Featured New Owner With Plans For The Cat & Fiddle Pub

This came up on MCN's ride 5000 miles Facebook page today.

Not too much information - but it looks as if this chap (Peter Strutton) may be buying or have bought the pub with interesting plans for the future.

"Cat and Fiddle pub on A537 had seen much better days when we viewed inside with the agents today... now brain whizzing on plans for total re-fit and re-opening specifically for the two-wheeled adventurer! Hopefully seeing architect and talking to Planners tomorrow!"

 

Saw the title and thought it was going to be your new venture!!

 

Would be good if they were able to have it as a bunk house too

 

Interesting. Trouble with the Cat and Fiddle road is it's a bit bleak out of season. So getting sustained year round trade would be a problem. It's fairly local to me but it's not somewhere i'd go between say October and the end of March. Unless........

 

Its been popular with trail riders in the past - assuming there are still routes legally ride-able the winter season may be OK too ! Main gripe I have over there is the average speed cameras spoiling the landscape and my fun ! Nice in surrounding areas too though - Bakewell Matlock etc..

 

We stopped opposite the Cat and Fiddle pub on the 2016 GMU rideout that I lead.

Over the years the A537 has had a reputation of being a very dangerous road with many fatalities, like it or not the cameras are there because of idiots or people riding/driving above their capabilities.

 

I remember - it was raining!

 

It still is a good ride, tho I agree it was better before the cash cams went in but when the road is categorised as having the most crashes and fatalities in Britain the authorities had to act. Thanks to all the TT wannabies going berserk and even filming their own accidents so spectacularly they are the ones who have spoiled it for the rest of us. I was up there a couple of weeks ago riding it from Buxton to Macclesfield and this lad on a Repsol blade rode past the queue of traffic and me to go over the stop line on a red light at the last set of lights before joining the Cat then set off like he was starting a race only to slow down for the first camera. I bimbled off and kept my speedo never reading more than 60 cos the corners are tight and your speed drops to about 35 on some of them and guess who was right in front of me by the time we got to Macc. I think I only used the brakes four times on the whole run, just let the bike roll into the turn and used the gears.
Be nice to have the pub open again tho

 

First time Cat & Fiddle for me today.
Some of the corner road surface is shockingly bad, wondering if this is the new safety technique to slow ppl down?
Some stretches it feels like there’s too many cameras and 50 is unjustified - straight, open views, no junctions. NSL (even with cameras) would be more realistic. The real twisters can still be enjoyed enough with 50 limit.

 

It was still a great day out tho' Tiglet, I remember it well. Tested all my wet weather gear too !!!

 

Used to be a regular haunt of mine and a buddy about 20 years ago on a summer evening.

We would sit outside having a pint and guys would ride like stink from Macclesfield up to the C&F turn round on the front of the pub and hammer off back down to Macc this would happen all evening long.
Every now and again there would be a lull in the proceedings and then you’d hear the sirens, man down.

Know wonder the cameras were installed.

 

Crikey not another head old lad.
Is it anything like your Judith Chalmers head

 

It seems the Cat and Fiddle is now open as a Gin distillery every day except Tuesday 10:00 - 16:00. It has a shop doing tea, coffee and snacks. You need to buy something if you use their car park, it can just be a drink. Seems there are plans to expand back into a real pub as well.
https://theforestdistillery.com/cat-fiddle/

 

Agree with all previous point regarding the cat and fiddle. I hope the pub does succeed as the ride is still a good ride despite the camera’s and it is will be good to be able to get a drink during a ride

 

Always bloody freezing cold up there.

 

Yep it can get a bit windy and cold Andy, but not always

 

Stop yer griping, ya soft low-lander.

 

Not griping ya twat. It's just that I always have to put me string vest on.

 

An’ very fetching it is too, I hear!