Shining Tor and Cats Tor

Keith drove up in the morning to join us for a walk to try out his new walking boots and allow his shoulder, which had been recently operated on, to have a rest.

We had breakfast in the café at Monyash the I drove us to park at the further car park beside Erwood Reservoir in the Goyt Valley, below the previous location of Erwood Hall.

We walked uphill following a wide, grassy path above the wooded Shooter's Clough then through a stile in the drystone wall leading along a gravel-surfaced path crossing the moorland to arrive at the summit of Shining Tor.

Here we sat behind the drystone-wall by the Trig. Point, which sheltered us from the North-Easterly wind and had a snack.

Next we followed the path paved with large slabs of rock towards the north, up and over Cat's Tor then onwards to Pym Chair.

From there we followed the path one the side of the minor road for a kilometre or so before crossing the road and through a stile bringing up to a rising path leading up and along Foxlow Edge.

The path then led down the other side and through woods to arrive back at Erwood Reservoir near the car park we had started from.

Hawk's Nest, Goldstitch Moss & Lud's Church

It was one of Karen's non-working Fridays, and I had taken the day off as it was the remainder of my holiday entitlement for the year so we decided on going for a walk.

With another day seeming to remain cool and overcast, we parked in the small car park at Gradbach first walked down the road next to a small stream which was orange with ochre or something similar.

It was flowing into the stream from a smaller tributary a few hundred metres along the road near Manor Farm.

We retraced our steps back along road and crossed a footbridge to follow footpath, part of the Dane Valley Way, across a few fields then onto a minor road.

We walked a very short way along the road then back following a footpath across more fields passing a small but slightly derelict cottage gradually-rising and then arrived at a cross-roads of footpaths where we followed the one heading to the left which brought us after a while to a sandy track which was a bridleway leading to Panniers Pool at Three Shires Head, where we had been last week-end.

We sheltered in the lee of the packhorse bridge from the cold wind and had a snack and then followed back along the way we came to follow a lane leading past Wicken Walls from where we again crossed several fields to arrive at a minor road by Wildstone Rock after dropping down toa small stream and footbridge and up the other side.

There was another minor road which we followed just over a kilometre to a crossroads where we kept on straight-ahead then followed a footpath to drop down to Black Broom where we had lunch in a spot sheltered from the cold wind.

Afterwards, we followed along the back of the brook to the North-West where it joined a bridleway at Roach End after going uphill for a while before a sharp bend where it proceeded to now go back downhill to lead through Forest Wood until we arrived at the chasm of Lud's Chrurch.

Our route took us through this gloomy defile in the gritstone bedrock and after we popped out the other side we continued along a path tot a hairpin bend which then led down to arrive again at Black Brook.

After crossing the brook on a footbridge, we followed a path along the brook and passed the impressive old mill building of Gradbach Youth Hostel.

The drive to the Youth Hostel gradually rose to a minor road and we followed this to soon arrive back at the car park.

The "Orange" river

Source of the "orange", possibly Ochre or some other mineral

Panniers Pool, Three Shires Head

What happens to moorland when trial bikes go where they shouldn't

An Alapaca

A Pair of Alpacas

Lud's Church

Lud's Church

Water Icicle Close Cavern

We met Keith in the morning for breakfast at the café in Monyash then drove to the end of Derby Lane.

It was a similar day to yesterday from a weather point of view but the morning mist cleared fairly quickly leaving a lovely warm and sunny Spring dat.

Shortly afterwards a convoy of cars arrived with Phil Walker, Rich Smith, Chris Jackson and Ashley Richardson.

We all abseiled down the entrance shaft and then had a quick tour around the extensions at the end of North-West Passage before a visit to the new stuff discovered by Phil and Rich at the end of North Passage which was a first visit for Keith who was recuperating after an operation on his shoulder.

White Edge and Curbar Edge

After breakfast at Outside, Calver Crossroads, Karen drove is to the layby at Curbar Gap where we left the car.

The morning started chilly and was foggy or misty and we walked up the road passing the car park and then after passing through a gate, followed a path leading to the start of White Edge.

There was a bit of wind here and it was blowing clouds of mist across the ground in front of us with skylarks singing and taking off from the heather periodically.

We continued along the Edge with the mist gradually clearing, although there was quite a lot of haze in the air for the remainder of the day.

When we reached the Longwood Estate, we stopped at the National Trust café at the Lodge for a cup of tea and a snack.

Afterwards, we followed a public foot path across the parkland of the estate and then along the edge above Grindleford to reach a lane in Nether Padley.

We continued on paths through woods for a while soon reaching the start of the path along the top of Curbar Edge after crossing a minor road,

We continued along this path passing along Curbar Edge until we arrived back the Curbar Gap.

Whalf Pipe Mine

Not having been there for quite a while I suggested a trip down Whalf Pipe Climbing Shaft for a quick wander around to Karen and so we drove to the Orpheus CC hut in the morning.

Speaking to Boyd and others there we learned that there had been a covering of snow at 07:30 earlier on but by now it had all disappeared.

We collected a couple of ropes and tackle bags and drove to Knotlow Triangle and got changed into caving gear.

I abseiled in first rigging as I went and Karen followed/ We had a wander around the mine and natural areas for a while then headed back to the surface.

