Edale

A small village in the Hope Valley that serves as the start and end point of the Pennine Way, tucked directly beneath Kinder Scout, at 2,087 feet the highest point in the Peak District. The settlement grew from scattered hamlets known as booths, and that pattern still shapes the valley: Upper Booth, Barber Booth, Ollerbrook Booth, Nether Booth and the central Grindsbrook Booth cluster that most people simply call Edale village.

• Pubs and cafes, in the village itself and near the railway station
• A local shop for basics before a walk
• The parish church of 1886, a quiet stop on the way through
• Campsites in the village and in the outlying booths
• A pay and display car park and public toilets

The village is a base rather than a sightseeing circuit, and nearly everything worth doing starts on foot.

• Walks onto Kinder Scout begin from the village, climbing to the peaty plateau above
• The Great Ridge and Mam Tor on the southern side of the valley, with wide views back over Edale
• Win Hill and Dalehead for shorter days on the hill
• Low level lanes between the booths when the tops are wrapped in cloud

• There are no public National Park visitor facilities here. The former Moorland Centre has no public access without a prior appointment, so do not plan on it for maps, advice or shelter.
• Facilities are small scale: a handful of pubs and cafes and one shop.
• The village itself takes minutes to walk through. Without a hill walk planned, there is little to fill a day.
• Kinder navigation is demanding and conditions can turn fast, so be ready to turn back.

Walkers, Pennine Way starters and anyone who wants a characterful valley base under big moorland rather than a village of attractions. Arrive by train, walk from the door, and treat the pub at the end as the reward.