This was the route back from a walk between Biggin and Parsley Hey on a previous post. The High Peak Trail is another one of those Victorian railway lined closed in the 1960s. I’ve walked the southern start of it at High Peak Junction near Cromford Mill.
I must finish the rest of it some time!
Heading south from Parsley Hey but taking the western High Peak Trail. It’s not as popular in the area as the cuttings are deep and the view isn’t so good. It;s still a tribute to those Victorian engineers who didn’t let anything get in their way…
I walked to Friden, then a short stretch of road walking (which I didn’t like) and then cross country, over the Tissington Trail and then a short field walk to Biggin.
It’s here on the bridge you come across one of the companies that built the High Peak Railway line, Josiah Jessop Esq. The work reuqired to survey and build the Cromford and High Peak Railway finished poor Jose off and he died of ‘over-exertion’.
Continuing south with bridges over deep cuttings until you come out into open fields and those lovely ‘big skies’:
And onward to the former station at Friden.:
Then it was road walking on the A5012 to the main A515 between Ashbourne and Buxton. The roads can be quiet but the cars are very fast. Plus there’s an occasional lorry from the Brickworks at Friden to add to the fun.
You can walk on grass verges and on pathways on the roads but I didn’t enjoy this stretch at all.
Walk on the A515 until you see Stanedge Grange and cross over the road (with care!). Climb over the stone stile to the left, then across country… you’re corralled with fences and barbed wire, so just follow them.
It’s much nicer out into open fields, heading east to the Tissington Trail. You’ll see it across the landscape like a huge stone wall:
walk up the path onto the Tissington Trail and then immediately down on the path on the other side:
It’s a short walk across the fields to Biggin with one last stile before you get to the main road…
It’s not a spectacular walk and the views aren’t as rewarding as other walks I’ve done. I can’t help admiring the huge amount of work done, mostly by hand, to build the Cromford and High Peak Railway.
Do bear in mind that there are other section of the High Peak Trail and other trails to explore (without road walking) that you’ll enjoy!
As usual, I forgot to add the videos!