Adventures in the Peak District

A sharp, silver, slither shot down from an ominous cloud. It met the top of the mountain adjacent to where I was standing.

I blinked, and it was over. The lightning was gone as quickly as it arrived. Moments later another tremble reverberated along the valley floor. Meanwhile, handfuls of heavy hail pounded my face. Regardless of the fact I had forgotten to pack my waterproofs, I had never been so happy to be caught in a storm before. Over the past several weeks the UK had been suffering from a heatwave. I gladly welcomed the cold shower and dramatic elements.

We were hiking Mam Tor in the Peak District. It was very easy to get there. From Sheffield Station we took the train to Manchester which stopped in Edale. From Edale walking south you reach the region Mam Tor. It is there that you can see and walk on an old dilapidated Road which had been washed away by natural occurrences. Mam Tor means mother earth. It gets its name from experiencing frequent landslips. These are due to numerous contributing factors – the main one being deforestation. Historically, the Peak District would have been forested. Now with no tree roots to hold the soil in place, after heavy rainfall the earth and soil tend to fall down the slopes, transforming the landscape.

The rocks in Mam Tor are over 320 million years old. I contemplated about what the inanimate objects had seen and the stories they had heard.
We ran along the footpath trying to find some shelter from the storm. The prevailing wind directed the rain on our faces. There was nowhere to hide. Instead we embraced the weather and kept on moving. The grey sky was picturesque. It looked like something from a novel. Daunting clouds swept above us and a grey, hazy mist hung in the valley to our left.

We made it back to Edale station in time for the last train to Sheffield at 4.30pm. This was fortunate as we hadn’t actually checked the train times earlier. The storm was on our side making us run and get back in time.

We had a wonderful day in Mam Tor. I would highly recommend giving it a visit.

Has anyone else has been? Please share any recommendations below.