I parked in Pennine Road by the surgery. I could have parked closer to the start of my footpath but this was close enough and easy. Up Werneth Road then there is a pedestrian shortcut through to The Green. The path I wanted starts where the road named on the map as Simondley curves near the Hare and Hounds. The public footpath sign here seems to point up what looks like a very private residential driveway which looked a bit wrong and made me hesitate a bit. But no, is not wrong. Up the driveway, veer right and a path leads up by some more residences before turning into a steep muddy path up the hill through the woods. After a bit of a climb the OS nap shows a crossroads of paths,. Not a lot of signposting here. If you want the path up by Herod’s Edge Farm look for a run down stile over the wall on the right and cross it. Then up and past the farm to the main road. Easy and most of the climbing done. Not all. You cross the road, go right and soon left up a path up a bit more to gain the flat ground where is the top of Crown Edge, your local Glossop Ethel. There are wonderful views from here over Kinder. A path skirts left of an old quarry and then I veered right onto the top of the ridge before talking a left down past Far Slack Farm and on to Robin Hood’s Picking Rods, believed to be some early Medieval boundary marker. Then I turned round and retraced my steps to the top of the ridge and back down the other side. When I reached the road junction I turned left and then after crossing the road up on a path marked on the map passing a place called Sitch to the east. Here signs informed me of problems completing the National Trail around Glossop and advising horse rider and cyclists they had no right of access here. Being neither of those things I carried manfully on what proved a highly vestigial path. But the going was easy enough. Skirting the wood of Whiteley Nab I rejoined my outward route and so home. A walk of six miles where I met three people, two on foot and one on a bike. The Peak District is so very crowded but everyone goes to the same places and if you go anywhere else you have the moors to yourself.
 With Helen and Anstasia. We parked by a gift shop south of the river near the Falls. Had a browse the walked down and over the river to visit in turn the Upper, Lower and Middle Falls. The a path over fields past Hollins House to High Thoresby. A lot of dogs seem to love here from the noise as we passed. We met one running about loose but it didn't trouble itself with us. The next field was awkward to get into. I had to climb the gate to open it to let Helen and Anastasia through. We stopped here about to laze in the sun then walked up the hill to the fourteenth century castle, ancestral home of the Scrope Family and for a while, prison to Mary, Queen of Scots.  From here we followed a track that runs almost due west across high pasture. There were a few cattle around but they did not trouble themselves with us. This was the most beautiful part of a very beautiful walk. After a nie and a bit the path turns left and descended into Carperby. Here it is right then left and back to the Falls very pleasantly across green fields.
 From the Cat and Fiddle. Didn't take long.
There is a car parking area at the top of Eccles Road from where a very short walk goes to the top of Eccles Pike. After that I drive to Whaley Lane. There is a path starts at the spot height marked 308 on the OS map. A bit south of it there is a car park. I followed this to directly south of the summit after which I followed the left side of a wall to. It is pathless but easy going as far as the top of the steep bit then not so easy going, I made a little detour on the way down to check out a thing called the Dipping Stone which was once the base of a pair of stone crosses put up in the early Middle Ages to mark a boundary.   From the car park below Errwood Hall up to the hall then on up to Foxlow Edge. I recently wondered if Grin Low might be the easiest Ethel. It is not I realised as I descended to the parking place on the Street about two minutes walk from the top of Foxlow Edge. Then the delightful and familiar circuit: Cat's Tor, Shining Tor and home.
 Another day collecting obscure North Pennine hills. There is a car park in Murton and a track leading up round to the east of Murton Fell. About a kilometre after passing Murton Fell I left the track for the pathless boggy plateau to find the top of Murton Pike. The well signposted edge of MoD land and a ltiny lake just by this are useful landmarks to find the top of this if, as today it was misty up here. The summit is an unprepossessing spot in this weather so I didn't linger but headed on down and up Murton Fell, a far shapelier hill. From a bit to the west of the summit I found a path leading fairly directly down, sometimes over very steep ground.
 it was May Bank holiday. It was also a non-firing public access day at the Warcop Training Area. So when better to go go these two obscure hills promoted to Nuttalls in 2016? There is a car park in Hilton at the start to the track up Scordale. Off I went on a beautiful May day. After half an hour a dog surprised me running round my legs and turning I saw the woman walking him. I waited for her to overtake but she never did and when I looked again she was gone. When I came to the bridge I took a path that goes off right up Swindale Edge, up onto high ground and down to cross Christy Bank Syke. by this point the right of way is marked by regular posts but there is nothing on the ground you would call a path. Not a problem as the terrain is pleasant and grassy making or easy walking. I left the track at the highest point and easily bagged my two Nuttals. The map showed a landrover track zigzagging down hill from here so I went to check that out and followed it down. I met the farmer on the way down patrolling his sheep on a motorbike. He was friendly and stopped for a chat. Sharing your sheep farm with the MoD sounded a complicated affair. On this beautiful bank holiday Saturday he and the vanishing dogwalking woman were the only human souls I met. The North Pennines are not so popular. Following an easy path back to my car I wondered what Ambleside or Keswick might be like today.
The car park to the side of the Plough Inn is just for customers but the lay by in front is public parking. So I parked there and walked up the river bank as far as the stepping stones. Here a right of way leads gently up grassy slopes to Offerton Hall. And from here a track contours round the northern edge of Offerton Moor. When this meets a road there is a path to the left following a wall onto the plateau where there is a path on the ground leading all the way to the top of Shatton Edge. The river valley had been busy but I had the high plateau all to myself. I retraced my steps to the Hall but took the higher way back down to Callow Farm and through Callow Wood.  Would I like to rewrite this with AI, I am asked. And they offer me this: "The car park adjacent to the Plough Inn is reserved for customers, while the lay-by in front offers public parking. I opted for the latter and proceeded to walk along the riverbank up to the stepping stones. A designated right of way ascends through grassy slopes to Offerton Hall. Beyond this point, a trail skirts the northern boundary of Offerton Moor. Upon intersecting with a road, a leftward path runs alongside a wall, leading onto a plateau. Here, a distinct trail emerges, guiding one to the summit of Shatton Edge. While the river valley was bustling, the solitude of the high plateau was mine alone. On my return, I revisited the Hall but chose a loftier route that descended to Callow Farm and meandered through Callow Wood." Thanks but I think I will manage by myself,
 There is parking space at the top of the minor road over Dane Head from where it is a very short easy walk to the top of Cheeks Hill. A very short walk downhill from there leads to the corner of a wall that is the county summit of Staffordshire. Good paths over the moors lead from there to Axe Edge End then minor roads lead through Hill Top to Oxenstich Farm. From here I set off heading more or less straight or the summit of Oliver Hill. The terrain was pathless and horrible. From the top I went NW to meet up with the path going south from Oxenstich. THis was much easier and I would have had a much easier life going up this same way. From there up the road to Orchard Common - passing Readyleech Green a lot of unfriendly dogs barked furiously at me but were safely enclosed - and so back to the start.
 I parked on the road between Peak Forest and Old Dam. Easy to do even on a sunny Sunday in May. And followed the track up by Conies Farm that turns onto a path that gently rises onto Slitherstone Hill. There were sheep here. Lots of sheep. The summit is off the path a bit and requires clambering over a gate. I headed back by the front of Rowter Farm. At the T-junction of paths just south of the farm I was surprised to find a coffee shop. It's a horse box conversion on the back of a land rover run by the local farm to supplement their income. Apparently it was their second day in business. The Victoria sponge was very good. It was a pleasant walk back from here down Oxlow Rake.
|
|
RSS Feed
