Get Lost Mountaineering

Coombes Edge & Cown Edge from near Plainsteads Farm

Start/Finish

Casual gravel verge parking on minor road from Plainsteads Farm on Monk's Road which leaves the A624 Hayfield to Glossop road about 400 m south of the Grouse Inn. Monk's Road starts on the highest point of the A624 and is signed for Charlesworth. Plainsteads Farm is about 0.7 miles down the Monk's Road.Coming from Buxton, take the A6 to Chapel-en-le-Frith then follow signs to Glossop. Coming from Chesterfield, take A619 to Baslow then A623 through Calver to Chapel-en-le-Frith then follow signs for Glossop. From Sheffield, take A57, Snake Pass, to Glossop then take A624 towards Hayfield.

Distance/Time

4 km     About 1 – 2 hours

Peaks

This walk is on edges, ridges and open moorland with no obvious summits.

OS Outdoor Leisure 1: Dark Peak.     OS 110 (1:50 000).

Introduction

This is a pleasant walk ideal for a short winter's day. Given its short length, it is a little gem for what it offers in views. It seems ideal for Christmas morning to gently work up an appetite for Christmas lunch or to walk it off afterwards! There is very little in the way of gradients and the going is generally good on paths and bridleways. On a clear day, there are excellent views to Mill Hill, Kinder, South Head, Chinley, Bleaklow and Higher Shelf Stones. Both edges have crags below them so do not stray too close. Coombes Edge is generally continuous whilst Cown Edge has some large “scoops” along it.

Route

(1) Take the tarmac road going ahead just after the parking place, ignoring the road going left. This soon goes through a gate labelled Cown Edge Farm. Continue ahead until the private road curves left and a stony bridleway goes ahead. Follow this, ascending very gently until the crest is reached with a stile either side. Continue on the bridleway, descending slightly, to reach a small gate before a large gate. Go through the small gate then, before the large gate, turn right and go through another small gate to gain the path (not very obvious) which goes N along the edge with a wall on the right. A broken but easy stile is crossed a little further on. Follow this path along the edge, passing two woods on the right, until it curves around to the W, left. The path which was close to the second wood is now in a slight groove so keep an eye on this. When almost at the road and by a hole in the wall, cross the fence on the right by a stile.

(2) Walk straight ahead, at right angles to the fence, on easy grassy ground until the obvious Cown Edge is reached. If you stray too far left, you will see the road and be easily able to correct. Walk along the edge which climbs ever so gently then walk along the edge which will be on your left. The other side of the wood will be about 200 m on the right. Cown Edge is not as straight as Coombes Edge and there some large “scoops” which are worth investigating. One of these has a high cliff but, away from the cliff, it is easy to go down into the scoop. Continue along the edge, exploring at will. There is a path below and on top of the edge and it is worth switching between the two. At one point, there is a rock formation which looks like a face in profile. All too soon, the stile at the top of the outward bridleway is reached. Turn left and retrace back to the start.

Notes

(a) This walk took place on 17^th December, 2014, in very wet, windy and misty conditions then repeated the following day in equally bad but clearer conditions.