At its northern end, Stanage Edge loses its edge-like identity and becomes just a slightly steeper slope running towards Moscar Lodge and the head of the Rivelin valley. Immediately to the south, the Edge has been quarried in the past.

Stanage Edge is comprised of Rivelin Grit (aka Chatsworth Grit), Namurian age, Upper Carboniferous. The coarse-grained gritstone was deposited in a series of delta distributary channels. The gritstone is normally strongly cross-bedded.