Featherbed Top

This broad, peat-covered plateau sits on the bleak moorland between Glossop and the Snake Pass. Typical of the Dark Peak’s high ground, it offers a wilderness experience characterized by deep hags and cotton grass, looking out across the Alport Valley towards the looming northern edges of Kinder Scout.

• •The name refers to the deep, saturated peat and the white tufts of cotton grass that cover the plateau; 'featherbed' is a traditional Peak District term for ground that looks deceptively soft but is actually a saturated bog.
• •It occupies a quiet corner of the moorland just west of the Pennine Way, offering a more solitary alternative to the busy paved path that carries walkers toward Mill Hill.
• •From the summit, the view south is dominated by the massive gritstone buttresses of Fairbrook Naze on Kinder Scout, while looking north-east reveals the wild, empty expanses of the Bleaklow plateau.
• •Despite the name suggesting a comfortable rest, a 'featherbed' in this part of Derbyshire is essentially a polite local term for a disguised peat trench.