But it’s nice to get out occasionally, right? And the Peak District is a sparkling gem of the north that’s not far from Manchester’s bustling city centre, so whether you’re exhausted from working the nine to five or the nightshift, are studying hard, or just want a fun weekend away, then a daytrip to the Peaks will cure you of all of life’s stresses.
We highly recommend it.
The Peak District National Park covers 555 square miles mostly in Derbyshire, but also includes parts of Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Staffordshire, West Yorkshire, and South Yorkshire.
This year, the Peak District celebrates its 70th anniversary as the UK’s first National Park named in 1951.
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Fancy making the trip then? The Manc is here to help you navigate the Peaks to make sure you have the best weekend away, with no car necessary.
We’ve outlined five simple walks, so you can get out there and enjoy the stunning views.
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Of course, it wouldn’t be a Manc’s guide to a northern staycation without thinking of the weather, so we’ve made sure our plans for you are waterproof, and they’re both cheap and easy too, so pack some scran, whack on your walking boots, and become at one with nature.
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Preparation & How to Get There
First things first – getting there.
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Trains leave Manchester Piccadilly Station to Edale – which is a village right in the heart of the Peaks – every hour, so you’ll want to get a Manchester to Sheffield train on the Hope Valley line, where tickets range between £11.50 – £12.20 for the full 45-minute journey
Even more convenient, there’s one map that covers all our five walks.
OL1 Peak District (Dark Peak Area) is your lifeline, and you can get your hands on it either via Amazon or, if paper isn’t your thing, go to your App store to OS Online App or ViewRanger App, and all the routes will be on there.
Ready, set, let’s walk.
The 5 Walks
Take your pick.
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Grindslow Knoll
Edale from Grindslow Knoll / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
There are two options when walking Grindslow Knoll.
Option A is a four mile walk taking between two to three hours that’s steeper and an occasionally rockier ascent at times but is shorter overall, and then there’s option B, which is five and a half miles that takes half an hour longer than the other, but is a a more gradual route via Ringing Roger.
Both routes lead to a 360° view at the summit of Grindslow Knoll.
Gradually descend, meeting with the Penine Way and back to Edale.
Mam Tor via Black Tor
Mam Tor via Black Tor / Credit: Pixabay
This is absolute cracker of a walk with stunning views and also easy on the knees.
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Spreading across two Tors and across the back of the Great Ridge, this walk takes between two and a half to three hours and is a sum total of five miles.
Hiking up Back Tor is optional as it’s harder as the route goes up and down.
Kinder Scout via Grindsbook Clough
Penine Way, Kinder Downfall / Credit: Flickr
This is a bit of a longer one to really reset yourself after a tough week at work.
A wonderful eight mile walk taking between four to five hours, many seasoned Peak-goers crown this their favourite walks.
Kinder Scout is the highest point in the Peaks, so it’s definitely worth the trek as you can see all across the land and it even has a waterfall. It’s also circular, leaving the village past the Nags Head (some people might just end there), and then over the bridge leaving the tiny village behind you.
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Or you can go the other way round and finish up by the Nags Head – your choice.
Kinder Scout via Jacob’s Ladder
Peter Nook Wood and the River Kinder / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
This is a must-walk route because it covers two major Peak District locations – the highest point in the peaks, Kinder Scout, and Jacob’s Ladder.
Known as ‘the Beautiful Steps to Kinder Scout’, Jacob’s Ladder is a set of stone steps cut into the hillside, leading up to the Kinder Plateau, and the eight to 10 mile route follows the start of the Pennine way to an aesthetic packhorse bridge, which marks the start of Jacob’s Ladder.
Mam Tor via Jacob’s Ladder and Rushup Edge
Penine Way, Edale from Kinder Scout / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Mam Tor is one of the most popular places to visit in the Peak District and this walk combines it with a loop via Jacob’s Ladder and Rushup Edge.
From Rushup Edge, there are beautiful views towards Mam Tor and then you cross to the Tor before slowly descending back to Edale – it’s a long but gentle walk of 10 miles taking between four and five hours.
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Take your time and enjoy the views, because the Peak District’s got a lot of them.
Now, we think it’s time for a well-earned pint, right? We’re spoiling you for choice with the two finest pubs in Edale.
Pick one or go to both – no one’s driving, remember.
At The Rambler Inn, there’s hearty meals that are locally-sourced and served in the warmth by friendly and attentive staff, a large beer garden to make the most of on a nice day, and a wide range of real ales, traditional ciders, whiskeys and sprits at the bar.
A proper country pub with sturdy furniture and thick upholstery, The Rambler Inn is a cheap, cheerful, and welcoming sight after a long stomp the Peaks.
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The menu is extensive with a great range of vegan or vegetarian option, and famous for its gluten free fish and chips.
Why not try their breakfast and stay in one of the cosy rooms overlooking the mountains?
The Old Nags Head
The Old Nags Head / Credit: The Old Nags Head
Stone walls, exposed beams, and an open fire make up the interiors of quintessentially-British The Old Nag’s Head, so pull up a chair, grab a pint, and soothe your feet in the against the crackling flames.
No messing about, this pub fills your hungry stomach with meat feast pizzas, BBQ pulled pork smothered fries, and any sandwich filling you can think of, from roast beef to halloumi, red pepper, and sweet chilli.
Slushie cocktails are now available here too – so you can’t go wrong.
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Featured Image – Pixabay
Kids & Family
Greater Manchester cinemas to screen family-favourite films for just £2.50 this spring
Emily Sergeant
Greater Manchester cinemas will be screening family-favourite films, and some new releases, all throughout this upcoming spring holidays.
