Peak District information required please

[Lesley Jones]

Because of the zoo, we hadn't been on holiday for over 18 years. Not even a long weekend. With lots of talk about Yorkshire on another forum, I spent three years thinking about a short photography break and finally made it up to the Dales for three days last October. My long suffering husband has agreed to hold the fort again and I have booked a B&B for four night in September. The place is at the bottom of Mam Tor and is user friendly - they don't mind me setting out before dawn.

I've never been to this area before and although I will do plenty of research, I could do with some advice from people who have been there. I'm not in great shape, although I won't give up easily. I'm tiny and also have a bad leg. Although I spend most of the weekend on my feet doing the animals at home, I don't think I could walk further than three or four miles a day. I did climb up Twistleton Scar last year in horizontal hail, but silly things like the dry stone wall along the top meant I couldn't access Scales Moor.

So... if anyone has suggestions for places to go, I would be most grateful. I guess I'm mostly after landscapes, rocks, waterfalls and old barns, but I'm open to other suggestions

 

[Dave Moss]

Somewhere you might like to look is the roaches between Buxton and Leek if your up this way for 4 days I would suggest avoiding the weekend to visit the roaches as the car park is only open monday to friday it is just outside the park and is in Staffordshire but well worth a visit (must take my camera up there sometime soon!)

 

[Dave Moss]

The Roaches Peak District Website. is the website for up there depending on your route to the peak district ~(mam tor if I remember rightly is over the other side from us) so your likely to go in via Ashbourne to Matlock both towns are worth stopping in as are Bakewell and Buxton

 

[Lesley Jones]

Thank you so much Dave - that looks like my kind of place. I'm going up during the week, so parking won't be a problem. I need to start a new Google map with places of interest and other useful information. The Lazy Photographer's guide is pretty good for me, but from memory he hasn't done as much in that area. I'm not really lazy, but I do need to know that I'm not going to run into trouble in the middle of nowhere

 

[Hamish Gill]

I went to leek on a stag doo recently ... Unfortunately it was blowing a gale, raining and I was hungover or drunk the entier time so I didn't get out with the camera! It was beautiful though!!

 

[Dave Moss]

Leek is ok I suppose there again if we go shopping most of the time its Leek easier to get to than the town centre in Stoke and about the same distance!

 

[Allan Batchelor]

I would be interested to read anything as well. Often wanted to go down to the peak district but not made it yet but its on the list

 

[alfie Wright]

Beautiful part of the Peaks, Lesley.

I have no experience from a photography point of view, but I have Mountain biked all over the Hope valley, & have done quite abit around Castleton & Mam Tor, Hope & Edale. Are you staying in a B&B in Castleton? If you fancy a look in the Caves the Blue John Cavern is very close by. Castleton is beautiful & Peveril Castle might be nice to get in a shot or two & there's a lovely ridge we used to cycle that runs from Mam Tor to Hollins Cross to The Back Tor & on to Loose Hill. They are all lovely vantage points with Hope in one direction & Edale & Kinder Scout in the other. It's a fairly testing walk or cycle, but the views are stunning & well worth it. It would be a drive past Hope, but the Ladybower Reservoir is very beautiful & would be well worth a look, I suspect there'd be some lovely photos there. There's also some reservoirs we used to cycle around at Bamford that might be nice. The climbing area Stanage Edge at Heathersage has some lovely rock faces that may be of interest.

I'm a train driver & one of my routes from Nottingham to Liverpool Lime Street passes right through the Hope Valley & watching the seasons change as I drive through is wonderful, There's loads to see, Lesley, but the ridge from Mam Tor would be my first stop. Looking forward to the images already.

 

[alfie Wright]

Hi again Lesley,

I just had a quick look through my box of mountain bikes guides, O/S maps & various mtb magazine clipings. Looking through those it seems I forgot Winhill which has a lovely view of Ladybower Reservoir & also from Mam Tor there's Rushup Edge with it's vantage point of the Lords Seat. These are marked in pink highlight on my O/S map, which if I remember correctly was my code for stunning views. A quick google of the places I mention in this & the above post should give you some great starting points for you to research. If I remember any others from that area I'll post them up.

 

[Lesley Jones]

Cheers everyone! Firstly for Allan - in case I forget, remind me later and I can give you access to my Google map. I haven't started yet, but I put all areas of interest there, with details like best time of day for photographs and where to park.

For Alfie - my B&B is actually in Hope valley. Finding anywhere with a single room isn't easy, but this place is very reasonable and as I said, they are happy for me to leave each morning before dawn. I will add your locations to my list. I really must start planning in earnest...