Hathersage Circular via Stanage Edge Higger Tor and Padley Gorge walk

20.0 km (12.4 mi), of which 3.8 km (2.4 mi) on tarmac or concrete.
Cumulative ascent/descent: 488m.
For a shorter walk, see below Walk Options.

7 out of 10

Time: 5 hours 30 minutes walking time. For the whole outing, including trains, sights and meals, allow at least 12 hours.

Hathersage Station is on the Hope Valley Line from Manchester to Sheffield, with a journey time of 18 mins from Sheffield. Sheffield Station is the terminus of the Midland Main Line from London St. Pancras, with up to two trains per hour (journey time from 118 mins Mon-Sat, longer on Sundays).

Saturday Walkers Club: Take a train no later than 9.00 hours.

OS Landranger Map: 110 (Sheffield & Huddersfield)
OS Explorer Map: OL1 (The Peak District – Dark Peak Area)

Centred on Hathersage, an attractive village in the Hope Valley, this route leads through some outstandingly beautiful scenery and passes along the cliffs of the Stanage Edge as well as over the distictive Higger Tor and the ancient iron-age hill fort of Carl Wark on Burbage Moor and down the spectacular wooded Padley Gorge.
You walk from the station through Hathersage village and ascend gradually to Stanage Edge through the Hood Brook valley, a tributary of the Derwent River, not without first diverting past the village church and also passing through the Camp Green medieval ringworks. You also pass Brontë Cottage and North Lees Hall, places inspirational for Charlotte Brontë’s ‘Jane Eyre’.
From the southerly end of Stanage Edge continue across the plateaus of Higger Tor and Carl Wark (both descents from the plateaus involve some light scrambling) and across the Burbage Brook valley and Burbage Moor to lunch at The Fox House Inn.
From lunch the route is less challenging, as you meander through the landscaped Longshaw Estate on a choice of routes and down through the very atmospheric deep and narrow Padley Gorge following the Burbage Brook with its tumbling waterfalls in ancient woodland. Upper Padley has the Grindleford Station Café and a historic chapel in a gatehouse to offer before you join the Derwent River and follow it through quiet pastures and past bluebell woods back to Hathersage.

A Variation near the start follows the Hood Brook through attractive woods rather than going past North Lees Hall (certainly recommended in bluebell season).
Buses 271/272 to Sheffield or Bamford stations (hourly during the day and two-hourly evenings, Mon-Sat only) leave from the lunch stop The Fox House Inn.
Bus Line 65 (Buxton) and 218 (Bakewell) to Sheffield (broadly hourly) enable various shorter versions. Stops are passed at a couple of points around lunch (Fox House Inn & Longshaw Estate), and on the B 6521 at the end of the stretch through the Padley Gorge, before dropping to Grindleford Station.
A Variation right after lunch avoids the busy parts of the Longshaw Estate and routes through a wood down to the Burbage Brook directly.
A Finish at Grindleford Station (one stop closer to Sheffield) results in a 14.4 km/8.9 mi walk with 416/406m ascent/descent and is rated 6/10.
A Shortcut near the end, en route to the Derwent River, cuts 900m.

The Fox House Inn Hathersage Road, Longshaw, Sheffield, South Yorks, S11 7TY (01433 630 374). The Fox House is located 10.8 km (6.7 mi) into the walk and the pub lunch stop. Open 12.00-23.00 Mon-Sat and 12.00-22.30 Sun. Food served 12.00-22.00 (-17.00 Sun).
The Longshaw Tea Room Longshaw, Sheffield, South Yorks, S11 7TZ (01433 631 757). The Tea Room is located 11.3 km (7.0 mi) into the walk and the café lunch stop. Open daily except Christmas: 09.30-17.00 in summer and 10.30-16.00 in winter.

Grindleford Station Café Station Approach, Upper Padley, Grindleford, Hope Valley, Derbyshire S32 1JA (01433 631 011). Open 09.00-16.00 weekdays, 09.00-17.00 weekends. The Café is located 5.7 km/3.5 mi from the end of the walk.
The Plough Inn Leadmill Bridge, Hathersage, Hope Valley, Derbyshire S32 1BA (01433 650 319). Open Mon-Sat 11.30-23.00 and 12.00-22.30 Sunday. Last food orders: 21.30 Mon-Sat and 20.00 Sun. The Plough is located 1.3 km from the end of the walk.
The David Mellor Design Museum Café Leadmill, Hathersage, Hope Valley, Derbyshire S32 1BA (01433 650 220). Last orders at 16.30.

