 2023. The name for having completed all parkrun events in the county is “Greater Ran-Chester”.
The present-day / ceremonial county of Greater Manchester is made up of land that was previously in the historic counties of Cheshire, Derbyshire, Lancashire and Yorkshire.
Bramhall Park, Cheadle Hulme, Hyde, Marple, Sale Water, Woodbank and Wythenshawe were in historic Cheshire and are now in Greater Manchester.
All other Greater Manchester parkrun events were in the historic county of Lancashire.
Fletcher Moss was in historic Lancashire and is now in Greater Manchester but a small part of the course crosses into present-day Cheshire.
Numbers exclude 2k Junior parkruns and any events that are not open to the general public such as prisons or armed forces facilities.
All of the Greater Manchester parkrun events …
Below are each of the Greater Manchester 5k parkrun events in alphabetical order. A few things to note:
The interactive maps below take you to the approximate location for the course, typically the centre of the park. See the course instructions in the parkrun page for each event for specific directions to the start.
Course maps and elevation profiles show the route at the time that I ran it and may have changed since then. See the Course page in the event’s page on parkrun.org.uk for the current course outline. Note that course outlines are from Garmin data during a specific run and may vary from the officially measured distance.
Please contact me if you spot an event that doesn’t have a course map and elevation profile and you would like to donate one from your own run. I’m also interested in maps and elevation profiles for courses that have changed or where there’s a regular alternative route (e.g. Horsham). I’ll need a GPX file from your run plus the date. I’ll include a credit for you and will donate £1 to parkrun.
Alexandra
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Lancashire
Ceremonial County: Greater Manchester
Inaugural: 12th February 2022
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Bolton
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Lancashire
Ceremonial County: Greater Manchester
Inaugural: 5th February 2011
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Bramhall Park
I have not yet completed this event
Original name: Bramhall Time Trial. The original set of Time Trials were rebranded as "parkrun" in 2008 to appeal to a wider, non-traditional running community.
Historic County: Cheshire
Ceremonial County: Greater Manchester
Inaugural: 19th April 2008
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Burnage
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Lancashire
Ceremonial County: Greater Manchester
Inaugural: 21st July 2012
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Chadderton Hall
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Lancashire
Ceremonial County: Greater Manchester
Inaugural: 23rd April 2016
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Cheadle Hulme
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Cheshire
Ceremonial County: Greater Manchester
Inaugural: 28th June 2014
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Clarence
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Lancashire
Ceremonial County: Greater Manchester
Inaugural: 1st October 2022
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Fletcher Moss
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Lancashire
Ceremonial County: Greater Manchester
Inaugural: 17th November 2018
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Haigh Woodland
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Lancashire
Ceremonial County: Greater Manchester
Inaugural: 31st October 2015
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Heaton Park
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Lancashire
Ceremonial County: Greater Manchester
Inaugural: 20th June 2009
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Hyde
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Cheshire
Ceremonial County: Greater Manchester
Inaugural: 7th January 2017
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Kingsway Park, Urmston
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Lancashire
Ceremonial County: Greater Manchester
Inaugural: 18th November 2023
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Marple
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Cheshire
Ceremonial County: Greater Manchester
Inaugural: 26th May 2012
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Oldham
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Lancashire
Ceremonial County: Greater Manchester
Inaugural: 24th July 2010
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Peel
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Lancashire
Ceremonial County: Greater Manchester
Inaugural: 25th September 2021
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Pennington Flash
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Lancashire
Ceremonial County: Greater Manchester
Inaugural: 12th March 2011
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Philips Park
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Lancashire
Ceremonial County: Greater Manchester
Inaugural: 4th March 2023
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Sale Water
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Cheshire
Ceremonial County: Greater Manchester
Inaugural: 7th October 2017
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
South Manchester
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Lancashire
Ceremonial County: Greater Manchester
This event is also part of parkrun Compass Club
Inaugural: 14th November 2009
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Stamford Park
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Lancashire
Ceremonial County: Greater Manchester
Inaugural: 13th June 2015
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Stretford
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Lancashire
Ceremonial County: Greater Manchester
Inaugural: 14th November 2015
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Watergrove
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Lancashire
Ceremonial County: Greater Manchester
Inaugural: 7th June 2014
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Woodbank
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Cheshire
Ceremonial County: Greater Manchester
Inaugural: 22nd August 2009
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Worsley Woods
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Lancashire
Ceremonial County: Greater Manchester
Inaugural: 3rd March 2012
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Wythenshawe
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Cheshire
Ceremonial County: Greater Manchester
Inaugural: 6th August 2011
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
More parkrun posts
parkruns are free, weekly, community 5k events all around the world. I started in December 2012 and have been obsessive about it ever since. See my parkrun Collection page for details.
