A537 · England

Cat and Fiddle Road

The A537 over the moors between Macclesfield and Buxton, named after the Cat and Fiddle Inn near its highest point.

StartFinish

15.2 kmLength

75Pace-note calls

0Hairpins

18Tight corners (1–2)

↑320 ↓140Climb and drop, m

≈510 mHighest point

Counts are from Turini’s pace-note engine on this route. Heights come from terrain data and can differ from signposted figures by a few tens of metres.

Where is the Cat and Fiddle Road?

The Cat and Fiddle Road is in England, on the A537. Also known as Cat and Fiddle. The route on this page: Macclesfield to the edge of Buxton, 15.2 km.

Why the Cat and Fiddle Road is famous

Its long open bends drew motorcyclists for decades, and it was repeatedly rated one of Britain’s most dangerous roads in road-safety surveys. Average-speed cameras now cover the route.

Cat and Fiddle Road corners

Over 15.2 km Turini calls 73 corners graded 1 to 6, plus 1 crest. That is 75 calls in all, one every 203 metres on average. Grade 1 is the tightest, 6 is nearly straight (how to read pace notes).

214

321

512

613

Cat and Fiddle Road elevation profile

From 190 m at the start to 364 m at the finish, with a highest point of about 510 m.

600 m100 m

0 km7.6 km15.2 km

Cat and Fiddle Road pace notes, first few km

The first 25 calls, exactly as Turini reads them, with the distance from the start.

55 mLeft 3 long tightens

290 mLeft 6

370 mRight 6

865 mRight 3

930 mLeft 3

995 mRight 2 long

1.13 kmLeft 1

1.19 kmRight 5

1.23 kmLeft 3

1.45 kmRight 6

1.51 kmLeft 4

1.57 kmRight 2 tightens

1.67 kmLeft 1

1.71 kmRight 3

1.83 kmRight 3

2.21 kmRight 2 long tightens

2.40 kmLeft 3

2.49 kmRight 5

2.56 kmLeft 6

2.85 kmRight 5 very long

3.32 kmLeft 3 very long tightens

3.56 kmRight 6

3.69 kmRight 6

4.00 kmRight 6

4.11 kmLeft 2

That takes you to 4.11 km. 50 more calls follow over the remaining 11.1 km.

Before you drive the Cat and Fiddle Road

Open all year; snow and ice are common on the high section in winter.

Average-speed cameras cover much of the road, so keep to the limit. Fog is common on the tops.

How to drive the Cat and Fiddle Road with Turini

Set the route before you leave and Turini saves its notes on the phone, so it works with the screen off and no signal. On the road it reads each call about 4.5 seconds before the corner, timed to your speed, and you never touch the phone. It also works through Android Auto. If pace notes are new to you, start in Simple mode (Easy, Medium, Hard) and switch to the 1–6 scale once it feels natural.

Always drive within the law, the conditions and what you can see. Turini tells you what the map says; the road is what counts.

More roads like the Cat and Fiddle Road

Snake PassEngland19.7 km · 54 calls

Horseshoe PassWales10.5 km · 33 calls

Evo TriangleWales20.1 km · 91 calls

Best driving roads in Europe · Best driving roads in the UK · All famous roads · How to read pace notes

Sources: Wikipedia: A537 road.

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