Stanton Moor. Because of its archaeological importance, the entirety of the moor is protected as a Scheduled Ancient Monument.
There are more than 70 ancient burial mounds on the moor, and four Bronze Age stone circles, constructed by the people who lived and worked on Stanton Moor around 4,000 years ago. There is also still evidence of 17th and 18th Century packhorse routes, hollowed-out tracks in the heather made by the hooves of horses transporting goods from Cheshire and Sheffield.
The largest and best known of the stone circles on Stanton Moor is the Nine Ladies Stone Circle, made up with ten standing stones, nine in a rough circle configuration and the tenth some 40m away from the circle. It gets its name from a legend that nine ladies were turned to stone as a punishment for dancing on the Sabbath, with the tenth stone, or King Stone, being the fiddler.
There is evidence that the Nine Ladies Stone Circle was used in ancient times for ceremonies and It is still a location for Druid and pagan worship, and is visited by many people on each solstice.
Slightly smaller, with six standing stones, is Doll Tor, also dating from the Bronze Age.
At one entrance onto the moor you will find the Cork Stone an impressive natural weathered gritstone rock. Many visitors have climbed to the top using the carved pockets and steel hoops set into the rock.
When the Heather is in bloom it is one of the finest places to see and photograph the colours
that turn even more magical in the evening light.
I spent many happy hours not only photographing but just wandering the many paths.