As my friend and I pause to reload our map of the Peak District and get our bearings, we meet the gaze of a seasoned hiker, his face lathered with suncream and his head covered by a sensible sunhat. He can see that we’re amateurs, and he’s keen to lend a hand. Within 15 minutes, the 91-year-old stranger named Brian has found us a scenic route through the ancient woodlands of Padley Gorge and shared tales of a childhood spent surrounded by this nature. The landscape has barely changed over the last century, he says, and it’s all the more beautiful as a result.
It’s the tail end of my long weekend in the Peaks. I spent Sunday night at the gorgeous Losehill House, a hotel and spa nestled in the picturesque Hope Valley. Before dinner that evening, co-owner Paul Roden, who runs the hotel with his wife, Kathryn, explained the historical significance of the building.
