The Vale of Edale, Mam Tor and Win Hill A weekend walking adventure for London-based hikers 1 of 23 www.londonhiker.com Introduction Edale in the Peak District is one of the classic British walking locations. From here the grassy, green White Peak (so called for its limestone) visibly morphs into the brooding, atmospheric, peaty and wild Dark Peak. The area has been popular with hikers from nearby Manchester and Sheffield for decades and the mass trespass on Kinder Scout, one of the key battles leading to 'rights of way' for walkers, took place here. This weekend takes a tour of the vale of Edale and you will get a fantastic taster of what this stunning location has to offer. With Edale only 3 hours or less from London by train, what are you waiting for? Summary You'll travel up to Edale via either Manchester or Sheffield (see the travel section for more details). On Day 1 you will spend the day on the ridge that dominates the scenery around here; climbing to Lose Hill and along to Mam Tor, and finishing back in Edale. On Day 2 you will hike up onto Kinder Scout and walk along its edge for a short way, before following a Roman road to the summit of Win Hill. You will descend to Bamford to catch your train home. Example itinerary This is an example! Do not rely on the times below - always check current times before planning your trip! DAY FROM > TO LEAVE ARRIVE Day 0 TRAIN London Euston > Edale 18:20 21:28 Day 1 TRAIN Edale > Hope 09:34 09:40 WALK Hope > Lose Hill, Mam Tor > Edale (11.9 miles / 19.1 km) Day 2 WALK Edale > Kinder Scout edge, Win Hill > Bamford (8.9 miles / 14.4 km) TRAIN Bamford > London st Pancras 17:42 21:22 2 of 23 www.londonhiker.com Highlights • The village of Edale itself; a beautiful, green, peaceful location • The ridge walk with views to the White and Dark Peak • Kinder Scout's peaty, earthy and windswept edges • The long sweep of the grassy Roman road to Win Hill; pure pleasure. Options This weekend is recommended as a two day trip. However, there is plenty to do in the area and you could easily explore more by extending your visit by an extra day. A few ideas are provided towards the end of this guide. The Vale of Edale 3 of 23 www.londonhiker.com Suitable time of year You should not do these walks in snowy or icy conditions unless you are very experienced and have suitable equipment such as crampons. Autumn and Spring walking should be fine, although the paths around Kinder Scout can be very BOGGY. So, gaiters and good boots are recommended! Alternative options are explained in detail below if the weather takes a turn for the worse. Resources you will need: CHECKLIST In addition to all your usual walking gear, waterproofs etc.: Map and compass. You will need EITHER: • The Ordnance Survey map OL1: Peak District: Dark Peak Area • OR: • Peak District (Dark Peak) A-Z Adventure Atlas (it's the same 1:25000 scale maps but in a book format) (This is the RECOMMENDED option just for practicality, but it covers the same area as the OS map does.) • OR: A GPS with the Edale area of the Peak District on it. Train times between Edale and Hope for your Day 1 walk from Northern Rail (search for Edale station on their website to bring up the timetable). Looking towards Lose Hill 4 of 23 www.londonhiker.com Accommodation Edale has several options for accommodation: The YHA Edale Youth Hostel, which is about 1.5 miles / 2.4 km from the centre of the village in Rowland Cote. B&Bs (here is a list: there may be more than listed here if you Google them) Two pubs; The Old Nag's Head and The Rambler Inn. If you can't stay in Edale you could stay in Hope village, which is one stop down the train line. Day 1's walk starts from Hope anyway – and On Day 2, just get the train to Edale in the morning. Camping In Edale: • Fieldhead campsite • Cooper's campsite Castleton viewed from Lose HIll 5 of 23 www.londonhiker.com Getting there and back by public transport London to Edale by train You can travel to Edale from either London Euston (changing at Manchester Piccadilly) or St Pancras (changing at Sheffield); there isn't really much difference in journey times either way, but I have found that you can sometimes get cheaper tickets via Sheffield. If you are travelling up in the evening you will have to check the times carefully