Stanage Edge

It was almost 20 years since I'd travelled across the Snake Pass - that was a very snowy new year's eve in the early 90s.  Thankfully our journey for this walk wasn't as trecherous, but almost as frightening - as it was the first time I'd driven it! 

This walk was our first from a book called Derbyshire Walks with Children. We started in the Hollins Bank car park where we had our picnic before we started. There was a hot food/drink van with very friendly staff! As we ate a couple of horses trotted in and one was jumped over a fence. The kids loved this and were enjoying themselves before we even set off!

Track leading up the car park into the woods

The route upwards into the woods is manmade and looked almost Disney!  Inside the woods were some streams down the track and big stones the boys were dying to climb.  I try not to go too health and safety but you have to remember that it's not a park with a rubber floor and high rocks may not be the best place for a clumsy 6 year old who can fall over standing still!

There was no way they were going to stay off this natural playground

To the East from the top of Stanage Edge

It was a steep route to the top, for our Berkshire legs!  But, we reached it quickly and the kids were so excited to climb on those huge standing rocks at the top.  TBH I couldn't resist myself - it was the best place to take pictures!

On top of the world!

View to the West

The kids had a good mess about before I either was struck with vertigo or came to my senses and realised this might not be the best place to play and we moved on.  The walk along the top was even more nerve-wracking as we followed a family with a lovely well behaved toddler and I had to keep screaming and grabbing at my six year old to keep him from going over the edge!  Our path soon turned away from the edge (to my huge relief).  This is where the rain threatened a few times, but not for long.

Sheffield from Stanage Pole

We crossed a field of ever-increasing boggy ground and it became obvious who was wearing proper boots and who wasn't!  DS1 decided he is going to need some better boots for his backpacking trip to Scotland!

One of the boys spotted part of a bird skeleton and then another part.  They picked it up and fitted it together like lego (much to my disgust).  It was definitely a bird of prey - I'm no expert but from a bit of google research, I'm guessing a goshawk.

Piecing together a bird skeleton

View back across the heather

Back at the edge

As we reached the edge again, we were more aware of the climbers.  This part had almost a wall of rock before the edge and the path was set back, so it was much easier to keep control of the little one!  The path down the edge led to the road, but it was clear from the top that the last half mile (or more) of our walk would be along a road, so instead we crossed the bracken diagonally.  This was pretty strenuous but far more fun.  We came across a gorgeous little pool and couldn't resist a dip!  The weather was very warm by this stage and we all welcomed the chance to cool our feet.  It was fairly deep - DS1 and I were up to our thighs and the water was flowing out quite quickly so we had to keep hold of the little ones.  The water was ICE cold and I couldn't keep my feet in long anyway.

Who could resist a cool pool like this on such a warm day?

Dip if you dare!

And this is where the camera battery died.  It was a short walk back to the car from here.  The boys still had plenty of energy left, I know they could have managed more than 2.5 miles.  It's amazing how much more stamina everyone has when the walk is this much fun!