PEAK DISTRICT WALKING
– On The Level –
Norman Buckley
Contents
Introduction 1
The Walks
1. Redmires Reservoirs and Rud Hill 4
Distance: 6.75km (4¼ miles)
Total ascent: 100m (328ft)
2. Edale 8
Distance: 6.25km (4 miles)
Total ascent: 125m (410ft)
3. Castleton 13 (see below for sample of walk)
Distance: 4km (2½ miles) or 5.5km (3½ miles).
Total ascent: 120m (394ft) or 130m (427ft)
4. Hope and Castleton 18
Distance: 6.5km (4 miles)
Total ascent: 45m (148ft)
5. Abney 22
Distance: 5km (3 miles)
Total ascent: 145m (476ft)
6. Eyam and Foolow 26
Distance: 8km (5 miles)
Total ascent: 105m (345ft)
7. Grindleford, Hathersage and Bamford 31
Distance: (Bamford) 8 km (5 miles) (Hathersage) 4 km (2½ miles)
Total ascent: (Bamford) 40m (131ft) (Hathersage) 30m (98ft)
8. Calver and Froggatt 37
Distance: 4km (2½ miles)
Total ascent: negligible.
9. Curbar Gap, White Edge and Froggatt Edge 41
Distance: 9½km (6 miles)
Total ascent: 160m (525ft)
10. Baslow and Curbar 45
Distance: 6km (3¾ miles)
Total ascent: 175m (574ft)
11. Chatsworth 49
Distance: 6½km (4 miles)
Total ascent: 145m (476ft)
12. Great and Little Longstone 53
Distance: 6km (3¾ miles) or 7 km (4¼ miles)
Total ascent: 62m (203ft) or 92m (302ft)
13. Millers Dale 57
Distance: 5.25km (3¼ miles)
Total ascent: 25m (82ft)
14. Ashford in the Water and Bakewell 61
Distance: 8.5km (5¼ miles)
Total ascent: 72m (236ft)
15. Bakewell 65
Distance: 4.25km (2¾ miles)
Total ascent: 43m (141ft)
16. Longnor 69
Distance: 6km (3¼ miles)
Total ascent: 149m (489ft) or 116m (381ft).
17. Monyash and Lathkill Dale 73
Distance: 6.5km (4 miles)
Total ascent: 120m (394ft)
18. Middleton by Youlgreave and Alport 77
Distance: 3.5km (2¼ miles)
Total ascent: Negligible.
19. Stanton Moor 81
Distance: 4km (2½ miles)
Total ascent: 50m (164ft)
20. Hartington 85
Distance: 9.5km (6 miles)
Total ascent: 112m (368ft)
21. Rudyard Lake 90
Distance: 7.25km (4½ miles)
Total ascent: 61m (200ft)
22. Tittesworth 94
Distance: 4km (2½ miles)
Total ascent: 35m (115ft)
23. Alstonefield 98
Distance: 5km (3 miles)
Total ascent: 95m (312ft)
24. Manifold Valley 102
Distance: 6km (3¾ miles)
Total ascent: 15m (49ft)
25. Ilam Hall 106
Distance: 5km (3 miles)
Total ascent: 60m (197ft)
26. Dovedale 110
Distance: 3km (1¾ miles)
Total ascent: 30m (98ft)
27. Tissington 114
Distance: 4.5km (2¾ miles)
Total ascent: 47m (154ft)
28. Cromford and the Canal 118
Distance: 6km (3¾ miles)
Total ascent: 80m (263ft)
© Crown Copyright 2004 100032058
3. Castleton
Distance: (Basic circuit) 4km (2½ miles). Including Castleton: 5.5km (3½
miles).
Total ascent: 120m (394ft). Including Castleton: 130m (427ft)
Start/car parking: Pay and display car park by the Speedwell Cavern
entrance, half a mile west of Castleton, at the foot of the Winnatts Pass,
grid reference 140828. Alternatively there are extensive roadside
designated parking spaces on the adjacent former Mam Tor road, free
except at weekends and Bank Holidays. Despite the awkward road
access from the west, several bus services, including summer weekend
and Bank Holiday special buses, reach Castleton. The widely available
‘Hope Valley Leisure and Travel Guide’ includes the relevant timetables.
Refreshments: None on the basic circuit. Wide choice in Castleton.
Map: As for walk 1.
About the Walk
In this circuit most of the ascent occurs early, with the steady rise to
the old road near the Odin Mine followed by the road towards the
foot ofMamTor. Gradients are reasonable. Thereafter there is minor
undulation, with a gentle rise back to the car park. If Castleton is
included, the return to the car park involves a half mile of steady
roadside ascent.
Underfoot, footpaths, lanes and a section of the former Mam Tor
road are almost all good, with plenty of waymarking.
