Stanage Edge
Remote moorlands, hidden caves, curious history, sweeping views – write off the Peak District at your peril, as Trai● walks an iconic edge with something for everyone.
The dark secrets of this popular Peak District edge revealed
To the uninitiated, the Dark Peak may sound uninviting, yet it holds many adventurous rewards. With dramatic expanses of craggy edges, moody moorlands, secret scrambles and even more secretive caves, this feature-packed landscape really is one that hillwalkers can’t ignore.
I walk a lot in the Lakes, and I’ve been very loyal to that part of the world, which meant my Peak District knowledge ahead of this visit was limited. But this just added to the excitement. The chance to explore new surroundings filled me with a sense of adventure. Driving the winding, country road cutting through Hathersage, I marvelled at the views opening up around me.
Lush green moorland, little distant houses that seem to float in the trees... As I gazed into the distance I could picture myself living among these trees in this magical new landscape. All that was for another time though, because our destination for the day lay high on the dark hillsides above – we were heading for Stanage Edge.
Geological greatness
Stanage Edge. The first time I heard those words was through Julia Bradbury’s voice on ITV’s Britain’s Favourite Walks: Top 100 a few years ago, and the first time my eyes landed on it was when we parked up on the grass verge beside Hooks Carr. It was even more spectacular than I’d imagined. This weather-beaten plateau is a classic example of geological greatness, with its jagged edge giving off the impression that a crazed giant has sawed through the landscape. Towers of layered grey rock rise from its base, hiding caves carved through powerful winds.
We began our circular walk with a short scramble from the foot of the Edge onto the top of the crag. It surprised me how easily my feet gripped the rocks as I climbed. The gritstone is composed of a mixture of sandstone and mudstone, creating a textured surface perfect for sticking to boot soles, explaining why this is a hotspot favoured by climbers.
The phrase ‘something for everyone’ can be overused, yet, as I explored further into this crag, I discovered how Stanage is exactly that. Geologists, climbers, walkers, adventurers, photographers, historians – this crag offers features of interest for almost every type of outdoor explorer.
Don’t look down
I was a little on edge (excuse the pun) as I tiptoed close to the drop, but it was the best way to explore the unique shapes and arrangement of the rocks. I walked over a giant rounded pebble creating a bridge over the deep cracks on the surface. I admired the surrounding Derbyshire moors, framed by two balancing boulders creating a window-like shape, as if the rocks were proudly presenting this impressive scenery to me. Everything stands proud here, and rightly so.
Sand without sea
As we explored further, heading northwest along the 4-mile edge, the gritty feeling below my feet felt unusual. I looked to the path below to discover I was walking on a trail of sand. I half expected to peep over the edge and see waves crashing against the rock.
Although the resulting erosion on this serrated rock face is similar, things work differently in this dry environment. The wind is the waves here, smoothing stones and carving caves, spreading sand across the landscape above. The wind was strong this day, the erosion happening slowly before our slightly grit-filled eyes.
The mixture of sand and peat creates the perfect combination for comfortable, spongy terrain, allowing walkers’ feet to bounce rhythmically across the top of the edge. My relaxed stride and trail of thought was disturbed by a flighty flock of red grouse fleeting from the heather, causing me to embarrassingly jump out of my skin.
Their appearance explained the reason for the mysterious round holes scooped out of the ground around us. The indents act as watering holes for the birds, designed to collect rainwater. I initially thought this a kind gesture by some landowners hundreds of years ago, but it turns out their actual purpose is to keep grouse on this specific land so they could be shot. Maybe not as kind as I thought!
Hidden caves
Deserving of its popularity, Stanage can be a busy place packed with tourists and climbers. For a little hideaway escape from the crowds, the crag conceals caves below it. We were on a mission to find them, and more specifically to locate Robin Hood’s Cave, as named on the map. We approached a tiny crevice in the ground, which photographer Tom informed me was the entrance to the cave. I thought he was joking. My face flooded with fear as I realised he wasn’t. Now usually if I saw something like this I would simply walk over it, oblivious to what lay beneath. Not this day. This was the day of facing my slightly claustrophobic fears, as I breathed in and disappeared into the ground. Feeling like Alice falling down the rabbit hole, and equally reluctantly,
I dropped into the cave below.
My adventurous decision had been worth it. The name ‘Robin Hood’s Cave’ made perfect sense now. This eerie little cavern looked like the perfect underground outlaw’s lair. I felt hidden away, as if no one would ever find me. I doubted whether my climbing skills were adapted enough to climb back out of the grotto, yet I surprised myself by completing a slightly ungraceful rock climb back to the surface. Although this isn’t a bad place for a wild camp, I decided to leave my first overnight caving adventure for another time.
Historic land
As we continued, more ancient features revealed themselves. Stanage Edge is a historical graveyard for abandoned millstones, dotted around and serving as reminders of the industry that once dominated this area. Millstone production was at its peak in Derbyshire during the 17th century, with stonemasons creating the circular discs in local quarries and transporting them to the mills below.
They were used to grind grain for producing flour, until the industry collapsed. The Derwent Valley residents decided they preferred the white flour created by French Burr stone as opposed to the grey flour the resident millstones produced. As a result, the millstones were left scattered around the moors. Although we usually disapprove of objects being dumped on a hillside, these obsolete wheels now act as a symbol of the Peak District. They belong here now, as if the landscape has accepted them, growing and twisting around the stone circles.
For our next history lesson (there’s plenty of it here) we diverted east through a boggy field towards the wooden spear of Stanage Pole (left), which was erected as a boundary marker between Derbyshire and South Yorkshire in the 16th century. As I looked in detail at the stones surrounding the pole, I thought some inconsiderate vandals had scribbled graffiti all over them. However, some of these carvings are actually an extraordinary surviving piece of history, dating back to 1550, believed to be the writings of parish surveyors checking the condition of the pole.
We followed the old packhorse road of Long Causeway back to the main Edge, shortly reaching our highest point of the day (458m) at High Neb. Sporting a slightly more windswept and less elegant look than Keira Knightley managed in Pride and Prejudice, I stood on a protruding slab of rock, hanging over the edge of the tor. A head for heights is handy here, but the exposed views are worth it. The dark, flat shadow of Kinder Scout’s plateau stands out in the distance beside Mam Tor, with Ladybower Reservoir completing the scene perfectly, adding further beauty to this already impressive landscape.
Giant’s Jenga
We were near to Stanage End when our route turned back on itself. The path back below the Edge is much darker, shadowed by the dominating craggy towers. The edge looked unwelcoming from here, like a great wall designed to keep invaders out. The clouds began to blacken, adding a more dramatic atmosphere to the environment. It made me feel uneasy. We fought through the bracken path until we were back at the start; the change of weather more than living up to the Dark Peak name.
I untied my shoes, feeling rewarded by my first Peak District walking experience. A few minutes later, while passing once again my floating dream houses in the trees, I daydreamed into the distance. My curiosity for the Peak District had been planted, and I began to plan my inevitable return…
“for a little hideaway escape from stanage’s crowds, the crag conceals caves beneath it”