{"id":"69846716533dbb4b730fca00","title":"Our Weekend Away In The Peak District","path":"walks/scrapbook/holidays/our-weekend-away-in-the-peak-district","contentMarkdown":"# Holiday 1 - Our Weekend Away in the Peak District\n\nIn September 2012 a walking weekend was held in the Peak District (Britain's first National Park) attended by members of the Berkshire Walkers 20s & 30s group and the newly formed Berkshire Weekend Walkers. The centre of activities was Edale, in the north of the Peak District, where the organiser and some of the group camped. A few of us stayed in more luxurious accommodation, in B&Bs and pub/hotels, as this part of the UK gets its fair share of rain. We needn't have worried though; the weather was good to us that weekend.\n\n## Friday 7th September - Lose Hill and Mam Tor\n\nThe first walk was planned to start at mid-day on the Friday, to allow those travelling up Friday morning time to get there. I had travelled up Thursday night with Lee, the walks organiser, so after my cooked breakfast at the pub I was staying at, I strolled up to the campsite. With time on our hands before the start of the official walk, we decided to do a bit of exploring and took a boat trip through the Speedwell caves.\n\nThe first walk began at the public car park in Edale and we climbed the hill to Hollins Cross using the old pack-horse route to Castleton. At the top of the hill, we could see Edale and the campsite that some of the group were staying at. You can even see Lee's tent!\n\n![Click to englarge](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume0/images/edale_hollins_cross.jpg)\n\nOnce on the rounded grassy ridge, we walked to Lose Hill on the eastern end, with views towards the climbers paradise of Stanage Edge and down into the cavers paradise of Castleton.\n\nWe doubled back to Hollins Cross and then walked up the gentle ridge to Mam Tor (known as the shivering mountain, due to its habit of having one or two landslides; most notably removing the road on its southern slopes in the early 1980s).\n\nWe stopped off for a guided tour of the Blue-John Caverns and an ice cream before returning to Edale via the broken road at Little Mam Tor and then back over Hollins Cross.\n\nThis 8 mile walk was a good warm-up for what was in store for us over the rest of the weekend. That evening we dined and drank at the Old Nags Head pub, opposite the campsite.\n\n![Click to englarge](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume0/images/lose_hill_mam_tor.jpg)\n\n## Saturday 8th September - Kinder Scout\n\nKinder Scout is a must for any Rambler: it is here where, 80 years ago this year, the mass trespass occurred which lead to the formation of the association; the campaign for the rights of way network and National Parks; the granting of the Countryside Right of Way act and the Ramblers on-going work to get the right to walk our coastline.\n\nWith a fairly early start (9:30am) we set off from outside the Old Nags Head, where we followed the Pennine Way path across low grazing meadows (over many dry-stone wall styles) to Upper Booth (where there used to be a good iced cream shop) before climbing up Jacob's Ladder to Edale Cross (on the old pack horse route to Hayfield).\n\nI have a slight confession to make here. I was striding ahead as we followed the Pennine Way to Kinder Scout and didn't realise that the leader had planned to include a diversion to see the ancient monument of Edale Cross. As I approached the trig point at Kinder Low, I heard very distant shouting. It was the rest of my group, heading the other way, to Edale Cross. They seemed to be indicating that I should carry on, so I did, following the path through open moorland and arriving at Kinder Downfall sometime before they did.\n\n![Click to englarge](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume0/images/jacobs_ladder.jpg)\n\nOnce the other caught up with me, at Kinder Downfall, we stopped for our picnic by this waterfall.\n\nAfter lunch our leader decided we should strike out across the moor to meet the north-eastern edge, with its views over the Derwent Valley. This was a muddy experience, walking through the heather with our boots occasionally sinking into the soft peat. As there was no defined path or obvious landmarks, we had to use dead-reckoning with the leader and I both using our compasses and furious hand signalling. Luckily it wasn't too long before we could see some landmarks to follow and we were soon on an established path. We returned to The Old Nags Head via the slopes of Ringing Rodger and Golden Clough.\n\nAlthough this walk was only about 9½ miles, it felt like much more. That night some of us met up in Lee's tent and had a homomade stew and some bottles of red wine.\n\n## Sunday 9th September - Derwent Valley and Margery Hill\n\n![Click to englarge](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume0/images/kinder_scout.jpg)\n\nThe Derwent Valley has three reservoirs: Howden Dam, Derwent and Ladybower, which supply drinking water to Sheffield. The most recent (and largest), Ladybower, was built in the 1940s, flooding the villages of Ashopton and Derwent; the remains of which can still be seen when the water is low. The visitor centre is at the dam of Derwent reservoir, which was famously used as target practise for Barnes-Wallis' bouncing bomb before the dam-busters raids on the Ruhr Valley in Germany.\n\nWe drove to the Derwent Valley National Park visitor centre where we started our walk directly in front of the dam. We followed the gentle paved path north, alongside Derwent and Howden to the old Derwent village bridge at Slippery Stones, where we stopped for our picnic.\n\nAt this point there was a choice. Those not wanting to do the hilly part of the walk continued to circumnavigate the reservoir, back to the car park. The rest of us began the ascent of Margery Hill via Cranberry Clough.\n\nWe climbed the path (on the old pack horse route to Penistone) up to Margery Hill before striking off over the moorland to Dovestones Tor.\n\n![Click to englarge](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume0/images/howden_reservoir.jpg)\n\nThe trudging across heather and peat, following no apparent path, was rewarded with spectacular views of Win Hill and the Hope Valley.\n\nWe followed Howden Edge for a while before making our way back down to the reservoir and its easy path back to the car park and ice cream shop.\n\nThis challenging 13½ mile walk took most of the day and by the time we got back to Edale and got cleaned up, both of the pubs had stopped serving food! Some sweet-talking to the bar and kitchen staff at the Old Nags Head persuaded them to knock up some baked potatoes, which were gratefully received and washed down with plenty of ale.\n\n## Monday 10th September - Chatsworth House and Grounds\n\n![Click to englarge](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume0/images/cranberry_clough.jpg)\n\nAfter packing up on Monday morning, we set off for Chatsworth House, to do an easy day of site seeing. We needed something easy after Sunday's walk.\n\nAlthough I've been round the house and garden at Chatsworth a couple of times before, there was still plenty to see, and it was early afternoon before we started on the journey home.\n\n![Click to englarge](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume0/images/chatsworth_house.jpg)","contentHtml":"

