MORE THAN JUST A WALK

THE PEAK DISTRICT AND ITS LANDSCAPES BECOME PLACES OF LEARNING BEYOND WALLS

If you enjoy being outdoors and amongst nature, the Peak District has some of the most stunning spaces in our local landscapes. Moving to Macclesfield in 2019 was an unknown, I didn’t know the area well. Insert a global pandemic and lockdown here, and I began discovering my new home through my feet. After spending 15 years in clinical practice as a Speech and Language Therapist, I found myself in amongst changes I never imagined after the birth of my first child. Here I am, almost five years later, clinical experience in one hand, lived in another, and a decision to change into a life as a home educating Mother. Whilst there’s much to reflect on and write about with that last sentence, for now what I’m writing through is my one constant during this evolving process; my local landscapes and what’s special about them.

As part of our monthly Meerbrook home education meet up, the idea of a newsletter had been passing around our minds. I was struck by the strong pull I felt to express the richness, the creativity, and beauty of learning beyond school. My creative offering is to share my tales of trails I’ve visited and have added essence to our home ed days. I walk the hills and moorlands surrounding Macclesfield most weeks with my son, they have been an evolving part of who we are as a family and what we wish to co-create together. I walk with friends, created a community walking group, and when I can have found the solitude in these spaces to be humbling, reflective, and regulating for my nervous system and sense of steadiness. I have decided to share a few routes with anyone that wishes to read this, in the hope that you can enjoy them in a way that is meaningful to you.

There are many things I would consider to be special about where we live in the Peak District, particularly the history of our landscapes, seasonal shifts and rhythms. That’s mostly what you’ll find on here, places to experience as you co-create learning alongside your child or children, moments of learning beyond walls. From Therapist to Home Educating Mother and lover of learning, walking began as a way to understand the shifts I was experiencing, yet it has become not just a hobby but a learning environment, culture, local history and a sense of belonging to the place, area and land we live by.

The first route I have chosen to share is a gentle walk that has much to offer - Soloman’s Temple, Buxton.

For those that have ever come along to one of my community group walks, we may have talked about my approach to navigation, how I adore storytelling and see this as a window into map reading. Map coordinates and navigation is a skill absolutely worth learning if you spend time out in wilder spaces, however, there are so many moments for learning, utterly rich in skills before we even need the numbers. I won’t be talking about navigation, instead offer a place to park, a point of interest, and for you to explore in your own way. After all, living a life of self-directed learning alongside our kids can be about discovery, noticing an interest and facilitating it. A direction of travel can help, yet flexibility along the way is where the magic I find lies.

This route, with 4 year old feet alongside took me around one hour.

LEARNING

It’s often believed that we can categorise learning into distinct skills and predictable goals, yet I have learned, the skills, levels, and connections made in any learning experience are too complex to reduce down. We can observe a child engaged in an activity and make an informed guess about what we believe they learned, yet ultimately that’s what it is, a best guess. Learning after all is not linear, despite many of our educational structures instilling. I have shifted focus from learning being a purely cognitive process, to a more encompassing social practice, it’s bi-directional through relationships and interactions, and peripheral through participation in our world. That being said, my “best guess” would be learnings around, creativity and imagination (we constructed a siege on a castle), sequencing, narrative, vocabulary, nature, seasons, weather, directional language, maths, gross motor skills, health, emotional regulation…the list could go on.

You will take this walk and experience it in your own way, taking from it unique pieces you notice, I’m most interested in how you experience it for yourself, without expectation to meet another person’s learning goal or pre-planned outcome. I would love to share a conversation with you at our new Meerbrook meet-up, what pulled your interest in? What moment might stay with you? Where your learning might want to take you next?

WHAT’S SPECIAL

The history of the site - https://poolescavern.co.uk/woodland-walks/solomons-temple/

The 360 degree view - https://buxtoncivicassociation.org.uk/panoramic-guide-view-solomons-temple/

Seasonal wild flower limestone meadow - https://buxtoncivicassociation.org.uk/refuge-wild-flowers-glades-grinlow/

Poole’s Cavern is close by - https://poolescavern.co.uk/

Linking an interest in knights and castles to a local site filled with imaginary play experiences.

ROUTE

PARKING

Grin Low Carpark, SK17 6UJ.

PRICE

Honesty box for payment, but was removed when I visited in January and therefore free of charge to park.

DURATION

1-2 hours

DIRECTION

1. From the carpark, look for The Gram Coffee, it’s a lovely little horse box owned by Zack. Do say hello and mention we shared this with you, he’s great. 2.Head towards the path to the right of Zack’s coffee horse box and continue to the top of the short hill where you meet a fence. 3. Turn left, weave through the rock faces. 4. Take a right through the gate and from here you can wander as you please to the top.

UNDERFOOT

Overall a gentle to moderate walk, covering flat ground and a moderate gradual hill. Following managed gravel trail and grassland. Limestone areas which can be very slippery when wet so do notice those and step with care.

I’ve also covered this with my son in a carrier or Uni-rider.

If you are interested in more Peak District ideas, I will be sharing them in the new and exciting Blue House Mag. You can also find me writing on my new website where you can subscribe to my blog.

In my attempt to maintain a healthy relationship with social media, I will send updates mostly via email, so if you are interested in staying in touch and hearing about my upcoming community walking group send me a quick email to kristy.louise.n@gmail.com.