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Cycle Hire:
Ashbourne Cycle Hire is situated at the southern end of
the Tissington Trail just outside Ashbourne town centre.
The Tissington Trail provides a flat, traffic-free cycle route.
A short ride through the tunnel (complete with railway sound effects)
brings you out in Ashbourne town centre where a range of pubs, cafés and shops
are available..
Ashbourne,
Mapleton Lane, Ashbourne,
Derbyshire DE6 2AA
Tel & Fax: (01335) 343156
Email:
ashbourne.cyclehire@peakdistrict.gov.uk
Derwent Cycle Hire
is situated in the Derwent Valley.
It forms part of a visitor centre with toilets and picnic rest. Pay and display
park. Accessed from the A57 Sheffield to Glossop road.
Cycle beside the Derwent and Ladybower reservoirs through beautiful woodland.
A wide range of routes are available.
Fairholmes Car Park,
Derwent, Bamford, Sheffield S33 0AQ
Tel & Fax: (01433) 651261
Email:
derwent.cyclehire@peakdistrict.gov.uk
Parsley Hay Cycle Hire
is situated eight miles south of Buxton. Easily reached via the A515 from both
Buxton and Ashbourne.
Parsley Hay,
Buxton, Derbyshire SK17 ODG
Tel & Fax: (01298) 84493
Email:
parsleyhay.cyclehire@peakdistrict.gov.uk
For
information on the High Peak Trail (the line
of the former Cromford and High Peak Railway
- see Steeple Grange Light Railway on
Attractions page) see
Derbyshire Dist web site
The Longendale Trail runs
from the station at Hadfield to the entrance to the Woodhead tunnel,
following
the track of the former Woodhead, Sheffield to
Manchester, railway.
For
information on more cycling routes see
Derbyshire-Peak District web
Former railway lines converted to recreational
routes for walkers, cyclists and horse-riders. The High Peak
Trail runs for 17 miles from near Buxton to High Peak Junction,
Cromford and the Tissington Trail runs 13 miles from Parsley Hay
to Ashbourne. Good views out over the rolling limestone
countryside,
with banks rich in wild flowers during the summer.
Car parks and picnic sites have been created
at former stations.
The trails are generally level and have a
variety of surfacing materials, mostly compacted stone and are
reasonably firm. They provide easy walking conditions for all
abilities and are suitable for wheelchair users. One steep
section north of
Mapleton Lane
Cycling in the Peak District - The Peak
District has lots of cycle trails for all the family, along easy flat byways,
beside reservoirs, through tunnels...or for the more adventurous there is plenty
of room for mountain bikes
Walking
in the Peak District
Peak forest Lead Mines, Deepdale, Axe Edge Moor, Upper Dovedale
and others try
Peak
District Walks Guide
The
Ranger led walks and events cover a
wide assortment of walks at different times of the year. To mention a few:
The Railway
Tunnels Walk
A walk along
the Monsal Trail to look at the biodiversity of the area and the features of the
former railway.
Lost
Villages Walk
A 7 mile walk
discovering the story of Ashopton and Derwent Villages and the building of the
Ladybower Reservoir
To the
Source of the River Mersey
To celebrate
the Mersey Basin Weekend, this strenuous moorland walk follows the course of the
River Sett to it’s source high in the Kinder Scout hills
North
Bleaklow Ramble
A 10 mile
ramble looking at the highest points on Bleaklow
Buxton
Quarries, Upper Dove and Chrome Hill
Looking at
industrial sites and the geology, geography and history of the Upper Dove and
Chrome Hill.
Access for all - see their
Access page for help on this subject
Carsington is owned by
Severn Trent Water 'We want as many
people as possible to enjoy the leisure opportunities our reservoirs, visitor
centres and wildlife habitats offer. There's something for everyone, whether
you're into active watersports, entertaining the kids, or just out for a
relaxing stroll by the water.'
Carsington Water Visitor Centre,
Ashbourne, Derbyshire DE6
1ST
Tel: 01629 540 696
Dovedale & connecting area:
Following
information thanks to
National Trust
Dovedale Valley - An introduction
Over thousands of years the River Dove has carved its way
through this massive limestone plateau within the Trust's South
Peak Estate, to create a deep, sinuous and spectacular gorge,
long famous for its rock pinnacles spires, arches and caves,
with the well known hills of Thorpe Cloud at the southern end,
and Wolfscote Hill at the northern end.
Thorpe Cloud SK
151510.
