Travel & Tourism

Lantern Pike – the countryside walk with amazing views, an old railway line, and a great pub at the end

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 22nd July 2024

If you’re looking for a country walk that’s got a bit of everything – we’re talking views, lakes, history, picturesque villages and, crucially, pints – this is the one.

Step across the Greater Manchester border into High Peak, and you can take on a circular walk that’s got it all.

The walk takes in all the best bits of the English countryside, from rolling hills to proper pubs.

Park in the village of Hayfield, with an optional stop at Marmalade Coffee Shop for a bacon sandwich and some caffeine.

Then head out west to join the Sett Valley Trail, which joins Hayfield and New Mills.

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The trail itself is 2.5 miles and follows a former railway line – but now it’s a tree-lined trail that’s perfect for a gentle stroll, cycle or even horse ride.

Lantern Pike in the Peak District. Credit: The Manc Group
Lantern Pike in the Peak District. Credit: The Manc Group
Lantern Pike in the Peak District. Credit: The Manc Group
Lantern Pike in the Peak District. Credit: The Manc Group

You’ll pass the Birch Vale reservoir, but won’t be following the trail all the way to New Mills.

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Instead, turn off to the right to cross the River Sett and walk towards Sitch Lane.

The road will take you to the very edge of the Peak District ready for an uphill climb to the peak of Lantern Pike.

It’s not a giant by Peak District standards (373m compared to Kinder Scout’s 636m) but the views are 360 degrees – fields on all sides and the incredible Manchester skyline in the distance.

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Walk straight over the summit and back down the other side, passing the Lantern Pike pub (we won’t judge if you pause for a pint here), cross the road, and join Snake Path.

This will take you past Twenty Trees, which is literally a group of trees standing on its own, and back into Hayfield.

Here you’ll find The Pack Horse, a country pub that’s gained some serious accolades in the last year.

The pub has been added to the Michelin Guide and earned a place in the Top 50 Gastropubs, famed for its seasonal, locally-sourced menu.

Despite a top-notch menu, the pub is more than happy to welcome in customers (and dogs) who are covered in mud – as all good countryside boozers should.

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You can see a map of the circular walking route at alltrails.com.

Featured image: The Manc Group

Travel & Tourism

This Manchester hotel has a Bonfire Night ‘escape’ package for pets to help keep them calm

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

One of Manchester’s most luxurious hotels is transforming into the ultimate pet refuge again over the firework season.

Bonfire Night is loved across the UK for the spectacular firework displays and all the festive-themed activities that go along with it, but the November annual event isn’t so fun for our four-legged friends, as fireworks can be frightening to pets due to loud bangs, flashing lights, and the unpleasant strong smell of spent explosives.

With multiple bangs occurring from numerous displays too, pets are rarely able to pinpoint where the booming explosions are coming from, only making it more terrifying for them.

This is why, after becoming a huge success following its launch last year, Kimpton Clocktower Hotel in the heart of the city centre has brought back its special ‘Bonfire Night Escape’ escape package, turning the already pet-friendly hotel into a firework-free sanctuary.

The hotel‘s year-round ‘PAWfect Stay’ package includes any dog staying at no extra cost, plus a pet tuckbox, a guide to the best dog-friendly places in the city, and a toy waiting for them in the room, but this fireworks season, pet owners will also get a luxury hamper including Pet Remedy’s ‘Party Season Survival Kit’

The kit comes together with a range of fast-acting products to help immediately in stressful situations such as fireworks, and includes calming spray, a plug diffuser, and some calming wipes too.

On top of that, dog owners can also take advantage of the hotel’s Music Concierge service, which allows guests to request a record player and vinyls to be placed in the room ahead of check in – with lots of classical and relaxing music records available to distract anxious pets from the noise of Bonfire Night celebrations.

Kimpton Clocktower Hotel has a Bonfire Night ‘escape’ package to help keep pets calm / Credit: Elisha Terada (via Unsplash)

The award-winning The Refuge Bar and Restaurant inside the hotel also offers a menu of carefully-curated dog treats throughout the week, as well as doggy Sunday roasts all Sunday.

David Lockhart, who is the General Manager at Kimpton Clocktower Hotel, said he likes to think of the hotel as a “home-away-from-home for our guests”.

“Our top priority is making sure everyone is feeling safe and comfortable,” he added. “We can’t wait to welcome our November guests and help them care for their four-legged family members, giving them everything they need.”

Read more:

The Bonfire Night Escape package at Kimpton Clocktower Hotel is available to book from Friday 1 November, subject to availability, and you can request the package via the hotel concierge or by emailing [email protected] to book.

Find out more here.

Featured Image – Jody Hartley (via Supplied)

Travel & Tourism

You can fly straight to paradise with direct flights from Manchester to Barbados

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson You can fly direct from Manchester to Barbados with Aer Lingus. Credit: Unsplash, Tom Jur

Good news sun-seekers – Aer Lingus has relaunched its direct flights between Manchester and Barbados, so you could be swapping out commute for hammock in a heartbeat. 

Aer Lingus will be jetting off straight to the tropical paradise of Barbados from Manchester between 1 November and 31 May, with three direct flights a week.

That’s along with all their routes to bucket list destinations like New York, Orlando, Las Vegas, and LA.

And the best bit is that you could take your Caribbean trip of a lifetime from just £389 return until 31 May 2025 (T&Cs apply). 

These super-affordable direct flights head straight to Bridgetown, the colourful capital of Barbados. 

From there, you have the trip of a lifetime at your fingertips – whether you want to feast on Bajan cuisine, explore the colonial towns, or just relax on white-sand, world-class beaches. 

You can explore sugarcane fields and visit wonders like Harrison’s Cave, where electric tram tours whisk passengers through an amazing natural cave with waterfalls, deep emerald pools, and thousands of stalactites and stalagmites.

There’s a 1000-year-old Baobab tree you can see, green monkeys to spot at the Barbados Wildlife Reserve, and culinary tours of the island you can take.

You can fly direct from Manchester to Barbados with Aer Lingus. Credit: Unsplash, Tom Jur
You can fly direct from Manchester to Barbados with Aer Lingus. Credit: Unsplash, Tom Jur
You can fly direct from Manchester to Barbados with Aer Lingus. Credit: Unsplash, Tom Jur

Some of the best bits of Barbados lie just off its coast, and there are loads of boat trips you can book, where you can snorkel in the island’s beautiful waters. 

And the best time to head out to Barbados is when the weather is coldest back home – the island country is beautifully balmy and dry during the UK’s autumn, winter and spring. 

Whatever your perfect winter escape looks like, Aer Lingus can get you there – plus, with the friendliest cabin crew in the skies, there’s more than one reason to book your trip with the airline. 

Aer Lingus flights guarantee properly comfortable seats, in-flight entertainment, and meals on board, so your flight will quite literally fly by (but you might not want it to end). 

Or to start your bucket list trip off in the best way possible, there are business class flights to Barbados, with fully lie-flat seats, delicious seasonal meals, free WiFi, and so much more.

You can book your flight from Manchester to Barbados with Aer Lingus HERE. 

Read more: The beautifully restored VW camper van you can rent from Oldham

Featured image: Unsplash, Tom Jur

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