A Walk on the Edge at Stanage

Stanage Edge, Peak District
There's nothing quite like a long, leisurely walk in the countryside, is there? Breathing in all that clean, fresh air and feeling that all that walking is 'good for you'. My recent trip to Stanage Edge, a 4 mile long gritstone cliff overlooking Hathersage in the Peak District was exhilarating but perhaps for all the wrong reasons! The day started off with blue skies and sunshine and us following the map correctly. Unfortunately as the day went on, the sky grew darker, the wind grew stronger and the hail and snow arrived - meanwhile we had become sure that the OS map was wrong (always a mistake - since the map NEVER lies!) Whilst the weather could have been better, it certainly didn't dampen our spirits. The views across the heather laden moorland reminded me how lucky we are to have such beautiful places in such easy reach! There's something quite exciting about walking on Stanage Edge during the winter. There's not a lot of people about which makes the views across the  Hope valley just that little bit more special, knowing that you don't have to share them with anyone else! 

As we reached the summit of Stanage Edge (458m) I only had to glance over the edge to see a picture perfect image of history - the abandoned millstones scattered around the area that have formed part of the landscape since the 19th century. The nearby village of Hathersage was once an important area for quarrying stones. They were used for grinding corn and metals in mills and later for the production of needles and pins, which Hathersage became famous for. It's sad to think of the grinders who had an average life expectancy of just 30 due to the fragments of dust and steel that entered their lungs.IT was also not uncommon for the gritstone wheel  to shatter as it was rotating, causing injury to the grinder.

North Lees Estate
Walking from Hathersage towards Stanage Edge, we came across North Lees Hall, an Elizabethan manor house. It is said that it was the inspiration for Thornfield Hall in Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre after she stayed in the area in 1845. The Hall has since been used in Pride and Prejudice (2005) and the BBC's production of Jane Eyre (2006).

Getting to Hathersage & Stanage Edge

Hathersage is situated in the Derwent Valley, Derbyshire (in the Peak District). There is a train station at Hathersage and from there you can do the 9 mile walk to Stanage Edge and back. Be sure to stop off at the quaint Cintra's Tearooms in Hathersage for a hot cup of tea and a warm scone on your return - especially if you get soaked by the rain, hail or snow during your walk! 

Click here for directions for the 9 mile walk from Visit Peak District - On the Edge at Stanage...Enjoy!

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