Kinrara Bed and Breakfast - Whaley Bridge Information

Whaley Bridge (population 7,000 approx) is 18 miles south of Manchester, seven miles north of Buxton, nine miles north east of Macclesfield and 20 miles west of Sheffield and has good rail and bus connections.

The industrial revolution brought about a complete transformation of Whaley Bridge, from a mainly agricultural village to an industrial town with coal mining and textiles providing most employment. Nowadays Whaley Bridge is better known as the ‘Gateway to the Goyt’ with very few reminders of its industrial heritage.

A major attraction for visitors to the area and only a few minute's walk from Kinrara Bed and Breakfast is the Peak Forest Canal, which terminates at the picturesque Whaley Bridge canal basin. The decorative canal boats and the well-kept towpath offer both locals and visitors a leisurely way to experience the beauty of the area.

Many feel the real glory of Whaley Bridge is the canal basin. The basin provides the setting for one of the biggest local events, W3 - the Whaley Water Weekend, usually in June. Whaley Bridge has a good selection of bed and breakfast accommodation, pubs, and restaurants.

To the east of Whaley Bridge lies a strange natural feature on the hillside, the Roosdyche, a flat-bottomed valley, ¾ mile long, 40 yards wide and with sides sloping up to 30 feet high. Local legend says the Roosdyche was a Roman racecourse but it is now believed to be a glacial drainage channel dating from the last ice age.

THE PENNINE CYCLEWAY

This wonderful long distance cycleway covers 355 miles of superb scenery, historic towns and villages. The Cycleway starts in Derby, at the railway station and ends in Berwick-upon-Tweed on the Scottish borders. It is split into 3 sections to correspond with the 3 maps. The southern section, Derby to Holmfirth, uses a NCN route, the Tissington trail, a section of the High Peak trail, some minor roads and country lanes. It passes through Burton-on-Trent, Ashbourne, Buxton, Whaley Bridge, and Glossop en route for Holmfirth.

The central section of the Pennine Cycleway covers 124 miles of what is some of the most difficult terrain and starts with a long steep climb out of Holmfirth, but the views are glorious and well worth the effort. The route from Colne goes through Gargrave and into the Yorkshire Dales, passing through Settle, Ingleton, and Dent. An undulating route on minor roads then takes you through Sedbergh and the Howgills, crossing under the M6 twice, before descending into the historic market town of Appleby-in-Westmorland

In the third and final Northern section starting in Appleby (an alternative start is from Penrith) the Cycleway follows the lovely Eden Valley with the Pennines to your right, on to Alston - England's highest market town. From here the route follows the road along the River South Tyne with sections of converted railway line, ascending into Hadrian's Wall country, through Wark Forest and then into Bellingham and the start of the Cheviot Hills.

Heading out of Wooler for the Scottish borders there are many reminders of the turbulent history of this area - fortified houses and castles such as those found at Ford, Etal and Norham. You use the Coast and Castles cycle route (NCN 1) for the final few miles of your ride, with a brief trip into Scotland over the River Tweed before ending your journey at Berwick-upon-Tweed.