The Roaches and Peak District, Staffordshire

Like a gigantic mouthful of teeth chewing away at the Peak District, the tangled rock escarpment of The Roaches forms one of the most dramatic higher landscapes in Britain.

The Roaches, along with Hen Cloud and Ramshaw Rocks, form a gritstone escarpment that marks the southwestern edge of the Peak District. Best viewed from the approach along the Leek road, they stand as a line of silent sentinels guarding the entrance to the Peak District, worn and scuplted into fantastic shapes by the elements.

The area is one of rock and heather which once belonged to the Swythamley Estate. Following the break up of this estate, the area including the Roaches and Hen Cloud (some 975 acres) - was purchased in 1980 by the Peak District National Park Authority in order to protect this unique environment and guarantee access for the public.

Hen Cloud is an impressive, solitary edge that rises steeply from the ground. The Roaches have a gentler approach, and actually consist of two edges - lower and upper tiers - with a set of rock steps connecting them Built into the rocks of the lower tier is Rock Cottage, a tiny, primitive residence that was once home to the gamekeeper, now converted to a climbing but Below and to the west of the main edge is a line of small subsidiary edges known as the Five Clouds.

This area was once famous for its wallabies, which had been released from a private zoo at Swythamley during World War II, and had managed to breed and survive until the late 1990s, when the last individuals seem to have disappeared.

The entire area is a favourite spot with walkers and rock climbers, and the edges provide some of the best gritstone climbing in the country, with famous classic routes such as Valkyrie, the Sloth, and the Swan. In some ways, the locality has become a victim of its own popularity as it is very busy at weekends.