Howden Edge [High Stones]

About Howden Edge [High Stones]

Rising above the remote Upper Derwent Valley, this gritstone-capped high point marks the summit of Howden Edge. It is a place of wild, heather-clad moorland and weathered rock formations. The terrain is often peat-heavy and trackless, offering a stark, quiet contrast to the busier paths of nearby Kinder Scout.

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Did You Know?

• •High Stones holds the distinction of being the highest point within the city boundaries of Sheffield, located on the far western fringe of the metropolitan area.
• •The name 'Howden' likely derives from the Old English 'hol' and 'denu', meaning a deep, hollow valley, referring to the steep-sided troughs of the Upper Derwent lying below the edge.
• •The summit provides an excellent vantage point for viewing the 'Drowned Valley'—the sight of Howden and Derwent Reservoirs snaking through the hills, flanked by the dark pine plantations of the valley sides.
• •Looking north-west, the view is dominated by the desolate, sprawling mass of Bleaklow, while on exceptionally clear days, the distant cooling towers of the Trent Valley are visible to the east.
• •Reaching the summit usually involves a masterclass in 'grough-hopping'—the art of jumping between eroding peat hags without disappearing into the black, saturated sludge between them.