THE FOOTNOTES
Every print from Marking The Wild comes with its own trail story, this is yours.
Here you’ll find sketches, route details, reflections from the walk, and a few extra notes I couldn’t quite fit on paper.
Think of it as a companion to the artwork; a small way to step into the moment with me, and maybe take the journey for yourself.
River Goyt: The Detour On A Hot Day
It was a hot day, the kind of heat that you wouldn’t expect from the British spring. Pika (the dog) and I were on a walk we know by heart, comforting, nostalgic but roasting to the point of exhaustion. But on this day we took a little detour that changed the shape of this place forever.
The River Goyt wasn’t supposed to be anything more than a passing feature, a new encounter that held no promises, but heat has a way of making water look different. And on this day, the river felt like it was calling from somewhere cooler.
The river isn’t grand, but it feels alive. Clear shallows flickering over stone. Small eddies gathering in corners. Sunlight reflecting off the surface in a golden hue. I slipped my boots off almost without thinking, toes landing on cool grit and smooth rock. The shock of it was immediate but the relief flowed over my feet soon after. Pika was splashing and chasing the current. It was a pause we hadn’t realised we needed.
How quickly a river can change things. One moment you’re hot and dusty, the next you’re standing ankle-deep in a river and even the air feels rinsed and new. A sudden, refreshing cut through the day. A wild stretch hidden inside something well known. You dry your feet on the warm grass, boots back on, shoulders lighter, the heat no longer pressing so close.The place transformed. That’s the thing about small discoveries: they recalibrate the familiar. The walk ahead is unchanged, yet better somehow; cooler in spirit, softened at the edges, anchored by the memory of water. Exactly the kind of escape that only reveals itself when you’re not looking for it. You carry the river with you for the rest of the day.
Waypoints Through The Wild
Start: Begin at the roadside, crossing a bridge over a confluence of water joining the Errwood Reservoir. Immediately take the steep path on your left and climb up into the woods.
Continue as the path veers left to a decent before you cross a brook which leads you into an opening. You’ll come to a larger track, turning right to a winding steep path back into the woods.
Follow this upwards as it brings you onto moorland covered in heather and mud. At the top take the left path along the ridge making a stop through a narrow gate to experience the view at Shinning Tor.
Return to the path and follow it south-east, down and then up again on a well trodden route.
At the end, take a right followed by a close left, down into Goyt Valley. Snake through woodland before emerging onto the road and following it down to a clear bridge crossing the River Goyt (don’t forget to have a paddle if it’s warm enough).
Continue on the other side of the bank following the stream current, before taking a left downward path and crossing the river again. A short section of road leads to another path on your right adjacent to the river.
Finish: Follow the path back towards the reservoir, crossing the road once more before a final right brings you back to the car park.
Sense The Scene
See: twisting roots by the water’s edge, light drifting through the trees, the vast views at Shinning Tor, the river tumbling through the land.
Hear: the softened hush of the woodland, the steady trickle of water over stone, the songs of the common Redstart
Smell: cool river air, dry earth, warm foliage lifting in the heat.
Feel: cold water around your ankles, smooth stones underfoot, warm grass as you dry off.
Taste: a hint of pine and damp moss on the air, a ‘99’ from the ice-cream van at the car park.
Practical Parts
Parking: A couple car parks in the area, we parked at Errwood Hall Parking, charges may apply.
Facilities: Very limited on route, the Cat & Fiddle Pub and Peak View Tea Rooms nearby, often ice-cream vans in the Errwood Car Park.
Hazards: Slippery rocks near the river, uneven ground and exposed roots, strong currents after rainfall, take care when entering the river. In rugged weather there are strong winds and sudden weather changes on the ridge, slippery flagstones and muddy sections in wet conditions, limited visibility in low cloud — keep to clear paths and be prepared with a map and appropriate layers.
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