Great British Railway Journeys: Michael visits the Peak District
Michael Portillo highlighted one of the most stunning areas of the UK which is just a 56 minute train journey from Manchester Picadilly on an episode of his BBC show Great British Train Journeys.
Travelling on the Hope Valley line, which is a trans-Pennine stopping service, he alighted at Edale which is the beginning of the Pennine Way, a 268 mile long walking trail which ends in the Scottish Borders.
The area is part of the Peak District National Park, which was the first national park in the UK and covers 555 square miles. It attracts 30 million visitors every year thanks in no small part to its accessibility by train.
Michael explained the history of the National Parks explaining they came about "at a time where the urban working class needed an escape from cities that were smoky and smoggy".
In 1951 the Peak District became the first area in the United Kingdom to be designated a National Park and today it is looked after by a dedicated team of rangers.
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Edale, where Michael stopped to enjoy a hike, is a tiny village whose population was listed as just 353 in the 2011 Census.
For those who would rather while away their time than hike, the village has two popular pubs, a café and a local shop.
If you don't want to commit to an epic hike but still want to enjoy the Peak District, Edale has a circular trail which is a mere 5.6 km.
It is generally considered an easy route for even the most amateur of hikers and can be completed in around 90 minutes.
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Since it marks the start of the Pennine Way and is also a stopping point for the train it is a very popular area and gets extremely busy.
It is a well known area for camping, hiking, and running. Indeed there are two camping sites in Edale as well as others in outlying "booths".
Michael was joined for his hike by Rhiane Fatinikun who is the founder of Black Girls Hike, a group providing a safe space for black women to explore the countryside.
She described Edale as, "one of the more accessible national parks, because you can get the train all the way from Manchester to Sheffield, and it goes all the way through the park and starts at all the villages".