The best bit? Prices start from a massively-affordable £2.50 a ticket.
With Easter right around the corner, and schools across Greater Manchester set to be on their spring holidays in a couple of weeks time, parents and carers will likely be looking for ways to keep the kids entertained while schools are out.
But now it’s time to take care of those film lovers… and also those keen to plan budget-friendly events that also take into account the classic Manchester April showers.
Cinema chain Vue has announced its lineup of family blockbusters showing at venues across Greater Manchester this spring – including Printworks, Lowry, Bolton, Altrincham, and Bury.
Arriving in time for the school holidays, A Minecraft Movie welcomes fans to their favourite cubic wonderland, while the whole family can instead transport themselves into Disney’s reimagining of the 1937 classic Snow White if they’d prefer.
Also returning to the big screen are childhood classics like Wallace & Gromit: Curse of The Were-Rabbit, 20 years after its original release, and the beloved Babe, to celebrate the film’s 30th anniversary.
Greater Manchester cinemas will be screening family-favourite films for just £2.50 this spring / Credit: Disney | Aardman Animations
And as part of Vue’s ‘Mighty Mornings’ offering, film fans can enjoy pre-releases of family-friendly flicks like Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Moana 2 every day throughout half term, all from just £2.49 per ticket when booked online.
“A trip to Vue this Easter break is the perfect opportunity for families to immerse themselves in the magic of their favourite big screen characters,” commented Rob Lea, who is the Head of Screen Content at Vue UK & Ireland.
“More than just entertainment, it’s a chance for children and parents to switch off, connect, and create lasting memories together.”
Featured Image – Krists Luhaers (via Unsplash)
Kids & Family
A local baby bank is holding a vital fundraiser to stop it from closing for good
Danny Jones
A Greater Manchester baby bank is holding a vital fundraiser in hopes of preventing it from closing for goodimminently.
For anyone unaware, baby banks are crucial organisations run largely by volunteers who help provide supplies to families in local communities, with more than 300 in use across the UK at present.
Through delivering much-needed aid such as clothing, prams, nappies and baby food, right through to direct financial support, they help keep parents and their children in good supply of essentials and much more – hugely important work at any rate, let alone during the winter and a cost of living crisis.
However, the Little Green Sock Project over in Trafford is at risk of permanent closure and was initially given until the new year to raise £200,000.
As seen in this moving video, the baby bank based over in Stretford Mall is in dire need of support and, crucially, the funds for a new premises.
They’ve been deeply moved by how Greater Manchester united in reaching into their pockets and sparing whatever they can to contribute to their fundraising target thus far – and they really are nearly at the finish line, which would mean safety for the genuinely life-saving service.
Fundamentally operated as a non-profit and volunteer-led charity, they naturally don’t have the means to just take over a new space on their own and with the current site set to be demolished very soon, a minimum of £200k is needed to find and fund a new location.
Having amassed over 90% of the amount needed, they’ve already bought themselves extra time, they just need one last push from us.
Urging people to donate what they can and share their fundraiser where possible, as well as welcoming corporate sponsorships should other local businesses wish to back them or get stuck through volunteering days, time is of the essence.
The Little Green Sock Project was only started back in 2022 and has already supported over 1,300 children, redistributing more than £240,000 worth of essential items like clothing, cots, prams, and stair gates to local families, as well as saving 20 tonnes of items from landfills.
It’s no exaggeration to say that they’ve changed and saved lives, both parents and children, and with the often difficult festive period approaching, their work is needed now more than ever.
There are just under a dozen baby banks in all of Greater Manchester, many of which are facing similar pressures. (Credit: Supplied)
Speaking on their efforts and the fundraiser, founder Catherine D’Albertanson said: “We believe that essentials needed for the health and wellbeing of children should not only be for those that can afford them. Our work ensures that no child in our community goes without essentials, but without new premises, we will have no choice but to close.”
Moreover, Little Green Sock Project is the only baby bank in the Trafford area and of the families it serves, 58% are single-parent households already struggling with the cost of raising children, while 29% are fleeing domestic abuse, often leaving their belongings behind to protect their family.
With their circular economy model, they also help reduce waste whilst providing “a trusted link between the families that have items to give, to those that need them the most”, with D’Albertanson adding, “If we lose this charity, we lose a vital safety net for many in our community.”
A service user commented: “It was a truly terrifying time when I was pregnant with my first child. I found myself completely alone, with a baby on the way, wondering how I could possibly provide for my son.
“Then I found Little Green Sock Project, and everything changed. Everything was carefully chosen, colour-coordinated, and presented in such a thoughtful way. It felt so special—like someone truly cared about me and my baby. That feeling is indescribable, especially for someone in my position.
“There are so many people like me with stories like this. It breaks my heart to think that the Little Green Sock Project might have to close its doors. I can’t imagine what my life would have been like without your help, and I hope with all my heart that the community comes together to keep this lifeline alive.”
Manchester parents need this much-loved baby bank – let’s not let it fall away on our watch. (Credit: Andy Bate at Royal Foundation)
Every pound donated goes towards helping find the Little Green Sock Project a new home, but people can help contribute in other ways, once again, by spreading the word or getting their hands dirty in person.
Greater Manchester never fails to amaze when it rallies behind causes like this, and we’re sure you won’t let us down this time either. Let’s keep the lights on the lifelines for local families intact.
You can donate now, or to find out other ways to do your bit, click HERE.
Dolly Busby -
20th October 2021 
