70 YEARS OF THE PEAK DISTRICT

We probably don’t shout as loudly about the Peak District as we should in Trail, mostly because our boots and camera lenses are inevitably drawn towards taller and sharper things to the north. But this month it’s going front and centre, with all 12 of the mapped walks in our routes section dedicated to Britain’s original and oldest national park, which turned a whopping 70 years old this year. Because what The Peaks may lack in terms of big mountain landscapes, it more than makes up for with 555 square miles of classic hillwalking country. Dark gritstone edges, deep limestone dales, sinister moors, rolling green hills, over 70 villages, countless pubs and inns, Britain’s only mountain hares outside Scotland, and more than 1600 miles of public rights of way are just some of the many reasons over 13 million people visit each year. I’ll let you in on a local secret though – it rains, a lot. So luckily for you, we’ve also reviewed the best waterproof jackets and trousers for autumn and winter. Pick your favourite routes, encase yourself in Gore-Tex, and go explore it for yourself. Oli Reed, editor

(Instagram @the_outdoordad)

Cover photograph: Lord Berkeley’s Seat, An Teallach, by Tom Bailey