Background
With good reason, Castleton is one of the most popular centres in the
Peak District, an attractive and compact town sitting at the foot of
the great scarp crowned by the ruins of Peveril Castle, built by King
Henry II in 1176. Although the parish church was much restored in
1837, a Norman arch and box pews are still evident. Present day
attractions include a small local history museum, a tourist information
centre and no less than four sets of caverns open to the public.
Shops, inns and cafés are plentiful. Surprisingly generous bus
services include routes direct to Sheffield.
The surrounding area, close to the northern limestone (WhiteOn the Level 13
Peak)/gritstone (Dark Peak) divide, has been described as an
open-air geology classroom, although much of the evidence is some
way underground. A great deal of lead and some silver were mined
locally for centuries, but the main mineral has for some time been
the beautiful ‘Blue John’, found predominantly in the mine of the
same name. Blue John is obtainable in the form of ornaments in
several Castleton gift shops. The former Odin Mine (not open to visitors)
is one of the oldest in the district, its vast workings explained
by an information board on the line of this walk.
The Walk
From the car park walk to the former Mam Tor road, at the opposite
end of the car park to the motor car entrance. Cross the road and turn
right.
1. In 100m turn left along a surfaced lane with a ‘Derbyshire
Soaring Club’ sign. At a junction in 100m go left to follow an
unsurfaced lane.
The views include the cleft of Winnatts Pass, the Treak Cliff Cavern
buildings and the great ‘shivering mountain’ – Mam Tor. Win Hill, with
its crowning ‘pimple’ is visible to the right.
Reach Knowlegate Farm, with an old millstone in the yard. Turn
left at a ‘Mam Tor’ signpost; go through a little gate and up steps
to a stile at the top and a path rising through the bracken at a
steady gradient, soon reaching a stile, with Mam Tor impressive
ahead. Much of the ground here is obviously disturbed by previous
mining activity, including the (protected) top of an old shaft
a few metres to the right of the path. Continue under trees; pass a
tiny spring then the striking monument of a mounted former
grinding stone before rising to join the old road through a gate.
2. Turn right.
Across the road is the entrance to the former Odin Mine, now owned
by the National Trust. There is an excellent information board.
Continue gently uphill, along the road.
You soon pass a board explaining why, in an age of rocket science
technology, the Highway Authority have had to abandon a major ‘A’
14 Peak District Walking
On the Level 15
© Crown Copyright 2004 100032058
road, leaving Castleton without a good route to and from the west.
Presumably, the Celts who built a village on top of Mam Tor 3000
years ago, were unaware of the underlying problems. Patching of the
tarmac along the road is very evident, as is the fate of part of the
road surface, below to the right.
3. As the road bends sharply to the left, terminating at a gate, turn
right, downhill, along a signposted unsurfaced roadway to the
National Trust Mam Farm. Go left, round the back of the farm,
descending gently on a roadway. Rise to pass across the front of
two houses, bearing right at the second, Tor House (signpost and
waymark) to a gate. In 10m go through a waymarked gate then
straight ahead across a wide field, the path not clear on the
ground. There is a sleeper bridge over boggy ground then a
waymark on a post. Keep up to the left to reach a little gate
through a wall, then a stile. The path is now rather rough, staying
fairly close to a fence on the right, passing well above Woodseats
Farm before angling down to join the farm access roadway at a
signposted stile.
4. Cross the roadway to a waymarked stile, opposite, to descend
gently over grazed grass, keeping close to the stream/ditch on the
right. After another stile continue the same line, facing
Castleton, backed by Peveril Castle ruin on the scarp and the
great gash of Peak Cavern. More waymarked stiles are passed,
heading towards trees, the stream on the right now having a
wooded valley, rich in willows. After a waymark on a post reach
double gates/stiles and a signpost. Follow ‘Castleton via Dirty
Lane’ to the left, with a fence and woodland on the left. Head for a
waymark on a post, avoiding Dunscar Farm to the left. Go
through a waymarked gate and diagonally across a small field to
another signposted and waymarked gate/stile. Join a surfaced
roadway, turning right to cross a stream on a bridge, reaching a
junction in 25m.
5. For the extension of the walk to Castleton turn left here, signposted
to ‘Castleton via the Flats’ Go over two stiles and along the
edge of a meadow, with fence and stream on left. Go through a
squeezer stile in a wall and follow a well-used track, crossing
rough pasture to a gate and a narrow passageway to the public
16 Peak District Walking
road. Turn left by the roadside to head for the centre of the
village; the distance to the church is barely 400m. To return to
the parking area walk back along the roadside for about half a
mile.
For the basic circuit stay with the roadway at point 5, soon
reaching a junction with the outward route. Return to the Mam
Tor road and the car park or roadside space.
On the Level 17
Castleton and Mam Tor
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