High Peak landlord's joy at reopening of A5004 between Buxton and Whaley Bridge

Leon Harrison’s pub, The Shady Oak Country Inn in Fernilee, was hit hard by the closure of the A5004 between Buxton and Whaley Bridge, which began in April.

The route, known as Long Hill, finally reopened on Wednesday, October 5 after landslip repairs were carried out.

Leon said: “I am over the moon to have the road reopen again.

"We were just getting over covid and we had built up a reputation for our Sunday dinners then the road shut and trade just stopped.”

To try and keep the business afloat Leon and business partner Paul Boulton made the tough decision to operate at reduced hours and stop their famed roasts as it was more expensive to be open and paying staff when there were no customers.

Leon said: “Thankfully that made people upset and they were missing their Sunday dinners so we went back to opening full time.

"We have also been very well supported by cyclists, walkers and horse riders which has been great.”

Derbyshire County Council closed the road on April 25 to fix a landslip which first appeared in 2016 and has continued to get worse over the years.

The work saw the road closed in both directions as contractors dug down to bedrock, around six metres below the existing road level and put in a reinforced earth retaining wall.

Leon said: “The road has only been open for a few days but we have already seen an uptake in people coming in which is great.

"We have also had people wanting to book Christmas parties and lunches as they know they can get to us again.

"It will take time to build up to be back trading at the level we were but things are going in the right direction.”

Mike Glover, chair of Whaley Bridge Town Council, is also delighted to see the road reopen.

He said: “It’s such good news for everyone; commuters, tourists and of course residents especially those who live in Fernilee who have struggled the most with the closure.

“Motorists were using the A6 which increased congestion there so now it’s great the road is open as it relieves some of that pressure.”

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