All walks have been plotted using Ordnance Survey online mapping tools. The main paper maps for the area are the OS Explorer Dark Peak OL1 and White Peak OL24. Harvey and the BMC Dark Peak maps are also useful. Always take a map and compass, even if you are using a GPS device.
A word of caution: do not underestimate the area. Walking on the high moors – Bleaklow, Kinder Scout, Derwent and Howden – requires excellent navigation skills, especially in winter. It also requires good equipment and a knowledge of how to use it, and clothing that is appropriate to the time of year. The use of walking poles when crossing moorland can be helpful for maintaining balance and forward motion. They can also be useful when descending some of the steeper sections of the walks.
Smartphones can prove invaluable, especially when combined with a mapping app. However, these do drain the batteries, so be careful. One advantage of having a smartphone should you get into difficulty and need assistance from Mountain Rescue is its ability to let the teams know where you are, making rescue a much easier and quicker process. It is therefore advantageous to carry one of these devices for emergency purposes.
Big skies in the Dark Peak (Walk 7)
Using this guide
The book is split into areas running from the east over to the west. The walks were researched that way and it seemed a logical way of progressing. The first walk, from Chatsworth, is a gentle introduction to Dark Peak walking. The last, along the Roaches, ends the tour of the Dark Peak in the most magical way, looking out over England and on into Wales, a huge flat plain spread out before you. Perhaps you will pick an area and explore it. The walks have been kept as far away from each other as possible to allow for a fresh experience on each walk, and the routes stay as far from roads as possible also. This could have limited some walks, however, so some road walking is necessary on certain routes. Some walks can be cut short, such as the one from Grindleford to Higger Tor (Walk 5). There is so much to see and explore on all of the walks; there is nothing wrong in just walking to a particular feature and returning along the same path.
There is no perfect time to do the walks. The beauty of the Dark Peak is that it will serve you up a different experience every single time. It is recommended that you do the walks again and again and at different times of year for the full effect.
A rainbow on Barrow Stones (Walk 11)
This guide includes an overview map and a route summary table. Use these in conjunction with the walk introduction at the beginning of each walk to select a suitable walk or series of walks. Timings are my walk times and do not include stopping for photographs, tea, ice creams or any other such comestible, getting lost or taking wrong turns. I have been generous with time, as there is no reason to rush across this magnificent landscape. The refreshments listed in the information boxes are those which are passed on the walk; in some cases there will be other pubs and cafés nearby.
In addition to the guide, taking the Ordnance Survey Explorer Maps OL1 Dark Peak and OL24 White Peak is recommended. The place names and features marked in bold within the walk descriptions refer to places featured on the maps contained within the guide. These maps are based on OS 1:50000, with the exception of the five longer walks (Walks 36-40), which are 1:100000. The mapping within the guide is intended to complement and not replace the correct OS Explorer map. There are many additional place names and features included throughout the route descriptions which are labelled on the OS 1:25000 maps.
If you use a GPS-enabled device to navigate, GPX files are available for free download at www.cicerone.co.uk/519/GPX.
EASTERN DARK PEAK
Higger Tor from Mother Cap (Walk 5)
The Eastern Dark Peak forms the eastern flank of the gritstone cap that stretches from Chatsworth in the south to Stanedge Pole in the central area of the Dark Peak. It is an area characterised by gritstone edges. The edges face the Derwent Valley, carved by wind, rain and ice, and make for long walks with wonderful views across the Dark Peak and into White Peak limestone country. The gritstone edges provided stone wheels for milling and crushing and form part of the Peak District National Park’s identity. They are full of archaeological remains and industrial interest. The hand of man is much in evidence.
The moors that sit around the edges have wide views and big open skies, and are full of wildlife. Red deer, merlin and curlew are much in evidence, adders can be found basking in the sun on moorland paths, and hares can be seen running through the grass. The walking is easy, with fewer groughs to navigate than in the central and northern areas of the Dark Peak.
WALK 1
Chatsworth to Birchen Edge
| Start/Finish | Chatsworth House SK 259 702 |
| Distance | 17.5km (11 miles) |
| Ascent | 455m |
| Time | 5hrs |
| Terrain | Steep, uneven ground, open moor and forest tracks |
| Map | OS 1:25000 Explorer OL24 White Peak |
| Refreshments | Chatsworth House |
| Parking | Chatsworth House SK 259 702 |
Chatsworth is a wonderful place to start and end a walk. The grounds reflect an interesting period of English social history, full of the romance and adventure of the European tours of the landed gentry. The Three Ships on Birchen Edge provide a wonderful photo opportunity with extensive views across Chatsworth. Hob Hurst’s House is an important site, being one of the first to be protected by law. The end of the walk brings you through the grounds surrounding Chatsworth House and provides stunning views over gardens created by Capability Brown and Joseph Paxton.
From Chatsworth House car park walk directly west to Queen Mary’s Bower, a folly situated by the River Derwent. Take the tarmac drive north past the nursery and on to the Cannon kissing gate to exit the park and enter Baslow by a walled lane. At the road junction turn left onto the A619, then cross it at the pelican crossing and walk up the road directly opposite for 400 metres. Where the road forks take the right hand road uphill, continuing on when the road becomes the track Bar Road and pass through a Peak District National Park access gate to a stony track leading up towards Baslow Edge. At the top do not go left to Baslow Edge but proceed straight on to Wellington’s Monument.
Wellington’s Monument, Baslow Edge
The stone cross is Wellington’s Monument, erected in honour of the Duke of Wellington. It looks across the valley to Nelson’s Monument on Birchen Edge, met later in the walk. The large boulder visible on the moor above Baslow Edge is the Eagle Stone. Bouldering routes on the stone include: The Beagle Has Landed, The Good The Bad and The Beagle, and A Beagle Too Far.
Follow
