Derbyshire Day 2 - Edale and New Mills (29th October 2015)

On Thursday 29th October, we woke up at our Travelodge in Glossop, had breakfast (which we'd bought with us) and decided what to do for the day. I Googled a few places which I'd seen on Pinterest, and we decided we'd head to the village of Edale, and do a hike from there.
I love the stairwells at our Travelodge! - they are massive and feel like inside a castle!

Driving along some fun, very narrow roads!

In the car park at Edale. There were quite a few hikers around, and we looked by far the least well prepared and 'professional'!! We didn't have a map or know which way to go, but had a look at the map on a noticeboard in the car park, and picked out a rough route to follow.

Walking through Edale, where there's been a village recorded since 1086.

Scott outside the Old Nag's Head pub, which is the official start of he Pennine Way. The pub is a former smithy, dating from 1577.

Crossing the River Noe.

Looking back onto Edale. All the other walkers carried on along the valley path (to the right in this picture), but we just headed up the first hill we came to. We didn't see any other people at all for the rest of our hike!

Partway up, we went into cloud, fine rain and strong wind. Lucy and I were boiling but getting earache from the wind, so sorted out some attractive headgear for ourselves!

The boys were miles ahead as usual.

We kept going up...

...and up...

...and up...

After a while the path plateaued out a bit, and after reaching a big pile of rocks, we decided to go back down. It was pretty cold and windy, with poor visibility, and Scott said it was first time he'd been somewhere where the rain came upwards!

Took a family selfie (which I LOVE!!) then headed back down.

Not sure where the path was at this point!

The lych gate of the Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity, back in Edale. So pretty!

We then headed back to our Travelodge to dry off - stopped by sheep on the way!

We had an early tea at Weatherspoons right next to the Travelodge.

In the evening we headed to a place we'd never heard of before, but which I had come across a picture of on Pinterest. It was a bridge, in a place called New Mills, which is now the home of Swizzels Matlow (the sweet maker who make Drumsticks!)
We parked up in the town, and just wandered down to where two rivers - the Goyt and Sett, meet. It was a really interesting place, with steep cliffs, and all kinds of levels of waterways and bridges.

Then we found the bridge I had seen on Pinterest, and I wasn't disappointed... it was cool! It's called the Torrs Millennium Walkway (opened in 2000) and it spans the otherwise inaccessible cliff wall above the River Goyt. Part of the bridge is on stilts, and part is cantilevered off the wall.

We spent quite a while just enjoying the bridge.

Across from the bridge is the Torr Vale Cotton Mill, built in the 1780's. We crossed over to it and had a look around.

I don't think I've ever seen so many bridges in one place! It was crazy, with different levels everywhere! There was also a cool reverse Archimedean screw - a micro hydroelectric generator.

We walked a bit further along in another direction, under this funny double bridge, before heading back to the hotel. Another great day!