David and Jacinta's Walks- 2025

 Edale, Jacob's Ladder and The Woolpacks We made the most of a fine early summer's day to go back to Edale to do this walk. From Edale it is a 3 mile walk to Jacob's Ladder which  today was enjoyable. At times, if this section is done at the end of a day out, it can appear rather tedious, but less so on this occasion. Along the Pennine Way. Jacob's Ladder and The Swine's Back in the distance Chapel Gate zig-zagging its way up to Rushup Edge Locals enjoying a stony snack After a (non-stony) snack to prepare us for Jacob's Ladder, we went up the steep staircase created by Jacob Marshall in the 18th century. It is nice to imagine how busy this packhorse route must have been before the advent of the railway at the end of the 19th century, transporting wool and other goods from Edale. We then headed for Edale Cross, a medieval boundary cross and an excellent spot for lunch. Lunch at Edale Cross The guidebook recommends following the path up the crest of Swine's B...

 Nephin- David Solo On the descent- the summit is almost visible Nephin was just about visible from Massbrook Upper, although the top was shrouded in mist. Starting out- Nephin is up there- somewhere There was a fairly large car park at the foot of the track indicated for Nephin, with three other cars parked up. I was fairly confident that I'd meet someone else, either on the way up or down. In the end, I only met sheep- no people. I followed the signpost, which pointed along a broad forest track. Nephin- this way However, after a few hundred metres and a couple of twists and turns, there was a gate with a couple of notices saying that the forest was closed due to storm damage. ...but the gate wasn't locked! On the basis that the gate wasn't locked, that I wasn't intending to visit "The Forest" and that I planned to stay on the track, I just carried on. I should have paid more attention! I encountered a fallen tree across the track, which was easy to duck past...

 The Windy Gap from Levally Lough We were enjoying a stay with Maurice and Pippa at Massbrook Upper and we were introduced to one of their local walks. The start was along the side of Levally Lough and took an uphill turn shortly after its end. We passed the sad remains of a village- the outlines of tracks were visible, along with ruins of some homes. After climbing up a green track, we passed cut peat, drying (or is that optimistic in Mayo?) in long rows. Jacinta and I followed the rows to the brow of the hill, and they continued down the other side! Peat (unshaped briquettes far left?) Some time further on, we joined a very minor road at Sheeans, passing a tiny Shetland pony on the way. A friendly Shetland! We then  joined a slightly larger and certainly busier road up to The Windy Gap. Sadly, there wasn't a great view from the viewpoint. After dropping down a little, we turned right onto the road leading us back to Levally Lough and Massbrook Upper....

 Hayfield and Kinder With the expectation that the weather would be better in the afternoon, we didn't start our walk from Bowden Bridge until about 1.30. Kinder Reservoir and Kinder Low On the way up to William Clough, it was quite sunny and pleasant and in all, the walk up towards Kinder was fine. It is always good to look at the changing landscape as one leaves the valley behind and begins the ascent towards the plateau. On the way up to William Clough- the Downfall in the distance We stopped for a late lunch before climbing the last section up to the Kinder plateau itself. Lunch spot- Ashop Head At this point the heavens opened and an impressive rain and hail storm ensued for about 20 minutes. It was a reminder of how quickly conditions can change and how rapidly the temperature can drop. Stormy weather! By the downfall things had settled down and the sun emerged which helped to dry us off. We decided to take a lower path off Kinder this time instead of continuing to Kinder Low...

 Shining Tor Cats Tor with Shining Tor and Shutlingsloe on the horizon With only a half day available, we chose to go up to Shining Tor in the afternoon for a quick blow. The weather was clear and breezy and the place was almost deserted. We walked quickly to the top, admiring the orchids on the way.  Pathside orchid We stopped for the required breather at the bench by the fingerpost.  Shining Tor fingerpost Then, it was smartly down again, whilst soaking up the fine views all around and spotting a sleepy lizard on the path. We were back to the car in less than 2 hours.  Pathside Lizard with replacement tail This little walk has provided so much enjoyment over the years and the area as a whole is full of possibilities of walks should time or inclination allow. 4.2 miles with 170m ascent.

 Circular Walk to Arnside Tower from Cove Lea with Dave and Helen On the way up to Arnside Tower We were spending a couple of days with Dave and Helen- always enjoyable- and we were able to take a walk directly from their home. After a very short section on the road, we joined a path skirting King William's Hill and running down to the railway line passing the huge disused Middlebarrow Quarry. After a section along the edge of Middlebarrow Wood, there was a short pull up to Arnside Tower, a Pele tower . From there, it was a pleasant (and not too steep) descent back to Dave and Helen's home. A walk of 3.4 miles.

Levens Hall and Environs with Dave and Helen St. John Helsington Our second day with Dave and Helen. We started with a trip to the fantastic bakery at Levens Hall, where we could see the bakers at work in a tiny bakery. They were producing large quantities of bread (including delicious sourdough and focaccia, both of which we sampled later on) and excellent croissants- which had to be eaten more or less immediately.  From the hall, we took the footpath past Holeslack farm, having to shelter from the heavy rain for a few minutes before continuing on to The Chapel of Ease, St. John Helsington. We had a look inside, where there was a delicate mural around the stained glass window above the alter. The mural, St. John Helsington Just beside the church was an old schoolhouse, which had been converted into a bunkhouse and was currently up for sale. We made guesses, Escape to the Country style, of the asking price. These ranged between £250,000 to £325,000. On visiting the agent's website,...

 Kinder Skyline East- David Solo Having done the Kinder Skyline West a couple of days ago , and wanting a longish walk, it made sense to do the east end of the Kinder Skyline. The Edale car park was full and the "overflow" car park looked just like a muddy field, so I drove on to Nether Booth (at the end of the road to the youth hostel) where are a few parking spots. Rather than walk up the access road, I zig-zagged my way up to the hostel in Lady Booth and contoured around, with a moody view of Lose Hill and Back Tor. A sunny Lose Hill and gloomy Back Tor Having passed Jaggers Clough, I had a view of the length of The Great Ridge from East to West. The Great Ridge When I reached Edale Cross, a frequent lunch spot, it was a little early for lunch, so I carried on to Wooler Knoll before I stopped to eat. Edale Cross. The inscription on the right is "Hope"! The day was generally gloomy, so far with a minor smattering of rain, but true to form, the sun came out as I ar...