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.
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