Three Shire Heads (also known as Three Shires Head) is the point on Axe Edge Moor where

Cheshire Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's county t ...

Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands, England. It includes much of the Peak District National Park, the southern end of the Pennine range of hills and part of the National Forest. It borders Greater Manchester to the nor ...

and

Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation Staffs.) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. It borders Cheshire to the northwest, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, Warwickshire to the southeast, the West Midlands Cou ...

meet, at UK grid reference , or . It is on the

River Dane The River Dane is a tributary of the River Weaver that originates in the Peak District area of England. The name of the river (earlier ''Daven'') is probably from the Old Welsh ''dafn'', meaning a "drop or trickle", implying a slow-moving river. ...

, which marks the Cheshire border in this area. On the east of the river, the border between Staffordshire and Derbyshire runs north-east for about a mile to

Cheeks Hill Cheeks Hill is a hill on Axe Edge Moor in the Peak District, England. It lies just south of the Cat and Fiddle Road near Buxton, and forms part of the border between Derbyshire and Staffordshire. The highest and most northerly point in Staffordshi ...

, on the higher regions of Axe Edge Moor. From Cheeks Hill the border runs south then east to the head of the River Dove. The main landmark is a packhorse bridge. The bridge is Grade II-listed, and was probably constructed in the late 18th century.

Access

The landmark is not directly accessible by 3 or 4 wheeled motor vehicles, with a permanent traffic regulation order in force along the access roads. Access to Three Shire Heads is shared by motorcyclists, cyclists, riders on horseback and pedestrians. The route is often narrow and rocky with steep drop-offs and specially adapted motorcycles for greenlaning access the route regularly. There is no nearby parking provision.

Significance

In modern times, Three Shire Heads is a landmark on various walking routes in this part of the moorlands. The packhorse bridge and the waterfalls as the River Dane flows southwards are very picturesque, and frequently feature on calendars. A report shows that this moorland area is of interest for its population of moths and butterflies. The presence of the packhorse bridge shows the importance of this route for traders from nearby

Flash Flash, flashes, or FLASH may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional aliases * Flash (DC Comics character), several DC Comics superheroes with super speed: ** Flash (Barry Allen) ** Flash (Jay Garrick) ** Wally West, the first Kid ...

and

Hollinsclough Hollinsclough is a small rural village in the county of Staffordshire in the English Midlands. It is within the Peak District National Park. Location and geography Hollinsclough is on the upper reaches of the River Dove, at one end of a level a ...

Macclesfield Macclesfield is a market town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East in Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Bollin in the east of the county, on the edge of the Cheshire Plain, with Macclesfield Forest to its east ...

. Silk was produced at Hollinsclough, and sent to the mills at Macclesfield. Coal was mined from about 1600 on Axe Edge.

Swimming

Three Shire Heads is well known for its free swimming, although the pools are cold. The depth varies depending on the time of year: the main pool can be up to deep.

References

External links

Derbyshire Curiosities website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Three Shire Heads Geography of Staffordshire Geography of Cheshire Geography of Derbyshire