Peak District walk along Derwent Edge from Ladybower, Derbyshire / Yorkshire

Derwent Edge and Hagg Side

Difficulty level: 4 (1 to 5 scale)
Distance: 22.00 km
Estimated time: 5.5 hours - excluding stops
Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 map sheet(s): 110

This fine circuit of the upper part of Ladybower has everything you could desire of a walk in the Peak - an interesting route with excellent views and fine situations, mostly on good ground and even with a tea stop half-way. It starts and finishes at the car park above the eastern side of Ladybower reservoir.

View from the southern part of Derwent Edge

Leave the car park to walk up the road and across the viaduct to the A57. Turn right along this and continue past the Ladybower Inn before taking a track which leads off from the road just past the inn. You follow this track for only twenty or thirty metres before branching left to double back on yourself along another track which passes through the woods above the inn. After approximately 400 metres this track emerges into the open and a path ascends the steep hillside on your right. Though this is not a right of way it seems a well-worn path and can be followed directly to the top of Whinstone Lee, a stiff climb which is rewarded by an excellent view of the upper Derwent valley. An alternative route is to follow the track around the hillside and climb up the west side of the hill. This is further and almost as steep but it is a right of way.

Back Tor

The hard work done, you can now walk along Derwent Edge and enjoy the view. The path heads north-east initially to meet a path which comes up from Moscar, and then turns north to pass the Wheel Stones, the Salt Cellar and Dovestone Tor, keeping close to the edge all the way. You can admire the marvellous shapes of these gritstone tors - some of the most knarled and weather-beaten of any rocks in the Peak, toughened outcrops which have survived the blast of the elements - so far. Meanwhile, the view of the Derwent valley is excellent.

After Dovestone Tor the edge softens and loses its sharpness and the section across to Back Tor is very boggy. Fortunately for the walker it has been paved to curb further erosion and damage to the environment, so the walking is quite easy.Just before Back Tor you cross the head of the Foulstone Delf path coming up from Strines and then short climb takes you to the rocky summit, capped by a trig point which on a good day can be seen for miles.

View from far up the Derwent Valley

From Back Tor head north-west down the ridge to a spur called Lost Lad, where a panoramic viewpoint marks one of the best spots to view the Upper Derwent, and then turn westwards to follow the continuation ridge down towards Derwent Reservoir. There is a good track which soon branches (take the right fork) and then follows a wall down the ridge before turning left at a wall junction and descending quite steeply towards the trees below. Cross another path which contours around the hillside and continue down steeply to the trees and zigzag through these to reach the reservoir. An alternative and equally pleasant route would be to return to the Foulstone Delf path and follow its westward extension down to the reservoir - it joins the route described just above the steep descent.

The reservoirs form an impenetrable barrier for anyone wanting to do anything but a very long circuit of the Upper Derwent, so turn left along the unmade road which follows the west side of the reservoir and take the path beneath Derwent Dam to Fairholmes, the car park and tourist centre which the Water Company and the Peak National Park jointly operate. It is often very crowded at weekends, but it does offer refreshments if that's what you need at this stage of the walk.

Ladybower from Lockerbrook

Walk out of Fairholmes along the road back towards Ashopton and a few metres to the south a path branches off into the woods. Take this path, which follows a stream initially and then strikes off to the right, crossing by a small bridge the conduit which brings water from the Ashop river and climbing steadily up through the forest. Half-way up it meets a forest road - follow this round a large bend and then take the path which turns off left back into the forest. Towards the top the path has been re-routed to avoid the Lockerbrook farmhouse and it makes a sharp detour right before crossing a field and emerging on the cart track which leads to the farm, which now belongs to the Woodcraft Folk.

Turn left and walk along the old cart track, which passes Lockerbrook and goes up to the crest of the ridge before plunging down the hillside to Rowlee Farm in the Ashop Valley. But don't follow it this far. A path comes along the crest and you should turn left and follow it along the edge of the plantation, enjoying all the way the view over the Hope Cross area to Lose Hill.

The path is easy-angled, making a gentle ascent to a rise at the end of the plantation and then descending towards the rocky tors of Crook Hill. The hill is on private land, so when the path branches just before it take the left fork and continue easily down to Crookhill farm. Here the footpath has been diverted to avoid the farm, so pass below it on the east side, cross the farm road and the next field and then pick up the original line again, which takes you directly down across the fields to reach the Fairholmes road only 100 metres from its junction with the A57. A short walk along across the Ashopton Viaduct returns you to your starting point.

Derwent Edge and Hagg Side Photo Gallery - click on the images to enlarge- Click Here for a slide show

0 - Ladybower and Ashopton Viaduct	1 - Ladybower from Whinstone Lee	2 - Derwent Edge - Wheel Stones	3 - Derwent Edge
4 - Derwent Edge - Back Tor	5 - Derwent Reservoir and Howden Dam	6 - Derwent Dam	7 - Derwent Dam overflowing
8 - Ladybower mist from Lockerbrook	9 - Ladybower from Hagg Side

Peak District walk along Derwent Edge from Ladybower, Derbyshire / Yorkshire

This fine circuit of the upper part of Ladybower has everything you could desire of a walk in the Peak - excellent views and fine situations. It starts and finishes at the car park above the eastern side of Ladybower reservoir.

Derwent Edge and Hagg Side