Derbyshire
Castleton
We chose Castleton as a base for a few days walking during the Spring Bank Holiday weekend in 2005. Staying at the Peaks Inn for Bed and Breakfast (highly recommended). Enormous meals available afternoon and evening in common with most of the pubs in the village. Weather was mostly fine but a bit breezy especially on hill tops.
The walks
Our first walk was from Castleton to Edale via Little Mam Tor and Hollins Cross. The walking guides describe the amble up Little Mam Tor as easy going which I might have agreed with 30 years ago but into a gale force, ice cold, north westerly it’s a different proposition. The cuppa at Blue John Cavern was most welcome. From here the view of Mam Tor itself is nothing less than daunting so we decided on a more manageable traverse on the leeward to Hollins Cross.
Hollins Cross is the meeting place of footpaths and mountain bikers. From there we took the north western descent to Edale to welcome refreshment in the ‘Ramblers’. With storm clouds gathering after lunch we caught the little bus which runs between Edale and Castleton visiting the various caverns on the way.
Our second walk was around Ladybower Reservoir. The bus from Castleton to Sheffield does a picturesque dog-leg up and down the west bank of the reservoir instead taking the right turn at the Ladybower Inn. We disembarked half way along the road and continued on foot to Derwent Dam. A rather well kept secret here is the small museum built into the west turret of the dam wall dedicated to the WWII ‘Dam Busters’ and to the lost village of Derwent.
The trek back to the Ladybower Inn along the east bank of the reservoir is pleasant walk but the more adventurous might like to climb up the ridge and walk along the edge of the moor.
