‘Si Hargeaves needs a geography lesson’

I picked up RIDE yesterday and was pleased to see the ride out (My Favourite Ride,

Jan 2021) featured near where I live, Sheffield, England’s fourth-largest city. The Derwent Valley is somewhere I spend a lot of time — motorbiking, walking and cycling — so it was a bit of a shock when I saw in ‘The Facts’, Manchester is the nearest large city.

From my house along the A57 I can be at Fairholmes, the Visitor Centre within 20 minutes, something not possible from Manchester. Also, you may be interested to know that Snake Pass gets its name, not as is commonly thought, due to the bends, but because huge tracts of land here are owned by the Devonshires, of Chatsworth fame, and their coat of arms features a snake.

Peter Mara

Sorry about that, though of course it does make a difference where in the Peaks you’re talking about — it’s a big place after all. But yes, it is possible I messed up as I spent most of my time in O-level Geography reading Motorcycle Mechanics… Si H