There’s no end of impressive sights to be found around Greater Manchester, whether you’re into ravines that look like Lord of the Rings settings or incredible skyscrapers that tower over the city centre.
But there’s one particular hike in the Peak District that’s so impressive it will take your breath away (and we don’t just mean from the effort of walking uphill).
The Alport Castles walk takes in everything from geological formations to massive lakes to manmade structures.
One of which is the Derwent Dam, a massive structure that towers 34m overhead and is flanked by twin Victorian-Gothic towers at either end.
If you catch it when the water cascades over it, you’ll witness a spectacle like no other.
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Building the dam in the early 1900s was such an intense and laborious process that an entire town was built here to house the 1000-odd workers involved in its construction.
A specially created railway was also built to bring the enormous stones it’s made from to the valley from the Bole Hill quarries.
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But as well as being a mighty sight to behold, the Derwent Dam holds historical significance from the purpose it served during World War Two.
The 617 Squadron used the dam to practice their low-level flying, in preparation for the Dam Busters raid against the Germans. The dam has a lot of similarity to the German dams and is now adorned with a commemorative plaque.
The view from the top of Derwent Dam from the Alport Castles walk. Credit: GetLostMCRThe Alport Castles route includes beautiful woodland. Credit: GetLostMCRAlport Castles in the Peak District. Credit: GetLost MCR
Occasionally, legendary planes like the Lancaster Bomber will still fly overhead to mark the work of the 617 Squadron.
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The dam stands at one end of the Derwent Reservoir and was constructed to keep up with the huge demand for water from the booming industries in Sheffield, Nottingham and Leicester.
There’s so much water in this part of the Peak District, it’s been referred to as the Lake District of the Peaks.
If you’re eager to get out for some brisk winter fresh air, our pal GetLostMCR has pulled together the most perfect walk, which takes in lakes, views, woodland, and that iconic dam.
The nine mile route is named after Alport Castles, another feature you’ll pass on your way round.
It’s not actually a castle, but rather a tumble of boulders caused by what’s said to be the largest landslip in Britain – it doesn’t take much imagination to see how this geological feature resembles a castle.
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GetLostMCR’s circular route starts at Fairholmes Car Park and Visitor Centre and you’ll get to visit the best of Derwent Reservoir, Derwent Valley Woodlands, Rowlee Pasture and Alport Castles.
The good-to-knows
Car Parks
The route starts at Fairholmes Car Park. The car park does fill up quickly on weekends, so advice is to visit off-peak where possible.
Start: Fairholmes Car Park, Bamford, Hope Valley, S33 0AQ
Toilet facilities at Fairholmes Visitor Centre
Bicycle Hire – Derwent Valley is a great place to explore cycling trails
Cafes
There’s a refreshment kiosk at the car park, which is open everyday 8am until 6pm (later if there is demand), selling takeaway drinks, snacks and hot food.
Pubs
Ladybower Inn (7 min drive from visitor centre)
Yorkshire Bridge Inn (8 min drive from visitor centre)
Inside Soho House Manchester as rooftop pool finally opens
Daisy Jackson
Soho House Manchester finally opened its doors to members late last year – but there’s still more to come.
The exclusive members’ club, which costs from £2,400 per year to access, faced several years’ worth of unavoidable delays as it transformed the old Granada Studios.
And even now that members can finally visit the space for networking, dinner and drinks, events, and working, Soho House isn’t actually finished.
Instead, the hotly-anticipated venue is opening in phases – the latest of which is that beautiful rooftop pool, with views overlooking the city from the top of the former television studio.
New images taken inside Soho House Manchester show several of the completed spaces, from lounges with beautiful natural light flooding through skylights, to stylish candlelit dining rooms, to gorgeous bedrooms.
In keeping with the building’s history, the Soho House design team have stuck with a premium mid-century interior, including terrazzo flooring and warm wood details, muted green and orange colour palettes, and chrome furniture.
Have a look inside Soho House Manchester:
Soho House Manchester is now open. Credit: SuppliedBeautiful interiors. Credit: SuppliedA bar space. Credit: Edvina BruzasRestaurant spaces. Credit: Edvina BruzasDetails of Soho House Manchester. Credit: Edvina BruzasMid-century details at Soho House Manchester. Credit: Edvina BruzasInside Soho House in Manchester. Credit: Edvinas BruzasNew spaces are still opening. Credit: Edvinas BruzasThere are 22 bedrooms inside. Credit: Harry Crowder
There are now 22 beautiful bedrooms up on the sixth floor, exclusively available to Soho House Members, which carry on the 1950s heritage design.
As the build continues, members will soon have access to a Soho Health Club with a gym, reformer Pilates studio, smoothie bar, and infrared sauna and steam room.
Every Soho House has a strict no-photos policy to protect to privacy of members – which means unless you fancy forking out £333.33 a month, you might never see inside it beyond the club’s official photography.
The cosy Peak District pub serving a pick’n’mix sausage and mash menu
Daisy Jackson
There’s a Peak District pub that’s turned one of Britain’s most beloved comfort foods into a full-on pick’n’mix.
Tucked away in the postcard-perfect village of Castleton, Ye Olde Nags Head is serving up a fully customisable menu of sausage and mash dishes.
We’re talking near-endless combinations of proper pub grub.
You start by choosing your sausages from a daily rotating selection (not a sentence you hear every day, but we’re into it).
Expect classics like Cumberland alongside more adventurous options like venison and mustard, or even wild boar and orange, plus a veggie sausage daily.
Then it’s onto the mash – you can go for flavours like cheese and onion, wholegrain mustard, or even black pudding mash.
Classic cumberland, mustard mash, and mushroom sauceVeggie sausage with cheese and onion mash and classic gravyTucking in
To finish? A choice of rich, hearty gravies and sauces to bring it all together, whether that’s a classic onion gravy, a peppercorn sauce, or a creamy wild mushroom sauce.
And if that wasn’t enough, you can even upgrade your bangers and mash pick’n’mix by having it all served inside a giant Yorkshire pudding.
Ye Olde Nags Head is a historic 17th-century pub, with a roaring fire in every room and cosy bedrooms upstairs.
Inside Ye Olde Nags Head pub in the Peak DistrictYe Olde Nags Head pub is near Mam Tor
It’s one of those flagstone-floored, beamed-ceilinged, mismatched-furniture type pubs that welcomes everyone in every state, whether you’re caked in mud from a hike or popping in on a coach tour.
Another of the pub’s specialties is the Derbyshire Breakfast, a hearty plate of sausage, smoked bacon, black pudding, free range egg, grilled tomatoes, field mushrooms, baked beans and fried bread.
The pub also offers takeaway breakfast butties, so you can use it for both a pre-hike stop and a post-hike pint.
Given it’s just minutes from the ever-popular Mam Tor hike, this is one pub you’ll definitely want to add to your next Peak District day out itinerary.
Daisy Jackson -
26th November 2023 