The Pool Café and Tea Rooms Hathersage Swimming Pool, Oddfellows Road, Hathersage, Hope Valley, Derbyshire S32 1DU (01433 650 843).Open from 08.00 every day all year. Closes 18.00 weekdays and 17.00 weekends Mar-Oct and 16.00 in winter.
The Little John Hotel Station Road, Hathersage, Hope Valley, Derbyshire S32 1DD (01433 650 225).
The George Hotel Hathersage, Hope Valley, Derbyshire S32 1BB (01433 650 436).
Outside Café Main Road,Hathersage, Hope Valley, Derbyshire S32 1BB (01433 651 936). Open 09.30-16.30 Mon-Fri and 09.30-17.00 Sat-Sun.
Cintra’s Tea Rooms & Gardens Main Road,Hathersage, Hope Valley, Derbyshire S32 1BB (01433 651 825). Open 10.30-16.30 Wed-Fri and 09.30-16.30 Sat-Sun.
Bank House Bar & Restaurant Main Road,Hathersage, Hope Valley, Derbyshire S32 1BB (01433 449 060).
The Scotsman’s Pack School Lane, Hathersage, Hope Valley, Derbyshire S32 1BZ (01433 650 253). A ‘Scotchman’ or ‘Scotsman’ is a name given to a pedlar, not necessarily from Scotland, which is how the inn derived its name.

Hathersage

Hathersage is overlooked by the ringed cliffs of Stanage and Millstone edges and the ancient iron-age hill fort of Carl Wark, and the distictive Higger Tor can be seen through a break in the cliffs, standing on Burbage Moor. The origins of the name are disputed, although it is generally accepted that the second half derives from the Old English word ecg meaning "edge", although there is little to suggest it is to mean “heather’s edge”.
The area has been occupied since at least Mesolithic times and has remains of a Romano British settlement. Later the area became an important source of pins, needles and brass buttons as well as of building stones and millstones. In 1990, the cutler David Mellor opened the award-winning Round Building on the site of a former gasometer as a cutlery factory. In 2007, an extension was opened as a design museum.
A number of local landmarks are associated with Robin Hood "of Locksley" (there is a Loxley over the moors near Sheffield) and one of the graves in Hathersage is claimed to be Little John’s.
In 1845, Charlotte Brontë stayed at the Hathersage vicarage, visiting a friend, whose brother was the vicar, while she was writing Jane Eyre. Many of the locations mentioned in her novel match places in Hathersage.
Hathersage boasts a public heated outdoor swimming pool.

The Peak District (National Park)

The Peak District is an upland area at the southernmost end of the Pennines. The Peak District National Park is one of the UK’s most popular and is located within the boundaries of five counties (Derbys., Ches., Staffs., Yorks. and Greater Manchester). Founded in 1951, it was the first national Park in England. The Park spans an area of around 1,440 km² (550 mi²) and – despite its name – its terrain consists mainly of rolling hills, farmland, moorland and some gritstone escarpments (the "edges"). It is however significantly higher than much of the terrain in the surrounding area.
The Peak District is formed almost exclusively from sedimentary rocks dating from the Carboniferous period. They comprise the Carboniferous Limestone, the overlying Gritstone and finally the Coal Measures, though the latter occur only on the extreme margins of the area. In addition there are infrequent outcrops of igneous rocks including lavas, tuffs and volcanic vent agglomerates.
The northern Dark Peak (whose geology is gritstone) is one of the most famous landmarks in the Peak District National Park, known for its exposed and isolated tracts of moorland, as well as its expansive rolling plateau which is covered by cotton grass bogs and heather moorlands. The soil of the area is composed of moorland peat which provides the perfect environment for the plant life in the area. The areas to the flanks of the high moorland host numerous copses which are composed of Oak and Birch.
The southern White Peak (whose geology is mainly limestone) is another distinctive area within the park due to its gently sloping Limestone plateau, crisscrossed by the Limestone Dales. The Dales provide the areas’ drainage and vary in steepness throughout the area.

Camp Green medieval Ringwork

Ringworks are medieval fortifications built and occupied from the late Anglo-Saxon period to the later 12^th century. They comprised a small defended area containing buildings which was surrounded or partly surrounded by a substantial ditch and bank surmounted by a timber palisade or, rarely, a stone wall. Occasionally a more lightly defended embanked enclosure, the bailey, adjoined the ringwork. Ringworks acted as strongholds for military operations and in some cases as defended aristocratic or manorial settlements. They are rare nationally with only 200 recorded examples and less than 60 with baileys.
Camp Green ringwork is a large and reasonably well-preserved example which, although partially disturbed by modern development, retains substantial archaeological remains. In addition, it is believed to be one of the rarer forms of ringwork with an attached bailey. It comprises a roughly circular area with a diameter of 60m, enclosed on the north and east sides by a substantial earth rampart with a maximum internal height of circa 2m and a 5m wide outer ditch with a maximum depth of circa 2m. On its south side, the ringwork is defined by a steep scarp which drops into the ditch below. The interior of the ringwork is currently occupied by the 18^th and 19^th century Eastwood House and Eastwood Cottage.

