Curbar Gap, A Place I Love

Very often, when I was into fitness a long time ago, I would drive for 20 minutes to a beautiful place in the Peak District called Curbar Gap.

Here it is:



As you can see, the views are outstanding. The terrain is rocky, washed and kissed by nature’s elements. During the day, the several miles of jagged rocks are awash with tourists, but as dusk falls over the landscape, it’s a place of peace and serenity. As day is breaking, it seems like it’s a part of the world that the ravages of time and modernity forgot to touch.

So, long ago, when I woke up before dawn, I’d drive up there, quietly park near the bottom of the cliffs, put my running shoes on and climb to the top before starting a gentle run, leaping over chasms and pausing every now and then to soak up the sheer solitude I felt.

I would run for an hour then sit on top of a Peak to simply listen and watch. On a couple of occasions a mountain goat would break the silence with a bleep and a bahhh.

When I met the woman who became my wife, we would take the kids up there and picnic frequently. They fell in love with the place just as much as I did.

At the moment, we don’t seem able to find the time to go back up there but I have no doubt that when we do, we’ll find it unchanged and just as peaceful as it was the first day I came across it.

Long Live Curbar Gap