BarberChapelG RushupMamLoseHopeHopeCrossCrookstoneJacobsBarber 11th Oct 2008 Circumnavigation of the Edale Valley with stunning views all day |
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Parking: Park in the lay by on the road between Barber Booth and Upper Booth. It marked as a car park on the map GR SK 107 847. The advantage is that it's free. It has a nice aspect with a back drop of Brown Knoll and Rushup Edge The Walk Walk down the road towards Barber Booth, go under the viaduct, past the entrance to Manor House Farm and shortly on the right take a footpath (FP). The path is the start of the climb onto Rushup Edge via Chapel Gate. The path climbs diagonally right, crossing the track leading to Manor House Farm, circumventing it on its rhs, before a further ascent takes you to Chapel Gate (FP). What a mess this once classic bridleway is. Now it's completely worn down by the weather and 4x4's. A waste. Turn right and climb up Chapel Gate. The ascent is a pleasant warm up climb. At the top of the ascent is a NFP sign; you can see it for some distance. The gradient now eases and the track becomes a pleasant stroll with Brown Knoll on your right, with its railway tunnel chimney stuck starkly in its centre, and ahead Rushup Edge. Eventually you hit the track from Chapel en le Frith (FP). Turn left and follow a wall up to the top of Rushup Edge. The views form the top of Edale valley and down the line of The Ridge from Mam Tor to Lose Hill in the clear soft autumn sun is well worth a day trip in itself. Continue forward dropping down to the Castleton/Edale road just before Mam Tor. Cross the road and climb on a slabbed and stepped path to the top of Mam Tor. The view is excellent with the Edale Valley and Kinder to the north and CAstleton and the White Peak to the south. But this is the start of people world one of the problems with the walk as The Ridge and round Grindsbrook, on the opposite side of the valley, are every popular. From Mam Tor the way forward is along The Ridge, first descending to Hollins Cross, then climbing up Backtor. Descending again before climbing again to the top of Lose Hill. The view from Lose Hill is one of the best in the Peak District, with extensive panoramas of the southern end of the Dark Peak and northern end of the White Peak. Wonderful. There are 2 routes off Lose Hill towards Hope. Both start on the same path heading south east. Shortly head for the stile in a fence.The path I always took in my youth goes to the left of the fence and drops down to a track rocky from 40 years ago which drops down to the Edale road. The better route and the one recommended and described here, has you crossing the stile and taking a path that drops down the right hand side of the fence and on down to the back of Lose Hill Farm (Crimea Farm on the map). Walk down the back of farm and on the far side turn right taking the path marked to Hope. The path follows a fence down past a barn. In the distance is Hope. The path then crosses a stream via a plank bridge and descends along the left hand side of a field edge, down to a hedged track, then into a field and down the track on the left hand side of a bungalow by Nissan Huts'. Cross a drive and a field that leads to a footbridge that crosses a rail line. The path continues across a few fields before hitting a path (FP). Here turn left and drop down through a field to the Edale road. Cross the road and drop down on a lane that crosses the River Noe at Killhill Bridge , past the entrance to the cemetery and where the road splits take the left hand road. This goes under the railway and stops at wrought iron gates to The Homestead. A path goes off to the left of the gate, tracks along a wall and then across a couple of fields until it joins a track at the bottom side of Fullwood Stile Farm. Turn left and walk along the bottom of the farm to a lane. Go straight and walk up a lane that develops into a track that climbs up to Hope Cross. The track is quite good and the gradient gentle so that good time is made. Before hitting the Cross the gradient eases and the track joins the Roman Road from Win Hill. The views down Edale Valley are the best in the Dark Peak. From the Cross carry on straight up a good track. You can't get access to Crookstone Moor at the first gate but at the second gate at a NT sign a path goes off left and climbs up to a tree where it joins a track from Crookstone Barn. Turn right and the track continues to climb to a wall from which a path continues to ascend eventually turning left and climbing diagonally to the top of Crookstone Out Moor. The views from the top are worth the effort. We are now at the eastern end of the Kinder plateau. The path follows the southern edge of the plateau. A number of cloughs are crossed. The first is Jaggers Clough; here climb out and follow the higher of the two path options. The second is Ollerbrook Clough. After walking round the top of the Clough climb up to the top of the edge and after 10m cross a fence. A weak path crosses the moor and cuts out a journey to Ringing Rodger. The path now meets a path that circumvents Grindsbrook. Turn right and follow the path round the top of the Clough. Its further than you think; around 2km. The path is easy to follow, is partly slabbed and you can make good time. We saw a lot of groups walking along this section. It's not surprising as the views down the Clough and across the Edale valley are particularly good especially in the soft evening sun you get in autumn. At the western end, the path crosses a deep clough, before you meet the Pennine Way path as it tops Grindsbrook Clough. The path, which becomes slabbed, heads west and climbs away from the clough over the moor to Crowden Clough. As you reach the edge of the Clough you hit a path coming from Grindslow Knoll. Turn right on the path that meets the Crowden Clough bed after 1km. It's a steep drop down the Clough. The path now climbs up to Crowden Towers. This is the start of an interesting 0.5km as the path traverses through the Wool Packs, a group of large boulders in a sea of peat, that ends at Pyms Chair. From here the path descends to the large boulder - Noe Stool and then follows the line of an old wall down to a cairn that marks the Pennine Way alternative route via Jacobs Ladder. Go straight and follow the Pennine Way down to Upper Booth. The path circumvents the left hand side of Swine's Back before dropping down to a col. Now turn left on a good track that drops down via Jacobs Ladder to a fabulous pack horse bridge at the bottom of the valley. At the bottom of the descent, cross the bridge and follow the track down to Upper Booth. It's a nice gentle decent that passes through Lee Farm and the large wooden statues that the owner makes. There is also a NT information barn. Just before you hit Upper Booth the track, which is now a metalled road, crosses the Noe on via a stone bridge. At Upper Booth and its red telephone box continue on the road which takes you down to the car park above Upper Booth On the road from Upper Booth to Barber Booth we were met by a bus which goes up Edale valley to its terminus at Upper Booth. I can't imagine why anyone would decide that money can be made on a bus going to Upper Booth. But it does.
Summary A lovely walk with fine views. But it's spoilt by its popularity. Too many people so go mid week in poor weather if you crave solitude. It could be made longer and better by crossing Brown Knoll to complete the full circle but you would have to descend Chapel Gate and it's not a good way down; Jacobs Ladder is much better
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