Featured and popular parkrun posts:
Completing all Lancashire parkruns
There are currently 14 parkrun events in the present-day county of Lancashire, of which I have not yet completed any. The first was Preston, which started on 12th May 2012 and the newest is Worden, which started on 14th October 2023. I’m not aware of a County Completion Name for Lancashire but let me know in the comments if you have one.
The present-day / ceremonial county of Lancashire is smaller than the historic county of the same name. Several Lancashire parkrun events fall into different historic and ceremonial counties:
Alexandra, Bolton, Burnage, Chadderton Hall, Clarence, Fletcher Moss, Haigh Woodland, Heaton Park, Kingsway Park Urmston, Oldham, Peel, Pennington Flash, Philips Park, South Manchester, Stamford Park, Stretford, Watergrove and Worsley Woods were in historic Lancashire and are now in Greater Manchester
Barrow, Fell Foot and Ford were in historic Lancashire and are now in Cumbria.
Crosby, Croxteth Hall, Kew Woods, Knowsley, Princes, Southport, St Helens and Sutton Manor were in historic Lancashire and are now in Merseyside.
Widnes was in historic Lancashire and is now in Cheshire.
Warrington is in Cheshire but the route cuts through a small part of Lancashire.
Centre Vale straddles the border of historic Lancashire and Yorkshire and has the start line in Lancashire but the course is mostly in West Yorkshire.
Cuerden Valley was a parkrun event in Lancashire but has now been permanently cancelled.
Numbers exclude 2k Junior parkruns and any events that are not open to the general public such as prisons or armed forces facilities.
All of the Lancashire parkrun events …
Below are each of the Lancashire 5k parkrun events in alphabetical order. A few things to note:
The interactive maps below take you to the approximate location for the course, typically the centre of the park. See the course instructions in the parkrun page for each event for specific directions to the start.
Course maps and elevation profiles show the route at the time that I ran it and may have changed since then. See the Course page in the event’s page on parkrun.org.uk for the current course outline. Note that course outlines are from Garmin data during a specific run and may vary from the officially measured distance.
Please contact me if you spot an event that doesn’t have a course map and elevation profile and you would like to donate one from your own run. I’m also interested in maps and elevation profiles for courses that have changed or where there’s a regular alternative route (e.g. Horsham). I’ll need a GPX file from your run plus the date. I’ll include a credit for you and will donate £1 to parkrun.
Blackpool
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Lancashire
Present Day County: Lancashire
Inaugural: 4th February 2017
Links: Event Page, Course Page
Burnley
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Lancashire
Present Day County: Lancashire
Inaugural: 2nd June 2012
Links: Event Page, Course Page
Clitheroe Castle
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Lancashire
Present Day County: Lancashire
Inaugural: 19th May 2018
Links: Event Page, Course Page
Cuerden Valley
This parkrun event has been permanently cancelled. I did not complete this event before it was closed.
Historic County: Lancashire
Present Day County: Lancashire
Inaugural: August 10th 2013. Final event: #329 on March 14th 2020
Reason for cancellation: Due to financial struggles and a belief by the Cuerden Valley Trust that parkrun, a national organization, should contribute financially to the park's upkeep.
Replaced by: many of the core team moved to Worden
Links: Event Home Page
Fleetwood Promenade
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Lancashire
Present Day County: Lancashire
Inaugural: 4th August 2018
Links: Event Page, Course Page
Hyndburn
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Lancashire
Present Day County: Lancashire
Inaugural: 21st October 2017
Links: Event Page, Course Page
Lancaster
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Lancashire
Present Day County: Lancashire
Inaugural: 9th January 2016
Links: Event Page, Course Page
Lytham Hall
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Lancashire
Present Day County: Lancashire
Inaugural: 28th November 2015
Links: Event Page, Course Page
Morecambe Prom
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Lancashire
Present Day County: Lancashire
Links: Event Page, Course Page
Links: Morecambe Prom, Course
Ormskirk
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Lancashire
Present Day County: Lancashire
Inaugural: 29th March 2014
Links: Event Page, Course Page
Pendle
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Lancashire
Present Day County: Lancashire
Inaugural: 10th May 2014
Links: Event Page, Course Page
Preston
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Lancashire
Present Day County: Lancashire
Inaugural: 12th May 2012
Links: Event Page, Course Page
Tawd Valley
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Lancashire
Present Day County: Lancashire
Inaugural: 27th July 2019
Links: Event Page, Course Page
Witton
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Lancashire
Present Day County: Lancashire
Inaugural: 29th August 2015
Links: Event Page, Course Page
Worden
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Lancashire
Present Day County: Lancashire
Inaugural: 14th October 2023
Links: Event Page, Course Page
More parkrun posts
parkruns are free, weekly, community 5k events all around the world. I started in December 2012 and have been obsessive about it ever since. See my parkrun Collection page for details.
