path on the left after 250, then turn left along a Restricted of the farmhouse. Beyond a further gate keep to the wall, 88 When you meet Waterside Road, turn left and follow WALK 5 Byway. with a small wooded valley to your left. Just before a gate, the road to Hague Bridge. 64 Follow the track as it bears right towards Ringstones cross a stile on your left, down a few steps into the wood. 89 Cross the Goyt and then cross to the right-hand side of Farm, then follow the metalled drive past the farmhouse Cross a small wooden bridge then follow the path down to the road and take the path signposted to Mousley Bottom and out to the road. the stream, which you cross on another footbridge (with a and New Mills and the Torrs Millennium Walkway. NEW MILLS footpath sign pointing in the opposite direction). 65 Turn right, then opposite the Children’s Inn cross a 90 Follow the riverside path through Mousley Bottom stile into a field to the right of the drive to Hollins Farm. 79 Walk up the other side of the valley and turn right Nature Reserve, keeping close to the river whenever you PARISH through a stile. Walk downhill along a fenced path, then 66 Walk diagonally up the field to the far left-hand corner. have a choice. briefly divert left round the garden, along a permitted path Turn left along a track past the end of a stone barn, then 91 As you approach New Mills, the path joins a track (white arrow). Follow the drive down to the Fox Inn. walk in front of the farmhouse to a gate at the far side of which leads away from the river to meet Station Road. BOUNDARY the garden, keeping to the left-hand side. Brook Bottom is a cluster of cottages, many of them 92 Walk past some newly built houses and pass the Goyt listed for heritage value, around the 18th-century Fox Inn. An 18-mile challenge walk 67 In the field beyond, turn right around the edge of the footbridge on your right. The single-track road from New Mills was only metalled field. that can be split into shorter in the 1960s. 93 Follow the road uphill, past New Mills Central station 68 Cross a stile on the right and then bear left across the and over the railway. sections using public transport field to another stile. 80 From the Fox car park near the telephone box, follow Rowarth Mill Little Inn, the track downhill marked Goyt Way. Go under the railway 94 At the top of the road, turn right to return to the town 69 Cross a couple of paddocks to a collection of sheds and bridge and pass Strines Station. centre. caravans and walk between them to a hand gate. Strines Station is believed to be the inspiration for the 70 Follow the scant remains of a stone wall across the next station in Edith Nesbit’s much-loved book The Railway field then keep straight on to a stile, heading towards How Children. Nesbit frequently stayed with relatives in the Green Farm. Below: Robin Hood’s Picking Rods area: for more information see New Mills Walkers are Cover: Birch Vale Reservoir 71 Go through a gate, then bear left to a second gate. Turn Welcome Walk 3: The Edith Nesbit Literary Trail. right and follow the farm drive out to the road. 81 Follow the cobbled road and pass Strines Hall on your 72 Turn left along the road to the five-way road junction left and a mill pond with an ornamental dovecote on your with Mellor Road. right. Cross the River Goyt and pass the entrance to Print- ers Drive. Mellor Road to Strines (Map 2) 82 Continue along the road up to the B6101 in Strines. 73 Cross the road and follow the potholed Pole Lane For the bus stop, turn right. towards Broadhurstedge Plantation. Broadhurstedge Plantation is an oak and birch Strines to New Mills (Map 2) woodland managed by the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust. 83 From the top of Station Road, turn left and follow the 74 Walk along the edge of the plantation, passing a B6101 towards New Mills, passing the entrance to covered reservoir. Woodend Farm on the right after quarter of a mile. As the 75 At a crossroad of tracks at the end of the wood, turn road approaches the bridge over the River Goyt, take a bri- right into Primrose Lane, a farm drive. dleway into trees on the right just after another driveway 76 Pass Knapkin Piece Farm then look out for a stile on entrance. your left by two metal gates (Peak and Northern Footpaths 84 After a short while the path meets the River Goyt, Society sign no. 482). Cross the stile and walk straight which it follows to the entrance to a factory. across the field to a stone stile; beyond this follow the wall on your left. 85 Cross the entrance to the factory and continue along the riverside with a security fence on your right. 