Foxlow Edge

Our first Ethel would be Foxlow Edge and we branched off the road on to a woodland trail that ascended up to the Edge. Once we had escaped the trees we had wonderful views over to the east and the ramparts of the Kinder Scout plateau. On the western side we looked down into the wooded clough that led back down to Errwood Hall. There's no cairn on Foxlow Edge to indicate the top and we took an educated guess as to its location. As we continued across the other side of the edge we saw a small stone building in the wooded clough on our left. I'd remembered reading something about a shrine being around here and assumed it was that. 

It was only a short diversion from our route and so we made our way down to it. St Joseph's Shrine was a delightful small, round building built from stone. It had a couple of slit windows to let a little light into the interior. A small oak door (watch your head on the lintel), led to a tiny, dimly lit room. It was indeed a shrine and included a visitor's book that thankfully had appropriate entries. A smell of incense pervaded the interior. I'm not a religious person, but the place did have a pleasant atmosphere about it. Our souls cleansed, we made our way back on our route up to Pym Chair. A group of half a dozen blokes followed us for part of the way and once they'd overtaken us, the Cabin Boy objected to the language they were using. I thought that was a bit like calling the kettle black, but sometimes it best to hold one's thoughts to oneself. 

Jodrell Bank

At Pym Chair we joined a broad ridge that would take us over our next Ethels, Cats Tor and Shining Tor. 'What's that building over there?' asked Captain Mo. Over in the far southwest a huge white structure glistened in the sun. I told them it was Jodrell Bank. They both looked at me as though I'd just started speaking Klingon. They'd both never heard of the world's third largest moveable radio telescope. I sighed. Life must be a continuing voyage of discovery for both of them, although their attention and memory barely extends beyond their last game of Candy Crush. 

Shining Tor

The track was quite soggy up to Cats Tor, but then slabs led us up to Shining Tor. It was a lot busier now and their was quite a congregation of people milling around Shining Tor's top. We settled down on the edge, just west of the trig, to have our morning break. I'd been up Shining Tor a few times, but by a quirk of fate, it had always been in mist. This was the first time that I'd actually got a view from the top. And it is certainly an amazing view. Further south we could see the distinctive pointy peak of Shutingsloe, and over to the west a hazy plain leading to the distant hills of Wales. I told Captain Mo and the Cabin Boy about the famous Three Shires Head to the south of us. 'What three shires are those?' asked the Cabin Boy. I remembered Cheshire and Derbyshire, but just couldn't remember the third one. 'Staffordshire' said Captain Mo after Googling it. Of course it was; the famous Staffordshire Roaches are a little further south. Shining Tor ticked, we set off eastwards towards our fourth and final Ethel of the day, Burbage Edge.

Burbage Edge

I'd given Captain Mo and the Cabin Boy a choice of routes to Burbage Edge. We could take the 'high road' that would contour around the head of the Goyt valley via the Cat And Fiddle pub and Derbyshire Bridge, or we could take the 'low road' that was a more direct route via the Goyt Quarry. They both looked at me as though I'd asked them to describe the mathematical solution to Fermatt's Last Theorem. I'd obviously have to make the decision for them and so we set off to Goyt Quarry. Although the 'low road' was more direct, it did involve a descent into Goyt's Clough. The Tree Troublers had been busy in the area and cut down a large area of the forest. The place was almost unrecognisable since the last time I'd been here. We crossed the road that runs between Goyt Quarry and Derbyshire Bridge, and started heading up to Berry Clough. The further we got to the top, the boggier it got, until it became very soggy on the route to Burbage Edge. I was glad that I'd decided to put gaiters on. 

There is a trig on Burbage Edge and some great views in all directions. To the south of Buxton I pointed out the folly on the hill at Grinlow. It didn't seem two minutes since I'd climbed the staircase to the top of the monument (see Axe Oliver With Cheeky Grin), although six months had elapsed. Time seems to be moving fast nowadays. 

In 1934 a De Havilland Moth plane crashed on Burbage Edge. It took half an hour for the pilot and passenger to extrictate themselves from the wreckage. They then made their way over to the Cat & Fiddle pub for help and probably a pint. Another air crash happened in 1943 when an RAF Airspeed Oxford crashed into the stone wall running along Burbage Edge's ridge. Unfortunately, the pilot Sergeant John Wilson was killed by the impact.

Railway Walking

It was a steepish descent from Burbage Edge and we joined up with the route of a disused railway. This was the remnants of the Cromford And High Peak Railway. The original intention was to use a canal to connect the Cromford and High Peak canals, but the terrain was too steep (about 900 foot of ascent/descent) and so they opted for a railway instead. This involved building a 580 yard tunnel through the hillside, the northern end of which we could now see blocked off. The railway ran from 1833 to 1892. The disused railway track offered easy walking and an elevated view down the valley following Wildmoorstone brook. The railway track ran out at the pond and carpark on Goyt's Lane. A couple of Canada Geese were enjoying exclusive use of the pond. We picked up another path on the other side of the road that ran parallel, and then re-joined Goyt's Lane. 

After neglecting the Ethel Venture for so long it was good to get another couple under my belt. Maybe I can build up a bit of momentum and get the remaining few chalked off over summer. At long last, I'd managed to walk in the Goyt Valley when it wasn't misty and had been quite a revelation. The area is stunning.