The Great Ridge Route 1
The popular Great Ridge of the Dark Peak is undoubtedly the area’s classic hillwalk. Steve Goodier guides us along it...
A Peak District classic over Mam Tor
The Great Ridge is the Peak District’s only true ridge walk, and is the classic outing of the region. The ridge follows a dramatic high-level course between Mam Tor (517m/1696ft) and shapely Lose Hill (476m/1562ft), taking in Barker Bank (426m/1398ft) and the stunning viewpoint of Back Tor along the way.
The line of the ridge marks the boundary between the gritstone of the Dark Peak and the limestone of the White Peak, and there is an excellent path all the way along it. Views are stunning in all directions but especially well seen is the Vale of Edale and the Kinder Scout upland.
The Great Ridge is extremely popular with walkers, and this route climbs Lose Hill (also called Wards Piece) by a long rising path and then continues all the way to Mam Tor. It’s hard to choose the best viewpoint, but do try to do this outing on a sunny day to enjoy the panoramas at their very best. The return route uses the disused Castleton road for a while and as this has been prone to the landslips that dog Mam Tor, it looks as though it is earthquake-damaged and as such is quite unique.
1 SK149830 Exit the car park going left through Castleton and follow the main road (A6187) before taking a footpath right (track) for ‘Hope’. Follow the track, soon picking up a river on your left. Pass through a small gate to take a field path by the fence left. Follow the path past a wall end, then rise and leave the river, crossing a stile. Continue over the next field, crossing a stile, then cross the field beyond passing through a gate. After the next field cross a stile and continue to pass through a gate, cross the railway line and climb steps passing through a gate. Follow the left edge of the next field, continuing through four gates and crossing a stile to a lane. Go left rising to a road junction in Hope. Go right then soon take the Edale Lane road left. Follow the lane under a railway bridge. Shortly, by a postbox, take the footpath left.
2 SK169842 Cross the stile left, rising on the enclosed path beyond. Pass through a gate to go right at a path junction. Pass through a gate taking an enclosed footpath to cross a stile. Go ahead on a track passing through two gates in quick succession to take a marked footpath along the left edge of a field. Pass through a kissing gate, cross the next field and cross a stile. Continue up the left field edge through an opening and rise to cross a stile. Rise again, crossing a bridge and stile left. Go right climbing the field edge, passing through a gap by a stile and barn. Cut half left to a wall gap. Don’t pass through but go right on the right side of the wall to pass through a gate and continue up the left side of a field. Shortly after go left through a gate, rising through another gate. Climb the grassy path beyond passing through trees. Keep ahead at all times to cross a stile right and cut half left rising over another stile. Climb the surfaced path to the summit of Lose Hill.
3 SK153853 Descend south-westerly on the surfaced path, crossing a stile and continue on the enclosed path beyond. Cross a wet hollow to rise to the top of Back Tor. Descend the path beyond, past a tree dropping down a path to go left over a stile at the bottom. Go right, rising up Barker Bank by a fence right. Cross the summit and to the cairn and path crossroads at Hollins Cross. Take the paved path ahead (southwesterly) to pass through two gates and climb to reach the trig point on Mam Tor’s summit.
4 SK127836 Take the paved path ahead to descend from the summit, dropping down steps to pass through a gate at Mam Nick to a lane. Go left down steps, passing through a gate to a path junction. Go left following the path by a fence under Mam Tor. Soon cut half right away from the fence and descend a path to pass through a gate to a lane. 5 SK128831 Go left, following the lane past Blue John Caverns to pass through a gate at a bus turning area. Carefully descend the old Castleton Road to pass through a gate. Descend the lane beyond through a gate opening and continue ahead down the lane to Castleton.