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Rural Ramble 7: Padley Gorge And Carl Wark
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| Distance: 7 miles |
Duration: 4 to 5 hours |
Price: £15.00 per person
(Group and family rates available) |
Higger Tor as seen from Carl Wark
(© The Roaming Picture Taker) |
This circular walk begins at the entrance to Grindleford Railway Station, close to the very popular cafe there, and starts with a long steady climb up to Longshaw Lodge. There, it crosses the Sheffield to Hathersage road, and follows the route of the Sheffield Country Walk across the high moor and past the base of Burbage Rocks. Reaching the road at Upper Burbage Bridge, it then begins to head back towards Grindleford.
This return part of the route takes the walk along the well-worn path across the middle of the open moor, calling first at the prominant rocky outcrop of Higger Tor, and then the ancient Iron Age hill fort of Carl Wark. Leaving Carl Wark, the walk continues across the moor, reaching the Sheffield to Hathersage road at the wonderfully named Toad's Mouth. From there, it finishes by dropping down the wooded and very popular Padley Gorge, following the route of Burbage Brook to return to the start point at Grindleford Railway Station.
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Although something of a challenge, especially in wet or windy weather, this walk offers some really great views of the north-eastern corner of the Peak District National Park. Private bookings of this walk can alter the route, increasing the distance slightly, to include a visit to the popular viewpoint at Surprise View.
Please note that, in March or November especially, there is the possibility that the walk may take place in snow or icy conditions. If we believe that the conditions on the walk may be hazardous, we will contact you at least 24 hours before the scheduled date of the walk to discuss options including rescheduling the walk to a time when the weather is likely to be better.
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| Distance: |
7 miles. |
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| Duration (approx): |
4 to 5 hours (including lunch). |
| Start point: |
Grindleford Railway Station,
Nether Padley,
Derbyshire. |
| Start time: |
10:30am. |
| End point: |
Grindleford Railway Station,
Nether Padley,
Derbyshire. |
| Dates available: |
Scheduled walks available on the following dates:
July 17th, 26th, 29th, 31st.
August 7th, 9th, 12th, 21st, 23rd, 26th, 28th.
September 4th, 13th, 18th, 25th.
October 2nd, 16th, 23rd, 30th.
November 6th, 15th, 20th.
(Online pre-booking is essential for these walks.)
Private group bookings are also available on a date of your choosing (weekdays only) via a Personal Walking Guide for any date from March 1st to November 23rd 2024 (subject to availability). |
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When is this walk available?
Scheduled walks are available several times each month between the beginning of March and the end of November. Due to the extreme popularity of Padley Gorge at weekends, and the associated problems with parking, access and overcrowding that this brings, we have decided to only offer this walk during the week, and not at weekends.
If you wish to have the exclusive services of one of our guides, it is also available as a private booking on a date of your choice (weekdays only) from March to November via a Personal Walking Guide. For Personal Walking Guide bookings, we are usually able to offer a range of different start times from 9:00am to 11:00am.
All bookings are subject to the availability of a suitable guide - Please see our online calendar or e-mail us for availability of your chosen date.
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Prices.
The following prices apply for this walk:
| Ticket |
Price |
Deposit
(Included in overall price) |
Adult or Child aged 16 and over
(Up to 8 people in group)
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£15.00 per person |
£5.00 per person |
Personal Walking Guide
(Group of up to 5)
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£60.00 per group |
£20.00 per group |
Personal Walking Guide
(Group of 6 to 10)
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£100.00 per group |
£25.00 per group |
Personal Walking Guide
(Group of 11 or more)
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£150.00 per group |
£37.50 per group |
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Reduced rates for under-16s, plus discounted family tickets also available, giving cheaper prices for groups including children aged 15 and under. Please e-mail us for details and to book.
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Travel to and from the walk.
As there is very limited car parking at Grindleford Station, we usually recommend the use of public transport to access this walk. Apart from the limited number of spaces at the Railway Station, and a small number of spaces on the nearby road, the closest public car park is over an hour's walk away, so using a car is difficult unless you can get someone to drop you off and pick you up.
If you do use public transport to access this walk, then Grindleford is served by regular trains from Sheffield and Manchester, which drop you off just a couple of minutes walk from the start and end point of the walk. You can also access this walk via the number 65 bus service, which runs between Sheffield and Buxton, dropping you off a short walk from the start point of the walk.
Information on how to get to and from this walk can be found on our travel information page.
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Is there anything special I need to bring?
Given the nature of this walk, you will need some good quality walking gear. Proper walking boots are essential for this walk, given the combination of rocky and potentially wet or boggy terrain. The exposed nature of the route around Burbage Rocks, Higger Tor and Carl Wark also means that you will need some outer layers that are both wind- and waterproof. So you will need to bring waterproofs, both jacket and trousers or overtrousers. In cold weather, a warm hat, gloves and an additional warm layer are essential. In warm weather, the exposed terrain and lack of shelter means that a sun hat (well-fitting, so that it doesn't get blown off by the wind) and suncream are essential.
The lack of facilities along the route, apart from a couple of ice-cream vans that may be on the route of the walk if they are not trading elsewhere that day, means that it is essential to bring both food and sufficient water for the entire day with you. Given the terrain, we recommend at least 2 litres of water per person, and that you think seriously about increasing that to 3 litres per person on very hot days.
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Are there any disabled access issues?
Unfortunately, this walk is not suitable for wheelchairs, mobility scooters or those with other mobility issues due to the terrain involved.
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Is this walk suitable for dogs?
Yes, this walk is suitable for dogs. However, we do ask that you keep your dog under close control on a short lead at all times. This is especially important on the sections of the walk that pass through fields or on open land where there may be livestock present. If you wish to bring your dog with you, please notify us beforehand.
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Booking
You can book places on any of our scheduled walks via the PayPal button below. Other payment options are available on request - Please e-mail us for details if required.
If you wish to make a Personal Walking Guide booking for this walk, please see our Personal Walking Guide booking page here.
Bookings for scheduled walks can be made at any time up to 48 hours before the intended date of your walk, or up to 72 hours beforehand for Personal Walking Guides. We regret that we cannot accept bookings made less than 48 hours prior to the planned start time of the walk (72 hours for Personal Walking Guide bookings).
Please ensure before booking that the date you require is not listed below and on our online calendar as unavailable or fully booked, and that you have read and agree to our terms and conditions.
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Personal Walking Guide Availability - Padley Gorge and Carl Wark
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| Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
Saturday |
Sunday |
Bank Holidays |
| Yes |
Some* |
Yes |
Some* |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
| * = Please contact us for details of availability |
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Book a place on this walk
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Latest booking news
- This walk has now finished for the winter, and will restart in March 2025.
- We are now accepting Personal Walking Guide bookings for this walk for Mondays, some Tuesdays, Wednesdays, some Thursdays, and Fridays from March 1st to November 23rd 2025.
- We are also accepting other advance enquiries for March to November 2025.
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Important: Before booking, please make sure that the date you wish to book is not listed as already being fully booked in the "Latest booking news" section above.
Please select the number of places you would like to book and enter the date required.
Other payment options are available on request - Please e-mail us for details if required.
By placing a booking with us, you are accepting and agreeing to our terms and conditions.
If you encounter any problems with your booking, or have any questions about this walk, please e-mail us.
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