5 of the best Peak District views for landscape photography

Will this Peak District view make it into the list?

The Peak District has fantastic views throughout its 540+ square miles. It is an area for iconic landscape photography and whilst it would be nigh on impossible to list every single fantastic Peak District view in this one blog post, it is possible to give you my opinion on 5 of the best for landscape photography. And I say ‘best’ Peak District views because these are 5 views of the Peak District that any landscape photographer that is visiting the Peak District would definitely want to take in, they aren’t the only great views though and they’re listed in no particular order.

1. Monsal Head

Monsal Dale and the Headstone Viaduct

Monsal Head overlooks Monsal Dale. Located in Derbyshire, it sits in an area of the Peak District known as the white peak. A site of special scientific interest, the area has fantastic views from several vantage points.

Running through the dale is the River Wye and the walks along the river and under the looming Headstone Viaduct are well worth exploring, there’s even a small waterfall to photograph from the banks if you wish.

Of course, it is also well worth taking in the views from on the Headstone Viaduct itself. This imposing viaduct now forms part of the Monsal Trail, which is a traffic free, cycle horse and walking trail. The viaduct itself was built circa 1865 to carry a railway line which linked the cities of Manchester and London.

Monsal Head is easily accessible by car and has visitor facilities including car parks, toilets, guest houses, hotel, pub, cafes and a gift shop…..all this does mean that it can get very busy, especially during the summer season.

The recommended view, as seen in the accompanying photograph, is from Monsal Head overlooking the Monsal Dale with the River Wye and Headstone Viaduct both visible within the landscape. This great Peak District landscape photography view can be found here: MONSAL HEAD - GOOGLE MAPS

2. The Roaches

The view from The Roaches, overlooking Hen Cloud and Tittesworth Reservoir

The Roaches takes it’s name from the French Les Roches - The Rocks. Situated in Staffordshire, The Roaches rise 505 metres above sea level. Ironic then that The Roaches were formed under the water. Once a coral reef, the rocks formed over 350 million years ago when sand and grit were compressed over the reef. Now high above the surrounding land, The Roaches offer some of the best Peak District views, especially for landscape photographers.

In clear conditions, it is possible to see over into the county of Cheshire and even as far as Snowdon in Wales from atop The Roaches. Whilst nearby in Staffordshire, you will be able to pick out Jodrell Bank and it’s huge telescope.

The view I’ve picked is from the upper-middle tier of The Roaches looking out over Hen Cloud and Tittesworth Reservoir. It is an iconic view from this part of the Peak District, and deservingly so. There are plenty of other fabulous views to be had from The Roaches but for a pure vista, with foreground, middle ground and background, this one in hard to beat.

The Roaches is easily accessible by car and the best parking for the view can be found here: THE ROACHES - GOOGLE MAPS

3. Higger Tor

A lesser known Peak District view, but Higger Tor is fabulous for photography nevertheless

Higger Tor offers a fabulous Peak District view, perfect for landscape photography. With foreground aplenty, and panoramic views, what’s not to like?! Plus, bonus, it is actually really accessible by car too, only five minutes walk from roadside.

Situated towards the north of the Peak District, Higger Tor is a large gritstone formation which towers above the Iron Age fort of Carl Wark, hence the name Higger Tor, which translates in modern English as Higher Hill.

Despite being easily accessible for most walkers, there are views for miles around. You can take in Hope Valley, Stanage Edge, Burbage Valley and Surprise View from Higger Tor. And to compliment the background, it’s prominent grey gritstone is perfect to frame up some interesting foreground subject matter too.

There is limited parking to access Higger Tor, the location for parking I have given below will only really fit four or five cars at best. There is more ample parking not too far away though at Stanage Edge. This will only add around 10-15 minutes walk, plus Stanage Edge itself is a fantastic place to photograph from too, so why not double up and do both.

The view I’m touting as one of the best is over Carl Warks using the famed ‘Kit-Kat Stones’ as foreground. These can be found towards the South-West of the plateau.

