Hollins Hill, Chrome Hill & Parkhouse Hill
Yesterday I decided that I wanted to go for a walk; my first of the New Year. My target was Chrome hill in the Peak District, which has been in my sights for just over a year ever since my Father got a book of the Peak District from the air. One of the pictures was of Chrome Hill which I'd never seen before and piqued my curiosity but it took until yesterday for me to satisfy it. One advantage of my wait is that I was able to benefit from the new Open Access agreements that came into force in the Peak District last autumn. In addition to Chrome hill I was able to walk up Hollins hill and Parkhouse hill that walkers were not able to go up this time last year.
I parked in Hollinsclough (SK06526652), once I'd been able to find it, it's not very well signposted. Setting off I headed north-west out of the village up the road. It wasn't long before I reached a footpath on the right heading back down the hill to a footbridge over the young river dove. Turning left after the bridge I headed up the hill briefly until I sighted a recently installed gate marked Concessionary Path to Open Access Land. Passing through the gate I maneuvered around the cows and followed the path beside a fence and the steep hillside before the path doubled back and headed steeply up the hillside. After a short distance the path doubled back again and came along side a fence that it followed as it gained height. The Open Access Land was the steep ground descending to my right but I was perched precariously at the top of the ridge making my way along to the summit of Hollins Hill. On the map there is a tumulus at the summit but in practice it is a mound with a circular hole in the middle and a wooden stake in it, which I'm sure was a tumulus at one time.
Heading along the access path I descended to the track just south of Booth Farm. Walking north along the road I soon noticed a gap in the fence on the right which I took to be the beginning of the footpath marked on the map. Crossing the field I came across a farm track which had branched off from the road and crossing it found a stile next to the gate on the track. Taking this path I bypassed Stoop Farm going to the north of it until I approached the track again by a gate, but I didn't go through the gate. Beside the gate were two signposts directing a Concessionary path to Chrome Hill and Glutton Bridge. This path headed south-east to the right of a fence passing Tor Rock on the right. Not being able to resist it I sprinted off onto the top of Tor Rock to admire the view, principally of Chrome Hill. Technically I was trespassing since Tor Rock is not on Access Land so I quickly headed back onto the path which headed steeply downhill south of Tor Rock .
Once onto the Access Land the path climbs steeply and muddily onto the top of the ridge and you begin your ascent of Chrome Hill. Being the kind of guy I am I kept to the very top of the ridge all the way even if it meant going out of my to do so. I would go to the top of an out-thrust of rock and stand there for a moment looking north, ignoring the fact that to the south of me was more of the hill still to climb. Once at the top I sat down and basked in the view of the upper river dove valley. I never tire of being on top of hills and seeing the stunning scenery all around me. Chrome Hill is only about 430 metres and is smaller than Hollins Hill which tops 450 but the best feature of Chrome Hill is the view of it rather than from it. All day I had had views of the majestic lump of rock as I had circled around it like a bird of prey trying to decide which bit of the carcass to attack first. It is a huge fin of limestone rock stuck into the ground but is matched if not in bulk then in the steepness of it's sides by it's neighbour, Parkhouse Hill. This hill, lying south-east of Chrome Hill had until recently been private property with no access allowed for walkers but all that has changed. Both Parkhouse Hill and it's tumulus-topped unnamed northern partner are now on Open Access Land so once I had descended the grassier southern slopes of Chrome Hill I crossed the road and began my ascent of Parkhouse Hill. At the western end of Parkhouse is a small pillar of rock necessitating an ascent on the northern slopes before gaining the ridge. Parkhouse Hill is a smaller hill in bulk, though steeper, than Chrome Hill so the summit was achieved rather more quickly. Descending the eastern end of Parkhouse I discovered no path off the access land; though there is a gate to the north I had no intention of going in that direction. Following the fence clockwise around the foot of the hill I headed onto the road and crossing it joined the track passing Stannery heading back to Hollinsclough.
