High Peak Trail, Minninglow Hill, Roystone Grange, Long Dale and Gratton Dale, 19th August 2018

The second of this weekend's walks started at the High Peak Trail car park, south of  Pikehall, before winding along the trail to Minninglow Hill and then to Royston Grange, Pikehall, Long Dale, around Gratton Moor and then back via Gratton Dale.


The start at the High Peak Trail car park, south of  Pikehall


High Peak and Tissington Trails


Impressive embankment built for the High Peak Railway


Ascent on the concessionary footpath from the High Peak Trail to Minninglow Hill


Minninglow Hill, 372m


Neolithic tombs on top of Minninglow


Descent to Roystone Grange, formerly a monastic sheep farm



 This derelict pumphouse near Royston Grange is of 19th century origin and was built to house a large water-cooled engine that pumped compressed air through cast iron pipes to drive the rock drills in the quarries that developed along the Cromford and High Peak Railway line


Entrance to Mouldridge Mine in Long Dale


"We meet to create memories, we part to cherish them".
Sculpture of three standing stones in Long Dale marking boundary of Middleton & Smerrill parishes
This  sculpture is one of seventeen boundary stones marking entrances to the parish of Middleton and Smerrill in the Derbyshire Peak.  It is inscribed with a text chosen by members of the parish as part of the Sites of Meaning  millennium project

The Cheese Factory, Gratton


The Four Shires Bloodhounds - dress code tweeds
Lime kiln in Gratton Dale


On the way back, junction of Gratton Dale and Longdale