Stocksbridge to Castleton

Being something of a 'smalltown boy', having been brought up on a farm near Stocksbridge, South Yorkshire, even a place like Sheffield seemed to be a continent away despite the fact it was only about 15 miles. Along similar lines a place such as Castleton was seen as a holiday location even though it was only 20 miles away over all the B-roads or maybe 1 hour 30 minutes driving with my Dad's super-steady pace.

So whilst poring over some digital maps of Kinder Scout recently, in preparation for the National Three Peaks attempt I have in June, it struck me that walking from Stocksbridge to Castleton was something that not only wasn't impossible (as I'd certainly have thought if you'd asked me beforehand) but was actually quite achievable.

So I presented this 'mad plan' to my sister, who is organising the Three Peaks event, and she thought it a good idea. The wheels set in motion - routes planned, dates arranged, people invited and return drivers nominated so that eventually we had 10 walkers and four dogs meeting near Underbank Reservoir (outside our Dad's house) on Saturday 19/05/12 at 9am. Almost all to plan; one car was 20 minutes late.

The weather was miserable with on and off light drizzle all day but it certainly didn't dampen my spirits; I'd have continued with the walk even if it had been heavy rain.

We set off up Clay Pits Lane and then across a couple of fields to the top of Long Lane before walking alongside the woods. Merrily chatting away to people I'd not met before I completely missed our turn-off so we added an unplanned extra loop on before getting back on track at Mortimer Road. Here was another problem - the path I'd planned on using was marked "Private Road" and coupled with the Public Footpath sign missing at the other side of the road I was reluctant to walk down the track past the house and farm even though I know it to be Peak District National Park and that it leads to a published footpath.

Paper maps out (thanks Tam), as it's easier to get the 'big picture', I decided to follow the road down over Ewden Beck and up the other side before turning right onto the moors - 180 degrees the opposite direction to that which I had planned but in actual fact almost exactly the same distance.

Turning right off Mortimer Road, just after the entrance to Broomhead Hall, we followed a well defined track over the moors for a long distance, possibly 2 miles, passing a cache I frustratingly had to leave. Even stopping for 2 minutes means people are a long way in front so I decided at this point to scrap the Geocaching idea for the day, maybe even forever. (I had prepared a list of a possible 11 to do.)

Heading over Broomhead Moor the track ends abruptly, as I knew, and we hoofed it over the heather for about 100m onto the next trail and started heading West and South-West. Arriving at a mini-peak (Round Hill I think) my GPS indicated we should go due South along an obvious path but someone pointed out there was another, unmapped, path heading off about 90 degrees right. Deciding this second path was too far in the wrong direction, and after all the obvious path was going in the right direction, I took the South path but then within two minutes regretted the decision; this, now unmapped path, bore off East - it appears the Ordnance Survey are out of date here.

Not wishing to backtrack I led everyone directly across the heather and boggy moorland for a good half mile before we turned right 90 degrees and joined back onto the planned path near Low Tor. I knew I wasn't lost - after all my GPS knows exactly where we want to be and I can just "follow the arrow" - but I do admit it was a round about route forced upon us through perhaps a little naivety on my part. It's all fun. Well it was to me, I'm not sure many others would have agreed.

Once back on track it was about 3/4 of a mile to Back Tor where we decided to shelter out of the wind and drizzle and have a bite to eat. A fortunate location as it meant I could actually sneak in a quick cache which is hidden there - and a good find it was too; an ammo can packed full of goodies.

We only stopped for 20 minutes because it was cold and I really wanted to push on before anyone started to seize up - even though we'd only done 9 miles so far and indeed everyone was younger than me, almost, there were quite a few non-walkers in the group who I thought might struggle later.

We continued South to the Cakes of Bread (a rock formation), Dovestone Tor along a very wet peat trail, including a few slips and sinkings (yes I went in up to my left knee) before the path became properly paved - something of a luxury for a mile or two.

We passed the Salt Cellar (rocks again), White Tor, along the edge of the Derwent Moors, the Wheel Stones (more rocks), the Hurtling Stones (yep) and on to Whinstone Lee Tor where we took a steep descent towards the top section of Ladybower through Ashopten Woods and to the A57. A walk now East to cross Ladybower on the A6013 and then South to the dam wall heading towards Win Hill near the Yorkshire Bridge public house.

Here there are a couple options and I thought the better option was to take the gently sloping path up Win Hill where it would then lead onto Hope. I was mistaken and this path only leads UP Win Hill so we ended up going up the terribly steep section - it's all good practice we thought.

Half way up Win Hill two of the dogs went missing. One turned up relatively quickly but unfortunately we had to spend 30 minutes wandering around the woods shouting out before ultimately we heard from Bill, who'd waited at all the rucksacks, that the second dog had brought himself back to the start. Bloody mutt!

Cutting across Win Hill at this point we followed what was a much better path than the planned one would have been as the weather had cleared up and we could actually see over the valley towards Bamford.

The end almost in sight we cut across half a dozen fields and farms, directly into Hope, before dropping behind the church and following a well maintained path alongside Peakshole Water for a mile and a half and landing ourselves in the middle of Castleton.

Hurrah! A pint (OK it was two) of Guinness to celebrate our 20.2 mile walk and to congratulate all the group.

A great days walking and my sister and I even considered walking back - part jokingly but then we actually seriously thought about it for another day when we've more provisions and extra pairs of dry socks!

I've never felt fitter and remarkably my muscles were hardly tired; my only niggle is my right ankle (tendons I'm told) which is still nagging me as has been over-documented in several blogs recently. Yes I know there were no real hills but it was still something of an endurance, with the distance, the heather and the mud, and I have to say that I'm chuffed with myself.

Roll on the Three National Peaks!