Parking. From the Hope/Hathersage road go into Bradwell and take the first right after the traffic lights. The road turns back on itself with a stream on the rhs. Park anywhere on the road.
The Walk
DG & I got there early and parked 100m down the road by a tree before the stream came out into the open by a playing field. By 08.30 nobody else had turned up – can’t trust them – so I walked down the road to see what was there. A number of cars were parked up and at one someone was drinking coffee. Couldn’t possibly be the others so I returned to the car and got ready. No one had turned up so again I walked down the road and found that the coffee drinker was in fact JK, who had got a bacon sandwich and coffee from a café, and he was talking to PNO. PNO had come over the back road and JK had arrived earlier than us. As usual PH was late.
The day was dull and overcast.
Walk back up to the main road. Crossed the road and take a road off to the right heading back towards a church through houses. Soon the road turns sharp right and doubles back on its self. Keep taking the left hand roads until you leave the houses behind you and then take the right hand fork. The road turns to a lane and climbs up the side of Bradwell edge. As the track runs out a path follows the line of a wall on your rhs. It was muddy at first but dried out as we climbed. Eventually you go through a gate and the path continues to climb - always keep right with a wall/hedge on your right. Good views open up of the cement works and the Lose Hill/Mam Tor ridge with Kinder as a back drop in the distance. The climb ends at a wall along the top of the edge.
Carry on straight through two fields with a wall on the rhs until you hit Brough Lane (FP). At the lane turn right and in 100m as the lane bends left take a path/track off right which continues across Abney Moor where there are good views of Offerton Moor on the lhs. Eventually the path descends down to a road between Abney and Grindlow.
Cross the road and ahead take a track down to a road that leads to Abney Grange. Just before you reach a house take a path off to the right (FP). The path follows a wall, and then descends across a field before descending steeply down to the bottom of Bretton Clough with a wall on your rhs. Cross the Brook and at a footbridge take the left hand path which shortly climbs straight up the opposite side of the Clough with a wall on your lhs. At the top of the climb a field is crossed before you hit the Bretton/Great Hucklow road. From here you look down on Foolow.
Cross the road and drop down off the edge. At the bottom of the descent the path follows the line of a wall through tow long fields to Bradshaw Lane (FP). Turn right into the lane and walk down into Foolow. Half way down the lane is a walled well on your rhs.
As you hit the village the village pond is ahead and the cross to the left. Turn left at the T junction with the Grindlow /Eyam road. Opposite the pub (The Bulls Head) turn right (Sign Posted Grindlow Wardlow Buxton) and walk down the road.
After500m the road splits. Take the right hand lane (sign posted Buxton/Manchester) nb the left hand road is signposted to the M1./Chesterfield; goodness knows why as the M1 is miles away.After 300m you hit the A623 at Housley.
Cross the road and take the path down the rhs of Housley House (FP). The path follows a wall ( on your lhs) across 2 fields and then continues to climb diagonally crossing 2 fields before you hit the right hand corner of a wood. The path continues diagonally across a field to the drive of Castlegate Stud Farm. The bear right and cut diagonally across a field to a minor metalled road (FP).
Cross the road (FP) and continue diagonally left climbing up a field to another wall. The path continues right along a wall (on your rhs) to another wall (which follows the line of White Rake)
The path continues across three more fields (including one with a stile with nothing either side) to a further road (FP). Ahead is Longstone Moor.
Cross the road, access a path via a gate (FP), cross a field and then another to its top right hand corner. From here a further field is crossed giving access to the heather coated moor. The path climbs and then levels. Just before you descend to cross Watershaw Rake is a FP (Foolow). The path descends and crosses the rake between two fences prevents you wandering off and falling into the workings. The path then ascends past a cairn until you reach their southern edge of the moor and look down on Longstone above Black Plantation.
The path drops into the wood and down to Moor Lane (a metalled road) (FP). At the road turn right and walk down the road into Great Longstone.
As you enter the village you hit a T junction; turn left (right is Little Longstone / Monsal Head) and walk through the village. It’s a pretty village with a couple of pubs that do food. We were early and they were both closed. You pass the village cross and a war memorial on your right.
Turn left at the first road (Church Lane) sign posted to Hassop. Walk up the road and past a church on your left. After the last building on the left take a track (FP). There was a notice on the gate asking people not to leave Christmas trees; funny village to leave tress 2 months into the New Year. 20m down the track take a path (FP) right that crosses diagonally across a field to a track – a lovely two stone stile leads to the track. Turn right and walk down the walled track – one of the pleasures of walking in the White Peak – that bends left (don’t take the path off right) then right and then left again; the track is blocked by trees but take a path off right that crosses three fields before joining a walled track – Hardrake Lane. Turn left into the lane which starts to ascend to Longstone Edge.
At the end of the Lane cross a broken down road and go straight, crossing a track and cross a stile in a fence. Do not take the track. A wall is on the left which shortly turns left and ahead is a large field. Climb diagonally up the field to its top right corner. The path is indistinct until you get close to the wall. Climb to the wall and cross it via a stile. Turn right along a path that follows the line of the wall (on your right).The path climbs up and out of the wood. Recent winds had vented their spleens on the trees!
At the next well turn right and descend past old mine workings with a fence on your right to a road. Cross the road and descend down to a track. Follow the track to the end of a walled track coming from the right and from Rowland. Turn left on this track that ascends and overlooks the countryside around Hassop and Baslow. By now a milky sun was out and everything was pleasant in the world!