You can find the best place to park for Higger Tor here: HIGGER TOR - GOOGLE MAPS

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4. Chrome Hill

The view from Chrome Hill at sunrise is spectacular

It would be difficult to write a blog post about the 5 best views in the Peak District for Landscape Photography without including our last two. So I make no apologies for doing just that!

It could be said of the Peak District that there are actually very few peaks. A visit to to the Dragons Back aka Parkhouse and Chrome Hill in Derbyshire will put that right though. The line of pinnacles that these hills form really does resemble the spine of a stegosaurus dinosaur, although I’m not sure how the resemblance to a dinosaur lands it with the name of a mythical creature, but we digress!

There are a couple of routes that could take you to these hills. The most popular route, and the one I recommend, takes you from the quaint village of Earl Sterndale across Hitter Hill, itself offering a fantastic view of both of the peaks. From there you can either traverse Parkhouse Hill (by far the steeper or the two climbs….and a little treacherous on the way down) or walk along the base of it to find the climb up Chrome Hill. And it is about half way up Chrome Hill that you will find this fantastic Peak District view. An iconic one amongst Landscape Photographers, this view can be captured throughout the seasons, in a variety of ways.

With fantastic views down the Dove Valley, the view from Chrome Hill looking over Parkhouse is a truly spectacular vista that yes, requires some effort and excursion, but offers a great reward for doing so. The walk from Earl Sterndale across Hitter Hill and then up the either or both hills is not simple and will require good quality, sturdy footwear. If you aren’t overly confident in your hiking ability, then not to worry, as I mentioned above, the view from Hitter Hill can be spectacular in itself.

But, this iconic view from Chrome Hill over Parkhouse Hill is truly one to behold if you can.

Parking up in Earl Sterndale and make your way up Hitter Hill behind the Quiet Woman Inn (you’ll see a public access gateway to the right as you walk towards the front of the Inn, go through and turn left to head up the hill), once you are at the top of Hitter Hill over the stile with the warning signs about old mine shafts, turn right to take in the view of Parkhouse and Chrome Hill before heading down the pathway to the roadside and either up or around Parkhouse Hill to get to Chrome Hill. The walk to the base of Parkhouse will take around 20 minutes if you park here: EARL STERNDALE - GOOGLE MAPS

5. The Great Ridge

Without doubt the most popular location in the Peak District National Park. Mam Tor has been nicknamed ‘Blackpool of the Peaks’. This is a reference to the popular seaside town on the North West coast of England (itself nicknamed England’s Las Vegas). And to be fair, it’s a pretty accurate nickname. Go here on a weekend and it will be very busy, no doubt about it. Even during the week, you will often find the car park full of cars. I have never been and not seen other cars already there, and I usually go for sunrise during the week!

The reason, of course, for its popularity, lies within the views. Truly spectacular vistas roll out in front of you as you reach towards the summit of Mam Tor. And whilst the climb up Mam Tor is steep, it is relatively short.

Once you’ve taken in those views from the summit of Mam Tor though, it's time to head down what has become known as the Great Ridge, the pathway between Mam Tor and Back Tor. About half way along this path between the two hills you will find the famed Great Ridge gate. And it’s from here that this view can be best captured.

Whether you use the gate as foreground interest is your call on the day. I have taken the shot from both sides of the gate, using it in the foreground or heading through and taking the shot, as seen above, for the other side of the gate. The pathway and fence make for beautiful leading lines and with the right weather conditions, light up beautiful as the sun rises above the horizon.

You don’t always need clear skies for this view though as you can grab some fantastic moody shots in bad weather…..just make sure you are dressed for the occasion as it can get bitter.

You can find parking with good route signage here: MAM TOR - GOOGLE MAPS

I do hope this was useful and whichever location you decide to visit with your camera, I hope you get some amazing shots.

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Landscape Photography into 2023 and Beyond

The beautiful view from midway up Chrome Hill in the Peak District National Park - my first shoot of 2022

Hello again, it’s been a few months since I last wrote. I hope that you rounded off 2022 with some amazing landscape photography.

Like I’m sure many of us do, as 2022 drew to a close, I found myself taking a retrospective look at my landscape photography from the previous twelve months.

