Edale, Mam Tor and Kinder Scout
The Peak District is located in central England, between Manchester and Sheffield. Edale is the southern terminus of the 256-mile Pennine Way, and a popular hiking centre. Despite its name, the Peak District doesn't boast any particularly high summits, but rather long ridges of hills above valleys.
Derbyshire appears in Pride and Prejudice as the home of Mrs. Gardiner, and the place where the Gardiners take Lizzy after the Lakes prove too distant a destination. It is also of course the location of Pemberley; the grandest house in the county, Chatsworth, is open to the public, but alas not in March when I was there. Nearby Castleton was visited by Charlotte Brontë, and the region is thought to have inspired the countryside around Thornfield in Jane Eyre (I was amused to note the high frequency of the name Eyre upon the graves in the Edale churchyard).
Mam Tor and Kinder Scout are "peaks" (in reality scarcely higher than the surrounding land) on opposite sides of the valley in which Edale is located, and have quite different characters -- Mam Tor is green and rolling, while Kinder Scout is covered with rugged moorland.
The next four photographs were taken near the Edale youth hostel, looking towards the Mam Tor side of the valley.
The "peak" just above the wagon is Mam Tor. The ridges at the top are the remains of Roman fortifications.
A view from the path through farmland (and herds of sheep) that connects the hostel with the village, towards the Kinder Scout side of the valley.
A view over the valley from the top of Mam Tor.
Another view from Mam Tor, this time up the valley towards Castleton.
The path along the top of the Mam Tor ridge, looking over into the next valley.
Another view along the Mam Tor path. The paving stones were much appreciated, especially after the part of the path that led through a farmyard ankle-deep in mud.
After hiking up Mam Tor I had a bit of extra time, so I walked the first part of the Pennine Way, up Kinder Scout.
After the blank greenness of the rest of the valley, I found the rougher colours of the moor quite lovely.
The path ahead at the point where I had to turn back. Perhaps next time...
I sat and just looked at this spot for several minutes before heading back to the hostel. Unfortunately the photograph does not do it justice.
The path back through the rusty heather.
The valley reappears.
Mam Tor is visible in the distance.
