Edatid one

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Walked from Edale to Tideswell, on a summer morning that started a little drizzly but gradually improved. This is a very enjoyable upland walk which largely avoids unnecessary loss of height and is almost entirely on good paths and quiet roads. No facilities in the middle part so carry what you need.

From Edale station we head south on Marys Lane then west on Edale Road (take care on this short section as there is a blind bend). We soon leave the busy road on a farm road south. Just before the road turns left to cross the stream we take the rougher path straight on. This is a clear well used path but does have a few steep and potentially slippery steps and a few stiles. We climb through woodland and then open rough pasture to reach the Mam Tor road, which we follow for a bit, then use a corner cutting path and a little more of the road to reach the popular path up Mam Tor.

We follow the hordes down the hill and cross two quiet roads, then follow a farm road south. Further on the bridleway becomes a grassy track, as it crosses high moorland without any great effort. This part of the path is much quieter, as is the descent through a couple of little woods to Forest Lane. We head right then take the first left which descends further and crosses the A6. After a while we take a left turn which heads uphill to a farm. Like Lynn, I saw little evidence of the old track being open to walkers - at least one of the gates across the farmyard appeared to be locked, so I just used the quiet roads instead.

Further down Terrace Road offers a simple and straighter line into Tideswell, leading directly into the market square, from where the Tideswell meeting point by the church is a short walk through the narrow back streets.

This is a good direct route,I walked from Tideswell to Edale the majority of the route is good surfaces(tarmac stone chipping a etc)apart from the last section down into Edale which is not ideal mud tree roots and fairly steep. Leaving Tideswell one joins Manchester lane eventually crossing the (A623)care needed here,on towards Hucklow moor Good views abound and the sounds of curlews and skylarks can be heard.Rowter farm can be seen well before crossing the lime stone way/Roman road.The final section after passing Rowter farm campsite is a very popular area so be prepared!There were no obstructions and no other issues.Public transport links are reasonable but not very frequent at either end.

An enjoyable walk which is mostly easy to follow, safe and good underfoot. Possibility of cattle but most are in fields away from our walled track. No services on route so stock up before setting out. Trains serve Edale, buses to Buxton, Bakewell and Sheffield serve Tideswell.

I walked from Tideswell with a friend, the village exit took us through the now car park ‘Market Place’ and a gentle climb through Town Head. The two tracks at Holmelacy Farm are public highway. The sentry box offers eggs for sale or 20p to feed the hens. The plotted route may be the messy one, so as they say ‘other routes are available’. There is no invite to feed the cows but I pushed the out of reach silage in their direction. The route rejoins Manchester Road which is not as busy as the name might suggest and could be used from Tideswell avoiding an unnecessary ascent then descent.

Crossing the main road with care, more road walking but even less traffic as we continue a gentle climb. Leaving the tarmac after Bushy Heath Farm our walled track crosses Hucklow Moor with fields of cattle alongside and evidence of old mineral working (Lead rakes are linear mining features along the outcrop of a lead vein resulting from the extraction of relatively shallow ore).

Also of note is the unmarked crossing of Roman Road Batham Gate, now briefly used by the modern road to our right, as we join a footpath to continue our journey north-westwards across Bradwell Moor. From here a view of Kinder Edge marks the horizon with the lesser ridge including Mam Tor initially hidden.

We sit in a dip out of the wind to take lunch with a grand view. As reported by Lynn we will soon join the hordes that can be seen walking the track linking Mam Tor and the Limestone Way through Cave Dale. The campsite at Rowter Farm is busy with a mix of tents and camper vans. The peak of Mam Tor is packed with match stick people. We cross Windy Knoll before making our final ascent helped by a flight of steps to the road.

A short road walk through the gap leads to another footpath to start the steep descent. South to North we have benefitted from a steady climb, starting at Edale involves a short sharp climb. With time to spare before the train departs we take another pause and watch trains, traffic and people. The large car park at Edale should be a striking landmark but it’s so well screened with trees we can’t locate it.

The footpath alongside fast flowing streams was a bit muddy and had exposed tree roots so not the best bit of walking although we agreed it would be safer walking up hill rather than risk slipping downwards. We join a track / bridleway which could offer an alternative parallel route here. The route ends on the Manchester bound platform so I have to acknowledge we missed that bit and headed for our Sheffield bound train.

A great route with well defined paths (and quiet roads on the second half of the walk). The first half is VERY busy in the holiday periods.

Coming out of Edale, the route starts up a small lane which becomes a track. Be aware of the route *before* the sharp left hand bend, it continues up a bank on the right that doesn’t look very promising but quickly turns into a nice tree lined path that takes you to the bottom of Mam Tor. Follow the wooden posts (photo 4, head right) to take you up to the Mam Nick road. At the top of Mam Nick, the route say follow the road, but on a busy day I would stay on the right hand side (as photo 5) to stay on the track and avoid the bends in the road. This part of the walk becomes a super highway during the summer holidays - start very early if you want to avoid the crowds at this time.

After this it is a very straightforward route that you can see disappearing over the horizon. The crowds rapidly thinned after we passed the Limestone Way and the road into Tideswell were quiet, even for a Sunday,

The only point to be aware of is the route at Holmelacy Farm, we weren’t sure if the track was a right of way, as it was a gated track and wasn’t signed as a public right of way on the map. So instead we continued along the road for a couple of hundred metres to the ‘crossroads’ (with a track facing us) and turned right there (photo 14). It doesn’t seem worth another route for such a small diversion, just remember this as you go.

The road into Tideswell is very quiet, just listen out for cyclists coming down the hill behind you. This is the end of the the Edatid 1 route, although we continued along Tidbak 2 for an overnight stay at YHA Ravenstor on the route.

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