| The start of the walk is a path that leads through
the new housing estate opposite the old petrol station
on the A6016 Turnlee Road where it becomes Primrose
Lane. This old footpath was left and maintained despite
the building of the new estate, if you cannot find the
path then basically following any of the new roads uphill
will eventually lead to the tracks that head towards
Hobroyd. The path reaches a bend on the rough road that
leads up to the large NHS Pennine Care Centre at Hobroyd,
at the centre follow the track to the left that leads
towards the moor. You will pass a house on the left
before the track turns into the fenced Whiteley Nab
footpath. The footpath leads up to a gate and stile,
cross the stile into a muddy and steep field often containing
friendly horses. The path isn't very clear but basically
keep climbing the field as conditions underfoot improve
somewhat further up and continue heading straight forward
uphill.
| 
Frosty Glossop Rooftops |
Frosty valley above Hobroyd |
The path becomes a little clearer at the top of the
field and you should see a small gate in the stone wall
at the very top of the field. At this point the land
changes from farmland to open moorland and this is often
indicated by the sound of grouse in the long grasses.
The path is now well defined and starts the hardest
part of the walk, the initial climb of Whiteley Nab.
This is a difficult section and often turns into a hands
on scramble up a messy path following no particular
line up the steep grassy bank in the obvious direction
of the top of the hill.
| 
Hobroyd Footpath |
Whiteley Nab Plantation |
You will eventually reach the plateau on the top of
Whiteley Nab near its small fenced off forestry plantation
containing untouched luscious green pines and fragrant
purple heather, home to many bird species and other
moorland animals. Resting on the Nab after the tough
ascent you are given an amazing panoramic view over
Glossop to the High Peak plateaus of Bleaklow and Kinder.
From here walk around the small plantation either way
and then cross the field on the other side in the direction
of the small house. At the house follow the footpath
signs up to the Monk's Road. Cross the Monk's Road to
a footpath on the other side and head up the steep fenced
rocky path as it climbs to Cown Edge Rocks. The path
leads along the ridge and passes two old quarries which
sadly suffer from graffiti and rubbish left by those
who unfortunately have a severe lack of respect for
the area. I have tried to find information on the quarrying
history of Cown Edge and Coombes Rocks but was unable
to find anything, the remains of the old tramway are
visible on the far north side of the ridge and the old
pulley systems pillars can be seen in the fields.
| 
Glossop from Whiteley
Nab |
Higher Shelf Stones |
Follow the track as it heads south west down and along
the side of Cown Edge with the impressive gritstone
cliffs and rock falls looming above to the right. The
path splits into two as one way leads off the hill towards
the Rocks Farm track and the other goes round and up
into the small valley that rounds the southern end of
Cown Edge Rocks. Take the path up the valley and eventually
up onto the ridge again. Head left or south once on
top and cross a stile onto clearly signed open access
land. Follow the rough track through the open and wide
ridge top field for about half a kilometre until you
reach another gate and stile onto a rough track that
seems to cross the ridge. Turn right or west along the
track, at the next gate it will then dogleg left then
right and then become a tarmac path to the farm of Far
Slack. Continue west along the track after Far Slack
and after about 300m you will reach a gate and Robin
Hood's Picking Rods.
Robin Hood's Picking Rods have fascinated archaeologists
and historians for centuries and the man made rocks
are so old that no one has ever found the truth behind
there existence. There are many theories on Robin Hood's
Picking Rods but its modern name actually comes from
the a local legend that claims that Robin Hood himself
shot an arrow at the Picking Rods to win freedom for
a fair maid. The mark left by the arrow is said to still
be visible on the stones today. This is of course hard
to believe.
| 
Horses on Cown Edge |
Robin Hoods Picking Rods |
The theory favoured by archaeologists is that the columns
were carved in the 9th century AD, by Anglo-Saxons.
They believe that the two columns were originally one
tall column and that after being broken in two were
mounted in a new base to remain due to there importance.
Cheshire and Derbyshire contains a few Saxon crosses
that are basically huge stone columns made to almost
the exact same size as the Picking Rods, this is why
archeologists believe this to be the true theory and
if you see pictures of those found else where its hard
to dismiss. The stones could later have been used as
a way marker for an ancient pass or as a boundary marker
for the huge forests that once covered most of this
region.
From the Picking Rods follow your footsteps back to
the dogleg bend at the end of the tarmac section, but
instead of going through the gate back over the ridge,
take a path that leads north over a small stile into
the field and towards Coombes Tor. Celtic legend has
it that the last remaining Celt tribes of Northern England
fought the Roman invasion of the area at this famous
landmark, one of the chieftains daughters was sacrificed
in the hope that it would bring the locals victory but
it was unsuccessful. It is suggested by some that Robin
Hood's Picking Rods may indicate the location of the
sacrifice. The Romans drew the Celts off the edge and
over to Ludworth Moor where they defeated the Celts
and there famous chief Edas. The bodies of the victims
of these bloody battles are said to be buried on the
moors. The Celts have a historic association with this
area and associate it with the horse goddess Epona.
| 
Manchester in distance |
Coombes Rocks |
Coombes Tor is one end of a huge and exciting gritstone
edge. Follow the footpath to the right as it continues
to lead along the top of the gritstone edge along the
way some fantastic rocks can be seen below. The edge
has two sloping sides and a quiet valley below with
small ponds. The valley and the edge aren't completely
natural and most of the edge has been quarried out in
the past centuries leaving a dramatic array of rocky
crags and rock dumps now completely covered. Walking
along the edge the views out towards the city of Manchester
across the small hill of Werneth Low stretch for miles
across the entire panorama from Lancashire to Cheshire
and even North Wales.
Continue along the edge until you reach Mares Back
at which point following the footpath or crossing the
stile to the the old quarry tram track ditch will lead
you down to the Monk's Road again, from here turn right
and walk the road until you reach the small house above
Whiteley Nab, Kestrels can often be spotting flying
and perching on the telegraph poles near the house.
From here head over to the Whiteley Nab plantation,
round it and back down the steep side of the Nab towards
Hobroyd and follow your earlier footsteps back to Glossop. |
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Duration
: 3.5 Hrs
