Gentian Day Trip: Upper Dove Valley

Steve organised another Gentian Club day walk in the White Peak, this time starting in Hartington. Nine of us met a little before 10am by the village green. I thought Steve’s proposed route along the upper Manifold and Dove valleys was a bit flat for a hillwalking club, so I staged a mini rebellion by offering to lead a hillier version, which didn’t meet any objections!

We set off by crossing the Dove valley to Sheen, then dropping back down to the Manifold valley near Brund. From there, we followed the Manifold Trail, mostly quite close to the river, north to the village of Longnor. We had passed lots of DofE groups around Sheen, but it was much quieter by the Manifold, the grassy path being fairly clear but not heavily trodden.

The view towards Wolfscote Hill, from near Sheen

Once we’d crossed the ridge above Longnor, we gained views of the ‘Dragon’s Back’ hills: the reef atolls of Chrome Hill and Parkhouse Hill. Further to the right was the first summit I had suggested including, High Wheeldon. We crossed the valley via Beggar’s Bridge then ascended the very steep grassy slopes to the summit, enjoying the views from the trig point before dropping down a few metres to find shelter for lunch. The hill was a new Ethel for Steve and others (but not for me).

The upper Dove valley, with Chrome Hill on the right

The group on the summit: Steve, Debbie, Steve, Chris, Helen, Rich, Claire and Martin

We then followed the well-marked (but unmapped) permissive path southeast along the ridge above Crowdicote. From there, the continuation, still occasionally waymarked but less well walked, made a traverse across the upper slopes of the access land towards Pilsbury Hill. The ungrazed meadows with lots of wild flowers gave pleasant easy walking, with views of the old motte and bailey at Pilsbury Castle, and towards Sheen Hill beyond. After that, we just had a short ascent between limestone outcrops to the tumulus at the summit of Pilsbury Hill, another Ethel.

Looking over Pilsbury Castle to Sheen Hill

Once across the next road, we were back on public footpaths most of the way to Carder Low, our final Ethel of the afternoon, with just a short pathless ascent required to reach the summit. Luckily the one dry-stone wall we needed to cross could be surmounted harmlessly at a section that had already collapsed, and there was another convenient gap on our descent route.

That just left a couple of kilometres along the footpath and lane back to Hartington, where most of us had a drink at the Charles Cotton pub before heading home.

Another good day out with a great bunch of people. We were lucky with the weather, with a nice cooling breeze and warm sunny spells, and the few ominous grey clouds not producing any rain. A map of our route can be seen here, and my full photo album is available here.

Baslow and Combs (20th-21st May 2023)

Summer has definitely arrived this weekend in Derbyshire, so I celebrated with two days of walking and running in the Peak District.

Saturday started at Monsal Trail parkrun. I haven’t run it officially before – only a freedom parkrun on the old Bakewell parkrun course before it was re-branded post-Covid. It was a warm and sunny morning but the trees lining the trail offered frequent shade. I reached the 5k mark in around 19:45 but couldn’t quite get to the finish line under 20 minutes this time, clocking 20:01 in the results. At least I managed to get ahead of the man in the inflatable alien costume, even if only after 4km!

After parkrun, it was only a few minutes’ drive down to Baslow to start my day’s walk. I had planned to take in a few of the woodlands below the various eastern Edges in hope of some good displays of bluebells and spring foliage, and I was not disappointed!

Following my circuitous ascent to Wellington’s Monument, I followed the traversing paths below Baslow and Curbar Edges, finding more bluebells among last year’s dead bracken.

Heading through the woods below Curbar Edge

Then I continued along Froggatt Edge and down through Hay Wood to Nether Padley, before ascending Padley Gorge, with beautiful dappled sunshine among the oak trees. Some of the faster runners of the Hathersage Hurtle race were descending as I climbed.

Once I’d escaped the woods, I followed paths to Longshaw Lodge and there turned south to return to Baslow via White Edge and Baslow Edge, with super long-distance views over the moorland and the Derwent Valley. A map of my route is available here.

Ruth drove down to my house in the late afternoon. We ate together, then spent the evening comparing plans for the next Peak Raid MapRun event, which we would tackle the next morning. The race started in the small village of Combs, northwest of Buxton. I’ve explored Combs Moss in the past but not really the valley and village to the west.

My route was generally clockwise, up onto Combs Moss and south along the edges, then back north past Combshead and Allstone Lee farms. I then zigzagged west on various little-used footpaths through the farmland to pass over the southern shoulder of Ladder Hill, looping back down to the shore of Combs Reservoir for the final stretch back to Combs village. The terrain gave more technical running and more challenging navigation than the first race of this year’s series, so I covered about 1.5km less in the two hours, but was pleased to set the highest score so far on this course, having visited 29 of the 35 controls and finished with 2 minutes to spare.

