Hope and Edale End

I travelled to Hope and headed north, keeping to the east of the river Noe until I reached Edale End and then returned using footpaths west of the river. The weather was lovely for the first hour but it soon clouded over and ended up quite chilly.

Heatherdene, Hope, and Almost Reaching Castleton.

I caught the bus to Heatherdene, right next to Ladybower Reservoir, and then walked across the dam wall.

I took the track that stays alongside the water and then chose the route up through the woods to Wooler Knoll. I then descended to Edale End and walked along the bottom of the valley to Hope, following the River Noe.

I went in The Cheshire Cheese pub on Edale Road, an old building with very low timbers that I had to duck under, and then continued down to the main part of the village. A bus wasn't due back to Sheffield for an hour and so I decided to walk it to Castleton, using a path I'd not used before for part of the way. 

I ended up talking with a couple of people and time was tight so I took a track leading down to the main road going through the Hope Valley and caught the bus about a mile east of Castleton.

Ashopton, Snake Pass, Hope Cross, and Hope

I travelled to Ashopton and took the classic shot of Ashopton Viaduct framed in the distance before walking up to Crookhill Farm.

I continued past the farm; the next two and a half miles was my favourite part of the walk with lovely views over to Kinder Scout, the Great Ridge, and the Snake Pass.

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When I reached Rowlee Farm I came down onto the lower reaches of the Snake Pass and immediately crossed the road and headed up the hill towards Hope Cross. The path going up this way has been named 'Potato Alley' by mountainbikers who regularly use the route - it's an appropriate choice, there are thousands of loose pebbles the size and shape of potatoes which have been placed there to supposedly improve the surface, and maybe reduce erosion...however it's now much more difficult for both tyres and boots.

Hope Cross is a prominent local landmark.

I took a steep path down towards the Edale road, one I'd not used before. Just past Edale End at the bottom of the valley I used a concessionary footpath going along the bank of the River Noe, new to me as well, and then the definitive path that still keeps close to the river until it reaches the road at the Townhead Bridge area of Hope. 

Today was the first time I was there when a train going to the cement works passed over the viaduct as I approached the main part of Hope - quite a rare event I think...I didn't get a good photo though.

The bus had just left for Sheffield when I arrived down on the main road in the village and so I had nearly an hour to kill. I went to the Old Hall Tearooms  and ordered a pot of tea and a slice of coconut sponge cake. the cake was very crumbly and I couldn't manage only using the knife which had been brought to my table so I asked for a fork as well...and then still struggled. I was pleased to notice that the knife had been made in Sheffield though. I had a good chat with a couple of the customers; when I left I told them I needed to get back to Doncaster before I turned into a pumpkin.

At one of the bus stops in Sheffield city centre the driver switched off the engine, left his cab, held up a bus ticket and explained that people who pay for their fare by swiping their mobile phone need to take the ticket they are issued and securely dispose of it because criminals are boarding buses and picking up the appropriate tickets off the floor and using them to steal money from people's bank accounts.

Castleton, Edale, Ollerbrook, Nether Booth, and Hope.

It was sunny all the way to Hathersage this morning; but beyond, the entire Hope Valley was shrouded in mist. As the bus passed by Surprise View the view up the valley was amazing; with the sunlight glistening off the mist it seemed as though there was a massive lake, or reservoir that just wasn't there before - with small islands of higher ground protruding above the mysterious, hidden depths...an entirely new, but fleeting, topography to enjoy.  It's a pity I was on the bus; I didn't try to take any photographs because I knew they wouldn't be very good; and I only had a few seconds anyhow. Several people had stopped their cars and were busy with their cameras though.

Unfortunately, by the time the bus reached Castleton the mist was already lifting and so I wouldn't be able to enjoy anything as truly spectacular as I'd seen about half an hour earlier. I walked through the village and soon became caught up in a group of about three dozen eager and excited students on a field trip. Fortunately they weren't heading in my direction and so I didn't need to change my plans.

I walked in a westerly direction, pausing several times to admire the views of the mouth of Winnats Pass (as shown in the header photo), and  Mam Tor and the landslip. At first my route was flat and across grassy, and sometimes sodden, fields: the last few hundred yards up to Hollins Cross is much steeper though, firstly climbing through bracken and then utilising a paved trackway to the top. Hollins Cross is the lowest point along the Great Ridge; it's still quite high though, requiring a climb of about 700ft.

At Hollins Cross I sat for a few minutes to eat my sandwiches and appreciate the view.

It was still quite early, but I could already see that half a dozen paragliders were in the air: a couple of hours later when I stopped for another break I counted thirty three.