Featured and popular parkrun posts:
Completing all Cheshire parkruns
There are currently 13 parkrun events in the present-day county of Cheshire, of which I have completed 1. The first was Congleton parkrun which started on 15th December 2012 and the newest is Alderley Park parkrun which started on 14th March 2020. The name for having completed all parkrun events in the county is “The Cheshire Set”.
The present-day / ceremonial county of Cheshire is smaller than the historic county of the same name. Several Cheshire parkrun events fall into different historic and ceremonial counties:
Birkenhead and Brimstage were in historic Cheshire and is now in Merseyside.
Widnes was in historic Lancashire and is now in Cheshire.
Bramhall Park, Cheadle Hulme, Hyde, Marple, Sale Water, Woodbank and Wythenshawe were in historic Cheshire and are now in Greater Manchester.
Fletcher Moss was in historic Lancashire and is now in Greater Manchester but a small part of the course crosses into present-day Cheshire.
Numbers exclude 2k Junior parkruns and any events that are not open to the general public such as prisons or armed forces facilities.
All of the Cheshire parkrun events …
Below are each of the Cheshire 5k parkrun events in alphabetical order. A few things to note:
The interactive maps below take you to the approximate location for the course, typically the centre of the park. See the course instructions in the parkrun page for each event for specific directions to the start.
Course maps and elevation profiles show the route at the time that I ran it and may have changed since then. See the Course page in the event’s page on parkrun.org.uk for the current course outline. Note that course outlines are from Garmin data during a specific run and may vary from the officially measured distance.
Please contact me if you spot an event that doesn’t have a course map and elevation profile and you would like to donate one from your own run. I’m also interested in maps and elevation profiles for courses that have changed or where there’s a regular alternative route (e.g. Horsham). I’ll need a GPX file from your run plus the date. I’ll include a credit for you and will donate £1 to parkrun.
Alderley Park
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Cheshire
Ceremonial County: Cheshire
Inaugural: 14th March 2020
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Chester
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Cheshire
Ceremonial County: Cheshire
Inaugural: 9th July 2016
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Congleton
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Cheshire
Ceremonial County: Cheshire
Inaugural: 15th December 2012
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Crewe
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Cheshire
Ceremonial County: Cheshire
Inaugural: 17th February 2018
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Delamere
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Cheshire
Ceremonial County: Cheshire
Inaugural: 2nd March 2013
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Ellesmere Port
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Cheshire
Ceremonial County: Cheshire
Inaugural: 18th October 2014
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Lyme Park
I completed this event on: September 23rd 2017 with a finish time of: 29:39
Historic County: Cheshire
Ceremonial County: Cheshire
Other routes touched (walk): North Cheshire Way, GM Ringway, Gritstone Trail, Lyme Walks: A Walk to the Cage / A Walk to the Lantern / Paddock Cottage Walk
Inaugural: 22nd February 2014
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Macclesfield
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Cheshire
Ceremonial County: Cheshire
Inaugural: 28th April 2018
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Northwich
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Cheshire
Ceremonial County: Cheshire
This event is also part of parkrun Compass Club
Inaugural: 17th March 2018
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Phoenix
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Cheshire
Ceremonial County: Cheshire
Inaugural: 24th February 2018
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Warrington
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Lancashire / Cheshire
Ceremonial County: Cheshire
Inaugural: 25th January 2014
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Widnes
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Lancashire
Ceremonial County: Cheshire
Inaugural: 31st January 2015
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Wilmslow
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Cheshire
Ceremonial County: Cheshire
Inaugural: 11th April 2015
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
More parkrun posts
parkruns are free, weekly, community 5k events all around the world. I started in December 2012 and have been obsessive about it ever since. See my parkrun Collection page for details.
Featured and popular parkrun posts:
Peak District County Tops
On the Pennine Way between Black Chew Head and Black Hill
Our Peak District trip was the latest in what was now becoming an annual County Top bagging long weekend. We based ourselves at YHA Castleton and did day trips to conquer the historic and some present day county tops in the area.
