DAY 6: STANAGE EDGE

A WALK IN THE DARK PEAK

MORNING

Sign off your week in the Peak District with one of the finest – and most fun – walks in the national park, along the escarpment of STANAGE EDGE. The gritstone outcrop, which stretches for 3.5 miles through exposed moorland above the village of Hathersage, has been likened to a miniature version of Table Mountain, and while the weather many not often match Cape Town’s, the views from up here certainly do. The walk starts from Hook’s Car car park. To get there from Castleton, head east along the A6187 for 5.5 miles to Hathersage, drive through the village and then turn left up School Lane. After about 1.5 miles – and immediately after crossing a cattle grid (signed North Lees Estate) – take the turning on the left; the car park is on your right, with Stanage Edge looming above. Climb the paved footpath that leads up onto the Edge and head left along the heather-topped plateau – the uneven pathway up here follows an ancient packhorse route that once ran all the way to Sheffield. The views from the top over the Derwent Valley and Hope Valley are some of the most impressive in the entire Peak District. You may also be able to make out NORTH LEES HALL, just over half a mile down to the west, which was the inspiration for Thornfield Manor, the home of Mr Rochester in Jane Eyre – the wild landscapes of the Dark Peak inspired many of Charlotte Brontë’s novels. After a few hundred metres, a narrow path leads off towards the cliff edge and down to the entrance to ROBIN HOOD’S CAVE, where you can squeeze through the rock to emerge on a balcony that juts out halfway up the crag face. Back on the plateau, carry on walking for another half a mile or so before following the paved path that cuts diagonally down between the rocks and through STANAGE PLANTATION. This is a fun route back, as there are several gritstone boulders slumped between the trees here that are ideal for clambering over. After you emerge from the woods, take the left fork through the bracken and down to the main road (there are public toilets here if you need them). Turn left and follow the road for about half a mile back to Hook’s Car car park.

TOP TIP Before heading for home straight after your walk, you could head back into Hathersage for a dip in the lovely HATHERSAGE OUTDOOR SWIMMING POOL [public swimming sessions daily from 11am to 1pm, 3pm to 4pm and 5pm to 6pm | £7, under-18s £4, under-4s free; spectators £3]. The 100ft lido was built in the 1930s and is now heated to a balmy 28 degrees Celcius. Slots are usually all sold out, especially in summer, so you’ll need to book your ticket online in advance; tickets go on sale to the public on Fridays at 7am for sessions taking place the following week.

THE LIJOMA LOWDOWN

MORE AMAZING TRIPS