Tonight's RATRun saw 9 of us set off from the Parks Inn at Harpur Hill. Initially down to the stream below and then a gradual climb up to Solomon's Temple. Down through the woods to the Poole's Cavern complex, across the A53 to Burbage and half a mile of tarmac before it turns into the rough track known as Macclesfield Old Road. Once we reached the high point a left took us along Axe Edge Moor on lovely bouncy peat, across the A54 to Dane Head and then up to the TP at Axe Edge. Lapwing and Curlew in abundance.
A fast descent took us down to Ladmanlow where we crossed the A53 again and some flat running across fields took us into the vast Health and Safety Executive Laboratory Site, which occupies the long gone RAF Harpur Hill, and apparently has as much underground space as it does above ground. We were constantly monitored by security which was even more obvious as we ran past the shiny new HQ building. A few hundred yards out of the site and we were back at the Parks Inn.
A total of 9 and a half miles, 1'581 feet in 1hr 34min. Cheesy Chips were washed down with Yorkshire Blonde 3.9% from Ossett Brewery, which hadn't travelled well to Derbyshire, and Neck Oil 4.3% from Beavertown Brewery. A lovely dry evening as the forecast rain never appeared.