Axe Edge

About Axe Edge

Rising above the spa town of Buxton, this sprawling gritstone plateau forms a wild, peat-covered divide in the White Peak's northern fringe. Renowned as a hydrological hub, its weather-beaten slopes give birth to five major rivers, offering rough, pathless terrain that rewards walkers with a true sense of high-moor isolation.

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Did You Know?

• •The name refers to the prominent southeastern escarpment; 'edge' is the standard Peak District term for a gritstone outcrop, while 'axe' describes the sharp, linear profile of the ridge when seen from the Dove valley.
• •This moor serves as a major watershed, acting as the source for five significant rivers: the Dove, Manifold, Dane, Wye, and Goyt, which eventually flow toward both the Irish Sea and the North Sea.
• •On the southwestern flank lies Three Shire Heads, where the counties of Derbyshire, Staffordshire, and Cheshire meet at a scenic packhorse bridge over the River Dane.
• •The moor is home to the former Cat and Fiddle Inn; situated at 515 metres, it was long famous as England’s second-highest public house before being converted into a high-altitude distillery.
• •Looking west from the summit, walkers have a clear view across the Goyt Valley to the gritstone ridge of Shining Tor, while the distinctive profile of Shutlingsloe, often called the 'Cheshire Matterhorn', is visible to the southwest.
• •The ground is notoriously boggy even in dry spells, ensuring that while the moor technically feeds five rivers, most walkers will feel as though they are wading through a sixth.