Ruth’s route started similarly but omitted the big loop around Ladder Hill – good enough to be the leading female runner so far. We had lunch in the small park by the finish line, then took a short recovery stroll back down to Combs Reservoir. After that, we drove up onto the Cowlow road for another short walk onto the end of Combs Edge, to appreciate the scenery at leisure and take a few photos, before heading back to Hilton.

Two cracking days on and around the eastern and western gritstone edges in the sunshine! More photos can be found on Google Photos here.

Coronation Bank Holiday (6th-8th May 2023)

I had wondered about going for a backpacking trip to Mid-Wales, but the wet forecast made it clear that was unlikely to be a very enjoyable experience, so I opted for another local weekend instead. I was keen to visit a new parkrun on Saturday and, given the royal connection, Market Bosworth Country Park seemed the obvious choice among the various options within 45 minutes’ drive. That choice was further corroborated when the parking marshal commented, on handing me my ticket, that there were lots of bluebells to enjoy around the course this week!

It was an undulating mixed-terrain course, with a long section of uneven grass in the first kilometre, then mostly dirt trails thereafter, with a few muddy patches. With hindsight, I went off too hard at the start and paid for it on the uphills in the final 2km! Given my sub-20 run at similarly-hilly Rosliston the previous week, I was a little disappointed with the time of 20:27, even if about 15s of that was beyond the 5km mark. It was an attractive location for a run though, and there was indeed a good display of bluebells in the woods on the western half of the course.

After the run, I picked up my phone from the car to grab a few bluebell photos, jogged back to the car park machine to make my payment just before the hour was up, and headed straight home to arrive just before 10:30, thereby only missing the first few minutes of the Coronation parade to Westminster Abbey. I enjoyed watching the rest of the historical event. Rain from lunchtime onwards discouraged any further outdoor ventures.

Bluebells in Market Bosworth Country Park, and a passing parkrunner

Sunday was the one sunny day of the weekend. I spent it on a day walk from Monyash with the Gentian Club, led by Steve. We had a fairly leisurely start, meeting at 10am on the village green. Our route went all the way down Lathkill Dale as far as Alport, with lots of spring foliage and flowers to enjoy as well as the usual crystal-clear river waters and limestone crags. Helen did a good job of identifying many of the wild flowers for us, as well as a few birds and butterflies.

Heading down the upper section of Lathkill Dale

We then headed up Bradford Dale past Youlgreave to pick up the Limestone Way back over the fields to Monyash. With a little bit of post-running soreness in my knee, the easy pace was quite welcome to avoid further damage. I enjoyed the good company and conversation as usual. We stopped for a quick drink at a café before heading home. A map of our route can be seen here.

Monday was even wetter than Saturday afternoon, so I had a fairly lazy day. There was a relatively dry spell around midday which I used for a stroll around Hilton Nature Reserve. Other than that, just a few chores and band rehearsal later to end the day.

A few more photos from the weekend are available on Google Photos here.

May Day Bank Holiday weekend (29th April – 1st May 2023)

I stayed close to home for the Bank Holiday weekend, joined by Ruth for Saturday and Sunday. We started Saturday at Rosliston parkrun, me running hard to finish in 19:59 (my fastest Rosliston parkrun since 2019) while Ruth jogged around with Jo, pushing Claire in the buggy on Jess’ first 5k parkrun.

After bacon sandwiches in the café for second breakfast, Ruth and I headed off to Wootton for an afternoon stroll. It was only a short climb up from the village to the ridge of the Weaver Hills, where we followed the fence-line at the edge of the open access land to reach the summit. As our arrival coincided exactly with that of a large rambling group, we didn’t linger by the trig point but descended west to pick up the little-used and overgrown public footpath through the Wredon quarries.

Better footpaths led us south through farmland and woods – the bluebells not yet at their best – to reach the very attractive and well-maintained grounds of Wootton Park. We paused for lunch below Ramshorn with extensive views south over the Churnet Valley and Staffordshire plains, and faint sounds of thrill-seekers at nearby Alton Towers.

We continued through the parkland and past a few ornamental lakes to pass Wootton Lodge, today the home of Lord Bamford (handy for the JCB Headquarters and factories in Rocester), which just left a short climb up through the woods back to Wootton village. A map of our route can be seen here.

On Sunday, we headed to Great Longstone to have a go at the first of this year’s Peak Raid MapRun events. I chose an anticlockwise route, heading northeast up onto Longstone Edge then steeply down into Coombs Dale. Then I continued generally west, over High Fields and Middleton Moor, finishing with a crossing of Longstone Moor – the only pathless running of the day – and a long zigzagging descent back to Great Longstone. I was pleased that my pace matched my plan and I finished just over 4 minutes inside the two-hour time limit, having visited 31 of the 35 controls. That puts me in 2nd place for now. Ruth also had a good run, 12th place overall and 1st female. We will see how many others can get ahead of us before the event closes at the end of August.