White to Dark

The White to Dark Way is a 43 km (27 mi) waymarked multi-day path from the White Peak to the Dark Peak developed in 2012 by TrailZilla and Country Walking Magazine. It claims to be the first major walking trail dedicated to linking the Peak District’s two 'halves', across terrain ranging from meadows, woods and farmland to wild moorland and gritstone edges, going from Bakewell to Hope. The route includes Monsal Head, Cressbrook Dale, Litton, Eyam, Stanage Edge and Win Hill. http://www.trailzilla.com/trail-guide/w2d

Stanage Edge

The largest and most impressive of the gritstone edges, it stretches for 6 km and is crossed by the old Roman Road from Navio (Brough) to Doncaster. It is a famous location for rock-climbers (with over 800 recorded rock climbs) and a popular spot for walkers. The rock face itself attains a maximum height of 25m.
Historically this has been a private grouse moor with access forbidden.

Brookfield Manor

Grade II listed Brookfield Manor, parts of which date back to an original farmhouse of 1658, underwent extensive alterations, with additions, in the 1830's when it was the property of Joseph Holworthy of Derby. Holworthy was an artist and set about rebuilding and extending it in gothic style with chimneys, sash windows, turrets and pinnacles. Holworthy was also a friend of JMW Turner and two of Turner's paintings used to hang in Brookfield. Brookfield Manor and its 138-acre estate were fictionalised as ‘Vale Hall’ in ‘Jane Eyre’ written by Charlotte Brontë and inspired by her visit in 1845 when staying with Ellen Nussey in Hathersage, which becomes ‘Morton’ in the book.

Sheffield Country Walk

A 86 km (53 mi) waymarked circular Long Distance Path through parts of Derbyshire and South Yorkshire. The varied route around the outskirts of the city passes many sites and buildings of archaeological, historical and industrial interest. It follows woodland and riverside paths, crossing undulating farmland and the open gritstone moorlands to the west of the city. The waymark is yellow arrows and sheaf symbols.

Derwent River

The Derwent is a Derbyshire river of 106 km/66 mi length and is a tributary of the River Trent, which it joins south of Derby. Its waters ultimately reach the North Sea via the Humber Estuary. For half its course the river flows through the Peak District and for most of the first 10 km it forms the border to South Yorkshire. In the lower reaches between Matlock and Derby it was one of the cradles of the Industrial Revolution, providing power to the first industrial scale cotton mills. Today it provides a water supply to several surrounding cities, and its steeply sided valley is an important communications corridor through the uplands of the Peak District.

The Hope Valley

The Hope Valley is a wide valley running East-West along the boundary between the gritstone moors and edges of the 'Dark Peak' and the limestone outcrops and deep cut dales of the 'White Peak'. It is a rural area centred on the village of Hope, but although it appears to be a single valley, the name of the river changes several times. The head of the valley lies at Castleton below Mam Tor, once the home of Iron Age people. From here, the Peakshole Water flows out of Peak Cavern to Hope, where it enters the lower reaches of the River Noe, which has risen on Kinder Scout near Edale. The Noe then flows to Bamford, where it enters the River Derwent, which has travelled about 15 km from Bleaklow and is a tributary of the River Trent.
The valley is now technically the Derwent Valley, but the term "Hope Valley" is still used as the Derwent flows through Hathersage and Grindleford. Other streams in the area include the Burbage Brook.
The area is a popular tourist destination, particularly as the Hope Valley Line railway from Sheffield to Manchester runs through it.
From earlier times there are traces of a Roman fort at Brough, just to the east of Hope. Its Roman name Navio was later replaced with the Old English word for fort, Brough. It is thought that the fort was probably built to protect Roman lead-mining interests in the Peak District.
Later, the parish of Hope covered two thirds of the Royal Hunting Forest of north Derbyshire.

Padley Chapel and Hall

The ruins of Padley Hall are now converted into a private house. All else that remains are part of the foundations and the gatehouse, an important example of a 15^th century domestic gatehouse with an upper chapel: The Roman Catholic Padley Chapel. It was used as a barn for over 100 years, before being restored in 1933. Important in the Catholic context are its associations with the recusant Fitzherbert family and the 16^th century martyrdom of Nicholas Garlick and Robert Ludlum. The restoration of the building as a pilgrimage chapel during the 1930s was carried out in sympathetic manner and the building continues to honour the memory of the martyrs. It exhibits original medieval architectural features and good stained glass. The associated ruins at the back act as an auditorium and setting for pilgrimage events.
Usually open during Summer on Wednesday and Sunday afternoons (14.00-16.00 hours).

Derwent Valley Heritage Way

The Derwent Valley Heritage Way (DVHW) is a 88 km (55 mi) waymarked Long Distance Path along the Derwent Valley from Ladybower Reservoir via Chatsworth, the Derbyshire Dales area, and through the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site to Derwent Mouth where it flows into the Trent.

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Start S32 1DR Map Directions

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National Rail: 03457 48 49 50 • Travelline (bus times): 0871 200 22 33 (12p/min) • TFL (London) : 0343 222 1234

Mar-20 Thomas G