The route down to Edale is very pleasant, passing through a variety of landscapes, with many photographic opportunities. I've not visited Edale for nearly twenty years and so was looking forward to spending a bit of time there. My first port of call was the café at the railway station. I didn't buy anything; the place was empty and looked rather sterile and uninviting - the high prices on the menu didn't help either. I knew there was another café further up the hill and so wasn't too disappointed at the time.

I had a quick look round the Moorland Centre and then headed for the other café in the village. I was to suffer disappointment here too though; I arrived too late for a cooked breakfast...and there wasn't anything else substantial on offer. I bought a mug of tea though, and ended up lingering for quite a while because I was enjoying overhearing the man sitting at the next table telling his friends about his recent trip to the Ukraine.

I  walked a bit further up the hill until I reached the path that leads towards the hamlets of Ollerbrook and Nether Booth. I then needed to walk along the road for a few minutes before taking the well-maintained track that goes past Carr House and eventually comes out onto the same road I'd previously been walking along...only nearer to Hope.

Although it was a lovely day, I was aware of how waterlogged it had been underfoot at times, and remembering that the path alongside the River Noe always seems to be muddy, and I was muddy enough anyhow, I decided to stick with the road the rest of the way back to Hope - something I haven't done before anyway.

Ashopton, Hope Cross, Edale End, and Hope.

I got off the bus and walked over Ashopton Viaduct; the cold wind was very noticeable, and my two shirts and thick fleece were barely adequate...later on, it was even colder on higher, more exposed ground; and then it started raining.

The day started well though; I was soon climbing up to higher ground to get good views of the viaduct and reservoir; it became much murkier later on though.

It's several months since I've made this quite steep, if not too challenging climb, and certainly noticed a significant improvement in my level of fitness: if it wasn't for my stopping to take photographs I possibly could have managed the entire climb of about 450 foot without a break.

The path skirts to the north of Crook Hill and then I took another footpath looping back to the south and heading down to the Snake Pass road through woodland. As I was leaving the area of access land I noticed this sign which doesn't make it very clear that this is where for the rest of the way you need to stick to the footpath - I had to pause and check my map to make sure I was in the right place. I think the wording needs re-phrasing a bit though - it's not obvious that this is actually a right of way.

I then needed to walk along the major trunk road for a few minutes; something I would have preferred not to do, but there was no other way. I soon reached the footpath though, and walked down to the River Ashop and then up the other side of the valley through a dense pine forest to reach Hope Cross. If it wasn't for the low cloud and drizzle, the views from here would be impressive.

I then continued towards the ford at Jaggers Clough and then took the concessionary footpath through Backside Wood. To my left, looking up towards Hope Brink, in places I could see that large areas of the hillside were covered in purple foxgloves.

I popped into the information barn and emergency shelter at Edale End. This resource is always well-maintained, with plenty of up-to-date leaflets and information.

By this time I was wary of the time, knowing when the bus departs from Hope. I'd had enough of the miserable weather and so just wanted to get home. It didn't take too long to reach the Edale road and then I walked across fields next to the River Noe, along the road for a few yards and then along footpaths back to the village, walking over a footbridge which crosses over the railway line which goes to Hope Cement Works.

Travelling eastwards on the bus it was obvious that the day had been much drier in Hathersage, and it might not have even rained at all in Sheffield. When I got off the train in Doncaster it was actually sunny; my timing was perfect though, as I walked past the butcher's shop just outside the Frenchgate Centre they were selling off produce at reduced prices - I bought four whole cooked chickens for a fiver - they should last me a few days.

Bamford, Yorkshire Bridge, Aston, Hope and Castleton.

I got off the bus at the bus-stop for Bamford railway station - this is as far as this service goes into the village. I had intended to walk a few hundred yards further into the village and take a path which leads past the old mill and across a footbridge and weir. I had to make other arrangements though; part of the footbridge had been washed away, last month it seems.

Fortunately, I only had to retrace my steps for a couple of minutes; but checking the map I realised I would have to walk right through the village and nearly a mile further until I'd be able to cross the River Derwent at Yorkshire Bridge.

Yorkshire Bridge has an interesting history and is unique in the Peak District. It was constructed as a planned village in the early decades of the twentieth century to house residents when the villages of Derwent and Ashopton were evacuated so that the Upper Derwent Valley could be flooded to form the Howden, Derwent and Ladybower reservoirs.

I then climbed and subsequently descended the path which leads to Aston, the last few hundred yards being along a sunken lane with many wildflowers blooming on the steep verges. The next stage of the walk was across fields and along a short stretch of the River Noe to reach Hope, where I stopped for a cup of tea at one of the tea rooms located next to a pub.

It was then a short easy stroll to Castleton, with pleasing views of Lose Hill and the Great Ridge.