A PIECE OF THE NORTH
(though easier to reach)
The Peak District, Derbyshire,
Staffordshire and Nottinghamshire are
teeming with river walks and waterfalls.
Delightful cascades and natural infinity
pools make the walk to Greenfield
Waterfall on High Peak’s Saddleworth
Moor unforgettable. In the South West
Peak region of the National Park, stroll
along the River Goyt from Packhorse
Bridge near Erwood Hall and follow the
stream downhill to discover picnic spots
and places to plunge. This region lays claim
to many easy peaks and scrambles, too,
including one up Stanton Moor (in Dark
Peak) to join the Nine Ladies, a photogenic
Bronze Age circle. Another landmark of
the National Park is The Trinnacle, a
dramatic triple pillar on Saddleworth Moor
(in High Peak; it’s possible to combine thisand Greenfield Waterfall, right). Stand
bravely atop it and survey the beautiful
valley and reservoirs below. Near Whetton
in White Peak is Seven Ways, an intriguing
Neolithic cave with seven openings, which
sits above the gaping mouth of Thor’s Cave,
used by humans since the Palaeolithic era.
If it’s the thrill of being close to wildlife
you’re after, head to central Staffordshire’s
Aqualate Mere, a large, natural lake and
wetland where there’s a 300-year-old
heronry and the chance to see osprey,
otters, barn owls and hundreds of wildfowl.
For manmade spectacles, visit the
whimsical Vernon’s Folly in Sudbury, south
Derbyshire, a red sandstone enclosure,
which Lord Vernon commissioned to
contain his deer herd in the 1700s, or
13th-century Mattersey Priory in
Nottinghamshire, one of many religious
and romantic ruins across the county.T
here’s a swathe of England not
too far from where most of us
live and it’s brimming with
special, magical places that
have remained untouched for
millennia, from hollows and
standing stones to waterfalls and ancient
meadows, and from Roman remains to
Stone-Age caves. The heart of England may
have its fair share of conurbations, but it’s
also in possession of a topography as
diverse as you’ll find anywhere in Britain.
If you’re prepared to walk a little, seek out
an ancient ruin or two, and maybe even
take a dip, then there are hidden wonders
at the core of our small island nation to
marvel at and explore.Lud’s Church in Staffordshire
may look like a hobbit hole but
was once used as a secret place
of worship; the 12-sided Tysoe
Windmill in Warwickshire, right,
(because any fewer sides is
simply not enough)OUTINGA PIECE OF THE NORTH
(though easier to reach)
The Peak District, Derbyshire,
Staffordshire and Nottinghamshire are
teeming with river walks and waterfalls.
Delightful cascades and natural infinity
pools make the walk to Greenfield
Waterfall on High Peak’s Saddleworth
Moor unforgettable. In the South West
Peak region of the National Park, stroll
along the River Goyt from Packhorse
Bridge near Erwood Hall and follow the
stream downhill to discover picnic spots
and places to plunge. This region lays claim
to many easy peaks and scrambles, too,
including one up Stanton Moor (in Dark
Peak) to join the Nine Ladies, a photogenic
Bronze Age circle. Another landmark of
the National Park is The Trinnacle, a
dramatic triple pillar on Saddleworth Moor
(in High Peak; it’s possible to combine thisand Greenfield Waterfall, right). Stand
bravely atop it and survey the beautiful
valley and reservoirs below. Near Whetton
in White Peak is Seven Ways, an intriguing
Neolithic cave with seven openings, which
sits above the gaping mouth of Thor’s Cave,
used by humans since the Palaeolithic era.
If it’s the thrill of being close to wildlife
you’re after, head to central Staffordshire’s
Aqualate Mere, a large, natural lake and
wetland where there’s a 300-year-old
heronry and the chance to see osprey,
otters, barn owls and hundreds of wildfowl.
For manmade spectacles, visit the
whimsical Vernon’s Folly in Sudbury, south
Derbyshire, a red sandstone enclosure,
which Lord Vernon commissioned to
contain his deer herd in the 1700s, or
13th-century Mattersey Priory in
Nottinghamshire, one of many religious
and romantic ruins across the county.T
here’s a swathe of England not
too far from where most of us
live and it’s brimming with
special, magical places that
have remained untouched for
millennia, from hollows and
standing stones to waterfalls and ancient
meadows, and from Roman remains to
Stone-Age caves. The heart of England may
have its fair share of conurbations, but it’s
also in possession of a topography as
diverse as you’ll find anywhere in Britain.
If you’re prepared to walk a little, seek out
an ancient ruin or two, and maybe even
take a dip, then there are hidden wonders
at the core of our small island nation to
marvel at and explore.Lud’s Church in Staffordshire
may look like a hobbit hole but
was once used as a secret place
of worship; the 12-sided Tysoe
Windmill in Warwickshire, right,
(because any fewer sides is
simply not enough)OUTING