The southern entrance to Dovedale. is dominated by two hills,
Rocky Bunster on the West and the conical hill of Thorpe Cloud
on the East. Thorpe Cloud is a reef knoll, best described as an
immense pile of calcareous material which accumulated on the bed
of warm shallow seas 350 million years ago creating the
carboniferous limestone we see today. Within the growing reef
there were cavities that were occupied by communities of
organisms, seen now as local pockets of well preserved fossils.
Dovedale & connecting valleys
Photo:
Hillside view of Thorpe Cloud rising behind a wooded ridge in
Dovedale with ramblers in the foreground.
©NTPL/Joe Cornish Dovedale
Wood SK 146523
Dovedale Ashwood has been designated a Grade 1* Site of Special
Scientific Interest (SSSI) in the Nature Conservation Review as
one of the best Carboniferous limestone woodlands in the
country, and is also considered to be one of international
importance. The stands of hanging yew on the crags constitute
one of the finest yew woods in the Peak District.
Lover's Leap and The Twelve Apostles
SK 145517
Not far from the steeping stones a flight of steps carry you up
to a limestone promontory known as Lover's Leap. Climbing this
hill is the only way to continue your journey north through
Dovedale, and the first steps were built after the second world
war using Italian prisoners of war. Over the years both the
National Trust and National Park have contributed to maintaining
and improving these steps.
Dovedale & connecting valleys
Photo:
Young boy and girl admiring the view of Dovedale from above
Lover's Leap. M.R.
©NTPL/Joe Cornish Reynards
Cave SK144525
The cave is a natural feature behind a natural arch high up on
the Derbyshire Bank of the gorge. To the left is a smaller cave
known as Reynard's Kitchen. Excavations in 1960 indicated that
it was used as a temporary shelter rather than permanent
habitation site during the Neolithic, Roman and Medieval
periods, as shown by the scarcity of finds (pottery shards,
bronze fibula, worked bone, iron etc.) and lack of a hearth
Hurt's Wood and Hall Dale
SK 137534
In the early 20th century Dovedale was owned by several
different people. Although visitors could walk along the public
footpath, they had no access to other parts of the dale, which
was managed for forestry and farming, and not for conservation
and access. In 1916, a Mr F. A Holmes of
Buxton, a frequent visitor to Dovedale, became concerned about
the damage to the Hurt's Wood area from tree felling activities.
He embarked on a personal campaign to protect the area for the
enjoyment of future generations, and through a contact in
Parliament managed to halt the commercial felling.....In 1951,
25 years after Holmes' original proposal, the Peak National Park
was established. It was the first in the country and covered a
much larger area than had been proposed by Holmes. The work of
F. A Holmes still continues to this day with the National Trust
acquiring in 2,000 the final section of Hall Dale
South Peak Estate:
The South Peak Estate is within the White Peak area of
Derbyshire.
The property lies on the south-eastern side of a massive
outcropping of carboniferous limestone encompassing the southern
half of the Peak District. There are some fine examples of rock
arches and narrow limestone gorges in the deeply incised dales
of the Dove, Manifold and Hamps
The Nabs SK 145537
The Nabs Woodland is an excellent example of a
semi-natural/ancient limestone woodland site rich floristically,
structurally varied and of high biological interest.
Milldale SK 138546
The Peak National Park has completed a
landscaping scheme to prevent prominent parking by the riverside
in Milldale...
Staffordshire County Council imposed a coach
ban on the Lode Mill to Hopedale Road through Milldale...
In 1994 the Peak National Park, Staffordshire County
Council and the National Trust agreed a proposal to examine the
feasibility of a roadside path between Lode Mill and Milldale.
All parties agreed this a practical idea, and work was started
in 1995 and is now is now complete over a third of the length,
most of the funds being provided by the Peak National Park and
Staffordshire County Council.
Peak District
Photo: A view of
Milldale, the National Trust information centre in the South
Peak Estate area of the Peak District National Park. The scene
depicts the view looking to the bridge over the River Dove.
©NTPL/Charlie Waite
River Dove Between
SK 147510 and SK 130584
The River Dove is named after the old English word dubo meaning
'dark'. It rises on the gritstone moors of Axe Edge between
Buxton and Leek, and flows south through Beresford Dale,
Wolfscote Dale and Milldale before reaching the gorge of
Dovedale. It meets the Manifold just east of Thorpe village,
some 8km north of Ashbourne; and from there it meanders through
farmland to its confluence with the River Trent at
Burton-on-Trent in Staffordshire.
