Win Hill November 19th 2011

Parked up at Hatherdene car park Bamford, just before the junction with the A57.

This was about a perfect day for walking as you can get. Clear, cool, gentle breeze – excellent.

Walked south along the road to the end of the reservoir. The path then drops down at about 45% below the dam. Alternatively I could have taken the path along the dam wall. Followed the path down to Yorkshire Bridge, and then the climb up through the edge of the woods  (Parkin Clough)was relentlessly steep. On the second half of the walk (north of the snake) there was lots of mountain bikers….you wouldn’t find any bikes on the climb from Yorkshire bridge....unless they were being carried.

Once out of the woods there is a short climb to the summit. Given this is an average hill in terms of height (it would just qualify as a wainwright if it was in the Lakes) the views are stunning. To the South Hope Valley , Lose Hill , Mam Tor , the Ridge, Southwest - the Vale of Edale and the edge of Kinder. to the North, Ladybower , Derwent Edge and Bleaklow to the North West.....brilliant.

The path then follows the ridge and drops down following an old Roman Road through the woods to Haggwater Bridge. The path down to the bridge is very steep and rocky , and wet, so slow going.

Once over the Snake, another climb up to the ridge (open Hagg) running parallel to the road and next to the woods. Eventually the path leaves the edge of the woods to open land towards Crook Hill. I skirted Crook Hill towards the farm. The path from the farm then drops down to the Fairholmes road and then back to the A57 and the car park.

I’ll definitely be doing this one again – a perfect days walking.

About 9.5 miles OS OL1 Dark Peak

Crook Hill from the top of Win Hill

The Roaches - Luds Church November 5th 2011

Parked up on the car park / lay-by just below rockhall at the eastern end of the Roaches.



who is that geezer?





Luds Church - A Magical place

 For November , lovely mild weather, a little hazy but great walking conditions.

Picked up the path which ran for about a couple of hundred yards under the start where the rock climbers were starting up for the day and then the path led (very conveniently) up a staircase through a narrow gully up to the ridge.

West all the way to Roach end. This is a great gritstone edge and is as good as anything up in North Derbyshire straddling the Snake Pass. Views were fantastic on either side. Tittesworth reservoir and Leek to the South. Cheshire towards the south west. Staffordshire moors to the North. Brilliant. It was nice to find some water on the ridge (Doxey Pool) – you don’t find that on the North Derbyshire  gritstone edges.

At Roach end I took the path below Gradbach wood and found another concessionary path (not on map) up from there to the ridge and into the woods. There I picked up a muddy path through the woods to Lud’s Church. The gaiters I bought in Keswick did their job again and kept my feet dry despite a few ankle deep dips into the peaty mud.

I reached the bottom end of Luds Church after half a mile (or maybe less). I nearly missed it. There was a narrow opening covered by weeds and bramble which dropped down into what looked like a cave. Once I got past that first few narrow yards it opened out into a corridor maybe a few metres wide encased in two 20/ 30 foot cliffs. This is a magical place – if I had seen Gandalf and the fellowship coming round a corner I wouldn’t have been surprised. After a couple of hundred yards I emerged back into the woods.

From there follow the path back to the Roaches and back again along the edge to the car park. The walk I had printed from the web suggested taking the road after coming out of the woods – that would have been quicker but I didn’t want to miss a return trip along the roach’s edge.

Fantastic walk – definitely a repeat visit(s)



Hen Cloud - climb this next time



Forgot the camera so pics were from mobile phone.

About 8 miles OS OL24 White Peak