Some quick facts

History 

• Untouched history is evident everywhere.  Untouched, that is, bar the elements and a little human intervention.  Footpaths and bridleways which are hundreds of years old connect you to this history as they criss-cross the Peak District National Park.
• Our Axe Edge time machine takes us way back into history. Sites such as the Bronze Age Swine Sty settlement, the Neolithic/Bronze Age stone circle at Stanton Moor and the bronze age / iron age site of the hill fort at Mam Tor are but to name a few. The name “Peak” District is possibly derived from the Pecsaetan, a 6AD Anglo-Saxon tribe who settled in the area.
• Arthurian mythology takes us to Lud’s Church and as written in the 14^th century middle English Sir Gawayn and þe Grene Knyȝt.  1665 takes our time machine to the medieval plague village of Eyam which to this very day has a ghostly atmosphere. 
• Whilst you are traversing the ancient footpaths of the Peak District the chances that unmarked history may well be near you, whether it be an unmarked air crash site (there are well over 120 such sites in the White Peak area alone) or a battlefield such as 1643 Hopton Heath in Staffordshire (not the National park – but it is nearby so worth mentioning!) 
• Finally and perhaps the most recent claim to historical fame, there is the Staffordshire Hoard (part of which can be seen in Stafford) which connects us with Anglo-Saxon times in the 6^th and 7^th centuries.

Long Distance Walks

There are various long distance walks in the Peak District National Park:-

• The Peak Pilgrimage (39 miles)
• The Limestone (Limey) Way (46 miles)
• The Derwent Valley Heritage Way (55 miles)
• The Peak District High Level Route (91 miles)
• Of course, you can also create your own bespoke long distance walks by connecting together walks such as the Goyt way, High Peak Way, Tissington trail, etc.

2019 – A Pilgrim walk?

We are planning to undertake the Peak Pilgrimage later this year, a 39 mile walk from Ilam in the South to the historic plague village of Eyam in the North.  Whether we do it over 1, 2 or 3 days is yet to be decided but plans are afoot – watch this space!