First up wit Kinder Scout, the County Top of Derbyshire and the hugest peak in the area. We started from the car park at Edale station and too an anti clockwise route taking in Grindslow Knoll and Crowden Tower. We had to divert from the route to find the actual summit. With low visibility, drizzly rain and an ambiguous high point we relied on following a GPS bearing. With no Trig Pillar or obvious summit market we decided that the big stick on a clump was the summit and declared victory.
Although neither an historic nor present day County Top, Mam Tor was too iconic to miss. It was also close to our YHA and a quick and easy Trig Point bag, so we ticked it off in the way to Cheeks Hill.
This was the underwhelming peak of the trip. The high point of the historic county of Staffordshire is a short walk across boggy ground to a lonely corner of the county market by a sheep pen. One for County Top completists but at least it’s in the way to Shining Tor. This one makes up for the underwhelm of Cheeks Hill. It’s a short walk but rewarded by a Trig Pillar and good views on a clear day.
We saved the best walk for last on this trip. In one 8 mile walk you get an historic county top, a present day one and a scenic section of the Pennine Way. This was a point to point walk but we had the advantage of having 2 cars between the group so we could do a 2 car shuffle. We left one in a lay-by on the A635 and parked the other at our starting point at Crowden. For much of the walk we followed the Pennine Way, with a diversion after 3 km to visit Black Chew Head. If Black Hill is all you’re interested in then an out and back from the A635 is simpler.
Kinder Scout
Significance: Highest peak in Derbyshire (Historic CT), Peak District National Park High Point
Member of: Marilyn, Hewitt, Hardy, Nuttall
Parent Peak: Cross Fell. NHN = Fountains Fell South Top
Elevation: 636m
Date climbed: 23rd September 2017
Coordinates: 53°23′0″N 1°52′2″W
Route Start / End: Car park at Edale Train Station, anti-clockwise circular route via Grindslow Knoll, Crowden Tower and back via Jacobs Ladder
Route Distance: 14 km (8.7 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +/- 480m
Subsidiary tops on route: Grindslow Knoll
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Pennine Way
Other routes touched (cycle): None
Map: OS Explorer OL1 The Peak District - Dark Peak area
Guidebook: The UK's County Tops (Jonny Muir), Walking the County High Points of England (David Bathurst)
Links: Wikipedia (Derbyshire), Wikipedia (Kinder Scout), Peakbagger, Hillbagging, National Trust
Kinder Scout is an icon of the Peak District and extremely popular walk. Strangely though, the summit is amazingly hard to find and most walkers don't stray far from the footpaths to find it. We gave it a good go, taking a bearing from the main trail just west of Pym Chair. After 10 minutes of faffing around we found a pile of stones a stick which may have been the summit. That was good enough for us to call it the peak and celebrate with a 1 kilo, now frozen, gummy bear.
Mam Tor (and Lords Seat)
Significance: N/A
Member of: Dewey
Parent Peak: Kinder Scout. NHN = Lords Seat, then Brown Knoll
Historic County: Derbyshire (of which Kinder Scout is the County Top)
Elevation: 517m
Date climbed: 24th September 2017
Coordinates: 53°20′57″N 1°48′38″W
Route Start / End: Mam Nick Car Park, Sparrowpit, Buxton, S33 8WA
Route Distance: 4.2 km (2.6 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +/- 145m
Subsidiary tops on route: None
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched: None
OS Trig Pillar: TP4623 - Mam Tor
Map: OS Explorer OL1 The Peak District - Dark Peak area
Links (Mam Tor): Wikipedia, Peakbagger, Hillbagging, National Trust
Links (Lords Seat): Peakbagger, Hillbagging
Cheeks Hill
Also known as: Cheeks Hill-South Slope
Significance: Highest peak in Staffordshire (Historic CT)
Member of: N/A
Parent Peak: Shining Tor. NHN = Whetstone Ridge
Elevation: 520m
Date climbed: 24th September 2017
Coordinates: 53°13′31″N 1°57′44″W
Route Start / End: Where Dane Valley Way crosses country road between A53 and A54
Route Distance: 1.5 km ( 0.9 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +/- 25m
Subsidiary tops on route: None
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Dane Valley Way
Other routes touched (cycle): None
Map: OS Explorer OL24 The Peak District
Guidebook: The UK's County Tops (Jonny Muir), Walking the County High Points of England (David Bathurst)
Links: Wikipedia (Cheeks Hill), Peakbagger, Hillbagger
A competitor for the least interesting County Top prize at less than 1 mile and 30 metres of ascent. Only makes sense if done whilst in the area.
