Distance:  A 7½ mile (12km)  moderate walk with mainly gentle gradients Time: 2.5 hours approximately Parking: Free, Market Square (free), or pay and display in the car park  next to the road towards the Manifold Valley. Public Transport Links: Buses from Ashbourne and Buxton Refreshments: The Charles Cotton or The Packhorse Inn at Crowdecote Once Duke William was crowned as King of England following the Battle of Hastings, it took several years before the Normans could claim true domination of the country beyond the readily subservient south of England.  Throughout the north and marshes of East Anglia, rebellious Saxons made it clear that they wanted nothing to do with these upstart French speaking incomers.  As attempts to pacify those who objected to this change of status failed miserably, King William, the Norman, had to resort to violence, instigating what became known as ‘the Harrying of the North’, when vast areas of Northern England were laid to waste, with the people either murdered or driven off the land they and their forebears had farmed for generations. What became known as the Peak District although being comparatively uninhabited, didn’t escape the takeover, and to put his stamp on the region, King William divided the land amongst those knights who had served him well in battle.  With William Peverel taking most of the land to the north and east of the Peak as his hunting preserve, the rest, mainly those lands to the east of what became Staffordshire and north Derbyshire were handed over to de Ferrier in order to expand his hunting estates further south in Leicestershire. While we may be used to imagining castles as impregnable fortresses built of stone, many began life as man made hillocks protected not by stone but with rapidly thrown up timber palisades, a kind of...

Distance: 4.3 miles  Time: 2 hours approximately Accent: 530 feet  Parking: Free, next to the road Public Transport Links: Train and buses both stop in Ambergate Refreshments: The Hurt Arms From the village of Ambergate, this route takes you into Shining Cliff Woods – and it really does feel like stepping into a different world. One minute you’re near the main road, the next you’re under the trees with the noise fading away and just birds and the breeze for company. The woods have been here a long time, once part of an old royal hunting forest, and you can still spot bits of history tucked away if you know where to look.  It’s a cracking place to walk, whatever the time of year. In spring, you’ll get the bluebells coming through, covering the ground, and all year round there’s plenty to see – from winding paths and little streams to the odd view down towards the River Derwent. And it’s not just nature either – this area used to be busy with industry, including the old wire works down by Ambergate, which played its part in the valley’s working past. You might not love the look of an old disused factory, but you can’t question that it adds something different to the walk! There’s nothing fancy about it, just proper woodland, fresh air, and a bit of peace and quiet. That’s what makes it so good – it’s somewhere you can slow down, clear your head, and just enjoy being out. Step-by-step walk guide: This walk begins in Ambergate, if you’re at the T-Junction facing The Hurt Arms, turn left and then immediately right, this will take you over the bridge over the river Derwent and there will be parking on your left. From here we head right up the...