Once we’d got our breath back, and eaten our lunch back at the car, we went for a leg-loosening stroll over to the fields Monsal Head then back along the Monsal Trail – see map here.

I was busy with the band on Bank Holiday Monday, playing at the Castle Donington May Market. We played two sets in the Market Place, and I also enjoyed listening to the Leicestershire and Rutland Pipe Band.

A good varied weekend, and only a week until the next Bank Holiday! More photos are available here.

Dovedale Hills (16th April 2023)

The one downside of trips to the Highlands is that they make my local hills seem uninspiring for a while after I return! So despite a dry forecast and an empty diary, I wasn’t feeling very motivated to get out this morning. I procrastinated for a while before finally getting out of the house around 10:15, heading for some of the grassy hills between the Dove and Manifold valleys.

Once I’d parked up in Hartington village, I set off south along lanes and bridleways to reach Wolfscote Hill, duly climbed by its western slopes. Sadly this is the only way with public access – if there were a good traversing path I’m sure I would have visited more than once before today! After a dry start to the walk, some light drizzle blew in from the west and persisted for the next hour or so.

Looking ahead to Gratton, Narrowdale and Wetton Hills

Limestone and approaching drizzle on Wolfscote Hill

I dropped down into Wolfscote Dale then headed up the bridleway to Narrowdale farm. From there, it was a similar out-and-back ascent to Gratton Hill, also only my second visit. Next came a short, steep descent and re-ascent to neighbouring Narrowdale Hill, where I paused for lunch as the drizzle eased by the time I’d reached the western end of the ridge.

I continued west to Wetton Hill, then followed various muddy footpaths back to Hartington, via Back of Ecton and Upper Hurst. Not the most memorable outing thanks to the grey conditions and unexpected drizzle, but still good to get a few hours of fresh air.

A map of my route is available here, and more photos here.

Black Hill (19th February 2023)

I took a trip to one of the furthest-away parts of the Peak District, aiming to tick off three of my four unbagged Ethels and explore the unfamiliar area east of Black Hill. It’s an off-putting 70 miles from home, but actually mostly on the A38 and M1 so only about 80 minutes’ drive. I parked near the sailing club at Winscar Reservoir, where the forecast of sunny spells first thing happily proved to be correct!

The moorland to the west is pretty much pathless on the OS map but I had used the Strava Global Heatmap to identify the most popular routes on the ground and this did give me paths most of the way, even if they were sometimes indistinct or boggy. I followed small trods beside the stream up Dearden Clough, then picked up the fence-line along Upper Dead Edge. There hadn’t been much of a view from the broad ridge, with Bleaklow in the cloud to the south, but on reaching the trig point (and Ethel summit) I was suddenly able to see down towards Woodhead and Crowden.

Looking down to Crowden from Dead Edge End

More interesting views over the steeper slopes of Withens Moor made the traverse to Britland Edge Hill (the next Ethel) more enjoyable. The wire fence was also unusually festooned with strands of wind-blown grass, fluttering in the strong westerly breeze.

The next couple of kilometres to the road at Holme Moss were particularly boggy, so I was glad to reach the firmer ground beyond. I had only seen a pair of fellrunners up to this point, so I was surprised to find quite a few other walkers on the path up to Black Hill. Perhaps I should not have been surprised, as it’s the shortest and easiest route, even if not as well surfaced as the Pennine Way! Although the path was reasonably obvious, in the mist I was glad of the reassurance of a compass bearing after I’d passed the last real landmark at Heyden Head. With a cold breeze and no view at the summit, I didn’t hang around long before setting off north along the stone-pitched path beside Issue Clough. Once I’d descended a few metres, however, I was back in the clear, with sunlit views northeast towards Holmfirth, and my route down to the ‘Issues Road’ track became obvious.

Dropping back into the sunshine by Issue Clough

The track gave easy walking down to the hamlet of Holme, beyond which I picked up some popular footpaths beside Brownhill Reservoir – an attractive spot with steep, mixed woodlands all around. Once I’d crossed the dam of Ramsden Reservoir, I reascended towards Ramsden Edge and traversed above the woods into Ramsden Clough. There I paused for a late lunch on a very comfortable rock in the sunshine, with an excellent view over the reservoirs and up Ramsden Clough!

Riding Wood Reservoir, from my lunch spot

After lunch, I continued up Ramsden and Ruddle Cloughs to gain the moorland plateau again, then followed a line of grouse butts up onto Snailsden Pike. From the western top, marked as higher on the map, I felt sure that the trig point further east was in fact higher, but looking back from the trig it was not so clear! Best to visit both to be sure of bagging the Ethel properly. A good path led down to Harden Reservoir dam, from where it was an easy walk on large tracks around the east side of Winscar Reservoir and back to the car.

