Hope, The Great Ridge, Bradwell, and Brough

It was sunny when I left my house in Doncaster this morning, it wasn't sunny though when I got off the bus at Hope; it was drizzling and quite misty...I had much heavier rain at times later though, and some glorious sunshine as well. Today I walked along the Great Ridge from east to west, from Lose Hill to Mam Tor, for the first time for a few years. From Hope; I headed north, passing over the railway line that goes to the cement works and then cut down to the Edale road.

Just before Townhead Bridge I took the track going uphill over to the left and was soon climbing up the southeastern flank of Lose Hill.

The walk along The Great Ridge is less than two miles but it took me quite a while because I kept stopping to admire the views and take photographs in the improving weather conditions...and there's a steep, rocky, slippery descent with lose stones underfoot as you come down Back Tor.

As expected, it was quite crowded on the summit of Mam Tor and so I didn't linger and made my way down the steps and then across the fields and along the track, heading south all the time.

I know this area well and so when I reached a spot where five footpaths meet I wasn't hesitant about which was the right way. A bit further on I had to pause though to check my other map because my route today would take me just beyond the coverage of the northern map and just very briefly into the area of coverage of the map for the southern part of the Peak District. 

Having confirmed the way ahead I crossed Bradwell Moor. There's a choice of routes down into Bradwell and I can't be precise about which one I took.

There's only a bus every two hours going to Sheffield on a Sunday and so I walked along the road to Brough, to finish the walk there.

I didn't use this footpath; I just took a photograph of the sign, which is placed there so that the right of way isn't permanent and so therefore will not appear on any official maps of the area.

I didn't use this seat either.

The unpredictable weather spoiled the walk a bit for me, but the thing that really annoyed me today was my itchy arms. I always keep them well covered up and so I don't think it would have been  caused by anything that bit, stung, or scratched me. So what was it then? When I got home and got undressed I noticed that there was no rash, nor any other blemishes on my skin; it's not as bad now as it was a few hours ago and I'm hoping a good long soak in a hot bath later will soothe my skin.