Fox House and the Eastern Edges

A walk with Maureen and Chris from Leeds today. As usual the brief was a six to eight mile walk, fairly flat and easy conditions, and parking somewhere with toilets. Starting a walk from Fox House just about fits all these criteria, although the public toilets are now closed there are still some at the visitor centre at Longshaw, only a ten minute stroll. Out of good practice I always take my map, but I didn't need it today...and didn't use it - I know the area very well.

As the passengers were boarding the bus at Sheffield Interchange I helped the driver work out where a couple of foreign students needed to get off; the end of the road to Ringinglow for Mayfield Alpaca Farm and Fox House for the car parking area at Longshaw Estate. This seems to be becoming a regular task for me; I'm not a particularly helpful person...it's just that I see this as being the best way to hurry things up and make sure that the bus sets off on time.

The route of today's walk was through the grounds of Longshaw Estate, along the road to the footpath on the top of Froggatt Edge, cut across the moors to Eagle Stone and the Wellington Monument, and then across more moorland to reach White Edge and return to the visitor centre at Longshaw...and then finally back to Fox House. 

Froggatt Edge With Chris and Simon

Another walk today with Chris and Simon from Leeds.

I arrived as planned at Fox House at 09:50 and so had nearly half an hour to wait until Chris and Simon arrived in the car; so I got the camera out. The photo I've chosen depicts the view from the pub's rear beer garden.

Thirty minutes later we set off, crossing the road and walking through the grounds of Longshaw Estate. After a couple of hundred yards Chris suddenly stopped and shouted "Rucksack!" He'd left his rucksack in the car; neither Simon nor myself had noticed.

It's easy going through Longshaw Estate, on gravel tracks..and the views are good, especially westwards towards the Hope Valley.

We reached the road, passed the Grouse Inn, isolated on the moors, and took a path just beyond the car park which led down to a small wood at the side of 

Haywood Car Park.

Another road to cross, at a location where we needed to be careful, and then we were on the path which soon goes right along the top of Froggatt Edge. We stopped at many of the rock formations to admire the views and Simon spent a few minutes posing for photos with the docile Highland cattle.

Simon also enjoyed posing next to the Eagle Rock, managing to climb about halfway up without any difficulty.

The Wellington Monument was next; no opportunity to pose here because a small group of people had got there first. We reached the road and then entered the access land on Big Moor. There's well-defined and well-maintained path that leads to White Edge, higher than Froggatt Edge, but not as spectacular...but there are distant views all the way to Sheffield and the Trent Valley power stations - we even discussed if Nottingham might be visible using binoculars.

It was a straightforward walk back to Fox House, where we arrived fifteen minutes before the number 65 bus was due. It didn't arrive; the next bus, the 272, due thirty minutes later, was five minutes late and was only a single-decker. Being first in the queue I got a seat; several people didn't though.

My train from Sheffield back to Doncaster was ten minutes late, and then delayed even further en route. Not a good day for public transport.

Longshaw Lodge to Baslow

Although the weather was much better yesterday, I ended up going walking today because the trains weren't running to Sheffield yesterday.

Today's walk is one of my favourite routes; I've done it several times before, but never when the conditions have been so wintry.

I got off the bus at the next stop after Fox House and walked along the gravel driveway to Longshaw Lodge, where I went to the toilets...and stopped awhile to take a picture of what I assume to be a quite old plaque explaining some of the history of the building.

As soon as I left the areas accessible to vehicles and was on footpaths it was obvious that I'd need to use my new ice grippers: although the snow and ice was rapidly thawing, there was still quite a lot of it about. I bought my grippers from a shop called 'Clas Ohlson'. It's a Swedish firm, and I'm assuming that if their products are manufactured for the Swedish market, they'll be adequate for using in the Peak District. I've previously purchased my rucksack, head torch, flask and heat pads from them and have had no reason to complain or be disappointed yet. The ice grippers are certainly sturdier and better designed than the pair that disintegrated last week...and a damn sight easier to put on and take off too. In the photograph you can see that I've taped up my laces with parcel tape; it's what I do to stop my laces snagging and eventually working loose as I'm walking through the undergrowth.

The path through Longshaw Estate is just over a mile and then I needed to walk along a short section of road. There was a wide grass verge and so I didn't need to take off my grippers though.

I was soon on the path leading to Froggatt Edge where my first stop was at Stoke Flat Stone Circle where I observed that someone had placed an offering to the gods; only a penny though. On other occasions when I've been here there has been rather more money in the hollowed out bowl on the top of the main stone; additionally there have been offerings of costume jewellery, beads, flowers and food.

The views from the top of the Edge are spectacular, but were spoiled today by the not-so-good visibility  There are plenty of interesting rock formations, so I concentrated on photographing those instead.

Occasionally I'd look to my left towards the expanse of Stoke Flat hoping to see some deer. I was fortune to spot four in the distance; the first time I've seen any at this location. Much closer; hiding amongst the rocks and boulders were several Highland cattle: it's a good job that they're very placid.

