Surprise View

Millstone Edge is approached from the Surprise View car park, so named because it is within a short distance of a place where the main road turns a corner to reveal an impressive and unexpected view across the Derbyshire countryside, towards Mam Tor and the Hope Valley.

From the slightly elevated position of Millstone Edge, the view is even more impressive.

Agricultural land in the foreground gives way to the bulk of Kinder Scout on the horizon. Kinder is the first peak on the Pennine Way, a 267 miles long distance footpath stretching from Edale (below Kinder) to Kirk Yetholm just inside the border of Scotland.

Mam Tor is also known as the 'Shivering Mountain' (though really, it is 300' too short to qualify for the status of mountain). The label 'shivering' is a result of the landslips which occur regularly, caused by the hill being made up of layers of shale. Once, the main A625 between Sheffield and Chapel-en-le-Frith traversed the side of the hill, but it was permanently closed in 1979, when engineers finally gave up the battle of keeping it in one piece! Today, the Mam Tor ridge is a mecca for walkers because it gives great views down into both the Hope and Edale Valleys. We dragged our lads up here regularly when they were wee and we lived in Manchester.

If you look carefully, you may be able to spot the chimney-top of the cement works, over the ridge to the left of the photo. It's a bit of a landmark hereabouts and has undoubtedly cropped up in my Stanage Edge photos before now.

Down in the valley, the River Derwent is straddled by the bridge which carries the main road into the village of Hathersage (visible centre right in the top photo).

Today, I'm linking in with Jenny Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday where O is for Outlook.