It’s a good walk along White Edge whatever the season and in August purple heather covered the entire area. Relaxing in the afternoon on Curbar Edge our reverie was interrupted by the distinctive sight and sound of a Lancaster bomber flying low over the hills. One of us picked up a bird’s feather for identification later by a local expert. The feather, placed on a table, disappeared temporarily. The scent of either red grouse or female pheasant had proved irresistible to the owner’s gun dog.
Last month Redmires near Sheffield was the starting point for a route new to us. One landmark, the Headstone, was visible for miles. The narrow moorland paths slowed our pace. Grouse flew up unwittingly disturbed by us. However much more of a threat was the group we’d seen assembling at a hunting lodge earlier.
Approaching Stanage Edge, familiar Derbyshire hills came into view. Our guide pointed out the bowl shaped water holes carved in the rock which had been used by drovers’ animals. After a mile or two of downhill walking we were back in Yorkshire.
Helen Royle.