By now it was already drizzling a bit, although the weather forecast wasn't predicting rain for more than an hour yet. This was incentive enough for me to increase my pace to make sure I'd definitely arrive at Baslow Nether End in time to catch the next bus: after the really severe bout of flu I've just recovered from the last thing I need to be doing is walking in the rain.

Fox House, Longshaw Estate, Curbar, Calver, Froggatt, and Grindleford.

I got off the bus and walked for a couple of hundred yards down the Grindleford road and took the track into the Longshaw Estate. Just beyond Longshaw Lodge, where the information centre, tea shop, and public toilets are located, I took the footpath that forks to the right, and headed for the pond. I've never visited the pond before; it's nothing special, but I did spend a few minutes watching the ducks.

A few minutes later I was walking through woodland and noticed a tree with some strange growth on its trunk; it didn't seem to be causing any problems though.

I then walked across an area which I'd describe as heathland, and then a slight climb across grassland towards Tumbling Hill. I kept stopping and looking behind me because the views were magnificent.

Instead of taking the path which goes along the bottom of the cliff face (I think it's actually an old quarry) I climbed the few yards to the summit and followed the path; which soon merges with the lower path, just before Hay Wood car park.

I then walked along the top of Froggatt Edge, mostly using the main path, a few yards back from the top of the cliff; but sometimes going to admire an interesting rock formation and the wide-ranging view...being careful because of the gusty wind.

At the southern end of Froggatt Edge is Curbar Gap, where I walked along the road for a couple of minutes and then took a footpath down into the village.

Calver is right next to Curbar; I came down onto the main road at Calver Mill, where the 1970s TV series Colditz was filmed, and then walked north along the road to the café, where I enjoyed a very hearty cooked breakfast.

I then re-traced my steps for a few hundred yards and took a footpath leading up through woodland, my only serious climb of the day. At the top there were some grassy meadows where cows and sheep were grazing together. The views of Froggatt Edge and northwards up the valley were lovely; but by this time the sky was much cloudier than earlier.

I came down and crossed over the river and then followed the Derwent Valley Heritage Way to Froggatt, and then Grindleford; stopping to photograph the old stone bridge at Froggatt.

Foolow, Housley and Calver.

Today's walk didn't follow the original route I had planned because a couple of footpaths had been closed. The reason they were closed is clear in the photograph; they cross an area of land near to some old flooded quarry workings, and must be deemed to be unsafe at the moment.

I started the walk at Foolow and walked down the road towards the hamlet of Housley; somewhere I haven't visited before - it's only half a dozen farm buildings and houses though. I crossed the main road and took the footpath to the left. This goes in a straight line for over half a mile, something very unusual in the Peak District; and was as wide and well maintained as a bridleway.

I then arrived just to the west of Cavendish Mill; despite its rather grand aristocratic-sounding name, it's a bit of an eyesore actually. I had then intended to turn right and find the first footpath leading over towards Longstone Edge, but I ended up taking the photo where the footpath sign should have been; the next path, a bit further down the road, was no longer there either.

I continued down the road for about another ten minutes until I located a footpath leading across fields going in approximately the direction I required. This took me to a track, and then a path, which skirted to the south of the area which had been closed off; some rather out-of-this-world slurry ponds which seemed to give off a kind of diffused, translucent glow.

At the end of a piece of woodland I climbed up some fields to pass by a farm and then continued along a road until I reached a popular viewpoint on Longstone Edge. From here I took the restricted byway up the hill towards High Rake. I'm not sure if these are still active workings along here or not, but the deep gash in the ground caused by the quarrying is very impressive in its own way; like a miniature Grand Canyon. I took some photographs, but I couldn't get close enough to the cliff edge for the really spectacular angles...I'm a coward!

The byway continued for another mile or so and then I took a path across pastures which gave me some lovely views looking down at Calver and Froggatt, northwards towards Hathersage, and across the valley to Froggatt Edge.

When I got on the bus at Calver I noticed that it had a couple of posters advertising the details of Doncaster's Park & Ride scheme; it must have been used to provide the service at one time.

Baslow, Froggatt Edge and Fox House

Actually today's walk didn't begin at Baslow; I got off the bus on the moors above the village so as to avoid the tedious climb up to Baslow Edge.

The path from the road led westwards where I soon came across a herd of rather friendly Highland cattle which just wanted to pose for the camera.

It wasn't long until I reached the Wellington Monument - there's a Nelson Monument at the other side of the valley.

From here I could already see the 'Eagle Stone' and it only took me a few minutes to reach it. There's a local legend that states that a young man from Baslow must climb to the top of the rock before he's allowed to marry - I judge it to be about twenty five or thirty foot high.

For the next few miles I walked right along the edge of Curbar Edge and Froggatt Edge, stopping frequently to enjoy the view and take photographs; even splitting my trousers as I clambered over one rock to get the shot I wanted...there are a lot of interesting rocks, cliff faces and boulders along this section.

Finally, a bit of jogging to get back to Fox House in time for the bus.