Shining Tor
Significance: Highest peak in Cheshire (Present Day CT), Cheshire East Unitary Authority High Point
Member of: Marilyn, Dewey
Parent Peak: Black Hill. NHN = Brown Knoll
Historic County: Cheshire (of which Black Hill is the County Top)
Elevation: 559m
Date climbed: 24th September 2017
Coordinates: 53°15′39″N 2°00′34″W
Route Start / End: Car park of Peak View Tea Rooms, A537
Route Distance: 3.3 km (2.0 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +/- 75m
Subsidiary tops on route: None
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched: None
OS Trig Pillar: TP5950 - Shining Tor
Map: OS Explorer OL24 The Peak District
Guidebook: The UK's County Tops (Jonny Muir), Walking the County High Points of England (David Bathurst)
Links: Wikipedia (Cheshire), Wikipedia (Cheshire East), Wikipedia (Shining Tor), Peakbagger, Hillbagging
Black Chew Head
Significance Highest peak in Greater Manchester (Present Day CT), Oldham Unitary Authority High Point
Member of: Dewey
Parent Peak: Black Hill. NHN = Black Hill
Historic County: Yorkshire (of which Mickle Fell is the County Top)
Elevation: 542m
Coordinates: 53°30′57.96″N 1°55′17.76″W
Links: Wikipedia (Greater Manchester), Wikipedia (Oldham), Wikipedia (Black Chew Head), Peakbagger, Hillbagging
Black Hill
Significance Highest peak in Cheshire (Historic CT), West Yorkshire (Present Day CT), Kirklees Unitary Authority High Point
Member of: Marilyn, Dewey
Parent Peak: Kinder Scout. NHN = Bleaklow Head
Elevation: 582m
Coordinates: 53°32′18″N 1°52′53″W
OS Trig Pillar: TP3980 - Holme Moss
Links: Wikipedia (Cheshire), Wikipedia (West Yorkshire), Wikipedia (Kirklees), Wikipedia (Black Hill), Peakbagger, Hillbagging
For both peaks:
Date climbed: 25th September 2017
Route Start / End: Point to point walk along Pennine Way from Crowden to Greenfield Road
Route Distance: 12.9 km (8 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +531m / -296m. Net 235m
Subsidiary tops on route: None
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched: The Pennine Way
Map: OS Explorer OL1 The Peak District - Dark Peak area
Guidebook: The UK's County Tops (Jonny Muir), Walking the County High Points of England (David Bathurst)
Two County Tops for the price of one in a scenic section of the Pennine Way. The 11 km trek started in Crowden, finishing at the junction of the Pennine Way and the A635. A short diversion from the main path at Laddow Rocks takes you up to Black Chew Head, the high point of Greater Manchester and Oldham. It was a clear day and we found it easily. Be extra careful in low visibility, especially when re-joining the Pennine Way as the path follows a cliff-edge here. Black Hill, the (Historic) County Top of Cheshire is right on the Pennine Way path at around 8km into the trip.
Other High Points In Cheshire
Hoarstone Edge (497m) Tameside Unitary Authority High Point: Peakbagger / Hillbagging
Mellor Moor (327m) Stockport Unitary Authority High Point (alt): Peakbagger / Hillbagging
Robin Hood's Picking Rods (327m) Stockport Unitary Authority High Point (alt): Peakbagger / Hillbagging
Raw Head (227m) Cheshire West and Chester Unitary Authority High Point: Peakbagger / Hillbagging
Halton Castle (100m) Halton Unitary Authority High Point: Peakbagger / Hillbagging
Green Walk (Bowdon) (67m) Trafford Unitary Authority High Point: Peakbagger / Hillbagging
Other High Points In Derbyshire
Allestree Park (138m) Derby City Unitary Authority High Point: Peakbagger / Hillbagging
Other High Points In Staffordshire
Turners Hill (271m) West Midlands Ceremonial County High Point and Sandwell Unitary Authority High Point: Peakbagger / Hillbagging
Cawney Hill (251m) Dudley Unitary Authority High Point: Peakbagger / Hillbagging
Meir Heath (250m) Stoke-on-Trent Unitary Authority High Point: Peakbagger / Hillbagging
Sedgley Beacon East Slope (232m) Sedgley Beacon Unitary Authority High Point: Peakbagger / Hillbagging
Barr Beacon (227m) Walsall Unitary Authority High Point: Peakbagger / Hillbagging
Cycling from Land's End To John O'Groats
The Land’s End To John O’Groats (LEJOG) cycle trip had been on my back burner for a very long time. It started 21 years ago when I was planning my Queen’s Scout Award. The Award was similar to the Duke Of Edinburgh Award and required a big expedition. I chose to do a cycling trip and needed to find a route greater than the 200 mile minimum requirement. Andrew, my expedition partner, and I briefly considered LEJOG but the distance was way more than required and, at the time, seemed like a bit too much effort. Maidenhead, our hometown, to Lands End at 350 miles was more like it.
