A Taste of the
Peak District
Peak District, Derbyshire property for sale, B&B, self catering holiday cottage accommodation, hotels, tourist attractions, walking, climbing, mountain biking history, towns, villages, geology, mining, local information, Derbyshire businesses and much more …
To get started with walking in the Peak District of Derbyshire, simply buy yourself some maps (White Peak or Dark Peak) and make up your own walks/runs or buy one of the many good guides to walking in the Peak - see the 'booksales' section of this site or try Pub walks, tea shop walks or classic walks (in association with Amazon).
If you are looking for somewhere to stay, try our accommodation close to Ladybower Reservoir section for a selection of self catering and bed and breakfast holiday accommodation or see our accommodation close to Ladybower reservoir section.
Derwent edge and the reservoirs via Cutthroat Bridge and Whinstone Lee Tor.
Park
in the parking area on the A57 on the east side of the Ladybower reservoir
viaduct. Cross the Snake Pass road (A57) at the end
of the
parking,
just where
the viaduct begins. Do not cross the viaduct, but take the minor road
that doubles back, parallel to the main road, just before the gate that
marks the end of the reservoir track and the end point of this walk.
After passing some houses, pass through a gate and follow the bridleway
back
towards
Sheffield.
Here
you get some great views over Ladybower reservoir and dam. Pass behind
the pub (or pay it a visit if you fancy!) and cut up hill onto the moors
on a stony track. After a stretch of woodlands (nature reserve), cross
a small stream, pass through another gate and onto open moorland. Follow
the bridleway and bear left just before you reach the path from Cutthroat
Bridge. Follow this gently uphill across the moorland to reach the col
to the south of Whinstone Lee Tor. This gives you the first of the expansive
views (pictured above) of the other reservoirs, Derwent and Howden, with
their famed dams (just in case you did not already know, these were used
in the
second
world war for the 'Dambusters' squadron as they practiced their techniques
with Barnes-Wallis's bouncing bomb). This view will be with you for much
of the walk, plus views east over Sheffield.
At the col below Whinstone Lee Tor, turn right onto one of the walkin gems of Derbyshire’s Peak District - Derwent Edge. Follow the path along Derwent Edge, past the various weird rock formations (including White Tor, The Salt Cellar, Dovestone Tor and the Cakes of Bread) to reach Back Tor. From there, either follow the path down past Lost Lad back to the reservoir track and slog along that back to the car or for a longer day, navigate across the open country to pick up the path that leads along Abbey Brook and back to the reservoir track. Lost Lad is so called in memory of a shepherd boy who was lost in a snowstorm. These days, the weather is much milder, just 20 years ago, you could be guaranteed to have snow and ice on this walk, now it is a rarity. During the '80s, I often saw mountain hare, I cannot now recall the last time I saw one, but it is a good few years. Once you have reached the reservoir track, follow that southwards to reach the Vidauct. If you are walking the route in a dry summer, see if you can spot the remains of Derwent Village, drowned when the reservoirs were filled. The church steeple has now collapsed but when water levels are low, you can spot the remains of walls. Below is a view of Derwent Dam from the track that leads you back to the Ladybower viaduct.
Disclaimer - please make sure that your party has the necessary skills, equipment and fitness before setting off into the hills. It is often necessary to be able to navigate through peat bogs and over open moorland using a map and compass in the Dark Peak. The weather can change very quickly in the hills so be prepared.
accommodation close to Ladybower Reservoir