By Roseanna
One of my favorite walks, which is right on my doorstep, is Tegg’s Nose Country Park located in Macclesfield.
The 54-hectare site has won a Green Flag Award which recognizes and rewards well-managed parks and green spaces.
If you’re in the area and you’re thinking of visiting, here’s what you need to know.
Trails and events
The main two trails are;
- The Tegg’s Nose Trail which is a circular route of approx 2.5-miles
- The Tegg’s Nose Strole which is a smaller circular walk of approx 1.5-miles on fairly level ground with accessible footpaths.
Both of which are clearly signposted and easy to follow.
For me and my Working Cocker Spaniel, Winston, these distances are not long enough, so we usually walk around the main trail, do a circle, and then double back on ourselves to make it a 5+mile walk which does him nicely.
If you want to make it longer still, or if you prefer not to double-back on your own footsteps, you can venture out of the park and into Macclesfield Forest.
Also, the Gritstone Trail runs right through the country park, which is a 35-mile route from Disley to Kidsgrove.
Related Reads:
- 24 Photos to Inspire You to Hike The Gritstone Trail
- *ATTEMPTING* to Hike The Gritstone Trail, UK (Part 1)
- *ATTEMPTING* To Finish Hiking The Gritstone Trail, UK (Part 2)
A small thing to note is that there is no cycling allowed in the park, but there is a route that starts from the car park called Grit and Gears II, and you can find out more information about that here.
Aside from the trails, you can also take part in other activities and events including;
- armchair walks,
- geology trails,
- climbing and abseiling,
- orienterring,
- wildlife watching,
- educational visits,
- guided walks,
- and other seasonal activities.
For more information as to what’s on and when, you can check out the Tegg’s Nose Country Park Facebook Page.
Dogs
You’ll encounter lots of other dogs en route around the park and there are plenty of opportunities to allow your four-legged friend some freedom off the lead.
Just be aware that in some months cattle or sheep may be grazing. These areas are clearly signposted and if you notice livestock in the field, just pop your dog on a lead until you have exited at the other end.
Other than that, dogs are welcome and will enjoy the trail just as much as you do.
The landscape and views!
If you want some Insta-worthy photos without having to break into too much of a sweat, then this is definitely the place for you. You can walk out of the car park and follow the flat-ish path only a short distance to this view.
If you follow the Tegg’s Nose Trail all the way around, you’ll encounter lots of different landscapes in one; cobbled tracks, open fields, stepping stones over a stream, twin reservoirs, and forest and trees. All of which are beautiful all year round!
Also, quarrying took place at this location from the 1500s to 1955, and as you walk around the park, you’ll notice that this history is still visible.
Parking
Let’s be honest, difficulty in parking can ruin an otherwise enjoyable day out. Luckily, you won’t have any trouble parking at Tegg’s Nose.
The country park is blessed with a large pay and display car park. I have visited numerous times and have never had any trouble in finding a suitable place to leave my car.
Yes, you do have to pay to park, but I find the charges to be very reasonable.
The first 30-minutes is free, 30-minutes to 1-hour is 80p, 1 to 3-hours is £2.00, and 3 to 10-hours is £3.00.
If you’re visiting this post from the future, then up-to-date pricing can be found here.
Food and facilities
Next to the car park, there is the Tegg’s Nose Tea Room which serves a range of hot and cold food and is dog friendly.
I personally prefer to pack my own lunch and stop somewhere en route to eat whilst taking in my surroundings, but if a hot chocolate and a piece of cake at the end of your walk is more of your thing, then I’m sure you’ll be well catered for.
Here is the Facebook page for Tegg’s Nose Tea Room.
There are also some public toilets on site, which always come in handy, and they are accessible from outside (so you don’t need to walk through the tea room)
And lastly, surrounding the tea room is also where you’ll find various information boards detailing the places of interest in your viewpoint, along with the history of the area and what wildlife you can expect to see.
What a funny name!
Yep, I thought the exact same thing too when I first heard it – I actually thought I had misheard it!
Early maps have shown the area to be called Tegge’s Naze.
The two current theories behind this are:
- The word ‘tegge’, meaning an early Norse Settler, and the word ‘nose’ meaning a point of high land,
- or more simply that the large hill of land looked like sheep or ‘teg’.
Personally, I prefer the first theory.
An enjoyable day out
I’ll be honest, it’s been a while since I visited Tegg’s Nose Country Park, but after writing this post, I think I’m going to schedule a trip there very shortly.
As you can tell from my photos, I tend to visit at the beginning of autumn. It’s a very popular place and the trails can get a bit busy in the summer months and on sunny days.
Nevertheless, I’ve never had a bad day at Tegg’s Nose and I hope that my post has helped provide you with the information that you need to have an enjoyable day out.
If you have any other questions, just pop them below and I’ll do my best to answer.
Roseanna x
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