The spillway from Harden Reservoir into Winscar Reservoir

The Ethel summits themselves weren’t especially inspiring today, but my route back from Black Hill via Holme and Marsden Clough was very attractive, and this area would definitely be worth exploring more thoroughly. My remaining Ethel is Ashway Moss, near the Trinnacle, so that should give a good walk from Dovestone Reservoir later in the year.

More photos can be seen here, and a map of my route here.

Hayfield skyline (4th February 2023)

I haven’t been for a walk with Amina since 2020, so I was pleasantly surprised when she said recently that she’d be up for a day out in the Peak District. No parkrun for me, in order to be fresh for a longer race the following morning, so it was the ideal Saturday for a walk and the forecast of dry, overcast weather was alright too.

We met at my house soon after 9 o’clock and I drove us up to Hayfield – Amina was keen to see my new car – to start walking soon after 10:30. I had wondered whether the cloud would be on the tops to start off. That proved not to be the case so we walked clockwise to get to the highest ground sooner, heading past Kinder Reservoir and then up William Clough. The visibility was pretty good with clear views around the skyline, and towards Manchester and Bleaklow once we reached the ridge.

Looking over Kinder Reservoir dam towards Mount Famine

We continued east along the edge of Sandy Heys, pausing for a brief first-lunch in the shelter of a gully and to take a few photos around Kinder Downfall.

Another half hour or so brought us to the high point of the day, the trig point on Kinder Low. By this point, the cloud had started to drop a bit and Sandy Heys was in the mist although Kinder Low itself remained just about clear.

We dropped down to Edale Cross for lunch in the most sheltered spot we could find, then continued along the path – well-pitched at first, then boggy – over the shoulder of Brown Knoll and down the ridge to South Head and Mount Famine. A bit of drizzle blew through in the wind and made us a little damp for quarter of an hour or so but petered out before we’d got around to putting on our waterproof jackets. All that remained was the easy descent down the bridleway to Coldwell Clough and the car.

Looking back to Kinder Scout from Mount Famine

Looking back up to South Head and Mount Famine from Coldwell Clough

A good day out on the hill and it was great to catch up with Amina as we walked and talked. Hopefully it won’t be another 2.5 years until the next time! You can find more photos here and a map of our route here.

Stanage, Derwent and Bamford Edges (22nd January 2023)

Looks like I missed the best weather of the weekend, having seen photos of a cracking day of inversions and sunshine in the Peaks yesterday, but nevertheless I headed up to Hathersage today for my first local walk of the year. It was a cold start, with temperatures on the drive ranging from -7.5°C to -5°C, but with light winds didn’t actually feel too chilly at any point on the walk.

I started by ascending to Carhead Rocks, somewhere I had not been before, which gave good views down to the Derwent Valley and up to Stanage Edge.

I then continued up to Stanage and followed the edge north all the way to Moscar Lodge. There were quite a few people around initially, but it got much quieter further north. There was a little snow wherever the sun had not shone, but nothing was very slippery, and progress was easy, particularly with the peat all well frozen.

Once past Moscar, I headed northwest over Strines Edge – another new route for me – and across the heather moor to reach Derwent Edge near Dovestone Tor. Turning south, I followed the edge as far as Whinstone Lee Tor, enjoying the views over Ladybower and the various rock formations, then took the bridleway east to Cutthroat Bridge, where I paused for lunch in the warmth of the woods.

A short climb back up via Jarvis Clough brought me onto Bamford Moor, and soon to the busy viewpoint of Bamford Edge. I escaped the crowds as I descended south, and returned to Hathersage via Gatehouse and Birley Farm.

No real sunshine and fairly hazy views today, but it was good to get out in the Peaks in wintery conditions before the thaw comes later in the week.

There’s a map of my route here, and more photos here.

Gentian Day Trip: Alport Castles (18th December 2022)

I haven’t got out walking at all in December, my weekends mainly being busy with brass band carolling and concerts, so I was looking forward to today’s Gentian meet in the Peak District. There have been lots of crisp, cold, sunny days recently, but sadly today was not such a day, with gloomy grey skies.

I set off from home around 7:45am, enjoying the drive up the Derwent Valley in my new car on its first major outing, and met the others at 9:15 at Fairholmes. Petra and Jane were new acquaintances for me, the others familiar from previous trips. The roads and paths around the visitor centre were pretty icy after the extended cold spell, so we hoped that it would be less compacted on the hill paths.

Soon we were under way, the seven of us heading up beside Locker Brook to the eponymous outdoor centre on the ridge above. The path through the woods wasn’t too bad, but the track along the ridge was mostly very icy. However, it was generally possible to get by on the softer snow on the verges, so I got away without putting my crampons on. At this point, Steve and Martin decided to head back down while the rest of us continued on the planned route.

The open moorland of Rowlee Pasture made for easier walking, the icy slabs of the path easily avoided on the snowy grass beside, and the bogs well frozen. Although the light and visibility were not good, we enjoyed views over the Woodlands Valley and Alport Dale. Before long we were looking over the landslip, cliffs and boulders of Alport Castles, looking impressive with a dusting of snow.

