Surprise views everywhere, exploring the landscapes of Edale and the moorlands above Hathersage.

Edale is one of those places that could be described as “being remote and cut off from the rest of the world” and whilst in theory that is more than likely true - in reality it is anything but, for a start it is connected to both Manchester (in the west) and Sheffield (in the east) by railway and the rest of the stations throughout the neighboring hope valley; but somehow within the mind an element of remoteness and solitary confinement from being in the wider world creeps in and you suddenly feel a million miles away from the busy rushing outside world as it goes by; time really does stand still in Edale and a sense of old tradition is what can be felt as you explore this magnificent scenic valley; flanked on all sides by great big hills creating a drama like no other.

I had previously been to Edale in December of 2020, after Christmas and before New Year in the space that is known as merrineum (twixmas) with the hope of capturing some winter scenes, however that was not to be as cloud cover and fog hung over the valley resulting in something that could only be described as,

“Being in a large expanse of pea soup”

Fast forward to a number of months and another trip to Edale was back on the cards! And yesterday the 14th of May 2021 was a day in which I just had to revisit this fantastic gem within the peak district, thankfully I was hopeful that I would end up capturing the sheer beauty of this stunning and mystical horseshoe shaped valley flanked by Kinder Scout in the distance and with the shadow of Mam Tor, behind me - whilst I had been hoping for some decent spring skies, they were not there, instead the skies full of cloud, grey and slightly gloomy, but that did not really matter at all as it added to the drama of Edale down below. Parking in one of the laybys at the side of the road down from Mam Tor, into Edale I just had to capture the raw beauty of the valley down below, the road it twists and turns as it makes its way from steps at “mam nick” where you can if you feel inclined take the gentle walk to the top of Mam Tor. Although this twisting turning road down from mam nick to the lower parts of Edale is one of many curiosities especially when you take the time and see what vehicles drive up and down this dramatic stretch of road.

I managed to set my camera up, and captured these stunning scenes of one of the most glorious of all the peak district valleys/dales in front of me.

A road in time - (Black and White).

A road in time - (Colour).

Cloud symphony - (Black and White).

Cloud symphony - (Colour).

Towards the end of Edale - (Colour).

Towards the end of Edale - (Black and White).

Downhill bliss.

Gap in the dale - (Colour).

Gap in the dale - (Black and White).

I have a strange affection and affinity for Edale, and it is one of those places that is just so calming, away from the rest of the world - even though ironically it is only a short train ride away from Manchester and Sheffield.

Not that it matters as there is always something different to see whenever you visit this majestic place and hear the music of nature and machines co-existing in one place. Now though it was time to head out of Edale and to a location above the pretty and picturesque town of Hathersage.

Hathersage is a town of the outdoors and a plethora of outdoor shops and independent retailers provide the visitor with exploration points between walking, or just before they set off on an adventure, but I was heading up to the moorlands, along a road that could have been plucked from Switzerland and placed within the peak district. The twists and turns of the A617 (Sheffield Road) take you out of Hathersage and onto the glorious moorlands where yet again the landscapes change, gone is the serenity of Edale, now it is all about drama, rocks and trees, though this time it was different. The car park at Surprise view is where I eventually ended up, and something is immediately noticeable, the trees, the moorlands and rocks all intertwine with each other in a magical symphonic way.

A woodland gives way.

Keen to explore I set off, a pathway in front of me winds its way through a clearing between the silver birch trees, to what looks as if it really could be “the edge of the world” and it is not, this here is millstones edge, vertical rocks overlooking Hathersage and Grindleford along with the rest of the Derwent valley. Now a hill was in front of me and I had to climb it and when I was at the top, I had to capture the stunning view overlooking Hathersage below me.

Hathersage lookout.

The photo above was one that I had to get possibly “a little too close to the edge” for in order to capture - but then after capturing that photograph some climbers had appeared, for they had chosen the more direct route up millstones edge - me I preferred the walk up the delightful path with views up the hope valley and down towards the Derwent valley.

Upon leaving the edge behind me, it was back to the path and it was when I got to the top of the path when things started to get more interesting.

