Dark Peaks Delights: Derbyshire’s Gritstone Edges and Valley Scenery

The Derbyshire gritstone edges are a dramatic, 12-mile chain of sheer cliff escarpments and heather moorlands in the Peak District. Stretching from Ladybower Reservoir down to Chatsworth, these rugged formations are world-renowned for their panoramic views, rock climbing, and the iconic sweeping walks that bloom purple in late summer.

We walk these dramatic Gritstone Edges which dominate this incredible part of Derbyshire.

Lower down, the River Derwent cuts through the limestone, and provides wonderful riverside walking. Our guided walking for solos programme is designed to give the walker the best of this edges  countryside – and we have chosen some fabulous walks for you.

So join us in an adventure – and experience a unique landscape- from the lovely town of Hathersage with its colourful cafes and pubs, Excellent eating and fabulous company where chatting is important as walking – it is what we do.

Our speciality is offering guided walking holidays for solos and singles in magnificent locations across the UK and Europe. Unlike many other walking companies which offer solos holidays as an extra, we are unique in that we only deal in solos guided walking.  We also design bespoke holidays for special groups.

Your accommodation

We stay in the lovely village of Hathersage,  at the Little John hotel in the centre of the village.

https://littlejohnhotel.co.uk/

All rooms ensuite. Excellent breakfast to set up your day.

Lunch -either a pub lunch on the way- or packed from the local bakery.

Dinner is your choice – we eat together -either at the Little John hotel or local restaurants. We have not included the cost of dinner in our holiday price allowing you a free choice of both the number of courses you choose, and the price range available.

We start walking at 2.30pm on Sunday. We then walk for three days, finishing at about 3.30pm on Wednesday.

We stay for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights at the hotel.

The walks we choose

• We choose from many walks in the area, dependent on your ability and the prevailing weather. These are samples.
• Hathersage and Stanage Edge
• This lovely walk takes you out of the village and up to the gritstone heights of Stanage Edge, with awe-inspiring views.  Lunch at the Fox Inn, then you then descend via Gritstone Edge and back into the village, along very pretty country lanes. 
• On the Edge – fabulous gritstone edges
• Bus to Calver and then linear walk back to hotel via Baslow Edge, Curbar Edge and Froggat Edge. Down into Grindleford for coffee. 9.5 miles
• Eyam Moor and Derwent’s delights
• Circular from hotel over the River Derwent, up and over Eyam Moor for lunch in Eyam and back via stepping stones over the Derwent 9.5 miles.

Grade of Walking – Moderate

During the walks, we use footpaths and bridleways, although we may have to walk short distances on country lanes. Derbyshire has a good selection of stiles that allow passage over the beautiful dry-stone walls, and are of various shapes and sizes. Grades are moderate and we walk at a pace designed to allow you to enjoy the walk, and maybe snap the occasional photograph. As always, we recommend suitable walking footwear, preferably boots, as the terrain can be very varied.

Beautiful Hathersage – The Gem of the Dark Peak

• Situated in the spectacular Hope Valley and surrounded on all sides by wooded hillsides and magnificent gritstone edges, the pretty village of Hathersage is an absolute gem! With beautiful old stone buildings lining the streets, and a collection of vibrant shops, cafés, pubs and restaurants, it’s no wonder that Hathersage is one of the most popular villages in this part of the Peak District National Park.
• Particularly popular with lovers of outdoor activities. It’s a great base for exploring Stanage Edge, a gritstone escarpment just north of the village that stretches for almost 4 miles and is famous as a location for climbing. The many moorland and fell trails that start from the edge of the village also offer wonderful routes for running, cycling and hiking
A Rich History
• The village has a rich and interesting history. Evidence points to human occupation below Stanage Edge since the Mesolithic or Middle Stone Age, and Bronze Age field systems and a burial cairn can still be seen in the area around Dennis Knoll. Hathersage was already an established settlement at the time of its recording in the Domesday Book of 1086. Parts of the beautiful village church of St Michael and All Angels date from the late 1300s.
• Although it’s now surrounded by fresh, clean air, Hathersage was once a dusty, smoky place. In 1750 a man called Henry Cocker opened the first mill here, and by the early 19th Century there were no fewer than five mills in this little village. The mills were renowned for making pins, needles and wire, primarily for the textile industries.
• Although water was initially used to power the mills, by the mid 19th Century they were using steam, so at that time Hathersage was often cloaked in smoke. The conditions for the workers in the mills were poor. The needles were sharpened on rotating gritstone wheels, and the accounts of the time refer to the air in the mills being thick with gritstone and steel dust. This led to inevitable health problems for the workers, many of them children, and the average life expectancy for a mill workers was only 30 years.

Famous Connections

• Hathersage has a number of famous connections too. In the village churchyard visitors can see the reputed grave of Little John, one of Robin Hood’s Merry Men, and supposedly once a resident of Hathersage. There are a number of other connections with Robin Hood in the surrounding area, including Robin Hood’s Cave on Stanage Edge, Robin Hood’s Stoop on Offerton Moor, Robin Hood’s Cross on Abney Moor, and Hood Brook running out of the village, suggesting that there have long been local links to this popular folk hero.
• Hathersage also has strong connections with Charlotte Bronte, who stayed at the vicarage in the village in 1845.  Many of the locations in her most famous novel ‘Jane Eyre’ were based on locations in and around Hathersage. Hathersage itself is mentioned in the book as the village of Morton, and The George Hotelin Hathersage was also referred to directly as ‘The George Inn’ in the novel. Mr Rochester’s ‘Thornfield Hall’ is widely accepted to be North Lees Hall, on the outskirts of the village.