A537
| A537 | ||||||||||
| Location Map ( geo) | ||||||||||
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| From: | Knutsford (SJ752783) | |||||||||
| To: | Axe Edge Moor, near Buxton (SK022710) | |||||||||
| Via: | Macclesfield | |||||||||
| Distance: | 20.3 miles (32.7 km) | |||||||||
| Meets: | A50, B5083, B5085, A535, B5359, A34, B5392, B5088, B5087, B5181, A538, A523, B5470, A54 | |||||||||
| Primary Destinations | ||||||||||
| Highway Authorities | ||||||||||
| Traditional Counties | ||||||||||
| Route outline (key) | ||||||||||
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Route
The A537 is a road of two halves in east Cheshire. West of Macclesfield the road is a typical rural A-road, largely straight and flat and with few distinguishing features. To the east, however, it becomes one of the most dramatic roads in the country, with frequent hairpin bends and the occasional sheer drop to the side. This is a road driven, not read about. The A537 is primary for its entire length.
Section 1: Knutsford – Macclesfield
The road starts on the A50 just South of Knutsford town centre and heads roughly eastwards. It is quite a nice, wide, fairly straight road until it hits the A34 at the Monk's Heath Crossroads. It then heads uphill and round some reasonably sharp corners before straightening out again. We enter Macclesfield through the Broken Cross area of town. After meeting the B5088 at a roundabout we move onto a relief road and bypass the town centre, crossing the A538 before reaching the A523 Silk Road at another roundabout. There is a short multiplex south along that road, parallel to the railway line.
Section 2: Macclesfield – Axe Edge Moor
The A537 regains its number by turning left at traffic lights.
After an initial one-and-a-half mile straight (uphill all the way), we then get to a multitude of very sharp corners. This stretch has become very popular with bikers because of the corners, much to the detriment of accident statistics. The whole of the section from Macclesfield through to Buxton has had a 50 limit imposed, policed by average-speed cameras. Incidentally, just to the south of the A537 is the old road (which had been bypassed by the current route long before road number classification), which is straighter and still easy to follow.
7 miles from Macclesfield (less as the crow flies), we get to the famous Cat and Fiddle Public House, the second highest pub in England at 515 m (1700ft or thereabouts), and the highest point on the road. We reach a straight stretch of road as we cross the Derbyshire border (but keep the 50 limit). A mile or so down the road and we merge with the A54 coming in from Congleton, the A54 taking the road number (and primary status) and thus ending the A537.
