Upper Derwent Valley walk out to Ladybower: griststone edges, moors with
pre-historic features, overlooked by Stanage Edge, valleys and pastures
with views
Length: 25.0 km (15.5 mi) [shorter walks possible, see below]
Ascent/Descent: 862/869m
Net Walking Time: ca. 6 ½ hours
Toughness: 8 out of 10
Take the 09.14 Manchester Piccadilly stopping service via
the Hope Valley (Dore & Totley 09.21, Grindleford 09.29), arriving Hathersage
at 09.32.
Return trains: xx.42
Starting in Hathersage, an attractive village in the Hope Valley, this
route leads up a quiet green valley towards the cliffs of the Stanage
Edge, only to fork off along the Hood Brook through attractive woods (bluebells
in season) and to rise further in a westerly direction through
pastures-with-views and along the flanks of Bole Hill up to Bamford Moor and
along its gritstone edge. Panoramic views of Mam Tor, Win Hill and
Ladybower Reservoir keep the interest before a steep descent through an
ancient oak wood and a newer plantation wood to the reservoir shore and the
Ladybower Inn for lunch.
After lunch, a gradual ascent through woods leads up to Lead Hill and then the
Derwent Edge, revealing stunning views of the Upper Derwent Valley and the
Kinder Scout and Bleaklow plateaus. Turn right away from the edge down through
Derwent Moor and gently up through Moscar Moor (on good paths) to Hordron
Edge with its Bronze Age Stone Circle and across Jarvis Clough back to
Bamford Edge for more views up the Hope Valley before the gradual descent to
Bamford and the station beyond.
A post-lunch shortcut is described as well as an alternative
afternoon route across Moscar and Bamford Moors past an array of
pre-historic features.
Note: For the protection of moorland birds, dogs are
not permitted on Moscar and Bamford Moors at any time. In all other Access
Land, they have to be kept on short leads in Ground Nesting Season (01 March to
31 July).
Walk Options:
Shortcut after lunch: from the Ladybower Inn avoid the ascent up Lead
Hill and on to Derwent Edge. Cut 4.9 km/3.0 mi and some ascent.
Bus stops on the A57, either by
the Ladybower Inn or further along the route at Strines Lane End, allow a
finish by bus to either Sheffield or Bamford.
Alternative Afternoon Route across Moscar and Bamford Moors: from Hordron Edge follow a meandering route across the moors past one
of the Peak District’s finest selections of pre-historic cairns, stone circles
and solitary standing stones (in parts without good paths).
Alternative Descent Route into Bamford: a much more direct descent from Bole Hill into Bamford follows Leeside
Road down the Bamford Clough for 600m. This is an ancient packhorse route and
was the steepest ‘road’ in Derbyshire until it was closed for traffic. The
average gradient is 22% and it is not recommended to take this route other
than in perfectly dry conditions, with good profile soles and preferably also
with walking poles, as a fall onto – and subsequent slide down – the mainly
cobble or concrete ‘road’ otherwise is all but guaranteed. Absolutely and
entirely at your own risk!
Tea: The Anglers Rest (1.6 km from the end of the
walk). Note: at time of posting (01/04/25), the pub is closed for
refurbishment and the café still closed for the winter!
For walk directions, map, height profile, photos
and gpx/kml files click here. T=swc.360
2 comments:
13 walkers off the train, awaited by 5 others staying in H'sage. Plus a smallish group of Capital Walkers (Hello!). They have 3 walks on per day, so their group size might actually be bigger than ours...
Another walker came from the direction of Manchester (living out there), so 1 waited for her and together they chased the group.
Apart from 1 falling behind early (but meeting us again at the lunch pub, with the help of the 257 bus), we stayed more or less together all the time, minus one of the sandwichers who marched on instead of joining the rest at the pub.
Lovely ascent out of H'sage, followed by meeting the crowds on the Edge (their cars parked by the road), all there for the photo opps of them with Ladybower Reservoir in the background. Lovely descent throught he old gnarled oak trees and then outside tables for lunch (inside was fully booked). Order taking was managed, so as to not overload the kitchen, so our stay was a bit longer than planned. But no rain yet.
A shower started a little later, as we reached the start of Derwent Edge, and for 30 minutes or so, it was a bit unpleasantly wet and windy.
Rain stopped and we continued our was back along the moor and then along the Edge and down to Bamford. Drizzle started but never got going properly.
The Anglers is back open, but we didn't have enough time for that while catching the 17.42, so: no drink!
Lots of grouse on the moors and even more lapwings and other ground nesters, plus some free running partridges by Moscar Cottage.
N=19 w=one-shower-and-a-little-drizzle
N=20 in fact, as one punteress missed the very early train from London, and the next one was delayed enough to miss the connection in Sheff, so she was 2 hours behind the group.
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