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

TWO DAYS. THREE PASSES. ONE VAN.

Two October days. One little grey Volkswagen. No deliveries, no deadlines, and absolutely no intention of taking the quickest road.

I've spent a fair portion of my life driving HGVs, so I'm well acquainted with the difference between driving because somebody is paying you and driving because you actually want to. This time, I was in Vanilla, my VW T6.1 campervan, with the Peak District ahead of me and a camera ready for anything worth stopping for.

MONDAY // THE ROAD INTO THE HILLS

I set off from the Milford area and worked my way through Staffordshire villages and into the Moorlands. The scenery changed gradually: gentler country lanes giving way to stone walls, higher ground and those proper Peak District views.

Hartington was an early reward. It's the kind of Derbyshire village that makes you stop rather than just pass through: old stone buildings, winding streets and the comfortable feeling that the world can carry on without you for a while. From there I went on through the country around Hurdlow and Pomeroy, where the road reaches impressive heights, and then towards Miller's Dale.

Miller's Dale has exactly the sort of character I enjoy photographing — dramatic limestone scenery, railway history and roads that feel as though they've been carved into the landscape. By way of Tideswell and Stoney Middleton I ended up around Calver for the evening.

That's the joy of Vanilla. When the driving finishes, the accommodation is already parked. No checking in, no carrying bags upstairs, just a comfortable little base and another day to look forward to.

TUESDAY // LADYBOWER REVEALS ITS SECRETS

Tuesday began with Ladybower Reservoir, and what a sight it was. October's low water had left one of its famous bellmouth spillways — the enormous circular 'plughole' — unusually exposed. Instead of just seeing water vanish into it, I could examine the stone rings and engineering normally hidden away.

Now, anyone who knows my Royal Navy engineering background will understand why this fascinated me. Beautiful scenery is one thing, but show an old stoker a clever piece of infrastructure and you'll probably lose him for an hour. Ladybower delivered both.

There was a subdued autumn light over the water, remarkable exposed stonework and plenty for the camera. It's one of those places where conditions you might initially call disappointing turn out to make the photographs more interesting.

SNAKE PASS // UP INTO THE CLOUDS

After Ladybower I joined the A57 and headed west over Snake Pass. At roughly 512 metres above sea level, this is proper high-country driving. The character of the landscape changes dramatically: woodland and water behind you, sweeping moorland and big skies ahead.

Vanilla isn't a performance car — a five-speed, 110 bhp Transporter hardly pretends to be — but I wouldn't swap the experience. You can take your time, enjoy every gear change and really appreciate the road. In a working lorry you're watching the clock. In my van, I was watching the scenery.

WINNATS PASS // THE LIMESTONE GIANT

From the Glossop side I made my way back towards Castleton and then drove uphill through Winnats Pass. That is an important distinction: I approached the gorge from Castleton and climbed out through its limestone walls.

It's a spectacular little road, with the sheer sides drawing in around you before the landscape opens out again at the top. Of the day's three famous high roads, Winnats might just win for sheer theatre. It's the kind of place where photographs struggle to convey the scale.

THE CAT & FIDDLE // ONE LAST HIGH ROAD

Then came the Cat & Fiddle route, another Peak District classic. By this point I'd already seen some remarkable places, but the moody, high-level landscape wasn't finished with me. The old inn and the surrounding roads provided a fitting last mountain-road chapter — and another chance to photograph Vanilla doing what she does best.

THE ROACHES // A PROPER FINISH

Later, around Upper Hulme and The Roaches, the drama of the roads gave way to something equally welcome: a good steak and a chance to reflect on the day. It had been a wonderful mix of water engineering, old villages, steep limestone, exposed moorland and some cracking driving.

There's a particular satisfaction in getting out in a campervan without needing to go hundreds of miles or spend a fortune. I already have everything I need with me. I can stop for a picture when I fancy, take the winding road instead of the sensible one, and call it a good day simply because it was.

WHY I TAKE THE LONG WAY

Two days. Three passes. One van. But the real story isn't about a number on the dashboard. It's about the freedom to choose the interesting road.

I've driven an awful lot of miles in my life because I had to. These were miles I drove because I wanted to.

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