Holiday 1 - Our Weekend Away in the Peak District

\n

In September 2012 a walking weekend was held in the Peak District (Britain's first National Park) attended by members of the Berkshire Walkers 20s & 30s group and the newly formed Berkshire Weekend Walkers. The centre of activities was Edale, in the north of the Peak District, where the organiser and some of the group camped. A few of us stayed in more luxurious accommodation, in B&Bs and pub/hotels, as this part of the UK gets its fair share of rain. We needn't have worried though; the weather was good to us that weekend.

\n

Friday 7th September - Lose Hill and Mam Tor

\n

The first walk was planned to start at mid-day on the Friday, to allow those travelling up Friday morning time to get there. I had travelled up Thursday night with Lee, the walks organiser, so after my cooked breakfast at the pub I was staying at, I strolled up to the campsite. With time on our hands before the start of the official walk, we decided to do a bit of exploring and took a boat trip through the Speedwell caves.

\n

The first walk began at the public car park in Edale and we climbed the hill to Hollins Cross using the old pack-horse route to Castleton. At the top of the hill, we could see Edale and the campsite that some of the group were staying at. You can even see Lee's tent!

\n

\"Click

\n

Once on the rounded grassy ridge, we walked to Lose Hill on the eastern end, with views towards the climbers paradise of Stanage Edge and down into the cavers paradise of Castleton.

\n

We doubled back to Hollins Cross and then walked up the gentle ridge to Mam Tor (known as the shivering mountain, due to its habit of having one or two landslides; most notably removing the road on its southern slopes in the early 1980s).

\n

We stopped off for a guided tour of the Blue-John Caverns and an ice cream before returning to Edale via the broken road at Little Mam Tor and then back over Hollins Cross.