“The woodlands of the silver birch behind me and a sense of accomplishment having walked up a delightfully rocky path that prompts the walker to problem solve as they walk to the top - to the left the hope valley and to the right are rocks of all shapes and sizes - jutting out like an explosion has occurred, a giant sculpture of millstone grit, and all the time my objective the aptly named mother cap and this is what I intend to capture.”

It was at the top of the path when I decided to take a right turn and head towards these rocks.

The crash site.

Dramatic are these particular rocks, an outcrop that provide a challenge and whilst I could have taken the long route I knew that a scramble was in order, before that a pause for thought and a look back at the vista in front of me, the rocks behind me in this semi almost Amphitheatre like area that I had now found myself within. The place where I had paused was on a slab of virtually flat millstone grit, but in my mind the scramble to the top of these rocks was there. After pondering on life and listening to a cuckoo calling (yes I did see the cuckoo as well) it was time for the scramble. Three minutes later and I was at the top, a sense of accomplishment had come over me so I decided to photograph where I had scrambled up.

The scramble routes of rocks.

Behind me was where I had scrambled, to the left of me the rock formations jutting out of the moorland, like sculptures that had been placed there for people to enjoy and use as a natural climbing frame - still though they are a natural climbing frame for many people, why climb something? Because it is there, is usually the answer you will get from anyone who enjoys climbing and exploring rocks. To the right of me in plain sight the footpath leading down to the mother cap. But instead of choosing to walk immediately down towards the mother cap I had to take the photographs of these rocks against a rather dramatic sky; I had hoped that the lighting conditions would have been slightly better but they were not; either way the grey skies did add to the drama of the rock formations - and within the photographs, a couple stood on top of this dramatic rock formation looking at the views.

Taking flight.

Humanity explores a crashed vessel.

The art amongst rocks.

An alien in wait - (portrait).

An alien in wait - (landscape).

The lookout point.

“Mother Cap” is a millstone grit boulder, another excuse of a giant naturally occurring climbing frame and you can see the scribes that over the years many climbers have carved out of this impressive millstone granite rock and from where I had taken the pictures of the rock formations I turned around and got these following two pictures looking towards Mother Cap. Somehow the millstone grit adds drama in the most unexpected of places, artwork in the landscape and the best thing is that it is free to enjoy.

Now the path lay ahead and I walked towards what I had wanted to photograph; the stunning mother cap, a landmark that is visible from all around this area and I just had to capture this stunning landmark in front of me, a guardian figure to this area of moorland just above Hathersage; but one that acts as a playground for the people of Sheffield and surrounding areas to also enjoy.

A mother watches humans.

Curiosity of the rock.

Guardian of the valley.

Route to the mother cap.

After taking the photos of mother cap, it was time to walk down towards the car park, and whilst things were interesting on the way up, in front of the mother cap, things are also interesting, a landscape changes yet again but the size of mother cap is something else, mystical and magical I just had to capture the raw moods in the skies above this glorious rock formation.

A watchful eye looks over - (Black and White).

A watchful eye looks over - (Colour).

Standing in time.

The drama of mother cap.

The footpath that leads you away from mother cap, is also one of surprises and all around you the landscape changes - now things started to get interesting, the moorlands and the artwork of the stones become more erratic, providing the photographer opportunities at every turn - a millstone is to the right of me as I descend into a planet like environment of silver birches, almost akin to that of either Endor or Mordor.

The stone and the frog.

The silver birches flank the bottom part of this moorland above Hathersage and they are both intricate and simple, but no matter where you turn something else to photograph - the path in front of me leading off the moorlands with the rocks behind me, and another slight scramble to “terra ferma” is something of a welcome sight, but here the transition between moorland and this sci-fi like landscape is something to behold,

Moorland gives way.

Now though is the time to enter this sci-fi like landscape of silver birches, a cuckoo calls out and I can hear it’s call echoing throughout this maze of trees; why maze of trees, because so much needs exploring, but the scramble down to the bottom and in front of me the magical stillness of these silver birches, I take my camera out and capture the stunning scene in front of me, rocks meeting trees in what is now a sense of utter serendipity.

