Peaceful Places

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One of the things I like about country walking is you need little excuse to stop and admire the view. This little collection shows some of the peaceful places I've found on my many rambles.

A view of Winter Hill taken from a path near Lead Mines Clough. This is a little used but quite scenic path from the entrance to Lead Mines Clough to the path leading to Jepson's Gate and Moor Road. Grid reference SD627 161.

A lovely tiered waterfall that can be found in the Terraced Gardens at Rivington near Horwich in Lancashire, in an area known as the Great Ravine. The stream that feeds the waterfall passes through the ornamental pool in the Japanese Garden. Grid reference SD637 138.


Beautiful wild flowers by the water's edge on the banks of the River Douglas, not far from Scholes Bank, Horwich as it wends its way to its rendezvous with the River Ribble. Grid reference SD630 118


An iconic view of Great Hill on Anglezarke Moor, taken from near the ruins of Coppice Stile House on the way up the path from White Coppice. The trees on the left hide the ruins of Drinkwaters Farm, whilst those on the right house the ruins of Great Hill farm. It is claimed the rare ore of Witherite was first discovered on Anglezarke Moor near Drinkwaters - named because of a clear spring nearby. Grid reference SD627 190.


A lovely little riverside cottage in a secluded area of the village of Castleton, in the Derbyshire Peak District. Castleton village was mentioned as Pechesers in the Domesday book in 1086 where "Arnbiorn and Hundingr held the land of William Peverel's castle in Castleton". This land and Peverel's castle were amongst the manors belonging to William Peverel that also included Bolsover and Glapwell. The ruins of Peveril Castle stand above the village and are open to the public at certain specified times.

Castleton later prospered from lead mining; the Odin Mine, one of the oldest lead mines in the country, is situated about a mile west of the village. This created and enlarged local caverns, four of which are now open to the public as Peak Cavern, Blue John Cavern, Speedwell Cavern and Treak Cliff Cavern. Grid reference SK148 827.


A view of Lose Hill, which is part of the Great Ridge that separates the Edale Valley from the Hope Valley in the Derbyshire Peak District. Lose Hill gets its name from the Battle of Win Hill and Lose Hill in 626. Prince Cwichelm and his father, King Cynegils of Wessex, possibly with the aid of King Penda of Mercia, gathered their forces on neighbouring Lose Hill and marched on the Northumbrians based on Win Hill. Despite their superior numbers, Wessex was defeated by the Northumbrians building a wall and rolling boulders down upon them. Grid reference SK148 867.


A small barn by the side of the Pennine Way as it starts its journey from Edale on its way northwards to the village of Kirk Yetholm, which is just over the border in Scotland. This is one of Britain's great National Trails and covers approximately 257 miles. Grid reference SK122 862.


A view looking down into the Edale Valley, taken from a group of rocks known as Ringing Roger on the Kinder Plateau. Grid reference SK127 873.


A paved path leading to a group of rocks called Back Tor, on Derwent Edge above Ladybower Reservoir in the Derbyshire Peak District. Grid reference SK197 909.


View of the Kinder Plateau in the Derbyshire Peak District, taken near the junction of two paths in an area called Bridge-End Pasture above the Ladybower Reservoir. Grid reference SK179 875.


View of two well known landmarks not far from the village of Hathersage in the Derbyshire Peak District. The one on the left is a former Iron Age fortification called Carl Wark, whilst the one on the right is a hill called Higger Tor. The huge stones of the 10ft high monumental wall on three sides of the natural little plateau of Carl Wark are very impressive. Usually attributed to the Iron Age and sometimes to as late as the Dark Ages, this formidable defensive position may be as early as the Neolithic, or New Stone Age, according to some archaeological theories. Certainly, the moorland between here and Over Owler Tor to the south has revealed extensive prehistoric field systems and clearance cairns, which could well date from as early as that period. Grid reference SK266 814.


This was once a Bobbin Mill, and was built by Richard Arkwright to provide bobbins onto which cotton was spun in his mill at Cromford, not far from Bakewell in the Derbyshire Peak District. This one-time bobbin mill is on the banks of the River Wye, not far from the village of Ashford in the Water. Grid reference SK182 696.


Just a short way upstream from the bobbin mill is this lovely little weir on the River Wye. This really is quite secluded and is not immediately obvious from the path running alongside. Grid reference SK180 696.


A mile or so farther upstream on the River Wye is this footbridge in a delightful part of Monsal Dale known as Upperdale. Grid reference SK176 720.


A tiny stream at the foot of Dowel Dale, about four miles southeast of Buxton in the Derbyshire Peak District, and not far from the villages of Hollins Clough, Earl Sterndale and Longnor. Grid reference SK077 670.


A view looking down one of the many paths onto a rocky escarpemt called Stanage Edge, about two miles north-northeast of the village of Hathersage in the Derbyshire Peak District. Grid reference SK239 838.


In a secluded setting amongst the trees beneath Raven’s Crag, and deep in the heart of Cressbrook Dale are two tiny rows of former lead miners cottages known as Ravensdale Cottages. They are also known locally as The Wick which is taken from "Berry-me-wick", being a grange of a small manorial settlement, an outlier of a manor, and date from the 19th century. Grid reference SK171 736.


This picture shows an old mill by the side of the Huddersfiewld Narrow Canal, not far from the former woollen mill village of Mossley.


This picture was taken on a photoshoot, along the Huddersfield Narrow Canal from Mossley and returning via the banks of the nearby river.


Narrowboats on the Trent and Mersey Canal as it passes near the village of Willaston in Derbyshire.


Part of the delightful and extensive floral display at the Dorothy Clive Garden near Crewe in Cheshire. Well worth a visit.


A view of Rivington Pike, taken part way along the path from the Winter Hill road to the Pike. The Pike Tower was built in 1733 from the remains of a beacon platform and pit from local stone from the River Douglas and wood from the surrounding hills, and is a Grade 2 listed Building. It was formerly used as a hunting lodge by Squire John Andrews, sheltering shooting parties from Rivington Hall. After decades of disrepair and vandalism the castellated top has been renovated, the roof and chimney replaced, and the door and windows bricked up. Inside, and now unable to be seen, are a fireplace and a small stone-flagged cellar. Due to erosion the doorway now stands a good forty inches above the soil rendering the Tower's foundations clearly visible.. Grid reference SD653 137.


A secluded little area that is part moorland and part pastureland, showing the top end of Holden's Plantation not far from the Winter Hill road near Hole Bottoms. Grid reference SD661 131.


A view looking down on the village of Belmont, taken from the top of Winter Hill close by the telecommunications masts. Grid reference SD663 145.