walking | Shining Tor
What and where is Shining Tor?
Shining Tor is a hill in the Peak District of England, between the towns of Buxton and Macclesfield, lying on the border between Derbyshire and Cheshire. Its summit is the highest point in Cheshire.
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Views at the summit including the peak of Shutlingsloe to the Southwest, and in clear conditions Winter Hill near Bolton, the city of Manchester and much of the Cheshire Plain can be seen, including the radio telescopes at Jodrell Bank 20 kilometres (12 mi) to the west.
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Remember to stick to The Rules and have fun!
2-3 hours
5.6 miles
Peak District
Get this route
Download our route and follow this yourself from either OS Maps or Viewranger. OS Maps requires a subscription, which luckily you can get 10% off with Northern Stroll on any 12 month subscription. Check out our blog post for the code.
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Viewranger is free and much like OS Maps doesn't require any data to work. All you need is a GPS signal, especially if you have downloaded your maps beforehand. It also has OS Maps available as a layer inside the app.
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Don't have Viewranger on your phone yet? See our guide, or download it in your app store.
Route overview
Starting at Errwood Hall car park is a common start point for Shining Tor. After a decently challenging climb immediately up from the car park, the hard work is over. A few hundred metres up you can be rewarded with decent views all the way back down the valley and an easy jaunt across the top to the right, across Cats Tor and to the corner of Pym Chair.
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Bonus tip, this route takes you over the top into the ruins of Errwood Hall, which was destroyed in 1934 as part of the reservoir construction.
Key things to know:
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Time: About 2 hours
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Distance: 5.64 miles
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Elevation: 1,814 feet
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Calorie burning opportunity: Decent - roughly 1,500 burn last time!
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Photo opportunities rating: 7/10, do it for the 'gram.
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Nearby pubs: None too near, but Macclesfield, High Peak and Buxton all have a plethora.
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How to get here:
Postcode: SK17 6SX
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Parking at Errwood Hall car park is free and a great place to start from. Use the Google Maps marker here or just search for it in your favourite search engine.
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Picnic benches also available for a sandwich and sit!