Dramatic gritstone ridge above the Staffordshire moorlands.
The Roaches climb to 505m along a wind-carved gritstone edge on the Dark Peak’s western rim, above Leek. The name comes from the French les roches, and the crest gives a wide view over Staffordshire and Cheshire toward Wales on a good day. It’s long been a favourite with climbers, and Doxey Pool sits in a dip near the top with its own tall tales. The Peak District authority bought the estate in the 1980s; it’s open access, reached on foot from the road below.
