The weather improved on Saturday so we set out to do a walk which had not featured last year. When we arrived at the layby on the Snake Pass it was already nearly full. The first section of the walk has changed due to the immense forest clearing that has taken place, but we wove our way, sometimes a little precariously, down to the river crossing and on up past the pools which in the summer are very popular.
Fairbrook Naze from the Fair Brook ascent
It is always a good walk up to the top and to the Kinder plateau and we had the place almost to ourselves.
Above Fair Brook, north-east Kinder plateau background right
Nearing top of Fair Brook
Most of the ascent done- steep section hidden by perspective
At the top of Fair Brook, the longish walk around to the large cairn on the Pennine Way (via Fairbrook Naze) was fine and again one has the impression that fewer people come to this part than elsewhere on Kinder.
Fairbrook Naze with Snake Pass in middle distance
We descended the steep section down from the cairn, at the same time as lots of runners/walkers who were competing in a 35/70 km race run by the Derby Runners made their way up. Some were very fresh; others less so- 21 miles in that part of the Peak District is quite demanding. We then started the long, rather muddy/boggy descent which is in some ways a downside of the walk, but in the end the wood on the edge of the moor was reached. We sat and had a last snack, watching the cascading stream down Urchin Clough and walkers on the other side of the River Ashop making shakey progress. Then it was a reasonable 30 minutes walk back to the car.
Cascade down Urchin Clough
A good walk and certainly, at times, a pleasantly solitary ramble. 10.1 miles, 620m ascent.
Marsen and March Haigh We had a leisurely start and headed off to Marsen, where we had a pleasant Dark Woods coffee at Arcade . We parked up in the station car park- always ample space, and no charge then walked along the canal to the start of the Standedge Tunnel. Just beyond this, there was a small enclosure with a number of beehives. Beehives at the Standedge Tunnel These had been set up and managed by a Syrian refugee. We made our way up towards the March Haigh Reservoir, by now a familiar route. On our way to the March Haigh Reservoir It's quite a stiff walk up to the top of March Haigh itself, and we stopped for lunch just before the very top. As we wanted to get home in good time to talk with Rachel and DK, we took a shorter route back, down Willykay Clough and down to Close Gate Bridge, where a passerby kindly took a picture of us. Portrait on Close Gate Bridge The return to the car was back along the outward path beside the canal- lots of toads about! 7.6 Miles, 320m asce...
Eyam Moor, Abney Moor and Offerton Moor Another walk from "Day Walks in the Peak District", and a complement to the walk that we did on May 4th .The walk starts from the Hathersage car park and rejoins familiar territory at the Leadmill Bridge, where there's a short overlap with the May walk. Inscription on Leadmill Bridge On reaching Hazelford Hall, the two routes diverge and this time we went more or less directly up to the Sir William Hill Road. Rather than following the public road, we used the byway to skirt Bretton Moor and stopped for light refreshments (including crisps!) at The Barrel Inn at Bretton. From there, we followed the (currently closed to traffic) road across Hucklow Edge- easy walking, and very quiet. It was clear why the road was closed- there were landslips to its south and the road itself had collapsed at its western end, although not to the extent of the Mam Tor road! On nearing the Gliding Club, the route took a welcome break from tarmac, cuttin...
Holmfirth, Upperthong and Lots of Reservoirs After consulting Mike Dale's "Adventures in the Northern Peak", we decided to go to Holmfirth to do something different and, at 10.5 miles, we chose what seemed to be a reasonable walk in a new area. After a lovely coffee at the Holme Coffee House and a trip to the Co-Op for provisions, we started on Stage 1 of the walk. Essential rations... when in Yorkshire Stage 1 went from Holmfirth to Bilberry Reservoir, starting from the main road and going up the (very steep!) side of Victoria Park. There was a fair amount of twisting and turning down lanes and footpaths on this leg, including a walk though Upperthong. Door to waterworks in Thongsbridge The houses were interesting and the views were good- there was a constantly changing perspective on the Holme Moss Transmitter, familiar from Black Hill walks. We got to the Digley Reservoir and had lunch in a good spot above the reservoir. Outflow from Digley Reservoir After lunch, th...
