Family day out to Edale in Derbyshire

Edale

The appeal of a day out in Edale starts from the moment you board the little train that will take you in under an hour from the hustle of Manchester Piccadilly and into the heart of the countryside.

Seconds off the platform and you’re at the foot of one of the many magnificent hills that ring the town.

Destination Edale
Destination Edale

We chose to climb to the tip of Mam Tor, picking a path underneath the Manchester-Sheffield railway line that delivered us and on to the steep incline of ridged grass to the top of Hollins Cross.

Once there we turned right and strolled on to Mam Tor, transferred on to the pointed ridge of Rushup Edge, and rested a while to view the paragliders circling the thermals near the top.

There were breathtaking views on all sides, with the sun beating town to eat into the last remaining pockets of winter snow.

It’s a fairly challenging initial climb but you’re not on the very steep stuff for too long before you get to enjoy the more gentle incline of the ridge at the top.

From there we made our way back into Edale, completing a circular walk of in around four or so hours and settling down for a refreshing drink at the Pepper Pot Cafe back at the bottom.

There’s a great visitor centre and campsite in the village too for those wanting to hang around and find other things to do.

It really was a perfect debut in Derbyshire and I’m sure we’ll be back soon.