Hi everyone, just wondered how many of you have been on this stretch of road? I was on it yesterday in my lorry and the views were a pleasant change from the usual motorway views! Lovely part of the country
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I went through the area for the first time a few weeks ago on the way back home from seeing some family in Preston.So only used the M6 to Knutsford then the cross country routes to eventually join the M40.Went over Cat and Fiddle and it was a nice Sunday evening and the roads were empty and have to say was impressed with the terrain and views more than I thought.I’ll probably use that route even more now in future in preference to Kidderminster-Liverpool.
While,with the exception of the M40,as the motorways get ever slower and ever more regulated and congested,they make ever less sense to use.
Used correctly the A53 Buxton/Leek is a decent road but has to be treated with respect, many have come to a sticky end on it over the years even in good weather. The ‘big dipper’ has caught many out with brake fade and I know of two drivers who turned back to Buxton as they hadn’t the confidence that they could stop at the bottom when there were roadworks there! 
In good weather The Roaches (where Commandos trained) and The Winking Man rock almost glow in the sun, but I remember our club having a vintage rally in the Winking Man pub car park one February and the council had to come and plough the snow from it before we could set up! Lomas’s trucks roar up and down it several times a day, don’t get under their feet when they are low flying! 
Pete.
137 kph is the current record for a loaded artic 44 tonne going down the dip towards blackshaw moor
Punchy Dan:
137 kph is the current record for a loaded artic 44 tonne going down the dip towards blackshaw moor
That wouldn’t…
Have been you would it Dan?
If it was, the copper could say ‘book him Danno’.
Punchy Dan:
137 kph is the current record for a loaded artic 44 tonne going down the dip towards blackshaw moor
I lost my brakes ( faulty foot valve ) just by the Winking Man with an s21 Foden at 32 tons . It did seem rather quick when I went onto Blackshaw Moor . Good job the road was quiet at 5am . speedo went off the clock before I got to the big hill . Fun and games when trucks were lorries .
Punchy Dan:
137 kph is the current record for a loaded artic 44 tonne going down the dip towards blackshaw moor
We were resurfacing the road there many years ago Dan, Tilcons Brummie gang were laying the tarmac and had a set of lights on the job. Well I was waiting to tip and spotted an artic coming down bank rather too rapidly and the brakes were smoking badly. Not a hope of him stopping and I pointed him out to the ganger. He came through with air horns blaring on a red light scattering cones and the traffic lights, he would have been hard pushed to stop at Ball Haye Road lights in Leek! A lad who drove for Harry Evans did go off the road back in the seventies and sadly died. 
Pete.
windrush:
Used correctly the A53 Buxton/Leek is a decent road but has to be treated with respect, many have come to a sticky end on it over the years even in good weather. The ‘big dipper’ has caught many out with brake fade and I know of two drivers who turned back to Buxton as they hadn’t the confidence that they could stop at the bottom when there were roadworks there!Pete.
Hi Pete,
I see you’re from Matlock, I was delivering to the Wetherspoon’s there before going to the midlands so got to try that road for the first time, it’s a beautiful stretch of road but very dangerous if you don’t respect it like you say! I passed about 3 Lomas’s trucks on that stretch and they certainly look like they use it every day lol.
I think I know the Big Dipper bit you are on about too, I had to constantly come off and on the brakes as the exhaust break didn’t want to work, I think because the lorry was an auto and it seemed to disengage gear and roll in neutral without letting me know! Matlock is a lovely place by the way but the traffic is ridiculous for such a small place
Also I decided to search that stretch of road on google when I got home and saw that in 2008 it was rated the UK’s most dangerous road and in that year alone there were 14 fatalities just on that 12 mile stretch
I always thought that was the " Cat & Fiddle " ?
Regards John.
Chris Cooke:
windrush:
Used correctly the A53 Buxton/Leek is a decent road but has to be treated with respect, many have come to a sticky end on it over the years even in good weather. The ‘big dipper’ has caught many out with brake fade and I know of two drivers who turned back to Buxton as they hadn’t the confidence that they could stop at the bottom when there were roadworks there!Pete.
Hi Pete,
I see you’re from Matlock, I was delivering to the Wetherspoon’s there before going to the midlands so got to try that road for the first time, it’s a beautiful stretch of road but very dangerous if you don’t respect it like you say! I passed about 3 Lomas’s trucks on that stretch and they certainly look like they use it every day lol.
I think I know the Big Dipper bit you are on about too, I had to constantly come off and on the brakes as the exhaust break didn’t want to work, I think because the lorry was an auto and it seemed to disengage gear and roll in neutral without letting me know! Matlock is a lovely place by the way but the traffic is ridiculous for such a small place
Just to edit what I meant, I delivered to Matlock then went to Buxton and then took the A53 from there lol
yourhavingalarf:
Punchy Dan:
137 kph is the current record for a loaded artic 44 tonne going down the dip towards blackshaw moorThat wouldn’t…
Have been you would it Dan?
If it was, the copper could say ‘book him Danno’.
Not me , I don’t go that way much or usually going up not down ,it was a large company driver .
Some great roads all around there but early morning is probably best avoided due to all the tippers going full steam.
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It’s rare days when sun’s out and a trips like mentioned make the job seem like.the best job ever…
I’m a biker so always up over that way weather permitting.
Just a pain with all the average speed cameras on the cat n fiddle.
Can see why they done it as used get idiots up there doing 100mph plus on there bikes.
But still a pain on a bike on a car is easy to watch and keep.your speed to 50/60 you try it o a bike.
Have keep looking down thus taking eyes off the road… And all.it takes is a slight touch on throttle and you speed increases very quick.
wrighty1:
Some great roads all around there but early morning is probably best avoided due to all the tippers going full steam.Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk
Rigsby will agree that Long Hill (Buxton to Whaley Bridge) was another road that was rife with tippers before the Chapel by-pass was in place! Allinsons from Stockport side by side heading towards you in convoy, scary! Plenty of smoking brakes at either end of it. It is still a nice road to travel on though.
Pete.
Chris Cooke:
Hi everyone, just wondered how many of you have been on this stretch of road? I was on it yesterday in my lorry and the views were a pleasant change from the usual motorway views! Lovely part of the countrySent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Every time I’m on that road I’m always near 44 tonnes. Find it a bit hard going to be honest.
If you were out in the car for a Sunday drive, I imagine there would be very few places nicer.