New Page 1

2016.12.04 - ~ 500m S of Fairholmes, up thr Hagg Side, S / W edge Rowlee Pasture, short of Alport Castles FP down to Alport Fms, FP* N side Fms & ~ W thr pine plantation & moorland to N end Oyster Clough, path below top edge of Clough to hut then on to Roman Road, Hayridge Fm, Alport Bridge, past Upper Ashop (farm), ascend up track & cross Blakely Clough, Hope Cross, Fullwood Stile Fm, FP/ Track under railtrack nr Cemy, Hope - leader Chris Dauris - Sunday *apparently as FP is in open access land it is not marked on map but is reasonably clear on ground

start point from road ~ 500m from Fairholmes - into Hagg Side

Derwent reservoir & its wall just visible through trees

several tracks spread from near here

zoom view of Lose Hill to Mam Tor

view across Derwent valley - slight cone in middle top is Lost Lad - stone cluster further to right is Back Tor

heading to edge of Rowlee Pasture

A57 road snakes its way to Manchester below

photographer takes brief detour across moorland to snap Howden Reservoir then rushes to rejoin party

River Alport's 'gorge' ahead to left

land slipped area ahead

a glimpse of Alport Castles

The Tower - lower than the rest of the surrounding Castles

start of descent to the two Alport Farms

The Castles behind

tea break taken in sunshine

The two Alport Farms

we (later on) did not go up to farms but skirted river and around stone wall at bottom right

we crossed this foot bridge before skirting around the bottom of the farms

some of party ahead circling around farms

a shot of the party with a few who went ahead missing

This signboard was passed by us but does not indicate the way to Oyster Clough

a glance back at the farms as we ascended

through the dark pine forest

fungi in forest

emerging from the plantation

heading across open moorland to Oyster Clough

Oyster Clough's hut - the map shows a 'shooting cabin' but is it presently used for this? No grouse butts for visiting bankers / stockbrokers or road access nearby?

the depths of the Clough

lunch taken here - not far from the Snake Inn which cannot be reached directly through the plantation

sheepfold marked on map

crossing at the bottom of Oyster Clough

Fair Brook seen across the Snake Pass valley

inclined track to left leads to Gate Side Clough

interesting disturbed land - how formed?

Cowms Moor?

Hayridge Farm

ford across River Ashop

Upper Ashop (farm)

looking back on Upper Ashop farm

up the Roman Road

Rowlee Farm across valley

Low Barn

the Roman Road is getting wider as walkers & mountain bikers erode the edges trying to avoid the rough loose surface in the middle. Any mountain bike accident statistics for this track?