Peak District National Park
Ramshaw Rocks, Staffordshire Moorlands
Beyond Blackshaw Moor, the A53 Leek to Buxton road begins its ascent of Cat Tor. This modern stretch of highway cuts straight up the steep slope bypassing the hamlet of Upper Hulme. The rough sandstone or gritstone ramparts of Ramshaw Rocks stand impressively above the main road, and sometimes overhang the heather and bilberry-covered slopes below. The Roaches and Ramshaw Rocks constitute some of the most spectacular scenery in the Staffordshire Moorlands.
The crags and buttresses must have attracted the attention of Roman soldiers as they tramped northwards to Aquae Arnemetiae (Buxton). Perhaps the craggy outlines reminded them of peaks in their native homeland.