Jane, Richard, Simon and Petra above Alport Castles

From there, we dropped down into Alport Dale, where we paused for an early lunch as it was a lot less windy than on the ridge. Then we continued down the track – icy again – to Alport Bridge and took a short loop of bridleway the other side of the River Ashop before ascending back up to Lockerbrook via Rowlee Farm, a path I don’t think I had used before. As the afternoon was getting increasingly drizzly, we opted to descend directly to Fairholmes rather than take the planned detour to Crook Hill, which was just about in the mist by that point anyway.

The road and car parks had thawed out quite a bit over the day, so the drive back to the gritted roads was less slippery than the approach had been in the morning. We paused for a drink in the Yorkshire Bridge Inn before heading to our respective homes.

Despite the murky weather, an enjoyable day out in good company, and I was happy to have got some snow under the boots before the big thaw comes tomorrow. Hopefully there will be more to enjoy in the Highlands in 10 days’ time! A map of our route can be seen here, and more of my photos here.

Combs Edge and Eldon Hill (27th November 2022)

I have lots of Christmas carolling with the brass band over the coming weekends, so was keen to take advantage of an empty diary today and get out in the Peaks, despite the rather grey and murky conditions. Inspired by some Instagram photos I’d seen quite recently of Combs Edge, a place I’d only visited once, I got an early start and headed back to Buxton to start my walk around 8:30am. My first destination was Corbar Hill, which lies just north of the town, which is an Ethel I hadn’t visited before. A short ascent through the woods brought me to the summit crags, trig point and Alpine-style cross!

Well-trodden but fairly boggy paths led from there up onto Combs Moss – I had chosen poorly by wearing my lightest boots and soon had wet feet. I continued north along the zigzagging Edge, pausing to photograph the rocks here and there and to enjoy the views of Burbage Edge to the south and Combs Reservoir below.

After I’d reached the lane at the northern end of the moor, I followed fairly muddy footpaths via Sittinglow and Barmoor Farms to Sparrowpit – nothing very remarkable although there were some hazy views of Chinley Churn and South Head to enjoy. Next, the path traversing south of Gautries Hill gave more interest, following a wooded rake with lots of pits and gullies, evidence of mining.

Chinley Churn, Mount Famine and South Head in the distance

Once I’d crossed Perry Dale, I was pleased to spot a brand new concession path signposted as a route onto Eldon Hill from the west. Just what I needed, as I had thought I would have to follow the lane all the way around the north side of the quarry to double back from the northeast. Soon I was on the top, with a glimpse of Mam Tor in the view. Eldon Hill was another new Ethel for me, and also re-completed my Derbyshire Tumps (it had been identified as a Tump since I last completed that still-evolving list).

The new signposts had also noted the 55-metre-deep pothole of Eldon Hole, a few hundred metres to the south, so I took a look at that on my way down to Peak Forest. It was difficult to photograph but definitely an impressive sight, reminiscent of the Yorkshire Dales! It doesn’t seem like many people pass that way.

My route then headed down Dam Dale, where I paused for a late lunch, and Hay Dale, then climbed back up very muddy footpaths to Hargatewall and Tunstead. That just left the final approach to Buxton, a fairly straight footpath on the map but apparently crossing the huge Tunstead Quarry so I was dubious! However, sure enough the path was well marked and fairly well used, using a long footbridge to get over the quarry access railway and roads, then skirting the northern edge of the pit to reach the undisturbed ground on the far side.

I got back to the car around 3:30pm, seven hours after I’d started and comfortably before dark. A good long day out including gritstone moorland, muddy farmland, and classic limestone hills and dales. I now only have four Ethels left to bag, all in the far north of the National Park, so quite far from home. An easy goal for next year though!

A map of my route can be seen here, and more photos here.

Rosliston, Elton and Errwood (19th-20th November 2022)

A local weekend this week, but a well-filled one! Saturday morning started with a volunteering session at Rosliston parkrun. This was my 25th time volunteering, earning me a T-shirt, so I marked the occasion by picking my favourite role, timekeeping. I arrived quite early so had time for a peaceful stroll around the forest before the run started.

After parkrun, I headed up to the White Peak for an afternoon stroll, taking advantage of the fair weather after lots of rain recently. I parked by the church in Elton. My first objective was one of the eight hills on the ‘Ethel’ list that I hadn’t bagged prior to that list’s creation, Harthill Moor. I would dispute whether the designated location is really the summit of a hill at all, as it has minimal prominence and there are several higher points further up the broad ridge, but it does have the distinction of a trig point. The “summit” offered decent views to the north and west.

From there, I descended northwest into the head of Bradford Dale, and followed the valley downstream as far as Youlgreave, pausing for a late lunch on one of the benches.

