I’ve been walking with my friend Steve for a while, mainly to the football I have to admit, but we have started to go walking in the great outdoors. We’ve done a few walks that are mainly from the OS book of circular walks, there are books for walks all over the country, but this walk that we agreed to do is in the Peak District Circular walks book. It takes me back to a familiar place from the recent weeks of my own exploring. 

Higger Tor and Burbage Walk

My friend Steve has been walking ever since he retired a few years ago, I’m sure he has been walking a lot longer than that, but we seem to talk about proper walks these days. I got an invite from Steve to do the Higger Tor and Burbage Rocks walk (walk number 2 in the book) and that our other friends Roger and Pam would be joining us to. These are seasoned walkers and have done this walk umpteen times, but that’s good in that they know the way and we wouldn’t get lost. 

We started off by meeting in the National Trust car park of the Longshaw Estate, and after a slight detour, I eventually found them and we set off walking. Once out of the National Trust land and onto the walk proper we could see Higger Tor off in the distance, as well as Carl Wark, rocky outcrops both. We stuck to the high ground which winds its way around the top of the “edges” on top of the rocks as you look from the main path. This was very different from my last visit and I saw the whole place in a very different way. 

As we walked we came across cows grazing near the Upper Burbage Car Park but they soon moved out of the way and off we went into the second part of the walk. From the Upper Burbage Car Park the path leads you onwards towards Higger Tor. The path makes a great leading line, as you can see in the first image. It’s a well worn path and one we hiked up and onto the higher ground. You get a great view and can see all the way over to Castleton, as well as over to Stanidge Edge (I think) off in the distance, great views for sure.

There is a fairly straightforward path down the other side but we got side tracked and ended up doing a little scrambling down through the rocks as we headed for the path over to Carl Wark. As we walked Roger decided it was time for lunch and we ate our packed lunches looking over the wonderful scene across the valley. The second image is of the path over to Carl Wark from Higger Tor. I’m not sure you can see where we paused for lunch, but I couldn’t resist another leading line of the path from Higger Tor over to Carl Wark, the result is the second picture.

Once on the other side of Carl Wark (no time for sight seeing with serious hikers in the group) we worked our way back towards the Burbage Bridge with The Longshaw Estate off in the distance. One of the things I love about walking in the countryside is you find the most gorgeous scenes in the most unexpected places. The third image I stumbled upon as a scrambled up the bank having crossed a small stream. They make wonderful images, and this one is no exception. We headed back to the car park and I for one was relieved as I needed a drink and to get those boots off my feet. I thoroughly enjoyed my walk and one I will definitely do again.

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Views from Higger Tor

The walk we took sort of inspired me into thinking that I needed to go back and take more images in that valley, of the same subjects, just at a different time of day, or evening, whatever you get the gist. So, Saturday night I packed up my camera gear and set off back to photograph Higger Tor. This time I had alternative views in mind. If you “google” this area you will see lots of pictures of the rock formations and in particular a group of rocks that carry the nickname “kitkat stones”. I was determined to find them.  The first image here is looking over to Carl Wark but with the “kitkat stones” as foreground interest, I quite like this shot, there will be more moody skies I’m sure but for a first attempt I’m pleased with the result.

Skirting round the edges of Higger Tior and you get fantastic views of the Peak District, and the sky was starting to look a little more interesting, and the second image looks out over towards Castleton. If you look closely enough you can see the cement works in the distance, but I love the sky and the light streaming down through the clouds. I’m still mastering the use of filters on my camera to enhance the colours in each image but this is part of the fun in photography, take a few, trial and error, the only way to improve. 

Walking around this sort of landscape with your head up looking in the distance does bring tripping hazards into play but thankfully I didn’t come a cropper, but I did spy the next image. This is looking over to what I think is Stanidge Edge. I will definitely have to go explore that location in future, but my tummy rumble told me it was time for food. The third image has a little cloud motion in it, it compliments the scene quite well, I like it. More practise, obviously, but I think you’ll agree that this is a decent image.

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Mow Cop Castle

You will know from looking through this website that I have a love for historical buildings, and I do love a good castle. On Sunday as I played golf, I remembered that my golf buddy used to live not far from Congleton, and he would know what Mow Cop Castle is like. As we waited for the golfers in front of us to take their shots my phone pinged, it was Ian (my golfer partner) who had sent me the link to Mow Cop on google. There were pictures of a turret and old walls, well that was enough for me, I was going to visit later that day.

Who knew that Cheshire had a few hills, who knew it had rolling countryside, not me! As I followed my Sat Nav, it took me on a route along some lovely country roads but I was rising in height as I drove. Eventually I come to a junction and a layby, I glanced over and saw a view of sweeping countryside off into the distance, I pulled over, I had to look. 

The Sat Nav said I was only 2 miles away, so I hurried on and eventually found the National Trust Car Park and found a spot. As I strapped on my camera backpack I could see that their where views to be had, that the Castle (well a folly castle really) was high above me and was great for images. I circled the old ruin and took pictures from all sides but quickly realised that I was not alone in wanting to look out over the views or look at the ruins (being social distance aware all the time).

The first image pairs the castle with a lone tree, a good balance I thought. The second image I was hoping for a view of the Cheshire countryside as well as the castle, but I’m not sure there is enough to see in this image. The final image shows a stone at the bottom of a set  steps leading up, you can still read the words if you have strong glasses on!

The three images here are all of differing angles, as I tried to get that elusive combination of interest to compliment the castle in the background. I’m sure there is a lot of history surrounding this “folly” but it is surrounded by some rocky outcrops, and lots of differing sorts of grasses and trees. I will definitely be going back to Mow Cop, there is a circular walk in the OS walking book for Cheshire, and I think it really has got lots of hidden gems that I need to uncover. 

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