Saturday 5th December 1958 - Hope Station to Hayfield

On this occasion it was decided to try a ‘green' route for a change from the rocks and moorland - it was difficult to find a route that filled this requirement fully.

Between twenty and thirty youngsters assembled under the leadership of Mr and Mrs Mason to ramble a route from Hope Station to Hayfield. Our way led through Hope village and then away from the road on to the path to Lose Hill and along the ridge to Back Tor and Mam Tor, where we had lunch. Although no-one had noticed the cold there was, in fact, quite thick ice on all the puddles on Mam Tor.

WW1960-001 Old log bridge at Edale (from another walk)

From Mam Tor we crossed the ‘Nick' and continued for about 1½ miles along Rushup Edge, and then divided for a bit, some of the group scrambling across the moor to reach the tunnel ventilating shaft (a fort to be stormed); the rest of the party, with Mrs Mason, followed a slightly longer, but less difficult, route and reached the objective at the same time.

From the shaft a steep drop was made to Roych Clough and then up the long pull to South Head. Some of the children were flagging a little after the long drag and so the scramble over Mount Famine was avoided and the direct route followed by the track into Hayfield.

This was an enjoyable walk which turned out to be rather more strenuous than expected.