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This route combines wild, unspoilt woodland, open moor full of archaeological relics, a gritstone tor, a hermits cave, and three lovely villages.
Route: Winster Cowley Knowl Stanton Moor Birchover Robin Hoods Stride Elton Winster
Start:
Winster. Park in the car park at the eastern end of the village.
Grid Reference 247 606
The Walk:
The village of Winster was established in ancient times. The Domesday Survey, commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1085, lists Winsterne, as a village of twenty dwellings. Although the architecture is of interest generally, it is the 16th Century Market Hall that is the real gem. The village expanded in the 18th Century as a result of the lead mining industry.
Not far into our walk, the ruin of an engine house at Cowley Knowl testifies to the areas industrial heritage. The section from Winster to Birchover follows paths through a stretch of unspoilt woodland, before climbing to Stanton Moor.
Here we see a total contrast in vegetation now mainly open heather moor with a scant covering of birch. The moor is littered with excavated Bronze Age burial mounds and we visit the stone circle known as Nine Ladies.
After circumnavigating the moor, our descent takes in the old quarry village of Birchover. We continue from here along a combination of tracks and field paths on the approach to the gritstone tor of Robin Hoods Stride. Cratcliffe Tor can be found nearby. At its foot, we find the Hermits Cave, notable for the 12th Century crucifix carved into the rock.
More field paths, a stroll down a quiet lane, then a short, sharp climb, lead us to Elton, an attractive village of stone cottages. We finish off by following the Limestone Way back to Winster.