Parsley Hay

Marshals

Rick, Katy & Fraser Unwin & Craig & Dawn Rolt

RALLY FEE £28.20

Rally Opens for Arrivals from 10.00

Facilites:

• Fresh Water & Elsan - Yes
• Hardstanding - NO
• EHU - NO
• Toilets - NO
• Refuse Point - NO (take home, centre rules)

Parsley Hay is a tiny cluster of houses which evolved with the laying of the Cromford and High Peak railway line in 1825. At 1150 feet above sea level, Parsley Hay station was amongst the highest in England. The railway line which opened in 1830 ran from Cromford to Whaley Bridge and was used mainly to transport heavy minerals from the Cromford Canal to the Peak Forest Canal. 

It was thought of as an extension to the water form of transport, so much so, that the stations including Parsley Hay were known as wharves, and the nine inclines along the route were the equivalent of locks. At Cromford the line started at a height of 277 feet and ascended to 1264 feet on the limestone uplands before then descending to 517 feet at Whaley Bridge. The line finally closed in 1967.

About one mile east of Parsley Hay is one of the country’s most important prehistoric sites. Arbor Low is often described as the Stonehenge of the Midlands. At a height of 1230 feet, it commands a hilltop setting and must surely have been an impressive sight when newly constructed. There is a circular platform some 160 feet in diameter with entrances to the north and south. Surrounded by a ditch and bank, there is a circle comprising of approximately 40 large stones, the longest being 13 feet. These may once have been erect. Arbor Low could well date from 4,000 years ago at a time when Neolithic man inhabited the area. Could it be that nearby Gib Hill, thought to be the county’s largest tumuli, also dates from that period?

Heading south from Parsley Hay on the High Peak Trail you will come to a short tunnel which is rather more like a wide bridge and carries the A515 road above. There are two plaques at either end, one of which shows a wagon and the Latin motto ‘Divina Palladis Arte’ (by the diving skill of Pallas or Minerva, the Greek God of engineering). There is also an inscription to the Cromford and High Peak Railway Company incorporated in 1825 and reference to Josias Jessop the lines engineer and Wm Brittlebank the company solicitor.

Rally in the heart of the Peak District, Parsley Hay will suit those who enjoy the freedom of the rural countryside with excellent walks and bike rides

Directions:

From the A515 Ashbourne to Buxton signposted Parsley Hay, go through the railway bridge and the rally field is on the right.

What3Words: https://w3w.co/danger.blatantly.mows