Dovedale & connecting valleys
Photo:
A view of the River Dove which over thousands of years has
carved its way through this massive limestone plateau to create
a deep spectacular gorge famous for rock pinnacles and caves.
©NTPL/Joe Cornish
Iron Tors
SK145564
Iron Tors is an area of extensive woodland just south of
Wolfscote Dale, and is distinguished by its large and colourful
conifer plantation and areas of ancient woodland around the
extensive screes. Jacob's ladder, one of the Peak's most
beautiful flowers occurs in this area as well as a wonderful
spring show of cowslips, which turn the hillsides yellow.
Peak District
Photo:
Looking across deep valley at Iron Tor, Peak District,
Derbyshire showing a dry stone wall
©NTPL/Mike Williams
Biggin Dale SK 143579
Biggin Dale is a long dry valley stretching 2.75 km from the
village of Biggin down to meet the river Dove at Peaseland
Rocks. A stream appears from resurgence during the wettest
winters and runs for over half the length of the dale until it
flows into the river Dove. Nature conservation is a priority in
this dale, and the Trust has managed the limestone grassland
sward by stock grazing, monitoring the wild flowers and
selective cutting of the encroaching gorse. Small areas of
semi-natural ash woodlands occur on the scree with an understory
including hazel, and hawthorn, with ground flora includes dog's
mercury, wood anemone and notably broad-leaved helleborine
Wolfscote Hill SK 138581
Wolfscote Hill stands high above the river Dove reaching a
height of 388m (1,272 ft), and from its boulder strewn summit
marvellous views of the upper and lower Dovedale Valley can be
appreciated. From a conservation point of view, there is a good
area of acid grassland with an old record for mountain pansy in
'84. There are many boulders and a relic of limestone pavement.
On top of the hill there is a prehistoric round barrow (SM).
This was excavated in the mid 19th century, and a roofless cist
containing two child skeletons and a food vessel were found, as
well as previous signs of disturbance
Kinderscout and Downfall -
Information thanks to
National Trust
Landscape
The rock formations which characterise the edges of the Kinder
plateau are formed from a type of sandstone called Millstone
Grit. This was laid down in river deltas around 300 million
years ago. The way these rocks have been eroded by water, ice
and wind has given rise to several distinctive features.
Photo:
Kinder Downfall at Kinder Scout, completely dry in late
summer.Normally a 30-metre high waterfall in the shape of an
amphitheatre.
Credit: Joe Cornish
The open country is also criss-crossed by a number of footpaths
and bridleways which can be enjoyed by walkers cyclists and
horse riders alike. Notable amongst these is the Pennine Way
long distance footpath which passes along the western edge of
Kinder.
Situated mid way between Manchester and Sheffield GR SK 078871
(Kinder Low).
Longshaw Estate:
Sheffield, Derbyshire S11 7TZ
Telephone: 01433 637904
Excellent walking country with ancient woods and tumbled rocks
Photo:
Weak winter shadows stream across the snow covered ground of a
copse on the Longshaw Estate.
©NTPL/Geoff Morgan
Manifold and Outlying Areas
Manifold and Hamps Valleys - Introduction
The National Trust cares for 1,000 acres within the Hamps and
Manifold Valley Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and
Special Area of Conservation (SAC), a European designation. The
SSSI designation covers both the flora and fauna and the
geological interest of the karst landscape of the Manifold
Valley with the underlying reef limestones of the (National
Trust owned) Wetton Hills. The SAC (European Designation)
interests include natural ash woodlands and species rich
grasslands.
For
information on the following go to the
this Nat Trust web page:
Manifold & Hamps Valleys:
Photo:
View over dry stone wall to Thor's Cave, in summer
©NTPL/David Noton
Manifold Valley:
Apes Tor: Grid Ref: SK 100 586
Ecton Hill South: SK 095 566
Wetton Hills: SK 105 562
Ossoms Hill: SK 091 554
Ladyside Wood: SK 094 549
Beeston Tor: SK 107 541
Hamps Valley:
Old Soles Coppice: SK 101 534
Old Soles Hollow: SK 099 531
Soles Wood: SK 095 530
Hellhole: SK 094 524
Outlying Areas:
Grindon Moor: Grid Ref: SK 060 557
Stanton Moor Edge: SK 250 629
Alport Heights: SK 304 515
Winster Market House: SK 241 605
Monyash House Farm: SK149665
Taddington Wood: SK165707
Peak District
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