I travel to Manchester for work purposes a few times a year, but it never occurred to me to take advantage of it and explore Peak District… until last month! One evening, after a day spent in the office, I jumped on a train to Edale and enjoyed a quick evening hike. It was the end of June, so days were pretty much the longest they can be – my 3 hour post-work hike barely even caught the golden hour! Even though I only travelled from Manchester, a hike in the Peak District is perfectly viable on a day trip from London. I will be going back to the Peak District soon!

Getting to Edale

One of the great things about Peak District, which I only discovered a few weeks ago, is that it’s quite easily accessible by train. The train line connecting Manchester with Sheffield cuts through Peak District, and there are several stations where you can get off the train and immediately start a hike. One of such stations is Edale.

From Manchester or Sheffield, you can jump on a direct train to Edale. From London, you need to first get to Manchester or Sheffield, and then take a train to Edale. That journey will probably take just over 3 hours. It’s fairly long, but if you catch an early train, you’ll still have many hours for a hike left in the day.

Starting the hike in Edale

Once I got off the train and left the station, I headed north, towards Mary’s Lane. Walking past a pub, a church, a cafe, and another pub, I got to the start of the trails. That’s a lot of potential post-hike spots for a small village! It was already around 6:45pm, and I didn’t have time for a break. I turned left and walked into the countryside. In just a few minutes, I was walking through a field with grazing sheep. And there aren’t many other places I’d rather be, to be honest.

I walked through a couple of gates, and the path immediately got steep. It was a bit of a climb! After a day of sitting down in an office chair, it was exactly what I needed.

Enjoying the views from the hills

The great thing about a hiking route that’s steep from the get go is that you’re rewarded with great views early in the trek. Once I finished that first ascent, I could already enjoy the fantastic views of rolling hills. I had never been to Peak District before, and I didn’t really know what to expect. I was in awe! I thought about the contrast between being in a crowded office in the heart of Manchester just a few hours before, and standing on top of a hill in Peak District, without a soul in sight. I know which of the two I prefer!

I didn’t have a specific goal in mind for that hike. I had a strict time constraint, as I needed to catch the last train back to Manchester. I decided to just explore the trails until the half-time mark of my time budget, and then turn back and return to the station. I could see Kinder Scout on the horizon, one of the most popular peaks in the area, but I decided to go in a slightly different direction.

Exploring the Woolpacks

Earlier in the day, before my hike, I had a look at Google Maps to find any intriguing places or viewpoints. I spotted one that seemed achievable within a short walk from Edale – the Woolpacks. Judging by the photos posted by people on Google Maps, it seemed to be some unique rock formations.

That’s where I aimed to get to, and after a short walk along the top of the hill, enjoying the views of nearby peaks and crossing a small stream, I reached my destination. I expected to see one group of strange rocks, but I was blown away to discover that there were plenty. The rock formations stretched as far as I could see!

It was quite windy out there, but I didn’t mind at all: the views were simply incredible. Visibility was great that day too, so I was able to see lots of other hills regardless of where I looked. Quite a contrast compared to the dense fog I encountered at the top of Helvellyn in Lake District! I wished I could stay for a few more hours to explore more of the nearby peaks, but it was time to head back to Edale train station.

Back to Edale train station

Unfortunately, I had to catch the last reasonable train to Manchester. I walked back via the same route, soaking in the views as much as I could. Towards the end of my descent, golden hour was setting in, making the views even more magical.

At that point, I felt like a genius for coming up with this idea of an evening hike. That’s a great use of free will, if you ask me! Equally, I felt silly for never doing it before during my trips to Manchester. Realistically, a post-work hike is only feasible during the summer, when days are long. If you happen to live near Peak District – ideally, near the train line between Manchester and Sheffield – why not do a quick evening weekday hike some day?

I got back to Edale train station around 9:30pm, with around 15 minutes to spare. I thought I had enough time to pop to the toilets located at the nearby car park, but those turned out to be open until 5pm or so. Oh well, never mind. My return train was around 15 minutes late, but I didn’t mind. I could see the nearby hills while waiting at the platform, and I could hear the sheep. It was a peaceful and relaxing wait. I got back to Manchester around 10:45pm. Yes, I had to get up early for work the next day, but it was entirely worth it. A perfect evening, if you ask me!

Summary of the hike

My quick evening hike near Edale in Peak District took me 3 hours and 5 minutes. It was 10.3 km long, with 545m elevation gain. It was perfect for a short evening trip, but you could easily wander around the nearby hills for hours, if not days! If you fancy a nice hike with a bit of elevation gain and great views, Peak District is a great place for it. Being accessible by train is a huge plus!

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