Woodland calls.

Journey through the silver birches - (Colour).

Journey through the silver birches - (Black and White).

Finally after an enjoyable walk along the moorlands, and one that provided me with plenty of surprises, now is the time to walk through. Is it Endor or Mordor? Either way at the bottom I found myself in yet another Amphitheatre, this time with an audience, the silver birches that are watching,

“A symphony of rocks, moorlands and other humans who are walking around - unaware that they are being watched by the silver birches.”

Amphitheatre of contrasts - (Black and White).

Amphitheatre of contrasts - (Colour).

A woodland collision.

Endor or Mordor?

And just a short walk later I was back at the car park, this time with a sense of accomplishment; I had done things I would not have ordinarily done and that was one of the best feelings, but the other feeling was one of surprises, a hidden location that I had never visited before offered so much, so many secrets to uncover and here I was having scratched a little bit of the surface - yet somehow I feel like I will be back to visit in the not so distant future, who knows what else I will discover next time?

Big skies, Bluebells and a sense of discovery, how I found a little paradise exploring something new.

“An avenue of pink in front of me. The blossom created a certain magical start point for what turned out to be a truly mesmeric and exciting walk through the fields of DH Lawrence country.”

Blossom avenue.

The churchyard at Greasley Church is one that lends itself to the lens and is a place of sanctuary and calmness - a place to gather thoughts or contemplate but after a week of rather strange weather that included rain, thunderstorms and hail, for me it was the starting point of a truly glorious walk. The pink cherry blossom was out and an avenue was in front of me, leading the way along to a path that I had never previously been on, after leaving the avenue of cherry blossom behind me the church eventually came into view, blue skies above it and clouds that looked not too dissimilar to cotton wool were floating around the skies, I just had to take a brief pause and I took the following image.

Peace under the big skies.

You really do not have to be religious to appreciate beautiful architecture and the church at Greasley is one that offers peace and sanctuary away from the clutches of modern life, exploring the churchyard here you are bound to find a place to sit and relax, look over the fields and lose yourself in the immersions of thoughts as you ponder on life in general. Either way I just had to continue on this walk, ahead of me a gate that once it is opened takes you into fields, ones with paths which just as to be explored, I walked through the field away from the church when suddenly I paused for a minute and looked behind me, the church in the distance and those big skies, drama and peace at the same time is what I sensed and the world felt calm, away from the scientists imposing doom on society at the moment.

Fields of the church - (Colour).

Fields of the church - (Black and White).

After the momentary pause, continuation started along a path that I had walked down many years ago, now I was revisiting that place, and whilst I could remember some parts of it, things felt new and in front of me whilst walking through another field, trees - for they were like perfect sculptures with a big sky above them and a sense of drama.

“Trees, what are they other than living objects that provide us with so much, yet we ignore them so often. For they are nature's sculptures of all shapes and sizes along with colour. Just observing them we can learn so much.”

A sky drama - (Black and White).

A sky drama - (Colour).

Cloudscape symphony.

A sky dance.

Eventually I reached the aptly named “Gilt Brook” a boggy stretch of water and landscape, a wooden path erected over the brook and the boggy grounds below led me into another field and a short walk over the mud eventually led me through a natural break between the field I had walked through to cross another field, this one though had a small hidden and secret valley, the other side was a gateway into the woods and this is where things started to change, a dramatic change that would eventually lead to more discoveries.

Now I had arrived at “Watnall Wood(s)” a small but perfectly formed woodland with footpaths waiting to be explored and a certain amount of complexity that is enough to challenge any landscape photographer, I say complexity because unlike other woodlands which are more managed, these woods are something best described as “au-natural” and that is something that is equally magical, a more au-natural woodland holds more secrets too it and is a sanctuary for life, a home for life and one that shelters the life that calls this place home throughout the various seasons, of course though with it being may, the bloom of the Bluebells is what caught my attention and eyes, even though this time around I was not looking for bluebells I had managed to find some,

The blue sea of the woods.

Bluebell islands.

