Walk Report: Win Hill & Kinder from Castleton

Before Easter I did a walk around Castleton, Hope and Edale before heading off to Sheffield to spend the weekend with my sister. I have done so much walking in this area I don't really need a map, but on this walk I managed to do bits I'd never done before including some of quite significant interest. The walk began in Castleton, so after parking the car I headed off along the footpath at the eastern end of the village heading towards Hope. Passing the resevoir and crossing the branch line to the cement works I arrived in Hope (literally and figuratively! I just love the name of this village, where can you find hope? It's in the Peak District!). Walking along the Edale road for a while brought me to a track spuring off to the right that descends to a bridge under the railway line. Bearing right after passing under bridge I climbed up the hill to Twitchill Farm and continued climbing up to the top of Win Hill. Win Hill has tremendous views of the surrounding countryside down into Edale, the Hope valley, the Woodlands valley and the viaducts carrying the roads over Ladybower reservoir.

Heading back west I stayed on the top of the ridge going towards Kinder eventually climbing the eastern edge of Kinder over Crookstone Hill. Staying on the southern edge of kinder I headed west enjoying the views of Edale and the Great Ridge beyond. At the top of Ollerbrook Clough I took the path off Kinder onto the Nab continuing around the side of the hill descending slowly into Ollerbrook Clough. I have never been on the path beside the Oller Brook so here was a short venture into the unknown, pity it didn't last very long!. At Ollerbrook Booth I continued south crossing the railway line and with jink to the right across the road and up the path to Hollins Cross. I have been here many times with its views over Edale and Castleton but I'd never actually descended towards Castleton so here was my chance. I took the path passing Mam Farm to reach the old road from Castleton. I have heard about this road and it's infamous landslip and seen it from a distance many times but never had a chance to actually walk over it; this was now my chance and I relished every step. It seemed to me to be a testimont to the invincibility of nature over anything that man can do. Man tries to build a road below Mam Tor and Mam Tor says "No you're not". There are some parts of the countryside that man should leave well alone. You can't improve on perfection, you'll just ruin it.

At the end of the landslip I took the track past Blue John Cavern and continued past Treak Cliff Cavern and Speedwell Cavern. I didn't have time to visit these caves, which is a pity because I'm sure they would have been fun. Passing below Cow Low I returned to Castleton to complete the walk. It was a fun walk in sunny weather (it seems I was lucky there, the early mist cleared where I was. It didn't in Sheffield) and was good practice for the following week, for on Good Friday I took the train up to Penrith for my now annual holiday in the Lake District. More on that later.