2022 had got off to a flyer in many respects. My first shoot of the year atop Chrome Hill in the Peak District National Park was a beautiful morning. It was cold but clear other than some lovely haze covering the sun as it rose. This really aided a beautiful winters morning glow over Parkhouse Hill and the River Dove valley.

And then, the following week it was off up to the Lake District to run a one-to-one landscape photography workshop for a client at Tarn Hows (on an aside, I was very chuffed to see that said client has recently been awarded a ‘Highly Merited by the Judges’ award in a landscape photography competition - well done!). The year was well under way for Landscape Photography.

I adore this view, even when you can’t really see through the mist - Tarn Hows in the Lake District National Park

At the start of the year I had made a list of just a few (five in actual fact) locations I wanted to visit in the first half of 2022. There were four in the Lake District and one in the Peak District. By June, I had ticked off all but one. On the completed list were Hallin Fell over Ullswater; Kelly Hall Tarn near Coniston Water; the duo of Derwentwater and Latrigg Fell in Keswick; and Higger Tor in the Peak District were all ticked off. This left me with only Side Pike in the Langdale Valley to go, plus some other locations I had recce’d during the early months of the year. Added to the list for late summer and autumn were Watendlath Tarn; Aira Force Waterfall; a return to Wastwater; and a hike up High Street over Haweswater.

However, having been to the Lake District half a dozen times in the first six months of the year, I only made it to the Lake District once in the second half of the year. Even that was on a very wet day in October when conditions for Landscape Photography were just not in my favour. The day itself had been chosen due to having a morning shoot for a restaurant in Lancashire. Already half way to the Lake District with a free afternoon, despite the weather not looking great, I decided it was time to venture up to Blea Tarn and Side Pike. The conditions had other ideas though. On arrival I found the visibility down to nothing and a very wet mountain climb. Sanity prevailed and I decided that it really wasn’t the day for this landscape photographer.

The view from Hallin Fell looking out over Ullswater towards the snow capped Helvellyn in Spring

The beautiful Kelly Hall Tarn in the Lake District National Park. I almost missed this shot completely as I didn't think the cloud would break

The main reason for my lack of activity in the Lake District in the second half of the year was very simple. The cost of living crisis in the UK. What had always been a fuel bill of around £22-£25 to do the return trip to Cumbria was now well over £40. And it wasn't just the cost of fuel. Everything had gone up in price. As a professional photographer I was feeling the pinch. Clients began to cut back on shoots and there was no real opportunity for me to up my prices. This meant having to take on more clients (and being able to do that is something I’m very grateful for) and do more work.

The four hour round trip to the Lake District was not only costly in monetary terms, but costly on time, of which I now had less spare. It was an easy decision to make. The second half of the year would see more Landscape Photography for me in The Peak District. Quite simply, from my home in South Manchester, the Peak District is half the travelling time and a third of the distance. A literal saving of time and money vs trips to the Lake District.

The Millennium Stone at Derwentwater which celebrates 100 years of the National Trust. This was one of my spring shoots in the Lake District in 2022

It’s still Derwent, but it’s a Dam site closer! Derwent Dam in the Peak District

Not that the Peak District was ever second choice. The Peak District National Park is awe inspiring for a Landscape Photographer and has absolutely loads to offer in terms of subject matter. I do like my seclusion though and, whilst I love the Peak District, I have always felt a little more ‘away from it all’ in the Lake District. I’ll be back there in 2023 for sure, although I’m getting ahead of myself there.

A very windy and cold sunrise on Higger Tor in the Peak District National Park. This formation of rocks overlooking Carl Warks is nicknamed the Kit Kat stones

The truth of the matter is that I did far less landscape photography in the second half of the year than the first. There is no doubt that I lost some of my mojo for it. I love the adventure of landscape photography as much as the actual photography itself. Going somewhere I’ve never been before. Exploring and finding a view point that makes me go wow! That’s the part I love, far more so than pressing the shutter on my camera.

