A Taste of the
Peak District
Peak District, Derbyshire mountain bike circuit, Ladybower reservoir in the Dark Peak …
Ladybower Reservoir Mountain Bike Circumnavigation.
A completely legal mountain bike route in the Dark Peak. The route is not for novices as it includes 3 big climbs and gnarly downhills. The route is mainly off-road. The on road sections are predominantly on minor roads, the main road section has a cycleway (or at least as close to a cycleway as you ever get in Derbyshire - you are allowed to ride on the pavement!). We have not checked mileage and ascent accurately but estimate it is in the region of 18 miles in length and getting on for 2000 feet of ascent.
Park at the Hagg Side car park or the one a little further on (the last before the Fairholmes car park). Head down to Fairholmes and follow the road past the bottom of the dam and back along Ladybower reservoir, opposite to where you parked. The tarmac gives way to a track and where you reach a gate barring the track, you will see another gate, just to the left, allowing access to a paved bridleway.
The route here is obvious and you just need to follow it up to reach open countryside after a plantation. There is a singletrack technical section to negotiate - ha! At the end of this section you reach a gate and wall. Follow the bridleway along the top side of the wall to Whinstone Lee Tor, enjoying the respite from the climbing, the views and the muddy puddles! Descend almost to Cutthroat Bridge, the descent is not always as straightforward as it looks from a distance, especially after a spell of rain. Take the bridleway that forks right back towards the reservoir , fork right again after the gnarly descent and before the road to end up at the start of Ashopton Viaduct.
Cross to the cycleway, head right towards Bamford and then go across the dam. Whizz downhill to the left at the end of the dam, try not to miss the start of the Thornhill trail, a dismantled railway, or you will add some extra climbing on to the route! At Thornhill turn right at the T-junction, follow the fairly pleasant minor road (watch out for the occasional vehicle speeding along thinking they are the only one on the road) and Just after Aston turn right and head steeply uphill to pick up the bridleway that leads up to the ridge of Win Hill.
Pass through the gate at Hope cross and carry straight on through the next gate (riding the section between the two gates on the left is a cop-out). If you wish, you can do the Jaggers Clough Loop to ascend via a different bridleway to Hope Cross again. You are on the course of a Roman Road which takes you down, via a couple of loose, rocky sections to Rowlee Bridge. Cross the A57 Snake Pass road, past Rowlee Farm (steep ascent but on tarmac initially), take the bridleway that passes Lockerbrook Farm then enjoy the last descent, technical and slippery, to reach the reservoir service road. Turn right and blast your way back to the parking spot past Gores Farm, Howden Dam and Fairholmes.
We hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
Accommodation near Derwent Reservoir
Cycle Hire Centres in the Peak District of Derbyshire (click on the name to find out more) ...
- Ashbourne (Tissington Trail)
- Derwent Dam (Ladybower Reservoir)
- Hayfield (Sett Valley Trail) - the cycle hire centre here has now been closed, we have included it for information just in case you are trying to find out about it.
- Middleton Top (High Peak Trail)
- Parsley Hay (High Peak and Tissington Trails)
- Waterhouses (Manifold Way)