"Cat & Fiddle"

[DannyVTS]

Evening all, happy new year.

I'm taking a mate to see a car in Manchester tomorrow. I live near Pontefract so the obvious satnav dull route is going to be on the M62.

But i've always heard that there are some awesome roads across the dales if you know where to go..

I've looked on Google maps and the A628 looks like the best route to go, i've been this way before on the way to the Airport but have never driven it, is this the car&fiddle?

If not, what is?

Cheers
Danny

[C2james]

I'm not sure but on the cat&fiddle route the speed limit has been reduced and the police patrol it as they now it is popular with bikers.

[BeeRoad]

No, the cat and fiddle is A537 from Buxton to macclesfield. Haven't driven it for a year and that was in a Chrysler Voyager but it was still fun.

[mrtwisty]

The cat & fiddle run is the road between macclesfield and buxton. Average speed cameras on it now, but still a fantastic drive. Large parts of it are so twisty you can't get near the speed limit anyway. Go for it.

[tim2100]

The cat & Fiddle is a great drive. There is average speed cameras but you really have to be going some to be able to keep such a high average speed.

[DannyVTS]

Oh, unfortunately it is a bit too south to where we are headed Guess i'll have to wait a little longer to drive it!

[BeeRoad]

DannyVTS said:

Oh, unfortunately it is a bit too south to where we are headed Guess i'll have to wait a little longer to drive it!

When you do, just make sure your front number plate is very dirty. . . . . .

[C2james]

BeeRoad said:

DannyVTS said:

Oh, unfortunately it is a bit too south to where we are headed Guess i'll have to wait a little longer to drive it!

When you do, just make sure your front number plate is very dirty. . . . . .

And rear surely?

[tim2100]

DannyVTS said:

Oh, unfortunately it is a bit too south to where we are headed Guess i'll have to wait a little longer to drive it!

If it is quiet it is worth the detour!

[DannyVTS]

I was going to wash the car for the trip! Better not then ha

My rear plate is having a habit of falling off at the moment anyway officer

[tim2100]

DannyVTS said:

I was going to wash the car for the trip! Better not then ha

My rear plate is having a habit of falling off at the moment anyway officer

I wouldn't worry about the plates. As I said above you have to be going some to be worried about the average speed cameras.

There are lots of tight twisty hairpins, with drops.

Just go for the experience. Don't worry about how quick or Slow you are going. Just be careful.

[mrtwisty]

It would probably be better to wait until the weather is better anyway. It really is a challenging route, and I remember seeing some fairly significant drops at the edge of the road...
Oh and it can get surprisingly busy, I'm going to go very early morning in mid-summer next time.

[7mike]

DannyVTS said:

Evening all, happy new year.

I've looked on Google maps and the A628 looks like the best route to go, i've been this way before on the way to the Airport but have never driven it, is this the car&fiddle?

If not, what is?

Cheers
Danny

A628 is the Woodhead Pass, beats the M62! If you have time on the return leg, drop a bit further South & return via the A57 Snake Pass. Just avoid the Glossop area at peak times, it's a bit of a bottle neck.

[DannyVTS]

7mike said:

DannyVTS said:

Evening all, happy new year.

I've looked on Google maps and the A628 looks like the best route to go, i've been this way before on the way to the Airport but have never driven it, is this the car&fiddle?

If not, what is?

Cheers
Danny

A628 is the Woodhead Pass, beats the M62! If you have time on the return leg, drop a bit further South & return via the A57 Snake Pass. Just avoid the Glossop area at peak times, it's a bit of a bottle neck.

We're making a day of it so will check that road out if i remember!

Danny

[Stu R]

Never quite got the obsession with this road - massively overrated IMO, total disappointment after going out of my way to ride it after the hype from fellow bikers about it being the last word in twisties.

[The Game]

DannyVTS said:

7mike said:

DannyVTS said:

Evening all, happy new year.

I've looked on Google maps and the A628 looks like the best route to go, i've been this way before on the way to the Airport but have never driven it, is this the car&fiddle?

If not, what is?

Cheers
Danny

A628 is the Woodhead Pass, beats the M62! If you have time on the return leg, drop a bit further South & return via the A57 Snake Pass. Just avoid the Glossop area at peak times, it's a bit of a bottle neck.

We're making a day of it so will check that road out if i remember!

Danny

Search out the A6024 to holmfirth, great little road, it's not very long only a few miles but you can turn round in the bus stop and do it again in the other direction. The devil's elbow B6105 is good too it runs from Woodhead to Glossop

Edited by The Game on Sunday 2nd January 02:28

[Dog Star]

tim2100 said:

DannyVTS said:

Oh, unfortunately it is a bit too south to where we are headed Guess i'll have to wait a little longer to drive it!

If it is quiet it is worth the detour!

+1

I avoid the place like the plague if it's nice weather and I'm on the bike (same as all the other biker haunts - Devils Bridge, Rivington. Matclock etc) but it's got to beat the slog over the M62.

[EvoBarry]

I drove the Cat yesterday actually, its clear and very driveable already thanks to the thaw. As for the cameras, you would have to be going very hard indeed to really trigger the ones on the twisty bit imo, but as others have said, if its nice weather you won't get near that anyway for all the tourists and slow bikers holding you up. I too avoid it during summer generally, there are far better places to do drive/ride.

[martin mrt]

I ended up on this road one Friday morning at 4am, I was heading back up north and had to park up close by to get my time off.

I never knew it was the Cat & Fiddle until I passed the pub, but I solemnly wished I was in the M3 I owned at the time and not the Scania R480 Artic loaded with tonne bags of chippings.

None the less I enjoyed the drive all the same, great road.

[scorcher]

Are the cameras working on the Cat and Fiddle now?.Speeed limit is 50MPH, but there is a shorter alternative route which is NSL that starts after the 1st camera and comes out before the second camera thus rendering them useless.Has this been sorted now?