Saturday 21st May 2011 - Peak District - Hathersage

Saturday 21st May 2011 - The Peak District (Hathersage)
Pathfinder Dark Peak Guide - Walk#23 Hathersage (8 Miles)

We travelled from our hotel in Manchester the morning after the Roger Waters gig, to Hathersage via the Snake Pass.

Arriving in Hathersage late morning we parked in a pay and display a few minutes walk from the town centre. This cost £4.70 for up to 12 hours.

Setting off towards the town centre, the day was quite warm with some sun and cloud. 

We stopped for a late breakfast at the bakery shop (Hot Breakfast buns), and picked up some cold sandwiches for later. Having forgotten my walking socks, we picked some up from one of the local walking shops in the town (Smartwool ones!.. nice). Picking up the rucksacs and changing back at the car park it was 11:30 when we set off on the walk.

We were soon out onto a lane, and then open fields after crossing Leadmill bridge and turning right off the main road.

We followed the path by the River Derwent for a short while before bearing off left through woodland which was covered in a carpet of Bluebells for the first few hundred yards. This then led out onto more open paths and fields with views across to Stanage Edge.

We descended and passed by Offerton house and Hall and crossed the River Derwent by way of the stepping stones.

Once over the river we followed various tracks and lanes with good views at several points across to the Hope valley.

Passing through Nether Hurst we followed Hurstclough Lane for about half a mile (no good views here though)  and past Greens House, after which were views right up onto Stanage Edge.

 

After following this track for about half a mile we entered woodland again, a little rockier than the previous wood. We found a pleasant spot on a bench by a stream in the wood and ate the sandwiches - very quiet no-one else around at all. In fact we had seen very few other people all the walk - guess most are up on Stanage Edge!

On leaving the woodland and following signage for Hathersage the final mile and a half of the walk took us across easy tracks and open field, before alighting back in Hathersage.

We did pass a pitch with the local cricket game in progress.......

We arrived back in Hathersage at the car park at around 15:30, having taken 4 hours to complete this pleasant low level walk. Despite the low level nature, the walk is quite undulating with some slow, long ascents and descents. The GPS log stated 1,800 ft of ascent and descent over the 8 miles.

Our Walk score: 6.5/10