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Just seen on the 1:25k OS map that the footpath along Cown Rocks and Coombes Edge has orange dots indicating it is officially a permissive cycle path - is that recent? is it any good? looks like its a better link than the official pennine bridleway route through there.
No idea if it's official but ride it both ways at least twice a week on my commute and have done for years with no hassle. If you are going up, the grass field can be a bit of a slog in the wet/wind but other than that it's a nice ride.
Best ridden North - South imo. Nice little drop to Coombes Far and depending on your planned route easy enough to cut over to The Picking Rods
I'm local and didn't realise this was a permissive cycle path. Recent change? Could check my oldish OS map later.
It's a pleasant bit of riding along the Edge.
I once had a run in with an absolutely incandescent farm hand after riding South-North along this path, just before lambing time.
The field at the northern end was full of preggers sheep and a few along the path at the top of the edge. We rode past them considerately and then saw a 4x4 waiting for us as we were descending, where the footpath/'traffic free cycle route' meets the bridleway and decided to exit on to Monks Road via a gate 1/2 way down the field. I'm glad we did. The 4x4 came to meet us very quickly, skidded to a halt (uphill) and the 'hand proceeded to berate us unintelligibly for riding past the sheep. The veins were popping out of their neck. I think if we'd ridden all the way down the field and met them away from the road we'd have been filled in; the 4x4 had 4 other blokes in.
I haven't gone through the field since, just taken the road for a bit on the way up and joined the path along the Edge. Riding up the field is balls anyway and this way you're hidden from the farm for as long as possible behind a wall. All my rides come back via different routes.
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=401680&Y=391807&A=Y&Z=115
Lovely riding that but prepare for much wailiing and gnashing of teeth if it becomes the Pennine bridleway as it will need to be rebuilt
EDIT - I'd never realised there's supposed to be a footpath from the top edge of the quarry down through the quarry itself. I'm not sure I can place where that might be offhand. off to scout google maps satellite view
I've just been looking at the Derbyshire CC Mapping Portal for this area. It seems to show a BOAT (rather than a bridleway) running along Coombes Edge. But when you zoom in, it completely disappears, and only shows the footpaths. Most confusing!
I'm childishly amused that the portal calls it a ROW BOAT 🙂