Thorpe Cloud

I had planned to tackle Thorpe Cloud from the north using the path shown on the OS map, but as soon as we crossed the river Dove signs asked us to take a southern side approach as an erosion control measure. This track was not shown on the OS map but was well used and signed. On reaching the col between Thorpe Cloud and Hamston Hill, we turned north-westwards on a track directly to the top of Thorpe Cloud. A farmer had collected sheep at the col and they were all crammed into some small pens. The top of Thorpe Cloud is rocky with exposed limestone, but it wasn't difficult to get to the summit ridge. We walked along the ridge until we got a tremendous view down into the winding valley of Dove Dale. It was a shame our route today wouldn't explore this spectacular valley, but including it would have made our walk too long. We'd leave Dove Dale for another day. Ethel ticked we descended back down to the col and headed towards he hotel at the south of Hamston Hill. There is a rifle range on the other side of Hamston Hill and the tranquillity of the early Sunday morning was constantly interrupted by a blast from a gun and its subsequent echoes. We hastened our route beyond the Tweed Trouser Brigade and took a footpath that took us to Gag Lane. This would lead us to our second Ethel of the day, Tissington Hill.

Tissington Hill

Gag Lane took us northwards until we reached a signed path over to the northwest. This would be our route towards Tissington Hill.  There then ensued some field hopping until we got to the site of a massive limekiln.  Tissington Hill is on private land and is approximately 350 metres over to the northwest from the limekiln. I don't condone trespassing, although it is possible to get to within a few metres of the trig via an unlocked gate and a broken stone wall. Second Ethel of the day ticked, there was just one more remaining on my Ethel Venture.

We returned to Gag Lane via the same route as our outward journey and then made our way to the pretty village of Thorpe. We sat on a couple of benches and ate our lunch whilst watching a steady stream of cars pass through the village. This valley is certainly a popular place. After lunch we followed the route of the Limestone Way and this  brought us down to Coldwall Bridge. The rivers Dove and Manifold meet between Ilam and Thorpe and their joint outflow runs under this bridge. There was quite a significant amount of water coming down it. 

The Cabin Boy wasn't too happy since she'd been for a pee in some woods and got nettled in an exposed area. I recommended rubbing sea salt on to the effected area, but she didn't seem too keen on the idea. She didn't seem that keen about passing the cows guarding the entrance to Coldwell Farm either, but they turned out to be quite placid despite having some youngsters within the herd. On the other side of the farm, four tups seemed to take a keen interest in us. I'm not sure whether they were after some  food or something a bit more spicy. A stretch of road walking brought us over to the south side of Hazelton Clump. I foraged some blackberries that I would serve with my morning porridge when I got back home.  We left the road on a signed track heading towards Musden Low.

Musden Low, The Final Ethel

So this was it, I was down to my final Ethel. We followed a vague track along the south side of Hazelton Clump. A 4x4 was at the bottom of the valley with a crumpled front end. It looked like the farmer had lost control coming down the hill. A stone wall guarded the east side of Musden Low, but a gate gave us access to the other side. It was then just a short walk up the south ridge to Musden Low's summit. A black cloud had approached us during the ascent and now a light rain started. 'Typical' I thought. The trig was slightly hidden behind the highest point. As I approached it, I expected some congratulations from Kapitan Mo and the Cabin Boy. Maybe, even a shake of the hands or a pat on the back. I got nothing. 95 Ethels summitted and they couldn't even muster a smile. 'Don't forget you still need to take us up the ones we still need to do' ordered the Cabin Boy. Somehow the 95 Peak District Ethels had seemed more difficult than the 214 Lake District Wainwrights. They were more dispersed and some, like the horrendous Harland Edge, were a nightmare to get to. It was well worth it though. The Venture had shown me parts of the Peak District that I'd never seen before and built in me a desire to explore further.

A light rain still fell as we made our way down from the trig and around the footpath to the deserted farmhouse of Upper Marsden. It started to brighten up as we commenced our final leg of our walk back down to Ilam.

Return

From Upper Musden, the footpath signage was non-existent until we got back down into the valley. Luckily, the stone walls were true to the OS map and guided us on a contour of the hillside northwards. At a crossroads of paths (existing on the map, but not in reality), we descended eastwards into the valley. A sign on a gate indicated that we'd picked the correct path and we were soon at a footbridge that took us over to the east side of the river Manifold. It was a lot busier now with potterers making their way around Ilam Park. We took a direct route through the park back to the carpark. Illam Hall is now a youth hostel and some youngsters were mooching around the buildings with plastic sledges. I looked at the date on my watch and confirmed that it was indeed August. 

This had been a tremendous walk on which to finish my Ethels Venture. It's easy to see why the area is so popular. It is very impressive with some great views, especially from Thorpe Cloud. I'd definitely like to return and explore the Dove Dale valley.