The Peak District and Derbyshire can get rather chilly in the winter, but the area's scenery and the views it offers are still stunning. The rolling moors and challenging climbs can make for some nice days out and a getaway from it all.
Grab your wellies and wrap up warm, here are the best winter walks in the Peak District.
Eyam & Stoney Middleton
This is a great option with many breaks because it's a little tougher than others and has a lot of bars and cafés along the way.
Along with various paths, you'll pass through some lovely meadows. Heavy lorries are known to pass through the area along the track leading to the quarry during the week, so use caution.
Check out the charming tiny church and plague cottages in Eyam; both that town and Stoney Middleton are rich in history.
8 miles; travel time: roughly 4 hours
Padley Gorge and Grindleford Cafe
Enjoy a leisurely winter stroll amid eerie meadows, winter woods, and a gushing stream. This quick stroll through Padley Gorge, a stunning area of the Peak District, is definitely worthwhile.
To start, we'll take you through the Longshaw estate, past the breathtaking Padley Gorge, and to the excellent Grindleford Cafe for a bacon buttie. By the way, the Totley Tunnel, which you can see from the café, is the UK's fourth-longest mainline railway tunnel.
When there are fewer leaves on the trees, Padley Gorge is equally as stunning in the winter since you can see more of the surrounding area . Soak in the delightful wooded areas and a renowned cafe in the north.
2.3 miles, roughly two hours walk.
The Heritage Way at Derwent Valley
The Derwent Valley Heritage Way offers a 55-mile route through the county of Derbyshire for those seeking a more demanding challenge.
The walk through the valley, which stretches from Shardlow in the south to Ladybower Reservoir in the north, offers a variety of landscapes and a way-marked path.
The riverside route continues to Journey's End, where the Derwent falls into the River Trent, after passing through the Peak District National Park, Chatsworth Park, the breathtaking beauty surrounding the Derbyshire dales, and the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site.
Best for: Views of reservoirs and aquatic life; keep an eye out for kingfishers
Total distance: 55 miles.
Shining Tor
Shining Tor rises to the west of the Goyt Valley and offers a good 300 metres (1000 feet) of ascent if approached from the banks of Errwood Reservoir. The 334-mile circle should take 134 to 214 hours to complete at a leisurely pace; however, if you're slow on hills, allow more time because this walk involves a lot of elevation and descent.
The shown route departs from the Errwood Hall Parking Lot and, after making a general circuit of Shooter's Clough and ascending to the summit of Shining Tor (559 metres), circles back to the reservoir.
On a clear day, the views from the summit are fantastic. You can clearly see the Wrekin Hills in Shropshire (nearly 50 miles away) and the Clwydian Range in North Wales from the Cheshire Plain, in addition to a number of nearby sights like Shutlingsloe and the sizable Lovell radio telescope at Jodrell Bank.
4 miles or about 2 hours, depending on your speed.
Castleton Ridge from Hope Village
Hope – Losehill – Castleton Ridge – Mam Tor – Winnats Pass - Hope
This route starts from the village of Hope, where parking is available on the south side of the A6187 (Grid ref. SK171834), and ascends Lose Hill before following the Castleton Ridge to Mam Tor. It then descends to Castleton via Winnats Pass before ending with a pleasant riverside stroll back to Hope.
From the centre of the village walk north along the Edale road to reach a signed footpath on your left (Grid ref. SK 171838) which is just before the lane down to Kilhill Bridge. Follow this for a short way to a cross path and turn right. This path leads without any further navigational problems to Lose Hill Farm from where the path continues rather more steeply onto the summit of Lose Hill.
A topograph provides details of the extensive panorama that is available from here, which includes Kinder Scout, Win Hill and the length of Castleton Ridge.
Continue along the ridge to Back Tor, Hollins Cross and Mam Tor. The views are good on both sides with Edale to your right and Hope Valley to your left. Descend from Mam Tor to the road.
Turn left and left again down a footpath to reach a road (Grid ref. SK 125831). Go straight across the road to join a footpath taking the left fork when the path divides. Go straight across the next road and continue on the path to Winnats Head Farm.
Follow the road down through Winnats Pass past the entrance to Speedwell cavern to locate a path on your right (Grid ref. SK 139827). Take this path and follow it to Castleton village. Continue through the village and follow the A6187 towards Hope. In under half a kilometre from the village, take a signed path on your left (Grid ref. SK 153831).
Continue on this path crossing a railway line to reach a lane (Grid ref. SK 171832). Turn left up the lane into Hope village.
8.5 miles, approximately 1.45 hours.
Mam Tor
Because of the erosion on the A625 road, which ran immediately underneath Mam Tor until the road's closure in 1979, the peak is colloquially known as the "Shivering mountain" and is thought to have existed as far back as the bronze period.
If you don't have much time, it's a reasonably simple climb to the summit, and the views across the valley can be breathtaking in the winter. To get a cup of coffee, pass across Winnats Pass, which is usually breathtaking, especially when there is a sprinkling of snow. Most of the walk is along straightforward, well-maintained trails, and the climbs are manageable.
Most suitable for a detour towards Castleton for a cup of tea.
5 kilometres, approximately 2.5 hours.
If you're looking for an adventure this winter, get in touch today!
