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11th December 2016 - Crook Hill to Rowlee Pasture

Walk Details

Distance walked: 9.3 miles

Total ascent: 1695 ft

OS map used: OL1 - The Peak District, Dark Peak area

Time taken: 4.5 hrs

​Route description: Fairholmes-Ladybower Reservoir-Crookhill Farm-Crook Hill-Bridge end Pasture-Woodcock Coppice-Rowlee Pasture-
Woodcock Coppice-Lockerbrook Farm-Derwent Reservoir-Fairholmes

With last Friday and tomorrow off work I had no trouble in deciding to head out somewhere again today. I like four day weekends. However, there wasn't good weather forecast. With grey skies, fairly low cloud and a strong wind in mind I headed to the Peak District and Fairholmes by the Ladybower Reservoir in the hope that the high ground of Kinder Scout and Bleaklow would give some shelter. It did to a degree, the clouds were that bit higher but there was no sunshine to be had and it was even windier than I thought it would be. I'd initially planned to carry on across Rowlee Pasture to Alport Castles but the strength of the wind soon put paid to that idea and I probably would have been pushed for time as well. Alport Castles deserves a far better day than this for a visit. Still, it was an enjoyable, fairly low level walk and it had been more than four years since my only previous visit to Crook Hill and Bridge-end Pasture.

From the car park at Fairholmes I set off by taking the footpath that heads south by Ladybower Reservoir to reach the Ashopton Viaduct where I crossed the road and took the public footpath up to Crookhill Farm. After making my way round the farm and onto access land via a bridleway I climbed to the top of Crook Hill. With both tops visited I picked up a bridleway at the western edge of access land to head west across Bridge-end Pasture and by Hagg Side plantation to the crossroads of bridleways at Woodcock Coppice. It was here that I found a spot out of the wind to have my lunch. I then did a there and back up onto Rowlee Pasture (to see the view and just how windy it was) before taking the bridleway past Lockerbrook Farm down to Derwent Reservoir, where I was left with a walk along the road back to Fairholmes.

Route map
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© Crown copyright. All rights reserved. License number PU 100034184.

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Setting off I take the path south through the woodland next to the Ladybower Reservoir
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I get a good view of Derwent Edge for a time
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Approaching the Ashopton viaduct with Great Tor on Bamford Edge in the background
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As I climb Crook Hill from Crookhill Farm I get a really nice view of Ladybower Reservoir, the Ashopton viaduct and Bamford Edge
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and looking round the corner, a cloud topped Kinder Scout
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Looking from the south top of Crook Hill to the north one
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The top of Lose Hill peeps over the conifers, the Woodlands Valley, Ladybower Reservoir and Kinder Scout
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On the north top of Crook Hill looking back to the south one with Win Hill in the background
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Back Tor and Derwent Edge
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Time to make my way across Bridge-end Pasture. If I thought it was windy here...
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The twin tops of Crook Hill
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and again from Bridge-end Pasture
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Now it's windy! I was facing into it to take this shot of Lose Hill, the Vale of Edale and Kinder Scout
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By Hagg Side plantation and I have a little bit of shelter here
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Crookstone Out Moor, the eastern end of Kinder Scout as I reach Woodcock Coppice
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Looking across the plantations of the Woodlands Valley to Lose Hill and Back Tor above the Vale of Edale
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The Woodlands Valley
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The northern edges of Kinder Scout as I make my way up onto Rowlee Pasture
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On Rowlee Pasture and this was as far north as I went. Margery Hill and Howden Edge behind a full Howden Reservoir.
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Derwent Edge merges imperceptibly into Stanage Edge on the right
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Win Hill and Lose Hill. The wind was so strong that took a bit of effort keeping still enough to take a photo.
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Leaving Rowlee Pasture and onto the bridleway past Lockerbrook Farm
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Howden Edge and Back Tor as I pass an area of recently planted trees
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The bridleway descends..
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..to a windswept Derwent Reservoir. Not quite full, so no flow over the dam.
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