NIX // ROAD · PEAK DISTRICT · 19–20 OCTOBER 2026

THE LONG WAY ROUND // TWO DAYS IN THE PEAKS

I swapped delivery miles for mountain roads: Hartington, Miller’s Dale, Ladybower’s exposed engineering, Snake Pass, Winnats Pass, the Cat & Fiddle and one final stop by The Roaches. Two October days in Vanilla.

THE BEST MILES ARE THE ONES YOU CHOOSE

I’ve driven more miles than I care to count, much of them in lorries, watching delivery times and worrying about roads that aren’t quite built for the vehicle underneath me. But on Monday 19 October I was in Vanilla, my little grey VW campervan, and the only timetable was the one I fancied keeping. The Peak District was calling. I took the long way.

MONDAY // FROM STAFFORDSHIRE INTO THE STONE

Leaving the Milford area, I threaded through Staffordshire and into the Moorlands, past villages such as Froghall, Ipstones, Butterton and Warslow. The roads became narrower, the fields steeper and the stone walls more frequent. This was exactly what I wanted: countryside that demands you look out of the window rather than at a clock. Hartington gave me a proper pause — one of those stone-built Derbyshire villages that still feels reassuringly like a village. From there I wandered on towards the higher ground near Pomeroy and the glorious limestone scenery around Miller’s Dale. Tideswell, Stoney Middleton and Calver followed as the afternoon drew on. No race to get anywhere. Just stopping when the place deserved it.

📷 PHOTO 01 · Vanilla in the Moorlands or Hartington — insert from the NIX Media Library.

THE JOY OF HAVING YOUR HOME WITH YOU

There’s a magic trick to travelling in Vanilla. When the day’s driving is done, the hotel is already there. My bed, a brew and all the little comforts are tucked behind the front seats. You don’t need an itinerary packed with attractions to feel as though you’ve escaped. Sometimes a good road, a decent view and somewhere to pull up are enough.

TUESDAY // LADYBOWER, WITH THE WATER TURNED DOWN

Tuesday’s first big highlight was Ladybower Reservoir. I’ve seen plenty of photographs of its famous bellmouth spillways, those astonishing circular openings people call the plugholes, but the low water revealed parts of the stonework that are normally out of sight. The reservoir was fascinating for a photographer, but it also appealed to the engineer in me. I served in the Royal Navy as a marine engineering mechanic; show an old stoker a remarkable piece of practical engineering and it’s a fair bet I’ll be studying it longer than I intended. Ladybower supplied the dramatic scenery and the clever engineering all in one stop.

📷 PHOTO 02 · Ladybower exposed bellmouth spillway — suggested hero — insert from the NIX Media Library.

SNAKE PASS // THE ROAD BECOMES THE DESTINATION

Then I pointed Vanilla towards the A57 and climbed across Snake Pass. This is one of those roads that doesn’t need much of an introduction: big skies, empty-looking moorland and bends that seem to pull you into the hills. The pass rises to around 512 metres, and you feel every bit of the change from the reservoir valley below. Vanilla’s 110 bhp isn’t going to frighten a sports car, but this sort of road isn’t about arriving first. It’s about having time to enjoy the drive. For once, I wasn’t getting paid to be behind the wheel. I was there because I wanted to be.

📷 PHOTO 03 · Snake Pass, open road and moorland — insert from the NIX Media Library.

WINNATS PASS // LIMESTONE THEATRE

From the Glossop side I came back towards Castleton, then climbed out through Winnats Pass. The walls of limestone rise around you, and for a few moments the road looks almost impossibly small beneath the rock. I’ve driven some extraordinary roads over the years, but the best ones still catch me by surprise. Winnats was one of those moments. There’s a difference between a photograph of a landscape and actually driving right through its middle.

📷 PHOTO 04 · Winnats Pass looking through the gorge — insert from the NIX Media Library.

CAT & FIDDLE // ONE MORE CLIMB

I could have taken an easier route, of course. That rather misses the point. The Cat & Fiddle road delivered another dose of high moorland, sweeping turns and views that reminded me why I came out here in October. The weather and the light gave the landscape its own character; this wasn't a glossy summer postcard, and it was all the better for that.

📷 PHOTO 05 · Vanilla on the Cat & Fiddle road — insert from the NIX Media Library.

THE ROACHES // A GOOD WAY TO FINISH

By the time I reached the area around The Roaches and Upper Hulme, I’d had my fill of wonderful roads and still wanted more. A good steak made a fitting finish. Over these two days I’d seen quiet old villages, railway country, exposed reservoir engineering, limestone gorges and the sort of moorland that makes a little campervan seem very small. And I’d done it all without travelling to the other end of the country.

📷 PHOTO 06 · The Roaches or the evening stop — insert from the NIX Media Library.

WHY I KEEP TAKING THE LONG WAY

There’s something rather satisfying about owning a vehicle that gives you permission to change your mind. Stop for another photograph. Turn off down the interesting road. Stay a little longer because the light is right. I’ve spent enough of my life driving because I had to. These are the miles I’ll remember because I chose them. Two days. Three passes. One van. And not a delivery note in sight.

NIX // ROAD. WHERE VANILLA GOES, I FOLLOW.

Words: NIX · NIXDRONES.COM