As my walks usually go this one was rather short, taking a mere three hours, but it was still a delight featuring some enjoyable rocky ascents that could almost be called scrambles. I have become rather bored by the Peak District in recent years as I got used to the delights of the Lake District and Snowdonia, but this walk held a bit of the excitement that those places now hold for me. I find it difficult to find somewhere new in the Peak District to go, yesterday I succeeded. Unfortunately I fear next time I want to go walking in the Peak District I won't be so lucky.
I parked in Hollinsclough (SK06526652), once I'd been able to find it, it's not very well signposted. Setting off I headed north-west out of the village up the road. It wasn't long before I reached a footpath on the right heading back down the hill to a footbridge over the young river dove. Turning left after the bridge I headed up the hill briefly until I sighted a recently installed gate marked Concessionary Path to Open Access Land. Passing through the gate I maneuvered around the cows and followed the path beside a fence and the steep hillside before the path doubled back and headed steeply up the hillside. After a short distance the path doubled back again and came along side a fence that it followed as it gained height. The Open Access Land was the steep ground descending to my right but I was perched precariously at the top of the ridge making my way along to the summit of Hollins Hill. On the map there is a tumulus at the summit but in practice it is a mound with a circular hole in the middle and a wooden stake in it, which I'm sure was a tumulus at one time.
Heading along the access path I descended to the track just south of Booth Farm. Walking north along the road I soon noticed a gap in the fence on the right which I took to be the beginning of the footpath marked on the map. Crossing the field I came across a farm track which had branched off from the road and crossing it found a stile next to the gate on the track. Taking this path I bypassed Stoop Farm going to the north of it until I approached the track again by a gate, but I didn't go through the gate. Beside the gate were two signposts directing a Concessionary path to Chrome Hill and Glutton Bridge. This path headed south-east to the right of a fence passing Tor Rock on the right. Not being able to resist it I sprinted off onto the top of Tor Rock to admire the view, principally of Chrome Hill. Technically I was trespassing since Tor Rock is not on Access Land so I quickly headed back onto the path which headed steeply downhill south of Tor Rock .
Once onto the Access Land the path climbs steeply and muddily onto the top of the ridge and you begin your ascent of Chrome Hill. Being the kind of guy I am I kept to the very top of the ridge all the way even if it meant going out of my to do so. I would go to the top of an out-thrust of rock and stand there for a moment looking north, ignoring the fact that to the south of me was more of the hill still to climb. Once at the top I sat down and basked in the view of the upper river dove valley. I never tire of being on top of hills and seeing the stunning scenery all around me. Chrome Hill is only about 430 metres and is smaller than Hollins Hill which tops 450 but the best feature of Chrome Hill is the view of it rather than from it. All day I had had views of the majestic lump of rock as I had circled around it like a bird of prey trying to decide which bit of the carcass to attack first. It is a huge fin of limestone rock stuck into the ground but is matched if not in bulk then in the steepness of it's sides by it's neighbour, Parkhouse Hill. This hill, lying south-east of Chrome Hill had until recently been private property with no access allowed for walkers but all that has changed. Both Parkhouse Hill and it's tumulus-topped unnamed northern partner are now on Open Access Land so once I had descended the grassier southern slopes of Chrome Hill I crossed the road and began my ascent of Parkhouse Hill. At the western end of Parkhouse is a small pillar of rock necessitating an ascent on the northern slopes before gaining the ridge. Parkhouse Hill is a smaller hill in bulk, though steeper, than Chrome Hill so the summit was achieved rather more quickly. Descending the eastern end of Parkhouse I discovered no path off the access land; though there is a gate to the north I had no intention of going in that direction. Following the fence clockwise around the foot of the hill I headed onto the road and crossing it joined the track passing Stannery heading back to Hollinsclough.
As my walks usually go this one was rather short, taking a mere three hours, but it was still a delight featuring some enjoyable rocky ascents that could almost be called scrambles. I have become rather bored by the Peak District in recent years as I got used to the delights of the Lake District and Snowdonia, but this walk held a bit of the excitement that those places now hold for me. I find it difficult to find somewhere new in the Peak District to go, yesterday I succeeded. Unfortunately I fear next time I want to go walking in the Peak District I won't be so lucky.
posted by David Keates at 1:00 am
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