Dead Edge End

Dead Edge End is less of a peak and more of a big lump. Even so, there are wonderful views from its summit.  The best view is probably the one down into the west side of the Woodhead valley and its string of reservoirs.

I set off downhill towards the Woodhead road. After about 20 minutes of walking I looked back to the top of Dead Edge End and saw two people standing near the trig. I'd not seen anybody approaching when I was up there and was a bit surprised to see somebody there now. They must have been tucked away in some grough while I was up there.

I reached the Trans Pennine Trail and started heading eastwards. Many sheep were sat on and around the track. As they moved away I noticed that quite a few of them looked lame. The most common cause is footrot and scald. These are infectious diseases and is getting worse due to our milder winters and wetter summers. The diseases cause swelling and sores around the hooves. The hooves can be treated with antibiotic sprays and the spread of infection reduced by separating infected sheep. You see so many lame sheep though, it makes you wonder how many sheep actually are treated.

South Nab

Further along the TPT I crossed Salter's Bridge. This is an old packhorse bridge that used to be on a turnpike road over the Woodhead Pass. The more modern version of the bridge is a 100 metres or so further up Salter's Brook and carries a constant stream of cars and lorries.

Ten minutes further on I diverted from the TPT on to the path that leads up to the top of the Woodhead Pass. Before I reached the top of the pass I came to the stone monument known as Lady's Cross. This is believed to have been a wayside marker for the packhorse trails crossing the moor. It is also thought to have served as a boundary stone between Hathersage, Holmesfield and Totley. The cross was first mentioned in a document in 1263. The top part of the cross has been broken off and some parts are nearby.

I crossed the busy Woodhead Road and walked the short distance up to the trig on the summit of South Nab. There is a roadside carpark on the Woodhead road, but judging by the sketchy path, not many people use it to get to the top. There is a boulder with a memorial plaque screwed into it near to the trig. The inscription says,

DGD

1932 - 2017

WHATISIT

WHOISIT

WHEREISIT

I'm not sure who DGD was, but it looks like he/she was an inquisitive person.

Racing On Winscar

The Upper and Lower Windleden reservoirs looked almost empty. The geese that normally frequent the area had long gone. I did see a Kestrel though. I watched it for a while soaring and then hovering in its trademark fashion, keeping careful watch on the ground for a meal. It covered quite an area of the moor and then disappeared over the horizon.

A small section of road walking brought me back to the southern  entrance of Winscar Reservoir. When I reached the reservoir I could see a number of people near to the water's edge. They were racing some remote controlled model yachts on the reservoir. They raced around some buoys that had been set out. They even had an inflatable dingy on hand in case one of the yachts had to be rescued. With all the tacking , jibing and heaving-to, it all looked rather a technical challenge.

When I got back to the carpark, a few ducks and geese had reappeared, following walkers about in the prospect of some food. Luckily they'd latched on to somebody else and so didn't follow me to my car.

My boots were completely dry. Having walked over this area in winter, I definitely recommend doing it in summer.