Curbar, Froggatt and Baslow Edges

I have done quite a few walks during August and early September, mostly around 5-7 miles, just building up my strength and resilience after my recent illness. I am pleased to say that I can now comfortably walk this distance, so well on the way to recovery.

Taking the first of my August walks, this was a gorgeous walk along two of the Edges in Derbyshire. I began by parking at Curbar Gap (free to anyone with a National Trust membership). Walking north along the edge, this is a delightful and very easy stroll along the top of the ridge, with tremendous views. You can either follow the main path, which is wide and sandy, or you can walk along home-made paths darting between the boulders on the left, the latter being my general preference. You can follow this ridge all the way over Froggatt Edge to the Longshaw Estate. I, however, was looking for the path that would take me under the ridge and curve back to take me through the woods to Curbar.

This path emerges after about a mile of walking; it is signposted but it is quite unspectacular and you could easily miss it. It descends on a moorland path to go under the start of Froggatt Edge. These are massive boulders where you can practice rock-climbing, or stop for a picnic to admire the view. The rocky path goes steeply downhill for about a third of a mile, and this requires attention. It’s one of those paths that is better going uphill. Having said that, it isn’t especially difficult – just take care.

After a while, the path becomes grassy and even and it is a lovely walk through the wood. You are unlikely to meet many people on this track and it is very peaceful. When you reach a wall with a gate, make sure you turn left to continue through the woods. You will eventually come out in the fields at the top end of Curbar. Take the path uphill and join the road just before the big bend. There is no choice now but to follow the road back to the car park. It isn’t as steep as it appears on the map, and towards the top you can walk on a grassy footpath, where you will come across a couple of boulders with religious inscriptions, the one below from Isaiah and another from Hebrews. At this point, you will have walked about 3 miles.

If you have had enough, you can stop here; but I would recommend going onto Baslow Edge. You might think you’ve seen all there is to see, but I find the viewpoint here is more interesting and you can see further to the south. There is a picture board, showing you everything you can see from here. It is easy walking most of the time, although you will go on a narrow and slightly overgrown and bouldery path if you continue on to the Wellington Memorial.

From there, you can take a different path back to take a look at the Eagle Stone, which is an incongruous mound of stones in the middle of the moorland, well favoured by the cattle. From here, it is an easy back to the car park. This second 2 mile section is extremely flat and accessible for most people.

This is a walk to do when you need some fresh air and to stretch the eyes. It is always beautiful and you will always feel refreshed when you walk along the edges.

Total distance: 4.9 miles; total ascent 551ft and similar descent; Maximum altitude 1,128ft.