3rd edition. Route devised by New Mills Walkers are 77 Cross another stile and head towards a large boundary Welcome www.nmwaw.org.uk. stone. Turn right here following a stone wall then a fence 86 Beyond the industrial compound, bear left along the Maps, text and photographs by Dave Dunford, beyond the trees. Cross another stile (PNFS sign 334) then road. walksfromthedoor.co.uk. turn left towards Shaw Farm, keeping to the left of the 87 Turn left at a footpath sign and follow the path above field. Enter the farmyard and pass a couple of barns to the river, then descend towards a white-painted house. At Route checked by Nicky & George Burgess, Sean Whewell & reach the entrance. the end of the garden, turn left down to the river, then turn Tony Audenshaw. 78 Cross to a gate opposite, keeping along the wall in front right along the river. Bottom Brook Copyright © 2021 New Mills Walkers are Welcome NEW MILLS Note that some sections of this walk are across open covered area. After a stile, the path follows a fence along 34 After 400 yards you reach the top of the hill. Turn right 52 Pass the entrance to Butcher’s Piece Farm and ignore a Overview moorland and rough pasture which may be boggy at New Mills to Birch Vale (Map 1) the edge of the clough to a gate into Shedyard Farm. onto another farm track, signposted as a Restricted Byway. ladder stile over the wall on your right. times. There are a couple of moderately strenuous climbs This challenge walk is a circular route following, as 1 Starting at New Mills bus station and facing Barton’s 18 Bear left between the farm buildings, then follow the 53 At a T-junction, the main route continues straight on, and some paths are rocky underfoot. Walking boots are 35 Follow the track through Wethercotes Farm. shop, turn left across Rock Mill Lane then left again, into farm drive for 400 yards until you reach Laneside Road. over stone steps in the wall. [To catch the bus back to New closely as possible, the boundaries of New Mills recommended and clothing appropriate to the conditions Station Road. 36 At a junction with another byway, continue straight on. Mills, turn right and then right again along Monks Road to parish on public rights of way. It can be completed should be warn. Please keep dogs on leads around live- 19 Turn right up the road until you meet Oven Hill Road. 2 Descend to cross the railway and pass the station, con- 37 After a little under half a mile, keep left at a fork, down reach the bus stop at the junction with the A624. Await the in a single hard day’s walking of around 18 miles, stock and close gates behind you. 20 Turn left then immediately right, along a rough track to tinuing downhill to some industrial premises. Keep left a sunken track that bears left, levels off past a former High Peak 61 bus heading towards Buxton.] or divided into two or more shorter stages using the left of a heathery area. Beyond a gate the track contin- along the road (Mousley Bottom). quarry on the left, then descends and becomes rockier 54 Having climbed over the wall, follow the wall on your public transport to and from New Mills, as follows: ues between stone walls before emerging into a field. underfoot. 3 Before the houses, turn left off the road and cross the left until it bends left, then strike out across the field to the 21 Follow the left-hand side of the field to a gate by a New Mills to Birch Vale (5¼ miles) River Goyt via a long footbridge. 38 The track joins a metalled lane and passes Laneside far corner, where another wall stile leads out to Monks clump of trees. Road at the end of the drive to Higher Plainsteads and Return: 358, 61 or 60 bus from Birch Vale (final destina- 4 Bear right along a footpath with a factory behind the Farm on the left. 22 Continue uphill with a wall on your left to a gate. Rock Farm. tion Stockport, Buxton or Macclesfield respectively) security fence on your right. 39 At a junction with another metalled drive, turn right 23 Beyond the gate, turn left along the wall. Birch Vale to Monks Road (4¾ miles) 5 When you reach the factory access road, turn left and towards Long Lee Farm.