New book offers great ideas for some long walks in the Peak District

Well, this is a book review with a difference –reading is a hobby that usually involves curling up, being sedentary for a good long while, drinking a few cups of tea, maybe having a biscuit…
Day Walks in the Peak District by Norman Taylor and Barry PopeDay Walks in the Peak District by Norman Taylor and Barry Pope
Day Walks in the Peak District by Norman Taylor and Barry Pope

Not pulling your walking boots on and dragging the whole family out for an 11-mile yomp across the countryside.

As lockdown eases, though, and we can get out and about a bit more, I jumped at the chance to try out this, the newest book of walks from Sheffield-based publisher Vertebrate, Day Walks in the Peak District, by Norman Taylor and Barry Pope.

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I have a teenage daughter with lockdown cabin fever and a seven year-old boy with a lot of energy to burn.

Anna CaigAnna Caig
Anna Caig

So, although these walks are longer than we would usually tackle with the children, they take you out for most of a day, visiting some familiar and some lesser-known spots in the beautiful Peak District - we put together the world’s largest picnic and set off.

We started with the round walk from Youlgreave, taking in woodland, fields of wheat and barley, steep-sided dales and some great rocky vistas.

It was exceptionally flat for a long walk in the Peak District, so all credit to the authors for managing that.

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The other brilliant feature of this walk was a remarkable number of stiles in the middle of open spaces, without a wall or a fence. After an initial ‘Ugh, what are they for’, the children decided the only possible explanation was they were portals into different parallel universes.

Day Walks in the Peak District by Norman Taylor and Barry PopeDay Walks in the Peak District by Norman Taylor and Barry Pope
Day Walks in the Peak District by Norman Taylor and Barry Pope

Obviously.

This provided much entertainment and speculation along the lines of ‘all the people in the next village will just have one eye in the middle of their forehead and no ears, when we get home everything will have shifted around 180 degrees etc’.

Ridiculous conversation is not to be underestimated as a power for getting families round a long old walk.

You do need to take your own OS map along with you as well as this guide – but it’s a great size that fits in your pocket, so easy enough to carry around on a long day walking.

Anna's family enjoying a long walk in the Peak DistrictAnna's family enjoying a long walk in the Peak District
Anna's family enjoying a long walk in the Peak District
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All in all, we had a great time and if you’re looking for a good day-long Peak District adventure, there are some awesome ideas in here. Grab yourself a copy and strap on your walking boots.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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