Willow Wood Hospice is inviting people to step out for a brilliant walking challenge next month to help raise vital funds.

The walking challenge offers the opportunity to step out along the iconic Great Ridge Walk, and will appeal as much to individuals as groups from organisations or businesses.

The dramatic skyline of the Great Ridge walk connects the summits of Lose Hill and Mam Tor in Derbyshire’s Hope Valley.Separating the gritstone edges of the Dark Peak from the lighter lime stone of the White Peak, the ridge walk offers near panoramic views across the Peak District.

The Willow Wood fundraiser will be led by a professional guide who will share a wealth of knowledge throughout the day. Repair work just a few years ago involved using flagstones reclaimed from a local mill, originally built from stone taken from the moors, in a circular tale that sees these same flagstones from the mills now nestled atop the hills.

With views over to Kinder Scout, the flagstones laid along the Great Ridge now pave the way for hundreds of thousands of visitors every
year to enjoy sweeping views over the Peak District National Park. The Willow Wood fundraising walk will start in Castleton via Cave Dale - an impressive narrow limestone valley. After a gradual ascent via Windy Knoll you reach the summit of Mam Tor, a hill fort with stunning views across the Dark Peak, Kinder Scout and the Derwent moors.

The views are maintained as you walk along the ridge of Hollins Cross, Back Tor and on to Lose Hill. Here you can look back to view and celebrate the whole of the walk. A gradual descent returns you to Castleton to enjoy some well earned refreshment. Walk highlights include Mam Tor, Peveril Castle and Castleton. Mam Tor is a place of ancient civilisation, with evidence of occupation from around 1200 BC. The summit
is surrounded by two well-preserved ancient hill forts, one dating from the late Bronze Age and the other from the early Iron Age.

This makes Mam Tor the site of one of the earliest hill forts in Britain and also one of the largest, covering an area of around 16 acres. The imposing ruins of Peveril Castle stand high above the pretty village of Castleton. Mentioned in the Domesday survey, the castle is one of England’s earliest Norman fortresses. The keep was built by Henry II in 1176. Castleton is a beautiful village situated at the head of the Hope Valley in the heart of the Peak District National Park.

It is popular for its show caves, history, shops, Christmas lights, garland ceremony, Winnats Pass, Cave Dale and for those wishing to walk
on the numerous footpaths in the area. To take part costs £20 with the hospice hoping participants will be sponsored or fundraise further to
help raise as much money as possible for Willow Wood.

The hospice provides specialist palliative care for patients with life limiting illnesses across Tameside and Glossop, plus a wealth of support services for patients and families.

It celebrates its 25th anniversary next year, but must raise more than £2.8m each year to continue to maintain those services and relies entirely on the generosity of the community.