“Bleak” was the order of the day today. The Roystone Grange trail is a pleasantly simple walk in the Peak District National Park. It was cold and windswept, everything was a little grey, the trees were gnarled and frozen in hibernation. The trail uses some of the old Cromford and High Peak railway, takes you past an abandoned Victorian quarry -complete with rusting crane, then takes you to Minninglow hill. This is the site of the ancient Neolithic era Minninglow tomb. At the top of the hill, ancient Beech trees are encircled with a neat brash fence and a ring of saplings. Descending the hill takes you to Roystone Grange farm, a rather fort-like set of buildings. Up another hill and back onto the railway, the trail ends in ancient woodland.
Matthew Denniss 