Our walk started at the Cat and Fiddle which, at 1,690 ft high, is the second highest inn in England.  At 9.15am we left the inn behind as we took the public bridleway directly opposite the inn crossing the moors in a southerly direction towards Danebower.  The weather was dull but dry and small groups of Red Grouse kept breaking from the heather as we approached.  On our right side a deep channel had been cut by rainwater into the peet.  After a couple of miles we reached the A54 Congleton road which we crossed over then descended down a path to the River Dane and as we descended the path Wheatears were everywhere.  The Dane, which has only travelled about two miles from its birth place on Axe Edge, is only about three feet wide at this point.  Evidence of old mining activity can be seen alongside the stream including a chimney stack still in very good repair.  We were now walking alongside the stream as we made our way to Three Shire Heads.  Most of the path was good and dry but in two places marshy ground needed careful navigation to cross.  After a mile we reached Three Shire Heads where the counties of Cheshire, Derbyshire, and Staffordshire meet. This is a beautiful spot where the River Dane is joined by another stream from Axe Edge Moors and this meeting place of the two streams is crossed by two old pack horse bridges.  As we stood on a bridge, looking down the valley at the River Dane as it continued its journey to the South, we wondered if this was a good spot for dippers and then as if on cue we spotted a Dipper a 100 yards away by the side of the river.  The last 1½ miles had been downhill and the next 1½ miles were uphill.  We had turned to the left after crossing the first pack horse bridge over the Dane and were now making our way along tracks towards Axe Edge Moors.  Four Kestrels were in the air at the same time and we guessed that this was a family group.   The walk over the moors with good weather was easy but it would have been very different on a wet misty day.  After crossing the moors we came to a small road which crosses the moors connecting the A54 road with the A53 Buxton to Leek road.  As we walked along this road towards the A54 we could see the traffic on the busy A537 Macclesfield to Buxton road.  Our eye was caught by a low moving vehicle bearing a pennant.  It was a bicycle where the rider drives the bike from a horizontal position.  Being so close to the ground and being passed by heavy trucks must have been a bit scary but the bike then turned off the A537, on to the A54, and then to our surprise turned into our small road allowing me to get a quick picture as he passed.  After crossing the A54 then the A537 roads we were now walking downhill along a quiet road leading towards Derbyshire Bridge in the Goyt Valley.  Before reaching the Goyt we turned to our left and completed the last few hundred yards uphill to the Cat and Fiddle and our car.  It was now 12.30pm and our walk of 12 km had taken us just over 3 hours. On a walk a few weeks earlier we had stopped for a drink at a pub on the A53 Buxton to Leek road called the Travellers Rest.  The pub is like a small museum inside and must be a nightmare to clean but we had enjoyed our previous drink so today we drove back to this pub for lunch.  Homemade Steak and Ale pie with potato and veg ended an excellent day.

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