I then followed the Limestone Way up to Robin Hood’s Stride, always a worthwhile objective with its distinctive rocky tor. That just left a short walk down past Dudwood Farm and back up to Elton.

On Sunday was the third of this year’s series of four Peak Raid 3 events (I had missed the second for the last Gentian trip, but can still quality for a series result as they take the best three results). The venue this time was the Goyt Valley, to the west of Buxton, with registration at Errwood Sailing Club. Ruth had decided to come down from Kendal to take part too, so we met in the large car park on the west side of the reservoir dam, and walked over to the start together. Although they had been forecasting rain or showers all week, it actually turned out to be a fairly sunny morning, the heavy rain having fully passed overnight.

Pre-race sunshine over Errwood Reservoir

The race went fairly well. I opted for a clockwise route, taking in 15 of the 19 controls and earning 500 out of a maximum 600 points. With hindsight, I did not visit the controls in the middle part of my route in the most efficient order, and could have saved nearly 1km and 90m ascent, perhaps saving enough time to visit an extra control within the three hours. I was happy with the start and end of my route though, and enjoyed the strenuous running through varied terrain and scenery. I finished with just 6 seconds to spare – judged to perfection! By chance, I had also passed over the summit of another of my missing Ethels, Foxlow Edge.

Ruth had also had a good run – a slower pace than mine but she had partly compensated for that by spotting that more efficient route. After we’d recovered and enjoyed the usual post-race coffee and flapjack in the clubroom, we returned to the cars, got changed, and then headed into Buxton for a café lunch and more discussion of our routes before we set off back to our respective homes.

A map of my route from Elton can be seen here: https://www.plotaroute.com/route/2090336
More photos are available here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZX2cNzakM5X1LHSP7

Gentian Day Trip: Bretton Clough (22nd October 2022)

The plan for today had been to precede the Gentian day walk in the central Peak District with a visit to Monsal Trail parkrun. However, with a sore knee that seems to be exacerbated by even slow running, I surprisingly took the sensible option and skipped the parkrun, heading directly to Sir William Hill to meet the nine others at 9:45am. Steve had planned a ten-mile route via Bretton Clough, Abney Moor and Abney Clough.

We had clear blue skies overhead, and excellent visibility, as we began by ascending the short distance to the summit of Sir William Hill, and then descending north into Bretton Clough. The autumn colours in the bracken and trees were particularly fine in the sunshine.

We continued up the valley a short way then climbed back up to Bretton, where we paused for a snack near the Barrel Inn pub, apparently the highest in Derbyshire. Turns out the Cat & Fiddle Inn is a few metres into Cheshire! We continued west along the lane – currently closed to vehicle traffic due to subsidence – towards Great Hucklow, enjoying the views over the dry-stone-walled White Peak pastures to the south.

From Hucklow Edge, footpaths led us north across the fields and then over Abney Moor to Robin Hood’s Cross, where we paused for our main lunch break. Then we continued down to Abney village and down Abney Clough to reach Stoke Ford and, for a kilometre or so, retrace our morning route back up towards Sir William Hill. This time, however, we bypassed the summit and took the traversing path over the moor directly back to the cars.

Some of the group headed to the pub in Eyam. I was in two minds but set off following the directions given. However, after a couple of passes through the village I hadn’t seen anywhere matching the description, and just headed straight home instead. That allowed me to get the lawn mown before dark anyway, ahead of tomorrow’s rain!

There are a few more photos on Google Photos here, and a map of our route here.

Stanage Edge (18th September 2022)

Jeff and Helen joined me for a walk in the Peak District, starting in Grindleford. We met at my house and I drove us up to the car park at the railway station to start the walk around 10am. Having driven through drizzle between Ashbourne and Monyash, I was glad it was dry and fairly bright further northeast.

We set off steeply uphill through oak and then silver birch woodlands into the old Bolehill Quarry – always one of my favourite spots – and continued from there below Millstone Edge and up onto Over Owler Tor, giving excellent views both ways over the Derwent Valley.

Helen and Jeff in the old Bolehill Quarry

Looking up the Derwent Valley from Over Owler Tor

From there, it was easier walking along the ridge to Higger Tor and Upper Burbage Bridge, where we paused for a snack in the shelter of some boulders. We continued up to the southern trig point of Stanage Edge, and along the Edge for a few kilometres, watching a few rock climbers below and a few pairs of trail runners taking part in a relay race circumnavigating Sheffield. The clouds gradually broke up to give more sunny spells, and lifted off the top of Kinder Scout in the distance.

Helen, and the view towards Mam Tor and Kinder Scout

We descended by the ‘Long Causeway’ byway to have lunch by Dennis Knoll, looking back up to the Edge, then continued down to Hathersage for cream tea / coffee and cake in the attractive outdoor dining area at Cintra’s Tearoom. That just left an easy final few kilometres beside the River Derwent to return to Grindleford Station, where we had a quick look around the restored chapel of Padley Hall, and the ruins of the Hall behind (little more than foundations), before returning to the car.

