Our ramblings this week started at Edale on a bright and sunny day. Steve, our leader for the day, had chosen a particularly picturesque and stimulating nine mile walk which would take us to Hollins Cross, Lose Hill, Hope Cross, Jaggers Clough then back through the Booths (Nether and Ollerbrook) to the Rambler Inn for a delightful pint of their finest ales.
Here are a few photos from our journey.
Edale is a valley and is a loose collection of scattered farmsteads or 'booths' as they are known which grew up around the original shelters or 'boothies' used by shepherds when tending their sheep on the hillsides. Edale (as spelt) is first recorded in 1732. Earlier recorded versions of the name are Aidele (1086), Heydale (1251), Eydale (1275), Eydal (1285) and Edall (1550).
Historically, Edale was the name of the valley of the River Noe. From the Norman Conquest it was within the royal Forest of High Peak and at its centre is the Edale Cross, which marked the boundary of the three wards at the Forest, Campana, Hopedale and Longdendale.
Settlement in the valley consists of several booths, originally established in the 13th century as 'vaccaries' (cattle farms) along the valley of the River Noe, which have since developed into the hamlets of Upper Booth (once Crowdenley Booth and Over Booth), Barber Booth (once Whitmorely Booth), Grindsbrook Booth, Ollerbrook Booth and Nether Booth (also known as Lady Booth and, formerly, Lower Booth).
Edale Mill, formerly a cotton mill was built in 1792 and now provides holiday accommodation. It was built on the site of a corn mill and tannery by Nicholas Cresswell in partnership with James Harrison, Robert Blackwell and Joseph Fletcher.
Workers were brought in from the towns and accommodated in cottages and in a nearby house called Skinners Hall. Many of the women workers walked each day from Castleton over Hollins Cross pass. The mill continued spinning cotton until around 1940 but then fell into disuse. It was restored in the early 1970s by the Landmark Trust who sold off six of the apartments to fund the restoration.
View from Back Tor
View from Lose Hill. This hill is the south-west corner of the parish of Edale and the end of the Great Ridge that runs from Rushup Edge to the west (over Mam Tor, Hollins Cross and Back Tor). Its counterpart is Win Hill, lying to its east.
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.
In 1894 the railway was built between Manchester and Sheffield, with the line running through Edale. It was necessary to dig the 2 mile long Cowburn tunnel under Colbourne Moor, the 9th longest tunnel in the country.
When the Sheffield to Manchester (Hope Valley) line opened, the railway station to the south of Grindsbrook Booth was named "Edale", and the name came to be used for the settlements in the parish, rather than the valley as a whole.
Hope Cross lies at the crossroads of important ancient packhorse routes through the Peak District and it is possible that there could have been a cross here prior to this one.
It is on a former Roman road (sometimes known as Doctor’s Gate) and stands 7 feet high with a square capstone bearing the names of Edale, Glossop, Hope and Sheffield on its faces. The date 1737 is carved on the shaft below the Hope face and this is the date this medieval stoop was either restored or replaced.
Brian thought he had spotted Mike ...
Eager anticipation as the others check it out ...
Yes, there he is!
... but it was a false alarm!
... Dave knew that all along!
Then on to Jaggers Clough
Discussion on how to cross the stream that runs down from Jaggers Clough - the stepping stones are almost entirely submerged following recent rain
"Brian the Gazelle" shows us how to do it in style
However there was an alternative route!
Jaggers Clough is an unusual name - no it’s not cockney rhyming slang! A jagger was someone who carried small loads.
The clough was on a well used packhorse route. The jaggers leading these trains had to know their routes as they were responsible for the safe arrival of the goods carried and would stick to what they were familiar with. Tudor governments made the first efforts to deal with road problems by passing acts in 1555 to use local labour under the parish overseers to repair and maintain highways. They ruled that:
"no man has the right to sow peas, stack manure or dig his marl on the highway".
If the highway was blocked The King’s liege had the right to make way over adjoining land even by taking down hedges. So if a section of highway became too deep in mud, they just moved sideways and started a new track the land owner having no choice, although before the enclosure acts walls and hedges on roads were few.
The challenge here is how to make a photo of a sheep (even though it has got elaborate horns) look interesting - have I succeeded?
Back to Edale
The Old Nags Head is the official start of the Pennine Way. It was formerly the village blacksmiths.
Edale church was built in 1885 to a design by William Dawes of Manchester. It is aisle-less and has a broach spire. A chapel did exist here before but there was a time when villagers has to go to Castleton church and even carry their dead via Hollins Cross to be buried - that route was known locally as Coffin Way.
And so to the Ramber Inn for a welcome pint. This pub was formerly called the Church Inn.
Cheers!
