Over The Edge
A circular 5km (2½ hours) walk, height gained 200m. Several stiles, one awkward, open moor and a steep stony descent. Good visibility and sensible footwear essential. OS map 24 ‘White Peak’ will enable interesting extensions and variations. Glorious views, one of the best walks from Great Longstone. All dogs under very close control, preferably on a lead. This is sheep country and there are lots of old mine shafts close to the route.
Start and finish at the war memorial, outside the post office map. ref. SK 199 718.
1) Walk north up Main Street to the junction with Moor Road. Go straight up the latter for about 300m, turn left into a rough lane signposted 'Dale Farm'. The blue arrow just before this turn off is the standard sign for a bridleway (yellow for a footpath).
2) Follow the rough track past Dale Farm and right around the rear of the farm buildings, continuing uphill, this is Leys Lane leading to Chertpit Lane although much overgrown (where was the Chert Pit?). Notice a large, fenced dew pond on the left and, shortly after, look for a row of trees coming in from the right. At the far end of these trees, discover a small picnic site. It reads Open 10am-sunset 1st March-31st December.
3) Pass through the picnic site over a stile on the left and follow a broad green track uphill, heading for the far end of another row of trees high up on skyline. Near the top of, the bill follow a broken wire fence round to the right until it forms a narrow corner with a prominent stone wall. Climb the awkward stile over this wall, turn right and following the wall, uphill and north on a narrow sheep track. The old Crossdale Head Mine was near here and the rough hummocks and hollows are the remains.
4) 30m after the wall ends, turn right and east through a gateway onto another broad green track and enter the moor. Follow this uphill track between heather and rough moorland grass towards the top of the hill. Look out on the left for a pile of stones topped with a post; this is a prehistoric burial ground so please treat with respect. Continue along the same, but less distinct green path, to the highest point of the walk at 390m. Head slightly downhill for a copse of straggly trees and pass between the two groups of trees onto a broad grassy pasture between heather and rough moorland. Here is the site of modem opencast mining, now restored to grazing as far as practicable.
5) Continue eastward on the green track that follows the left hand edge of the heather and rough moor where the path is quite faint. Longstone Moor is limestone heath and the high rainfall allows lime hating and lime loving plants to grow together - an interesting biological puzzle.
6) Where the green pasture levels out, look for lumpy rained ground on the moor to the left, and ahead for a low, flat topped pile of earth and stones indicating an embankment carrying your track. Stop on the embankment and look around intelligently; tracks and paths go off in several directions and you will spot the carefully concealed, modern Watersaw mine. The Longstone path goes off to the right from the embankment down a broad track at right angles to the green track you previously followed. At 25m from the embankment leave the new broad track and turn half left onto a narrow grassy and often damp path to a low pile of stones. At these stones, the narrow path turns half right and south, heading directly for Great Longstone over the moor, climbing gently to a low ridge. The path then descends between two windswept pines to a stile by a farm gate in the woodland fence below.
7) Climb over the stile and follow the narrow path to the left through the wood. Here there is a steep, stony and slippery section. Ignore the tempting short cuts on the left where the wood opens out (barbed wire) for these lead only to a locked gate. Instead carry on over a tarmac track down a narrow path to a wooden gate that gives access to the upper section of Moor Road.
8) Go through the gate, closing and fastening it, turn right and carry downhill all the way to the village.
