Additional information
Terrain
- Field paths and firm moorland tracks
Landscape
- Rough pasture, heather moorland and rocky gritstone edge
Dog friendliness
- Lead required around cattle and calves which graze on Baslow Edge
Parking
- Peak Curbar Gap pay car park
Toilets en route
- None on route; nearest at Baslow, by car park
About the walk
The Derwent Valley both dominates and defines the eastern side of the Peak District. Derbyshire’s longest river rises on the remote moors of Bleaklow, then flows 66 miles (106km) via Matlock to join the Trent south of Derby and so on to the North Sea. In its lower reaches the Derwent meanders over... flat and gentle farmland, but through the Peak District the valley’s high eastern rim sports a succession of dark, often continuous gritstone cliffs known as edges. Stanage, Froggatt, Curbar and Baslow edges provide wonderful viewpoints and exhilarating walking, but the exposed crags, cliffs and boulders have also made the area one of the foremost in England for climbing. The most popular location is Stanage Edge, above Hathersage, where there are as many as 500 individual climbing routes; intrepid roped climbers scaling the rock faces are a common sight all along the edges. The Eagle Stone Even on Baslow Edge, which for most climbers is rather tame by comparison, there may be one or two climbers practising their moves on the Eagle Stone. Mind you, this giant gritstone boulder, weathered into weird shapes and sitting quite alone amid the heather, has long been a source of challenge. In centuries past, the eager young men of Baslow used to climb unaided to the top to demonstrate their manly prowess and eligibility for marriage. Within sight of the Eagle Stone is another rocky highlight, although this time it’s not entirely natural. Wellington’s Monument was built in 1866 by a local doctor as a tribute to the Duke of Wellington, who had died a few years before. It complements the Nelson Monument erected on Birchen Edge, less than a mile (1.6km) to the southeast. Curiously, near this particular stone obelisk are several huge (and quite natural) rocks shaped like the prows of ships and bearing the carved names of three of Nelson’s ships – Victory, Defiant and Soverin (sic). Ridge with a view The traverse of the lower slopes below the edge is just a precursor to the main act, since the last lap of this short walk is along the rocky rim itself, with outstanding views that are full of interest. To the south are the distinctive tree-lined avenues and parkland of Chatsworth, with a belt of woodland and extensive heather moors behind. Westwards across the valley you can see the quarried flanks of Longstone Edge, with some of the workings still active; and below your feet are the villages of Baslow, Curbar and Calver, laid out across the valley’s green floor and with the River Derwent flowing between them.
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Derbyshire
The natural features of this central English county range from the modest heights of the Peak District National Park, where Kinder Scout stands at 2,088 ft (636 m), to the depths of its remarkable underground caverns, floodlit to reveal exquisite Blue John stone. Walkers and cyclists will enjoy the High Peak Trail which extends from the Derwent Valley to the limestone plateau near Buxton, and for many, the spectacular scenery is what draws them to the area.