The track goes through a five bar gate and immediately splits. Carry on straight ahead on a path that crosses to the junction of 2 tracks. Here there is a stile in the fence ahead with a wood on the left hand side. There are warning signs of deep excavations (these are the end of the opencast workings of Deep Rake). The path bends left and joins a track that drops down to the top of a distinct valley that drops down into Coombs Dale. At the top of the valley turn left and follow the track down the valley. We had lunch at the valley top in the sunshine. It was still cold.
The path drops down to a wall which runs all the way down the side valley and into the bottom of Coombs Dale. The path is on the rhs of the wall. As you descend you enter a wood. At the bottom turn left and cross a fence via a stile which gives you access to the main track (FP) running up the Dale. Turn right and walk down the Dale.
In 300m take a path off left (FP) which climbs up through and out of a wood which stretches up from the bottom of the dale. From here there are good views up and down the Dale. At the top of the ascent cross a wall, turn right and immediately cross a further wall. Ahead are a number of fields and good views of Froggatt and Curbar Edges. You cross 5 fields until at the corner of the last the path splits at a FP. Turn right (FP Curbar) and cross a wall. The path follows the line of a wall (wall on your lhs) and descend down to a gate, which gives access to an allotment by the side of a house. Cross the allotment to a track (FP). At the track turn left and descend to Middleton Lane and Stony Middleton. Turn right and walk down the Lane. Just before a school turn left into a genal and descend down to the A623.
Cross the road at the Toll Bar Fish & Chip Shop – PH for all his rhetoric decided against chips even though the shop was frying. Take the road that runs at the back of the Chip Shop and climb up into the village. Here take the first left and follow the road up (Cliff Bottom) towards Mill Lane. As you get to the edge of the village take a good path off left (FP Eyam) that climbs up a grassy field to the top of The Cliff. There are good views down the Derwent Valley from the top.
At the top of The Cliff is the boundary stone, where parishioners from the plague hit village of Eyam left money and picked up food. Walk forward to a stile in a wall which gives access to a walled lane. At the far end of the lane is a wonderful 2 stone stile – my favorite stile type (FP). A track continues across a field and up the left hand side of a house to a road (FP). Continue ahead, past the Lydgate Graves, and drop down into the village square of Eyam. It’s worth spending a view minutes here looking around the square and soaking up its history.
Cross to the far side of the square and begin a good ascent up to the top of Bole Hill by walking up Water lane, past another pub and troughs until the lane ends. Take a path off left (FP) which is fenced on either side to keep alpacas from escaping. They are delightful animal. The path climbs through a field to a gate which gives access to a road.
Cross the road and take a path (FP) which climbs up a series of stone steps through a wood to a wall which boundaries Eyam Youth Hostel. The path follows the line of the wall to junction with a further wall. Here you are at the top of the ascent. Turn left, cross a wall and track along the bottom side of a field (wall on lhs). There are good views across the valley towards Foolow and beyond. A gate gives access to another field which you cross diagonally right to a road (FP). Cross the road and turn right (FP) and climb up a path on the left hand side of a wall onto Bole Hill.
At the top the views to the right of Derwent Valley and its edges are worth the climb. Follow the wall until you reach Sir William Hill Road (FP). The topography from one side of the road to the other is stark. Bole Hill is a grassy moor whereas Sir William Hill is coated in heather. But until you cross the road and climb the wall on the opposite side you have no inkling of what you are install for. A good path crosses Sir William Hill until you hit the edge. From here there are excellent views across to Offerton and Abney Moors and down into Abney Clough.
From the edge the path drops down past a wood on your left to the junction of 2 walls. Through a gate a track/path tracks down the edge of Bretton Clough with a wall on your rhs. Shortly after crossing a wall the path drops down left away from the wall on your right, down through a wood to the junction of Bretton and Abney Cloughs.
Cross Bretton clough via a footbridge, turn right, cross Abney Clough, then bear left (FP Abney) and walk up the right hand side of Abney Clough. The whole of the walk up the clough is through woods; it’s a gentle climb on a wide path. Eventually you climb out of the wood, through a five bar gate and climb up to a road at the end of Abney village. At the road turn left and walk up to a red phone box. It’s surprising how many of these boxes still exist. Some even have phone directories in.
At the phone box turn right up a track that leads up to Brough Lane and moors. Cross Brough Lane and go straight on a path that crosses heathered moorland and descends to a wall at the top of Over Dale. – a nice looking valley although there appear to be no access rights. Cross the wall via a stile and track round the western edge of the Dale, crossing a number of walls via stiles, until you hit Brough lane again (FP). The views from this path over Winn Hill and Derwent Edge make a fine end to the day.
Turn right down Brough Lane and in 100m take a path off left (FP Bradwell) that is not on the OS map. The path crosses a field to a wall, which you cross and then turn right and walk up Bradwell Edge. Again there are good views of the valley, the cement works and the Lose Hill / Mam Tor ridge. Shortly, turn left on a path that descends diagonally left by a wall. Below you on your right is Bradfield in the valley bottom. Towards the bottom of the descent keep right and descend down a muddy track to a metalled lane (FP). This lane takes you into Bradwell. Keep on the lane into the village until you hit the main road running up the Dale, B6049. Cross the road and take the road ahead where you left the car in the morning.
GPS settings
Summary
It's a good walk even if some of the paths are very muddy after periods of rain. Some of the views especially over Abney Moor are excellent. The route takes you across a number of valleys so there are a number of steep ascents and descents. The villages of Eyam and Great Longstone are worth exploring and there are extensive areas of open cast mines above Great Longstone for industrialists.
The route finding is straight forward and you are always on good paths and tracks.
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