But, with all of the extra workload I was carrying; commercial shoots, family photography, wedding photography, brand shoots etc, it was all beginning to weigh me down. I didn’t feel like I had time to do landscape photography the way I like to. And so each shoot became a time saving exercise. Planned out locations, shots picked before I got there. Working late into the evening the night before and getting up for sunrise, surviving on a few hours sleep. None of it was motivating me to get out. And I wasn’t getting out. Not as much as I had been anyway.

The Roaches in the Peak District National Park. Truly one of my favourite landscape photography locations. I saw it an awful lot though in the second half of 2022

Of course, these are not real problems in the real world. Poor photographer, having to chose one national park over the other. It’s a non-problem. And, with all the above being said, I did have some fabulous moments out and about in the second half of the year. Plus, I ticked off a location, and a shot, that had been a couple of years in the mind. So it wasn’t all that bad, just perhaps not what I had planned in my head as 2022 started. First world problems indeed!

In early Autumn I finally caught a cloud inversion up on Mam Tor over the Hope Valley. Whilst I didn’t actually got any great shots, the experience of seeing it happen first hand was more than fantastic and that in itself was enough. Of course, I created some images, but upon review, they didn't really do justice to the magnificence of the view.

One of my better shots from the morning on Mam Tor. I blame the cloud inversion for being too distracting!

A couple of weeks later and a shot that I had been wanting to take for a long time. I had seen a stretch of woodland way back around the end of 2020/start of 2021 on a walking group. Nothing particularly special. But it had stuck with me and I was determined to go there and try to capture the shot I could imagine.

So, on one of my more motivated mornings. I headed to the location, in a part of the Peak District that I had never been before. A location that isn’t/wasn’t (I had barely seen anything about it until I went, now everybody seems to be going there….coincidence?!?!) too well known and not overly publicised, researching it had been tricky.

Driving up I had that real feel of adventure and was really excited to get out of the car, strap on my pack, stock up on water and start the trek through what I imagined to be overgrown woods, in search of a hidden stretch of woodland path. The reality was a little different. Out of the car, I headed to the little gate at the side of the road, and found it within about two minutes. So no real adventure, but the shot I had in my minds eye for well over a year was finally in front of me. Fantasy Forest.

‘Fantasy Forest’. Upper Moor near Matlock

It is through this kind of retrospective view that I start to realise that it wasn’t a bad year for my landscape photography after all. Sure, it wasn't how I thought it was going to be, I definitely missed my monthly adventures in the Lake District. But I am looking now at some of these shots and thinking, yeah, you did alright. And the year wasn’t quite over yet, there were still a couple more shoots to get out and do. And it was about time I revisited a certain North Wales lighthouse.

Talacre Beach is home to the Point of Ayr Lighthouse or simply Talacre Lighthouse. Decommissioned but still looking over the bay.

So what are my plans for 2023. Well it’s my aim to hit the Lake District a few times this year. We’ll see how things pan out with that. But I am approaching the new year with a new vigour. I am excited to start to do some different things. I have been interested for some time in exposure manipulation in camera and spent a lot of time in the later part of 2022 practicing this technique. Finally I managed to create something worth sharing whilst visiting the above lighthouse for a second time in December. It’s a work in progress but I’m really excited by it and think it will form a couple of projects to work on for the coming year. The below images should give you an idea - although neither of them are fully formed yet. Still a lot of work to be done on my technique for both.

An image that was inspired by being uninspired. Location boredom can sometimes produce something a little different. The Barn on The Roaches

In camera exposure manipulation is a genre of photography I want to explore further in 2023

Plus, I’m becoming really interested in photography at night. Not of the skies above, but of the landscape under the cover of darkness, so I’m hoping to do a few shoots in the landscape under nothing but the light of the moon.

As I review 2022, I hit upon the realisation that I should not be waiting for the landscape to inspire my photography. Rather that I need to be capturing the landscape in a more inspired and unique way. There is beauty where you find it. And, for me, I think I will start to look rather differently at each landscape in 2023. It’s time to let my creative spirit out. To stop being safe with my photography. It is time for my landscape photography to have something to say.

Wishing you a very happy and prosperous New Year - here’s to all the photography adventures we will each experience in 2023.

Dave