What with the woods being complex and challenging I still managed to capture these stunning flowers that provide a welcoming carpet of colour across the floor. Magic it was, but the path in front was calling me - evocative and thought provoking shapes of the trees is what I could see and I had to capture these.

A home for nature.

A path to middle earth.

Before long in this “living art gallery” I came across a clearing within the woods, here an oasis of calm and bird tables, bird feeders and a lovely invitation to stop for a while and feed the birds, sit and watch the wildlife appear in front of you as you take a moment or two observing the secrets that these woodlands offer.

The hidden oasis - (Colour).

The hidden oasis - (Black and White).

Out of the woods.

Just sheer magic and this hidden oasis and the bench made for the perfect place in which to ponder on things, gather thoughts and just simply relax to the sounds of the birds creating music, soothing and relaxing, for this is a true sanctuary hidden away for all to enjoy - but that is only if you know where it is. Still, though the fact that it is hidden away makes it even more unique. And just sitting here watching the birds sing, reminded me of the following song.

After pondering on life and the world as it stands, I had to continue on my walk, ahead of me the path started to go uphill, the complexity of trees and the shapes of them was something to behold.

Tree song - (Colour).

Tree song - (Black and White).

Eventually I reached the edge of the woods, ahead of me fields, large green ones with trees that provided a little something under a big sky, a big open and blue sky, for this was sheer magic and it felt slightly surreal, like being on another planet in a dreamscape, the warmth of the sun and those big skies was something that left me with a magical feeling.

Under a big blue sky.

Simplicity of the skies.

Fallen - (Colour).

Fallen - (Black and White).

A sky that changes.

Eventually a path through to another field, this time it leads downwards towards a more suburban area and the area in question is called Watnall. Somehow I just loved the following scene that was in front of me, of a glorious field basking under the giant and vast big skies, a house sits at the end of this field and it is here where suburbia and the countryside coexist together, yet I wonder if the people who live in that house have explored the fields behind them? Possibly they have, possibly they have not.

Between nature and a modern life.

Now it was time to head through this semi suburbia, past a pub with history called the queen’s head and a little further past the queen’s head is when I noticed the following, 

The cottage of many secrets.

“Stone Cottage” It was something out of the ordinary and whilst a lot of houses around Watnall are modern, some architectural gems still exist and this is one of them. I had never noticed this small secluded cottage before, and it came as something of a new discovery, and it just felt quintessentially,

“Chocolate box like, a cottage that hides from the rushes of the modern world which any person would not know exists….. Exists here. I just wonder what stories it could tell about the years in which it has been standing.”

Whoever lives in Stone Cottage - Watnall, it is one of the most beautiful sights that I saw on this walk. A short walk past the cottage and crossing the road, I was now walking down “Church Road” towards Greasley, for this road is the old road that also holds many silent stories, but the greenery of this road was something magical, a hidden dell with life between the new road, and this old road - oh how it provides a sanctuary for life and flowers.

A green dell - (Portrait).

A green dell - (Landscape).

Who lives in these secluded houses I wondered? Hidden away from view yet surrounded by nature. At the end of Church Road, I turned right and walked by the side of a road which I love, sweeping down the hill from Greasley Church, it is one that passes by in the blink of an eye some truly glorious scenery, for behind me a perfect light and I just had to take the following photograph,

A perfect road.

It was the light that did it for me, against this stunning road and the countryside that surrounds it - now though it was onto the last section of this magical walk of big skies, Bluebells and discoveries. In front of me Greasley Church and I stopped for a moment, the church just hiding in the fantastic light as it began to slowly set, magical is the spring light as it sets and the skies felt alive, one minute big open skies, the next the skies slowly started turning into something that you would get on an artists palette, shades like paint just waiting to be applied to a canvas; it really was something to behold.

Hidden under spring skies

Under spring skies.

For this was a walk that I had come to love, it’s secrets and the footsteps of DH Lawrence, that can still be heard even today within the silence of the hidden oasis and along the old church road, was something that remained magical afterwards, for this was truly a walk of discovery and one that I shall be doing again sometime in the future.