A snowdrop is a snowdrop, surely? But no, there are hundreds of different varieties of these dainty bell-like white flowers and many can be seen at Alstonefield. Here picture postcard cottage gardens are full of them, while drifts of snowdrops edge the lanes and tracks leading down to the River Dove. Originally brought to Britain by the Romans, an infinite variety of bulbs has arisen through interbreeding. So pure white they may be, but they're actually very promiscuous!
LOCATION: Peak District, three miles south of Hartington
START: Alstonefield, car park by toilets or Memorial Hall
Grid ref: SK130555 Postcode: DE6 2FR
DISTANCE: 4 miles
GRADE: Moderate, but all ups and downs
TIME: 2.5 hours
MAP: Explorer OL - White Peak Landranger 119
REFRESHMENTS: The George, Polly's Cottage
EN ROUTE: Hope, Dale Bottom, Stanshope Hall, Milldale, Izaac Walton
This walk was originally published by
The Manchester Evening News