1993: Maidenhead to Land's End
That summer was amazing. The years have probably erased all memories of the tough spots and any bad weather, so all I remember now is endless sunny days and pleasant glides through the South-West countryside. We cycled 60 miles a day, stayed in Youth Hostels and survived on Diet Coke and White Chocolate Magnum ice-creams. The 6 day trip to Land’s End was my first big adventure and it definitely wasn't going to be the last. Ever since then the full Land’s End To John O’Groats trip was something I had to do ... just not right now.
Right after that trip I started working for Mars and the next few years was all about work and socialising. 4 years living abroad was a whole different adventure in itself and the LEJOG idea sunk into the very back of my mind. It was only in my mid-30s that I started to get back into the outdoors in a big way. After the Kilimanjaro trek in 2013 I started planning my next big trip and the LEJOG idea started to bubble up again. Two more things then happened to bring it right to the front. The first was turning 40 and thoughts around finishing off things that I wanted to do. The second was planning the Growlerthon, my fundraising year in memory of my dad who was diagnosed with lung cancer shortly after Kili. Back burner no more .... I had to do LEJOG.
Putting the team together was relatively easy. Slobby did the trip 2 years before and was up for doing it again. Brian, my Kili buddy, was also an easy “yes”. Brian recruited the rest of the team: Martyn and Ray, both from our office and both with different personal charity and fitness goals, and Reggie, Brian's brother. By early January we had the team together and the next few months was all about training and route planning.
We had all heard of different routes, from the 41 hours record to a very sedate month-long LEJOG pub crawl. 2 weeks seemed the most obvious duration as it was about as much time as we could get off work and the 75 mile average day was very manageable. This plan meant we could stay off the busy A roads as much as possible and get as much scenery in as possible. By the time we all met up in Penzance the evening before the start, we had reached a peak of excitement. We had done all we could to prepare, train and fundraise. Now all we had to do was cycle.
We took Day 1 easy, just 35 miles to Falmouth. A little hilly, but nothing to complain about and a good dose of coastal route scenery. It was the next 2 days, Falmouth to Exford, that were the real test. Most people assume that Scotland is the toughest section for hills, but its actually Devon and Cornwall. This is part of the reason to start at Lands-End so that you can knock off the coastal hills while your legs are fresh. This would have been fine, except that I was still getting used to my new road-bike and I still wasn’t used to the gears. There were several points on the first few days when I thought I’d broken my bike by changing to the wrong gear at the wrong time up a hill.
By Day 4 we’d got into a flow, having got used to being together as a team and perfecting the routine of every day on the road. Each day we would get up at around 7:30, have breakfast, kit-up and tackle the first 15 to 20 miles. Then would come morning break, usually coffee and carrot cake, followed by another 20 miles before lunch. The afternoons were similar: 20 miles, then coffee and cake and the final push through to wherever we were staying that evening. We even got the evenings down to a fine art with some of us sorting out payment for the hostel, some sorting out clothes washing whilst the others showered.
Whilst a lot of the process of doing the trip became routine, the adventure was in the route itself. England, Wales and Scotland unfolded before us, showing us some of the best parts of the countryside. Towards the end of the trip we about our favourite parts but there were too many to bring it down to a short-list. Often we would post on Facebook about that day having been the best of the trip, only for the next day to be just a enjoyable or even better. My video of the highlights is probably the best way to explain how amazing the trip was.
One special moment for me was the evening in Wick, our final overnight stop after our longest day at 105 miles. We were less than 2 cycling hours from John O’Groats so there was already a feeling of celebration. We’d already been spared punctures or major injuries so getting to the end was inevitable, even if we had to walk. Wick really has a sense of being at the end of the country. It was fairly bleak, even in summer, and we wondered what people did there. Over a few pints a a curry we talked about the hilly South-West from 2 weeks ago, the exhilarating downhill rides into Exford, the Strawberry Line to Bristol, crossing the Severn Bridge, The Wye Valley, the ferry across the Mersey, the Lake District, Gretna, Arran, the Great Glenn and the Scottish coast. All very different experiences and even more special to have been able to join them up in one self-powered adventure.