to make sure you can get to Edale at a reasonable hour (especially if you are staying in the Edale Hostel which is a 20 minute walk out of the village across fields - you wouldn't want to be doing that at 11.30pm in the dark!). As I wrote this guide, the evening train times on a Friday were: London Edale Via 16:57 19:47 Sheffield 18:03 21:09 Donacaster & Sheffield 18:20 21: 28 Manchester 20:07 23:01 Stafford & Stockport Alternatively you may be able to catch a very early train (6am-ish) from St Pancras to Sheffield on the Saturday morning, getting in at about 9.45am which should give you enough time to do Day 1 if the sun is setting late. However, you'd have to get up extremely early. It might be nicer if you can to try to travel up in the afternoon rather than the evening, so you can arrive in Edale in the late afternoon or early evening and get settled into the pub for a few pints and an evening meal, acclimatising to the quiet surroundings, listening to the gentle bleating of sheep and the trundle of the trains in the valley and watching the sun setting over the hills. So, which way to travel - via Manchester (from Euston) or Sheffield (from St Pancras)? Well, the Sheffield route has a few things to commend it: 1) St Pancras is a much nicer station than Euston, so if you have more time on your hands before travelling this is a lovely place to have a leisurely coffee and croissant or even a pint before catching the train to Sheffield. It was fully renovated recently and is now back to its former glory with lots of interesting things to see, such as a couple of large statues. Euston, by comparison, has a bit more of a crowded, dingy vibe. 2) Travel time is slightly faster via Sheffield. 3) The cost can sometimes be cheaper via Sheffield. 6 of 23 www.londonhiker.com The time to change trains at Sheffield can seem short, bit do not worry; the train to Edale leaves from a platform (platform 2C) that is usually really close (often adjacent) to where the London train comes in. Check the National Rail enquiries website for up-to-date train times. Travel time from London to Edale is approximately 3 hours or less. Travelling back home on Day 2 by public transport You'll be travelling back from Bamford which is on the same train line. Obviously get a return ticket to London, if it works out cheaper! If travelling via Sheffield, get a return to/from Edale. If travelling via Manchester, get a return to/from Bamford. 7 of 23 www.londonhiker.com Day 1: Lose Hill, Mam Tor, and the Vale of Edale The ridge, from Lose Hill Distance 11.9 miles / 19.1 km Strenuousness 3/5 Difficulty of navigation 1/5 Get your packed lunch from the Penny Pot National Trust cafe (by the station) or Cooper's Cafe (in the village centre) before leaving Edale. At the time of writing this guide, the Penny Pot opens at 8.30am on Saturdays and Sundays and 10am on Weekdays. 8 of 23 www.londonhiker.com Get the morning train from Edale to Hope, the next station along. From Hope station, head down to the main road (A6187) and turn right along it, then just before the road crosses a river, turn right down a footpath. Follow this to some buildings, cross the river and then a road, and take the footpath forking to the right heading upwards towards Losehill Farm. Sheep near Hope village Keep heading upwards and to the top of Lose Hill. The main climb of the day is now over; you can relax and take in the view! From the grassy slopes of Lose Hill, you can see across to Win Hill, where you'll be heading tomorrow. Kinder Scout is the dark mountain ahead. You can clearly see the White Peak changing to the Dark Peak. You can also see Win Hill to the east, where you'll be heading tomorrow. To the south is the village of Castleton; the chimneys are from cement works. 9 of 23 www.londonhiker.com From Lose Hill, follow the ridge along, climbing down Back Tor, to reach Hollins Cross, where there is a crossroads of paths. Back Tor If you have had enough by now, you can come down here by following paths off steeply to your right. Otherwise, keep following the ridge over Mam Tor. Anywhere around here is a good place for a lunch spot as the views are wonderful. You come down to a road (another opportunity for an escape route to Edale if you need it). Cross the road and keep going up.