Outer Edge

About Outer Edge

Tucked away in the northern reaches of the Dark Peak, this remote gritstone summit offers a sense of isolation rarely found so close to Sheffield. The approach across the high moors involves navigating peat hags and heather, rewarding walkers with wide views across the Upper Derwent Valley and the distant Kinder plateau.

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Did You Know?

• •The name refers to its position on the northernmost fringe of the high Howden Moors, where the gritstone plateau finally begins its descent toward the lower valleys of South Yorkshire.
• •The summit is often visited alongside Margery Hill, which sits just over a kilometre to the south; together they form a high-level boundary line that historically separated the monastic lands of the Derwent Valley from the surrounding hunting forests.
• •From the top, you can look directly down the length of the Upper Derwent Valley to see the waters of Howden Reservoir, while the massive, brooding bulk of Bleaklow dominates the western horizon across the headwaters of the River Derwent.
• •This area is one of the best places in the Peak District to spot mountain hares, which were reintroduced to the Pennines in the 19th century and thrive in the remote heather and peat hags of the high edges.
• •Navigation on the plateau is often less about following a compass and more about choosing which particular black, waist-deep peat trench looks the least likely to claim your walking boots.