Wednesday Wandering: Castleton

February 15, 2023

CASTLETON

CASTLETON, SPEEDWELL CAVERN, TREAK CLIFF CAVERN, BLUE JOHN CAVERN, MAM TOR, HOLLINS CROSS, BACK TOR, LOSE HILL, LOSEHILL FARM, OLD HALL INN AT HOPE, PEAKSHOLE WATER, CHESHIRE CHEESE AT CASTLETON

Distance: 8 miles Ascent/descent: 1,725 feet

Difiiculty: Moderate

Weather: Bright and dry

Walkers: Peter Beal, Mike Cassini, Mark Gibby, Hughie Hardiman, Alan Hart, Jonathan Hart. Shorter route: Alastair Cairns with Daisy, Tom Cunliffe with Daisy, Chris Owen, Dean Taylor with Tommy, Simon Williams, Dave Willetts

Apologies: Mickey Barrett (New Zealand), Julian Ross (USA), Andy Blease (plastering bedroom), Mark Enright (w***ing). Keith Welsh (bad back), Cliff Worthington (returning from South Africa)

Leader: Beal Diarist: Beal

Starting point: Entrance to Peak Cavern car park, Castleton

Starting time: 9.50 am Finishing time: 2.13 pm

Our route today took in the length of the Great Ridge, stretching from Mam Tor to Lose Hill. I might be mistaken, but a quick search through the Wanderers’ records showed no sign of the whole ridge having been completed before on previous walks in recent years.

Predictions of a heavy downpour over lunchtime proved to be wrong and we enjoyed good weather and good views, although rather hazy.

Mysteriously though, halfway along the ridge half of our group chose to abandon the planned route and head down early towards Hope. No explanation was forthcoming, except from Alastair, who feared terrier Daisy might not be up to the rocky climb up Back Tor.

We gathered at the entrance to the car park of the Peak Cavern, otherwise charmingly known as ‘The Devil’s Arse’, reputedly because of the loud gurgling sounds that it can sometimes emit.

We walked through the car park on the public footpath and turned right up the lane and took a track through a gate to take the path to the Speedwell Cavern, one of Castleton’s four show caves.At the Speedwell we crossed the road at the foot of the Winnats Pass and took the path towards Treak Cliff Cavern (1 mile), the only one of the caves where the famous Blue John mineral, used in the local jewellery shops, is still mined.

We skirted the mine entrance and continued up a narrow path across the hillside to emerge at the Blue John mine. Here we dropped down the entrance road to join the start of the former main road before it slipped down the hillside in 1979 and turned left. After 100 yards we bore right up a footpath to bring us to Mam Nick and the start of the rock staircase leading to the 1696ft summit.

A short distance from the top your diarist suffered an embarrassing fall, tripping over a step and landing flat on his face. There was blood, but he was able to carry on after ministrations from his companions.We dropped down from the summit (2 miles) to the col at Hollins Cross, where pietime was declared in a sheltered spot. Resuming, we climbed another rise and came to the foot of Back Tor. It was here that half our party disappeared to the right through the woods in the direction of Hope.

Your diarist, Mike, Mark, Hughie, Alan and Jonny then scaled the steep and rocky, but short, climb to the summit (4 miles). Here an elaborate and artistic collection of around 30 cairns, painstakingly constructed, had sadly been demolished by vandals. This had happened within the last two days. And they say there should be more access to the countryside. Some people aren’t fit to be allowed there (end of rant).

We continued along the ridge and completed the short climb to the summit of Lose Hill, for some reason named on the National Trust signs as Lose Hill Pike, although there is no reference to that on the OS maps.

From here we dropped down to the right, with Castleton and Hope visible below us, and after a steepish initial descent took a gate on the right, where we veered left and followed a path through fields that eventually brought us over a railway line and to a crossroad of paths where we took the right option signed Edale Road. This brought us out on the road just above Hope Primary School and only a short walk from the Old Hall Inn (6 miles) where we were reunited with our errant chums.

This is a splendid and welcoming pub, but being the Hope Valley, the Wainwright ale was £4-40 a pint and the Robinson’s Dizzy Blonde a puzzling £4-65. Our recent wanderings however have shown that the £4 pint is now becoming the norm.

We resumed by crossing the main road and turning left in to Pindale Road. A short distance on the right was the village pinfold, where stray animals would be kept to be bought back by their owners. Just further on we turned right on a footpath that took us on a gentle walk through a series of fields to emerge on the edge of Castleton, where we turned left to reach the Cheshire Cheese. Only your diarist, Alan and Jonny entered its doors to find Jock and Keiran Rooney ensconced.

Next week’s will start at 09.45 from Curbar Gap. This is reached by turning left off the A623 Chesterfield road at the Bridge Inn in Calver and going up through Curbar village. There is a pay-and-display car park near the top, but there is free parking in lay-bys just below. Refreshment stop will be at The Grouse above Nether Padley and possibly drinks after at The Bridge.

Happy wandering!