There are more photos on Google here, and a map of our route is available here.

Curbar Edge and Lathkill Dale (21st-22nd May 2022)

My parents visited me for the weekend, on their way back from a few days with Ruth. As usual, we went out for day-walks in the Peak District, making the most of the good weather.

On the Saturday, we chose a walk on the eastern gritstone Edges, starting on the Longshaw Estate. This gave a good opportunity for a spot of local-ish parkrun tourism on the way up: three laps of the lake at Poolsbrook, near Chesterfield. Mum and Dad walked one lap in the other direction as I ran, so were able to cheer me on at several points!

Afterwards, our walking route started by heading south along White Edge, with great views over the Derwent Valley to the Dark Peak moors.

We then descended slightly to Curbar Gap to return north via Curbar Edge and Froggatt Edge, looking really pretty with the wind-carved rocks, spring colours and sunny spells.

For Sunday’s walk, we stayed a little closer to home, starting in Monyash. The route started across the pastures to Magpie Mine, then dropped down into Lathkill Dale for the return leg.

The rocky, narrowest section of Lathkill Dale

Maps of our routes can be seen here:
White Edge and Curbar Edge: https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1914632
Magpie Mine and Lathkill Dale: https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1914637
My full photo album is available here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/9uJM4dcjpcJNE5Ax7

It was great to see my parents for the first time since Christmas and to get out on a couple of scenic walks together. Looking forward to visiting them in Somerset in July!

Chee Dale (14th May 2022)

A few of us from the RR Band running group started the day visiting Ashbourne Recreation Ground parkrun, only in its second week. Not as tedious as might be expected for a three-lapper, thanks to the mixed terrain: around some playing fields, along the back of a pond, and back through some more formal gardens.

Afterwards, I continued a little further into the Peak District for a few hours’ walk from Chelmorton. I started by heading east over Sough Top, an Ethel that I realised I had not quite been to the summit of, as the footpath misses it by a short distance. Then I dropped down into Taddington, and continued northeast over the pastures and through High Dale to reach the Monsal Trail.

Looking over Taddington into Monsal Dale

I followed the cycle path west for a couple of kilometres, then dropped down into the bottom of Miller’s Dale to pickup the riverside path through the ever-scenic Chee Dale, particularly pretty in today’s sunshine and with the vibrant greens of all the fresh spring foliage.

From there, it was just a short walk up Deep Dale and through more pastures back to Chelmorton.

A map of my route can be seen here: https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1906695
My full photo album is available here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/RmrQJyMhcmEaHLxJ7

Woodlands Valley skyline (27th March 2022)

After a couple of sunny weekends distracted by running and orienteering, I finally managed to keep a day clear for a good walk in the Peak District, a clockwise round of part of the Woodlands Valley. The start of British Summer Time unwelcomely shortened my sleep by an hour, but I needed to be out early to bag a parking place in the popular layby at Ashopton!

After a couple of kilometres around the shore of Ladybower Reservoir and across the dam, I was soon climbing steeply up Parkin Clough onto Win Hill. There were quite a few people about already this sunny morning, fellrunning, mountain biking and walking. A bit of early haze seemed to gradually clear as I continued over Hope Brink and past Hope Cross, up onto the eastern end of Kinder Scout, giving good views up Edale and towards Derwent Edge.

Ladybower Reservoir and Derwent Edge, from Win Hill

I walked along the northern edge of the plateau, along Blackden Edge, around the head of Blackden Brook, then along Seal Edge. After the busy bridleways over Win Hill, this was a real contrast, almost totally deserted!

I then descended beside Fair Brook, which was dry at the top but had some attractive cascades lower down.

After a short section up the (currently closed) Snake Pass past the (former) Snake Inn, I re-ascended through the forest to pick up the traversing footpath to Hayridge Farm, pausing for a lunch break on Cowms Moor. Soon I was at the foot of Alport Dale, which I ascended to reach Alport Castles, before following the ridge back to the southeast over Rowlee Pastures and Crook Hill, pretty much back to the car.

Looking over the Hope Cross ridge towards Mam Tor

A lovely day to be out on a long walk in the hills.

A map of my route can be seen here: https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1856370
My full photo album is available here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/pX6DrzL9aUNLgsC78

Ruth’s visit (19th-20th February 2022)

Ruth visited me in Hilton for a weekend at the end of her half term week. Unfortunately it was a particularly wet weekend in the Midlands. We started Saturday with a trip to Conkers parkrun, just about completed before the rain arrived, followed by coffee at the Farrows’ house. After lunch back home, waiting for the worst of the rain to pass, we headed out to Cannock Chase for an afternoon stroll through the Shugborough Estate and back over the chase.