\n

This 8 mile walk was a good warm-up for what was in store for us over the rest of the weekend. That evening we dined and drank at the Old Nags Head pub, opposite the campsite.

\n

\"Click

\n

Saturday 8th September - Kinder Scout

\n

Kinder Scout is a must for any Rambler: it is here where, 80 years ago this year, the mass trespass occurred which lead to the formation of the association; the campaign for the rights of way network and National Parks; the granting of the Countryside Right of Way act and the Ramblers on-going work to get the right to walk our coastline.

\n

With a fairly early start (9:30am) we set off from outside the Old Nags Head, where we followed the Pennine Way path across low grazing meadows (over many dry-stone wall styles) to Upper Booth (where there used to be a good iced cream shop) before climbing up Jacob's Ladder to Edale Cross (on the old pack horse route to Hayfield).

\n

I have a slight confession to make here. I was striding ahead as we followed the Pennine Way to Kinder Scout and didn't realise that the leader had planned to include a diversion to see the ancient monument of Edale Cross. As I approached the trig point at Kinder Low, I heard very distant shouting. It was the rest of my group, heading the other way, to Edale Cross. They seemed to be indicating that I should carry on, so I did, following the path through open moorland and arriving at Kinder Downfall sometime before they did.

\n

\"Click

\n

Once the other caught up with me, at Kinder Downfall, we stopped for our picnic by this waterfall.

\n

After lunch our leader decided we should strike out across the moor to meet the north-eastern edge, with its views over the Derwent Valley. This was a muddy experience, walking through the heather with our boots occasionally sinking into the soft peat. As there was no defined path or obvious landmarks, we had to use dead-reckoning with the leader and I both using our compasses and furious hand signalling. Luckily it wasn't too long before we could see some landmarks to follow and we were soon on an established path. We returned to The Old Nags Head via the slopes of Ringing Rodger and Golden Clough.

\n

Although this walk was only about 9½ miles, it felt like much more. That night some of us met up in Lee's tent and had a homomade stew and some bottles of red wine.

\n

Sunday 9th September - Derwent Valley and Margery Hill

\n

\"Click

\n

The Derwent Valley has three reservoirs: Howden Dam, Derwent and Ladybower, which supply drinking water to Sheffield. The most recent (and largest), Ladybower, was built in the 1940s, flooding the villages of Ashopton and Derwent; the remains of which can still be seen when the water is low. The visitor centre is at the dam of Derwent reservoir, which was famously used as target practise for Barnes-Wallis' bouncing bomb before the dam-busters raids on the Ruhr Valley in Germany.

\n

We drove to the Derwent Valley National Park visitor centre where we started our walk directly in front of the dam. We followed the gentle paved path north, alongside Derwent and Howden to the old Derwent village bridge at Slippery Stones, where we stopped for our picnic.

\n

At this point there was a choice. Those not wanting to do the hilly part of the walk continued to circumnavigate the reservoir, back to the car park. The rest of us began the ascent of Margery Hill via Cranberry Clough.

\n

We climbed the path (on the old pack horse route to Penistone) up to Margery Hill before striking off over the moorland to Dovestones Tor.

\n

\"Click

\n

The trudging across heather and peat, following no apparent path, was rewarded with spectacular views of Win Hill and the Hope Valley.

\n

We followed Howden Edge for a while before making our way back down to the reservoir and its easy path back to the car park and ice cream shop.

\n

This challenging 13½ mile walk took most of the day and by the time we got back to Edale and got cleaned up, both of the pubs had stopped serving food! Some sweet-talking to the bar and kitchen staff at the Old Nags Head persuaded them to knock up some baked potatoes, which were gratefully received and washed down with plenty of ale.

\n

Monday 10th September - Chatsworth House and Grounds

\n

\"Click

\n

After packing up on Monday morning, we set off for Chatsworth House, to do an easy day of site seeing. We needed something easy after Sunday's walk.

\n

Although I've been round the house and garden at Chatsworth a couple of times before, there was still plenty to see, and it was early afternoon before we started on the journey home.

\n

\"Click

\n"}