Alport's Castles in the Clouds

About trip

You don'€™t stay long in the valley - the route has higher things in mind, and climbs through Lockerbrook Coppice. After emerging from the trees, the route follows the top edge of the vast Hagg Side spruce plantation before climbing to Bellhag Tor. Here you get the first view of the landslips that have occurred in the region. However, by climbing north-west along the peaty ridge of Rowlee Pasture, England’s largest landslip will be revealed beneath your feet. They call it Alport Castles and, as you stand on the edge of the cliff looking across to the Tower, you can see why. A huge gritstone tor towers above a chaotic jumble of tumbled boulders and the grassy mounds that have been separated from the main ridge. The reason for the instability lies in the shales that are squeezed between the tiers of gritstone here. In wetter times, after the last Ice Age, the river eroded these soft bands, resulting in a half-mile (800m) long landslide that dropped 100ft (30m) below the main cliff. Secret Lovefeast: Looking across the Castle your eye is led to the great straw-coloured expanses of Bleaklow, but we’ll save that for another day. Your route takes you on a little path beneath the gritstone walls and down towards Alport Castles Farm in the valley below. On the first Sunday of every July they hold the Woodlands Lovefeast service in the barn. These non-conformist religious ceremonies started during the reign of Charles II. Presbyterianism in such times was against the law, and the services had to be held in remote places, far from the eyes of the King’s loyal subjects. Past the farm you follow the valley to its meeting with the Ashop Valley. Here an old Roman road that linked forts at Melandra, at Glossop, and Navio, near Bradwell, takes you across the lower grassy slopes of Kinder Scout, where a jaggers’ track is waiting to take you down to a secluded little packhorse bridge at Haggwater before transporting you over the hill towards Fairholmes. While you're there: Hire a mountain bike from the hire centre in Fairholmes car park. This is an excellent area for cycling and one of the most popular routes is the circuit of the now flooded Derwent Valley. At the head of the valley, at Slippery Stones, is the old packhorse bridge which was once in the village centre. It was dismantled and rebuilt here when the reservoirs were built. Where to eat and drink: You can get hot pies, drinks and snacks at the Fairholmes car park kiosk in spring and summer. The nearest pub is the popular Snake Pass Inn a few miles up the Woodlands Valley at the foot of the notorious A57 Snake Road over the Pennines to Glossop. What to look out for: The leat you can see in the woods at Lockerbrook Coppice is part of a complex system of drains and aqueducts which were built to carry excess water from the Ashop and Alport rivers into the neighbouring Derwent reservoirs. This was a skillfully designed network of flowing water and involved the drilling of a tunnel through the side of the mountain from the Woodlands Valley. Directions: Leave the car park for the road, then follow a forestry track, signposted to ‘Lockerbrook and Derwent Discovery Walk’. It climbs through Hagg Side Wood, crossing the bridge over a water leat before steepening on the higher slopes. Near the top the waymarked path leaves the forest in sight of the farm. 2 An obvious footpath, guided by a stone wall, traverses the fields of Lockerbrook Heights. Turn left at a public footpath signpost and follow a track southwards past Lockerbrook Farm. 3 On reaching the ridgetop by Woodcock Coppice, turn right along a permissive path climbing to the open moor at Bellhag Tor. 4 Continue over Rowlee Pasture and along a ridgetop path climbing to Alport Castles.5 Descend on the good path at the southern end of the Castles. Initially the path follows an old wall. On the lower slopes it traces the perimeter of Castles Wood. 6 Cross the footbridge over the River Alport, where the path turns right. Follow the waymarks across a small field. At Alport Farm turn left on the farm drive and then head southwards down the valley 7 Where the track veers right for Hayridge Farm, leave it for a signed path descending southeast towards the edge of a small riverside wood, to exit on the busy A57 Snake Road. Across the road follow a stony track to the River Ashop, then cross the footbridge to the right of a ford. Rejoin the track, which skirts the hill slopes beneath Upper Ashop Farm before climbing steadily across the rough grassy slopes of Blackley Hey. Ignore the left fork (surfaced drive) descending to Rowlee Bridge, but continue with the track you’re on as far as the path intersection to the east of Crookstone Barn. 8 Turn left here on the rutted track along the top edge of the pinewoods before entering them. Leave the track just beyond a right-hand bend and follow a narrow path to Haggwater Bridge. 9 Beyond the bridge, the path climbs up again to the A57 Snake Road. Cross the road and join the track opposite. It climbs out of the Woodlands Valley to the east of Hagg Farm and zig-zags across the upper slopes at the edge of Woodcock Coppice before skirting the Hagg Side conifer plantations. Here, retrace your route down through Lockerbrook Coppice to the car park