29th December 2015 - A Four Edges Walk
Walk Details
Distance walked: 9.7 miles
Total ascent: 1600 ft
OS map used: OL24 - The Peak District, White Peak area
Time taken: 5.5 hrs
Route description: Baslow-Eaton Hill-Bar Road-Wellington's Monument-Clodhall Lane-White Edge-The Grouse Inn-Hay Wood-A625-Froggatt Edge-Curbar Edge-Baslow Edge-Bar Road-Eaton Hill-Baslow
It wasn't my intention to finish the year with a variation of the walk that I started the year with but the forecast for today was for the best of the weather to last longest in the east as another band of rain approached from the west along with strengthening winds. I decided that this part of the Peak District was a good place to head for as it's as far east as I'm prepared to drive and sheltered by the moors to the west. Also, it was an area not affected by the flooding over Christmas. Both my brothers joined me today and we enjoyed a walk done under largely sunny skies. High cloud did start to spread in during the afternoon while we were walking down Curbar and Baslow Edges and it became increasingly windy but this was a great way to finish 2015.
From the car park in Baslow we crossed the A619 and walked up the road of Eaton Hill and then right up Bar Road. This becomes a bridleway and this was then followed uphill to Wellington's Monument. We kept on the bridleway past the monument to reach Clodhall Lane. Across the lane and a footpath gradually heads uphill to the trig point on White Edge. We then followed White Edge north to a path junction by a wall and a signpost for the Grouse Inn. This path took us down to the A625 opposite the pub, across the road and a path next to the pub heads downhill into Hay Wood and the National Trust Longshaw Estate. A left turn, walk past the car park and crossing of a brook saw us back at the A625, where we crossed and took the track onto Froggatt Edge. After walking south along Froggatt and Curbar Edges we crossed the road at Curbar Gap and walked Baslow Edge which brought us back to Bar Road and a return to Baslow.
Total ascent: 1600 ft
OS map used: OL24 - The Peak District, White Peak area
Time taken: 5.5 hrs
Route description: Baslow-Eaton Hill-Bar Road-Wellington's Monument-Clodhall Lane-White Edge-The Grouse Inn-Hay Wood-A625-Froggatt Edge-Curbar Edge-Baslow Edge-Bar Road-Eaton Hill-Baslow
It wasn't my intention to finish the year with a variation of the walk that I started the year with but the forecast for today was for the best of the weather to last longest in the east as another band of rain approached from the west along with strengthening winds. I decided that this part of the Peak District was a good place to head for as it's as far east as I'm prepared to drive and sheltered by the moors to the west. Also, it was an area not affected by the flooding over Christmas. Both my brothers joined me today and we enjoyed a walk done under largely sunny skies. High cloud did start to spread in during the afternoon while we were walking down Curbar and Baslow Edges and it became increasingly windy but this was a great way to finish 2015.
From the car park in Baslow we crossed the A619 and walked up the road of Eaton Hill and then right up Bar Road. This becomes a bridleway and this was then followed uphill to Wellington's Monument. We kept on the bridleway past the monument to reach Clodhall Lane. Across the lane and a footpath gradually heads uphill to the trig point on White Edge. We then followed White Edge north to a path junction by a wall and a signpost for the Grouse Inn. This path took us down to the A625 opposite the pub, across the road and a path next to the pub heads downhill into Hay Wood and the National Trust Longshaw Estate. A left turn, walk past the car park and crossing of a brook saw us back at the A625, where we crossed and took the track onto Froggatt Edge. After walking south along Froggatt and Curbar Edges we crossed the road at Curbar Gap and walked Baslow Edge which brought us back to Bar Road and a return to Baslow.
Route map
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It's a lovely morning as we leave Baslow behind..
..and head up the track of Bar Road
Looking down the Derwent valley..
..as we reach Wellington's Monument
It's a good job that Highland are among the more docile breeds of cattle
Looking across to White Edge
and back along the bridleway from the Wellington monument
Fantastic colours on the moors this morning as we head for White Edge..
..and look across to Ramsley Moor
At the trig point on White Edge
Looking down the Derwent valley
and across Big Moor to Flask Edge in the distance
Middleton Moor on the left and Sir William Hill on the right. The plateau below of Stoke Flat heads out to a hidden Curbar and Froggatt Edges.
As we walk north along White Edge a fantastic view up the Derwent valley gradually reveals itself..
I can make out Kinder Scout, Lose Hill, the Hope valley, Win Hill, Hathersage, Bamford Moor and Stanage Edge
Lunch was had sat in the sun against this wall and I couldn't resist taking a photo with it heading off across the moor
Looking back to the Grouse Inn as we head down into the National Trust's Longshaw Estate
After crossing the A625, walking through the woods on the top of Froggatt Edge
Looking up the Derwent valley to Bamford Edge and Stanage Edge with the village of Grindleford on the left
Climbers at the southern end of Froggatt Edge
As Froggatt Edge becomes Curbar Edge the view opens up looking south down the Derwent valley
and from the northern end of Curbar Edge, Stoke Flat and up the Derwent valley to Win Hill, Bamford Edge and Stanage Edge
A lovely light develops as we head down Curbar Edge and Baslow Edge can now be seen on the left
Curbar Edge
White Edge. We were up there earlier in the day.
An even better view of Baslow Edge and the Derwent valley and the number of cars parked on the road to Curbar Gap shows just how busy it is today
Looking across the valley with the villages of Calver and Curbar on the left and Middleton Dale heading away from me
Looking back to Curbar Edge from Baslow Edge
A last shot of the Derwent valley as we head down the Bar Road back to Baslow. I could make out Chatsworth House.