On Sunday, the best weather window seemed to be late morning, so we had a leisurely start before heading up to Thorpe for a three-hour walk. We dropped down Lin Dale to reach the Dovedale stepping stones – very much underwater with the river in spate – and continued up the valley as far as Milldale. From there, we turned east to pick up the Tissington Trail back to Thorpe. There had been a some of light rain to start and end the walk, but the bulk of it had been in the dry. We had lunch in the car before returning to mine, then Ruth headed home.

Maps of our walks are available here:
Cannock Chase: https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1823807
Dovedale: https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1823812

A few more photos can be found on Google Photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/WDpgWsQ4Am54JsPw6

Hope skyline (10th October 2021)

Somehow it’s more than a month since I last went walking! Despite that, I wasn’t feeling very motivated when I woke, but I forced myself to get up and out promptly anyway to make the most of the sunny day in the Peak District. An hour’s enjoyable driving brought me to Hope village, from where I tackled a clockwise round of the surrounding hills.

First up was Win Hill, the steepest of the bunch. Very clear air made for particularly good views over the Hope Valley, Ladybower Reservoir and Bamford Edge.

I descended towards Thornhill then picked up the Derwent Valley Heritage Way for a bit, along the river meadows. Leaving the riverside, I ascended the track to Offerton Hall, then the bridleway from there to Shatton Moor. The tracks in this area seemed busier than usual, with plenty of walkers, runners and mountain bikers out. Next I descended over Bradwell Edge, steeply down to Bradwell village, watching paragliders overhead.

A gradual re-ascent took me onto Bradwell Moor and from there over the shoulder of Eldon Hill – rather uninspiring and featureless terrain. I paused for a late lunch on the ascent of Mam Tor. That just left the final busy stretch along the Great Ridge to Lose Hill and down to Hope.

Definitely worth getting out today for the great sunny weather and air clarity. A nice little warm-up for my trip to the Highlands in a week’s time.

A map of my route is available here: https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1717753
My full photo album is available here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/F1sjm82eKgzcDHpx8

Parents’ visit (14th-15th August 2021)

My parents stayed with me for the weekend, a year since their last visit. On the Saturday, Dad and I started the day with a run at Markeaton parkrun, while Mum spectated. After coffee back at home, we went up to the Peak District for a walk starting in the village of Grindon, west of the Manifold valley. The first few kilometres led us due north along the undulating bridleway to Warslow. We had lunch looking over the valley, then dropped down, with a bit of a navigational detour when we lost the path for a bit, to Ecton.

Having crossed the Manifold Trail and the river, we climbed straight back up the other side onto Ecton Hill, passing the remains of the old copper mine. From there, we followed footpaths south, over the ridge of Wetton Hill to Wetton village, then steeply back down to the valley, passing close to Thor’s Cave but not actually visiting it this time. That just left a short ascent over Ladyside back to the car.

The Manifold valley, and Morridge in the distance

Bec joined us for Saturday dinner at my house, and for our Sunday walk starting from the Cat and Fiddle Inn, between Buxton and Macclesfield. We started south over the moor to Danebower Hollow, then dropped into the head of the Dane valley. A couple of kilometres downstream, we reached Three Shire Heads, always a pretty spot. There were quite a few people wild swimming in the river, which I had not encountered there before.

We continued along the byway to Cut-thorn, then took the grassy path over the ridge and down the lane to Wildboarclough. A steep ascent led us directly to the summit of Shutlingsloe, which gave good views of The Roaches to the south, and Shining Tor to the north. We descended into Macclesfield Forest for lunch, then dropped down to Broughsplace, which just left the short climb up the permissive path through Chest Hollow to the car.

Dad, Mum and Bec on the ridge above Cut-thorn, heading towards Shutlingsloe

Maps of our walking routes are available here:
Manifold Valley: https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1674124
Three Shire Heads and Shutlingsloe: https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1674129

My full photo album is available here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/pmsWkHpbAKSocCYi9

Bretton Clough (17th July 2021)

Bec and I took an afternoon walk in the Peak District this hot, sunny Saturday. We started in the small village of Foolow and followed footpaths through the fields to Grindlow and then up Hucklow Edge, where we spent a while watching gliders being winched into the sky from the Camphill airfield over lunch.

Then we traversed around to Abney Grange and descended into the head of Bretton Clough. We followed the valley down as far as Stoke Ford, admiring the various knolls and hollows left behind by past landslides, then doubled back up the tracks onto Eyam Moor, gaining good views back up Bretton Clough and across to Abney Clough, and then higher up towards Mam Tor, Win Hill, and Kinder Scout beyond.

From the top of Sir William Hill, it was just a short walk down to Eyam Edge and back along the lane to Foolow for a welcome cold drink at the Bulls Head.

A map of our route may be seen here: https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1630833
My full photo album is available to view here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/bv9S4k9rtoiAYZu77