Monday 4 April 2011

Ascent to the summit


Leaving Errwood Hall and the confines of the woodland, we began the steady pull up to the top of Shining Tor; Errwood Reservoir behind us, with the sailing club beginning to turn out for their Sunday meet.

I love this old stone gatepost with its growth of lichen.


Reaching the top, we found a very welcome bench, carved with an inscription to mark the 50th anniversary of the Peak Park Ranger Service in 2004. It began in 1954 with one full time warden assisted by several enthusiastic volunteers. Now, there are 14 separate areas, each with its own full time warden. Added to this are the five extra full time wardens, plus the warden with specific responsibility for The Pennine Way, plus a small army of volunteer rangers. It's grown a bit!

The task of the Ranger Service is to manage open access areas and be a key point of contact between the National Park Authority, the visiting public and the local population, so they lead walks, care for local wildlife, manage and repair footpaths and meet people in the community to teach them about the National Park; how to care for it and what it has to offer.


Finally, just over the wall by the bench was the trig point to mark the summit of Shining Tor. Formed of Chatsworth grit, the hill does not quite qualify for mountain status, being 166' short of the required 2,000', but is still the highest point in Cheshire (into which we had strayed at some point in our climb).


On a clear day, the views are stunning, with more ridges of hills behind what is visible in my photo, but with the calling of the larks and the smell of the moorland, it was still beautiful.

8 comments:

  1. I was trying to remember why it all looks so nice in your photographs. And then I remembered : because I am sat in close proximity to my central heating radiator with a mug of hot tea close at hand enjoying the lovely scenery without having to flex a single muscle.

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  2. I love the Peak Park benches! They are all over and I have seen lots, I love reading the little rbymes on them all!

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  3. That bench is lovely - had to read the inscription twice.
    Was this a hard climb or a regular hike?

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  4. Your pictures and words conjured up perfectly what I imagine a walk/hike would be in this spot.
    Your last line is especially emotive :)

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  5. What a wonderful landscape ! Green and wild at the same time !

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  6. This is a wonderful view! I would sit on that bench and gaze at the horizon quite awhile just to enjoy it. I'd love to find out what the smell of the moors was like one day.

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  7. The first photo I enjoy, I love gates and fences!

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  8. What a gorgeous view..I could sit there all day and just look at it...

    lovely lovely photos..

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