Wharncliffe Crags. 177 



Cheshire sending up its " eagle's wing," and Derbyshire 

 its northern angle, to bar the way. Yorkshire is not 

 reached till we have run through the tunnel, which it is 

 well, however, to encounter, for the sake of WHARN- 

 CLIFFE CRAGS. 



These belong to Sheffield rather than to the Manches- 

 ter district, but they are so easily reached, and of late 

 years have become so favourite a place of resort, that 

 they seem to prefer a claim to be included, especially as 

 they are several miles nearer than Combermere. 



The crags form the brow of one of the hills included 

 in that great range which extends from Staffordshire to 

 Westmoreland, and to which all our other high hills be- 

 long. The commencement is just beyond the village of 

 Wortley, at which place there is a station ; while another, 

 at O ugh ty- Bridge, allows of the ground being traversed 

 without touching any part twice. Though only six miles 

 from Sheffield, so lonely and so lofty is this grand ridge, 

 that we seem to be leagues away from cities and chim- 

 neys. Except where the rocks protrude, and on the 

 moorlands in the rear, the place is one emphatically of 

 Trees. On every hand we are sensible of their grateful 

 influence, and save for the railway in the valley below, 

 might suppose that we were in the famous "Wortley 

 Chase," of the time of Henry VIII., when the huntsman 

 came hither to "hear the hart's bell." The descent 

 to Oughty-Bridge which parties from Manchester sel- 

 dom avail themselves of, being content to go simply 



M 