After all of that, the final was a bit of an anti-climax. From Wick, we only had 17 miles to go, normally the distance till our first carrot cake stop. This 17 miles contained the most rain we'd had apart from the Lake District. John O’Groats quickly came and we were greeted by Martyn's family and friends who had followed us since Arran. The next part was ultra efficient, disassembling and boxing up the bikes, driving to Inverness airport and boarding the plane to Gatwick. After 2 weeks of being very present and fully focused on the trip, suddenly it was all over. I’d had a nice sense of completion for the adventure that I'd had in my mind for 21 years, but it didn't feel like an end, more the inspiration for something new. From John O’Groats, there's 2 ways to go, North by boat to Orkney or carry on West to Dunnet Head, the mainland’s most northerly point, then the wild Scottish coast. I'm sure I'll be back for both, but a lot sooner than 21 years.
Day 1: Land’s End to Falmouth
Date: July 6th 2015
Start: Land’s End Visitors Centre, Sennen, Penzance TR19 7AA
Finish: Falmouth Lodge Backpackers Hostel, 9 Gyllyngvase Terrace, Falmouth, TR11 4DL
Distance: 60.4 km (37.5 miles)
Elevation change: +757m / - 798 m / Net -41m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other Routes Touched (Cycle): NCN 3
Other Routes Touched (Walk): South West Coast Path
Day 2: Falmouth to Tintagel
Date: July 7th 2015
Start: Falmouth Lodge Backpackers Hostel, 9 Gyllyngvase Terrace, Falmouth, TR11 4DL
Finish: YHA Tintagel, Dunderhole Point, Tintagel PL34 0DW
Distance: 88.8 km (55.2 miles)
Elevation Change: +1,333m / - 1,289 m / Net +44m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other Routes Touched (Cycle): NCN 3, 32
Other Routes Touched (Walk): South West Coast Path
Day 3: Tintagel to Exford
Date: July 8th 2015
Start: YHA Tintagel, Dunderhole Point, Tintagel PL34 0DW
Finish: Exford Hostel, Exemead Stables, Exford, Minehead TA24 7PU
Distance: 118.6 km (73.7 miles)
Elevation change: : +1,641m / - 1,457 m / Net -184m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other Routes Touched (Cycle): NCN 27, 277, 3, 33
Other Routes Touched (Walk): South West Coast Path, Tarka Trail, Macmillan Way West, Two Moors Way, Exe Valley Way
Day 4: Exford to Bristol
Date: July 9th 2015
Start: Exford Hostel, Exemead Stables, Exford, Minehead, TA24 7PU
Finish: YHA Bristol, 14 Narrow Quay, Avon, Bristol BS1 4QA
Distance: 122 km (76 miles)
Elevation change: : +875m / - 1,120 m / Net -245m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other Routes Touched (Cycle): NCN 26 (The Strawberry Line), 3, 33, 334, 41, 410
Other Routes Touched (Walk): Exe Valley Way, Coleridge Way, Macmillan Way West, River Parrett Trail, The Mendip Trail, West Mendip Way, Round Yatton Walk, River Avon Trail,
Day 5: Bristol to Hereford
Date: July 10th 2015
Start: YHA Bristol, 14 Narrow Quay, Avon, Bristol BS1 4QA
Finish: East Friars B&B, 33 Greyfriars Avenue, Hereford, HR4 0BE
Distance: 84 km (52.2 miles)
Elevation change: +1,047m / - 1,007 m / Net +40m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other Routes Touched (Cycle): NCN 4, 41, 410, 42, 423, 46,
Other Routes Touched (Walk): Bristol Triangular City Walk, Severn Way, Wales Coast Path, Wye Valley Walk, Offa’s Dyke Path, Gloucestershire Way, Herefordshire Trail,
Day 6: Hereford to Chester
Date: July 11th 2015
Start: East Friars B&B, 33 Greyfriars Avenue, Hereford, HR4 0BE
Finish: Grotty hotel in Chester City Centre, CH1 3DU
Distance: 149.4 km (92.8 miles)
Elevation change: +1,035m / - 1,066 m / Net -31m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other Routes Touched (Cycle): NCN 44, 45, 455, 81,
