With Anna. There is a 9.40 train from Hope to Edale but it was 16 minutes late today so I got into Edale just after ten much the same time as Anna’s train the other way. It had been raining steadily all morning and did not look promising. From the walked up the road to just after the Rambler pub where a footpath is signposted left. The early stages of this were not too clear. I think most people walking to Barber Booth now take a lower path signposted direct from the station which our path soon joins.  We crossed a river and soon came out in Barber Booth. Here we turned left on the road and almost immediately after sharp right then right again after a bridge on a road signposted to Upper Booth. A short distance up this road there is a footpath off to the left which goes up across a field to pick up the access track to Manor House Farm. Before reaching the farm the path branches off right – very clearly signposted at this point as the farm people clearly want to keep walkers well away from their house. Past the farm the path led alongside a fence separating is from a load of cows and calves. We felt slightly relieved to be on the other side from them but not for long as the path soon crossed the fence and put us among them. But by now the main mass of them was behind us and it was not to nerve racking passing the straggling outliers. Soon we were on the Chapel Gate track where we turned right and followed steeply up onto Rushup Edge where we turned left onto the ridge. Soon we were on the flat summit Lord’s Seat, the highest point of our walk but not much of a viewpoint in this weather.

Only it wasn’t to last, the poor weather. As we descended toward the road below Mam Tor it cleared, rather fast. The sun came out, The sky was suddenly blue. And stayed that way. Crossing the road it suddenly got a lot busier. From here to Lose Hill is one of the Peak’s most popular stretches of walking. But it was still glorious with fabulous views across Edale and the Hope Valley. Soon enough we were on Lose Hill. A lot of people then just come back the way they went out. But using the train to make a long ribbon walk works really well. A lovely path leads down southeath to Townhead Bridge  where if you are tired you can stroll easily down the road while the more adventurous can finish over Win Hill. I was very tired but Anna was still full of beans and it was still just mid-afternoon so on we went, up to Fulwood Stile Farm, then the long zigzag contouring up left to reach the open moor about a mile from the summit. Coming down I got a little muddled with the direction and we descended a couple of hundred meters left of the line I at first intended. There are a lot more paths on the ground here than are marked on the OS map. But we soon came out in Aston just as planned from where it is a short and easy stroll back to Hope Station. This is a really great walk.

With Helen and Gavin. We followed the track that goes east from the Wizard car park by Alderley Edge. (Pay and display but free if you’re a NT member.) Soon a very narrow, rather overgron path branches off leading to Edge House Farm. From here there are paths to follow pleasantly over fields and by little woods to the village of Mottram St Andrew. At <Mottram we turned right down the quiet Priest Lane. Passing the Bull’s Head we kept straight on down Cross Lane as far as Woodside Farm where we took a path that goes off to the left. This goes over a golf course to Mottram Hall Hotel . The footpath here goes to the right of the clubhouse, crosses some more golf course, passes a very manicured football pitch then turns into a pleasant riverside path as far as Mill Farm most of which is presently a construction site.  We crossed the road by Mottram Bridge and turned right to find the footpath leading over fields towards  Dean Farm. This path if evidently not much frequented. The stile was horribly overgrown so we used the nearby gate and headed for the footbridge on the map. We went a bit astray here. I slightly misestimated the direction of the right of way and we headed west by northwest  instead of east by northeast as we should and ended up at the wrong field corner looking in a vain for the bridge until we got puzzled enough to resort to a compass despite the perfect visibility and soon got back on track. 
 

As we entered the next field a sign advised us there was a bull in it. Today there was not but he watched us from the neighbouring field with a mean look which made us glad not to have found him in our path. At the farm an unfriendly  dog running loose barked at us but it wasn’t a very big dog and did no more than bark. Our next path leads towards Alderley Edge down a field alongside Faulkner’s Farm. Four friendly horses trotted over looking for attention. Now the path follows a fence for about a kilometre. At one point a stile crosses the fence and a sign instructed us bto switch side on pain of prosecution. So we did. After a place where there is a crossing of paths the route gets a little unclear for a bit and we went briefly astray again but were soon righted. Our walk ended with a bit of an explore round Alderley Edge, a lovely atmospheric place which Alan Garner in his childen books peopled with witches and goblins. On this this beautiful Sunday afternoon it was peopled instead with hundreds of dogwalkers and families. Soon enough we were back at the Wizard. The café was busy but we found ourselves some seats and rounded off a satisfying short walk with coffee and snacks.