Castleton, Peak District (MBUK316)

START/FINISH
Castleton car park, off Cross Street (grid ref SK 149/830, postcode S33 8WH)

LOCATION DETAILS
The Dark Peak, aka High Peak, has millstone grit covering the underlying limestone, which gets saturated in the wet. The steep, rocky terrain provides lots of technical riding and amazing scenery but it’s hard on both body and bike.

HOW TO GET THERE
Castleton is in the heart of the Dark Peak, at the end of the A6187, just south of Ladybower Reservoir on the A57 between Glossop and Sheffield. There are railway stations in Hope and Edale. There’s lots of parking on the road towards Mam Tor too.

MAPS AND USEFUL BOOKS
OS Landranger 110: Sheffield & Huddersfield.
Peak District Mountain Biking: Dark Peak Trails by Jon Barton (Vertebrate Graphics).

ACCOMMODATION/FACILITIES
Options include Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese Inn in Castleton (www.cheshirecheeseinn.co.uk, 01433 620330), Woodbine B&B/cafe in Hope (www.woodbine-hope.co.uk, 07778 113882) and Castleton YHA (01433 621767). There are cafes in Edale, Hope and Fairholmes. Hope is also home to 18 Bikes (www.18bikes.co.uk, 01433 621111). Derwent Cycle Hire stocks basic spares (01433 651261). 

Go right on the A6187. Keep ahead/right and climb the broken road up Mam Tor. Keep ahead at the top and right at the road T-junction, then go right on the next road (signed to Edale), uphill. Go over the top, then bear right through a gate, off-road, and keep to the right, uphill.
Join a flagstone path down to the viewpoint (with a hill ahead). Turn sharp left down a rocky trail and keep left at a signpost on a narrow rutted trail. Keep ahead through the gates to a fenced and gated junction of tracks by a house, then bear right to a track and go right, downhill.
Turn right at the T-junction and follow this road along the valley. Go left on a bridleway past Nether Booth, uphill. Cross a stream and keep left at the fork, uphill, then go down and cross another stream. Climb to Hope Cross and turn left. Go right on the tarmac at the bottom, down then up and across the A57. Continue past the farm and through a gate on a good track.
Go straight on at the top, past a house and through another gate. Head uphill and then downhill to a road and turn right on this, beside the reservoir. Pass Fairholmes VC, go uphill and then turn right on a bridleway by a car park/cattle grid, heading steeply uphill. Go right at the top, along the hilltop and through a gate, then bear left down a rocky downhill.
Go through a gate and follow the tarmac down to the A57. Join a bridleway on the other side. Cross a bridge and turn left. Keep right on this very rocky track uphill, back to the track crossing at Hope Cross, and turn left.
Go downhill – the track becomes tarmac after a gate – to a road. Go left on this to a T-junction in Hope. Turn right, then immediately left on the road. Follow this until it turns sharp right by a house and go ahead up Pin Dale. Turn left on the road when you meet it, then right on Dirtlow Rake, parallel to the road.
Follow this right, then turn right at a track crossing signposted to Castleton. Follow the track down into the valley – it gets very rocky. Turn left at the road and follow it back into Castleton. Turn left at the T-junction to reach the finish.


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Routes produced in association with

Rough Ride Guide