After changing out of caving gear we had a snack in the Old Smithy café in Monyash then returned to the hut to clean the ropes and another brew of tea before heading for home.

Edale Cross from Hayfield

We started this walk from the Sett Valley Trail car park in the village of Hayfield then crossed the main Chapel-en-le-Frith road using the pedestrian underpass which brought us passed the Kinder Mountain Rescue Team's base.

After continuing through a passageway by the chip shop we found Highgate Road and followed this minor road as it gradually rose from the village heading South-East then we joined a bridleway leading from the road above Higher Hays Farm which in turn joined part of the route of the Pennine Bridleway passing to the South of Mount Famine and onwards to South Head. We stopped on the way to get waterproofs on as there was a short shower although it had been warm enough up until then to just wear a shirt as we followed the road upwards.

Here we paused for a drink and looked at the views across the edges of Kinder Scout now that the sun made an appearance.

From here our route left the line of the Pennine Bridleway following an ancient track then onto boggier ground passing near the summit of Brown Knoll as it veered Northwards and arrived at the cross-road junction with the route up Jacob's Ladder to Edale Cross with Edale Rocks ahead.

Here we sat in the shelter from the cold wind behind a drystone wall at the path junction to have lunch watching dark clouds roll in with the cloud base lowering to obscure Edale Rocks and the rest of the Kinder Plateau above.

Luckily, except for a few drops, the rain from the dark clouds fell elsewhere. We watched several groups of youths passing by seemingly enjoying there walk around Kinder.

After lunch, we followed the broad and deeply-worn track passing the ancient Edale Cross as it gradually dropped down Westwards pausing to take photos of some newborn lambs.

We came to a fork in the route with left being a bridleway and the left a Public Footpath following a farm track. We followed the footpath and arrived at the car park at Bowden Quarry where on of a group of ramblers set off on the famous Kinder Mass Trespass nearly 80 years ago on 24th April, 1932..

There was a trailer there selling hot food and drinks and Karen had a bacon roll while I had a fried egg roll sitting at a picnic table in the car park.

We continued onwards along the road for a kilometre or so to arrive back where we had started.

The ancient monument, Edale Cross

Oh dear...

Plaque commemorating the Kinder Mass Trespass, 24th April, 1932

Eyam Moor

After parking on the eastern end of the rough track which passes below Sir William Hill on the southern end of Eyam Moor, we followed the rough vehicle track in the surprisingly warm sun listening to the skylarks flying overhead.

It certainly was a lovely Spring day with blue skies and loads of sun and we next walked along a track branching off to the right and then followed a Public Footpath passing through the drive of a house and along one side of the house and onto some pastrureland.

The footpath led tot he side of the Bretton Brook valley and we sat here for a short break while we had a drink and looked at the views across an down the valley watching the gliders flying after taking off from the nearby gliding club.

After dropping steeply down one side of the valley, we then followed a path rising up the other side of the valley and soon reached the hamlet of Abney.

Our route tool us through a metal gate at the top of Abney Clough and we took advantage of a lovely spot to sit and eat lunch.

Afterwards the path led down through woods passing many wood ants nests with the ants busy in the warm weather, until we arrived at Stoke Ford.

From here, we crossed a footbridge then followed the rising path on the opposite side of Bretton Clough eventually arriving at one of the walls surrounding Eyam Moor.

After crossing the wall via a stile, we followed a path through the heather along another wall leading to the south east until we were back where we had started from.

Busy Wood Ants

Three Shires Head

Leaving the car parked in the small car park near Derbyshire Bridge in the Goyt Valley area not far from Buxton, we followed a route across moorland southwards after hearing and watching a Curlew flying past overhead.

After about 300 metres, we passed through a gate onto an old track which led us eastwards and soon joined the Buxton - Macclesfield (A537) road.

We crossed the road and after going through another small gate, we followed a track on the moor heading southwards, soon passing an old coal mine mineshaft and then we joined a broader track sign posted “Dane Valley Way”.

Soon we arrived at a minor road and we continued following the Dane Valley Way along this road for a short distance then it left the road and again headed across moorland.

After passing an old quarry, we walked along a track leading below Orchard Farm and passing the drive leading up to Black Clough Farm, the route followed a rough track leading down a narrow valley which soon led us to Three Shire Heads and the picturesque Panniers Pool where an ancient pack-horse bridge crosses the River Dane.

We sat on a rock on the river bank near the bridge which was sheltered from the rather cold wind and had our lunch.

Afterwards, we followed the true right-hand bank of the River Dane heading northwards and after a while passed an old coal mine entrance with the obvious spoil heaps of Reeve-edge Quarry higher up on the other side of the valley. The path led passed a short square-shaped stone-built chimney which was in excellent condition despite its obvious old age.

We crossed the nearby A54 main road and then through a gate onto more moorland with a wide track leading eventually to the Cat and Fiddle pub, the second highest pub in Britain, located next to the A537.

We crossed the A537 and followed along side it to the south-east for a few hundred metres then along a minor road which led us soon back to where we started.

Old Coal Mine Entrance

Frog Spawn

An Old Packhorse Bridge

Another Old Packhorse Bridge at Three Shires Head

An Old Mine Adit

Old Mine Chimney

Looking Back Down the Valley

Cat and Fiddle Inn