Kinder Scout (Edale), Peak District

- Camping -

6th - 8th June 2008

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This being our second visit to Edale in the year, I wondered what Martin had up his sleeve in terms of a route. It was a camping trip and the first use of the Fieldhead campsite at Edale. The campsite is owned by the Peak District National Park Authority and is located at the Moorland / Visitor Information Centre. Tent pitches are spread over six fields with a separate family field and a small riverside field which is dedicated to backpackers only. There is a separate car park next to the camping fields which have no vehicle access ensuring a quieter, peaceful stay. Previously we had camped at the North Lees campsite in Hathersage but Martin had been keen to try out this site. In all honesty, it is brilliantly located for walks on the Pennine Way and an assault on Kinder Scout. The dynamics of the group changes, as it has a different make-up to that on other Xerox trips.
 

Tents at Fieldhead campsite, Edale.
 

Train goes by at Edale campsite; One of up to six fields at Fieldhead campsite.
 

One of the group's for the Saturday walk up Kinder Scout: John Adams, Bob Smith, Martin Lighten and Steve Rogers.
 

  I had not taken the day off arrived around 21h30, just before Martin, when it was still light enough to pitch a tent. Vanda was away in Poland. I had used the Tom-Tom to navigate up to the Peak District and was surprised that the device had directed me to Edale via Sparrowpit, which turned out to be spectacularly interesting, given me an appreciation as to Edale's proximity to Mam Tor, near Castleton. Peter Karran and Jane had set up the large kitchen tent and kindly offered us each a hamburger pâté for dinner. Bob Smith, whom I had seen in "yonks", was there too. He had walked the previous day. The next morning, after breakfast, we headed off, Martin, John Adams, Bob Smith, Steve Rogers and myself. At Nag's Head pub, the official start of the Pennine Way, we turned left in the direction of Jacob's Ladder, which had been our return route on a number of occasions.

We reached the signposted T-junction. Continuing on ahead in a westerly direction would have taken us all the way to Kinderlow End. Instead, by turning north, we stayed on the Pennine way for the time being. As we ascended, it became colder and we were soon shrouded in mist. We stopped for tea (see flag markers 001 and 002 near Kinder Low trig point). We continued up the gorge until we reached Kinder Downfall (waterfall), where we turned left, continuing along the Millstone Grit edge of the Kinder plateau and headed northwest until we reached the northern Millstone Grit edge (The Edge) of the Kinder plateau.

Walk from Edale via Jacob's Ladder, Kinder Downfall and the northern edge of Kinder Plateau.
 

Enclosed path, soon after leaving Nag's Head.
 

Edale scenery.
 

Stunning Edale landscape.
 

En route to Jacob's Ladder.
 

Surrounded by Peak District farmland.

 

A  stroll in the country - what a life!.

 

The four leave the cameraman behind.

 

Picturesque farmhouse en route.

 

Peak District is sheep country - Derbyshire premier football team are not called "The Rams" for nothing.

 

About to ascend Jacob's Ladder.

 

Looking back towards Edale just before the bridge, at the foot of the ascent of Jacob's Ladder.

 

Looking back towards Upper Booth, whilst part of the way up Jacob's Ladder, the bridge below partially obscured by trees.

 

Kinder Scout is a moorland plateau in the Dark Peak of the Derbyshire Peak District. Part of the moor, at 636 metres above sea-level, is the highest point in the Peak District and the highest point in Derbyshire. It is accessible from the villages of Hayfield and Edale. Kinder Downfall is the highest waterfall in the Peak District, at thirty metres. It lies on the River Kinder, where it flows west over the edge of Kinder Scout. The waterfall was formerly known as Kinder Scut, and it is from this that the plateau derives its name. Although usually little more than a trickle in summer, in spate conditions it is impressive. In certain wind conditions (notably when there is a strong west wind), the water is blown back on itself, and the resulting cloud of spray can be seen from several miles away. Below the Downfall the River Kinder flows into Kinder Reservoir.

The rock formations which characterise the edges of the Kinder plateau are formed from a type of sandstone called Millstone Grit. This was laid down in river deltas around 300 million years ago. The way these rocks have been eroded by water, ice and wind has given rise to several distinctive features. The blanket of peat which covers much of the Kinder plateau was formed as a result of extensive waterlogging which began as a result in a change in the climate and tree clearance by early settlers about 6,000 years ago.

 

In the mist, on the Pennine Way, en route to Kinder Low, probably somewhere near Cluther Rocks.

 

View of the River Kinder.

 

Kinder Reservoir.

 

At Kinder Downfall, Kinder Plateau.

 

View from the Kinder Plateau, at Kinder Downfall.

 

 

KinderScoutEdalePartTwo [1] [2] [3]

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Links to other websites:
 

  • Official Pennine Way - website

  • Pennine Way - wiki

  • Kinder Scout - wiki

  • Peak District - wiki

  • Moorland Centre, Edale - website

  • Fieldhead campsite - website

  • Edale Valley Tourist Association - website

  • Kinder Scout Trespass - official website

  • Everyday Cycling - Edale loop - website

  • Kinder Downfall from Hayfield - Trekking Britain website

  • Walking via Kinder Reservoir - didicam69 website

  • The Dark Peak - University of Manchester Hiking Club - website

  • National Trust - Kinder Scout - website

  • Edale in the Peak District - website

  • The Old Original Pudding Shop, Bakewell - website

  • Kinder edges from Edale - walk description

  • More incredible Kinder Scout photos - website [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]