Other Routes Touched (Walk): Herefordshire Trail, Shropshire Way, Jack Mytton Way, Severn Way, Llangolen Canal Towpath, Maelor Way, Marches Way, Baker Way, Two Saints Way, Shropshire Union Canal Towpath,
Day 7: Chester to Morecambe
Date: July 12th 2015
Start: Grotty hotel in Chester City Centre, CH1 3DU
Finish: The Morecambe Bay Hotel, 317-318 Marine Rd Central, Morecambe LA4 5AA
Distance: 122.9 km (76.4 miles)
Elevation change: +627m / - 642 m / Net -15m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other Routes Touched (Cycle): NCN 56, 568, 6, 62, 622, 69, 810,
Other Routes Touched (Walk): Shropshire Union Canal Towpath, Longster Trail, North Cheshire Way, Ribble Way, Lancaster Canal Towpath,
Day 8: Morecambe to Carlisle
Date: July 13th 2015
Start: The Morecambe Bay Hotel, 317-318 Marine Rd Central, Morecambe LA4 5AA
Finish: YHA Carlisle (now permanently closed), Bridge Ln, Carlisle CA2 5SR
Distance: 123.2 km (76.5 miles)
Elevation change: +1,172m / - 1,161 m / Net +11m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other Routes Touched (Cycle): NCN 10, 6, 69, 7, 70, 71, 700
Other Routes Touched (Walk): Lancashire Coastal Way, Cumbria Coastal Way, Coast To Coast Walk, Cumbria Way,
Day 9: Carlisle to New Cumnock
Date: July 14th 2015
Start: YHA Carlisle (now permanently closed), Bridge Ln, Carlisle CA2 5SR
Finish: Old School B&B, Dalleagles, New Cumnock, East Ayrshire, KA18 4QW
Distance: 126.5 km (78.6 miles)
Elevation change: +921m / - 707 m / Net -214m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other Routes Touched (Cycle): NCN 10, 7, 72
Other Routes Touched (Walk): Hadrian’s Wall Path, Annandale Way, Southern Upland Way,
Day 10: New Cumnock to Lochgilphead
Date: July 15th 2015
Start: Old School B&B, Dalleagles, New Cumnock, East Ayrshire, KA18 4QW
Finish: Empire Lodge B&B, Union St Lochgilphead, Lochgilphead, PA31 8JS,
Distance: 131.8 km (81.9 miles)
Elevation change: +1,213m / -1,437 m / Net -224m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other Routes Touched (Cycle): NCN 7, 73, 78
Other Routes Touched (Walk): River Ayr Way, New Town Trail, Arran Coastal Way, Kyntire Way
Day 11: Lochgilphead to Fort William
Date: July 16th 2015
Start: Empire Lodge B&B, Union St Lochgilphead, Lochgilphead, PA31 8JS,
Finish: Glen Nevis Youth Hostel, Glen Nevis, Fort William PH33 6SY
Elevation change: 135.6 km (84.3 miles)
Ascent: +1,554m / -1,535 m / Net -19m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other Routes Touched (Cycle): NCN 78
Other Routes Touched (Walk): Great Glen Way, West Highland Way
Day 12: Fort William to Inverness
Date: July 17th 2015
Start: Glen Nevis Youth Hostel, Glen Nevis, Fort William PH33 6SY
Finish: Inverness Youth Hostel, Victoria Dr, Inverness IV2 3QB
Elevation change: 107.9 km (67 miles)
Ascent: +1,197m / -1,206 m / Net -9m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other Routes Touched (Cycle): NCN 1, 7, 78
Other Routes Touched (Walk): West Highland Way, East Highland Way, Great Glen Way
Day 13: Inverness to Wick
Date: July 18th 2015
Start: Inverness Youth Hostel, Victoria Dr, Inverness IV2 3QB
Finish: Harbour House B&B, 12 Harbour Terrace, Wick KW1 5HB
Distance: 167.1 km (103.8 miles)
Elevation change: +1,471m / - 1,486 m / Net -15m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other Routes Touched (Cycle): NCN 1
Other Routes Touched (Walk): none
Day 14: Wick to John O’ Groats
Date: July 19th 2015
Start: Harbour House B&B, 12 Harbour Terrace, Wick KW1 5HB
Finish: John O’ Groats Visitors Centre, John O' Groats, Wick KW1 4YR
Distance: 27.6 km (17.1 miles)
Elevation change: +203m / - 213 m / Net -10m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other Routes Touched (Cycle): NCN 1
Other Routes Touched (Walk): none
