September 17, 2024
Into the Peak District, Lizzy Bennet Style
Fall 2024 I finally pulled the trigger on road tripping through the UK. I drove from London to Edinburgh, over about nine days, taking in as many cute hikes, castles, and opulent historic homes as time would allow.
Midway through the trip, I was excited to visit the Peak District, a hilly area in the midlands East of Manchester. My entire conception of the Peak District comes from the 2005 film version of Pride and Prejudice. Most notably, there was a beautiful scene of Elizabeth Bennett, the novel’s witty and occasionally withering protagonist, standing atop cliffs in the Peak District.
That location is Stanage Edge, one of several cliff bands running through the region. And so I decided it was a perfect light hike to check out to soak in the area. About a month prior to my trip I had sprained my MCL rock climbing, and so the goal of the trip was to do lots of restorative walking but without going crazy (sadly, I left the Lake District and the Scottish Highlands off my itinerary).
The Ascent
I parked in the Hollin Bank Car Park lot to begin the hike. One quirk I found during my brief time in England: many of their trailheads manage to require paid parking. And so I punched my license plate into the kiosk, tapped my phone, and then headed off.
The trail slowly ramped up the side of the hill towards the cliff tops. The entire ascent rose perhaps 450 vertical feet (not demanding by any means). It mostly passed through open pasture land, but occasionally ducked into patches of woods.
I had been oddly blessed by the weather gods during my time in the UK. Bluebird skies and sunshine were the norm for me. In general this was great, but I was a bit disappointed on this hike. I wanted that moody, contemplative weather so synonymous in my mind with Pride and Prejudice (and this setting in particular). But alas … I got sunshine and a cloudless sky.
Stanage Edge
Soon I was up the gently ramping slope and beneath the cliffs. I saw plenty of rock climbers scattered about the base of the cliffs. They lounged on large bits of talus broken off from its walls. It turns out Stanage Edge is quite popular among rock climbers. That said, the trail I took found a very easy, non-exposed route to gain the ridge.
And just like that, I had reached the “summit”. A dirt road of sorts traveled along its edge and it appeared you could walk for ages, contemplating life or what not.
I walked along the path, heading towards the exact filming location from the movie. As it neared, I came across a rather territorial-seeming goat on the path. I gave it a wide berth, pushing up through the bushes and towards the fence. Pretty much every hike I enjoyed in the UK featured freely roaming livestock.
Soon enough I reached my intended destination. There I found even more rock climbers! It was a beautiful, buzzing day in the Peak District!
