Parkhouse, Chrome & Hollins Hills

on both deserve to be the subject Chrome Hill and Parkhouse Hill long whaleback of Hollins Hill. limestone ridges as well as the eye-catching and energetic of the divide and takes in two This walk explores both sides with bright green pasture. suddenly merge into valleys and wild heather moors limestone of the White Peak of the Dark Peak meets the Hollinsclough, the gritstone Here, above the hamlet of feel off the beaten track. headwaters of the Dove still hill country around the north of Hartington the known, but just a few miles F metres S km 20 0 40 0 60 0 EAT ee 0 0 p a UR

Dovedale are well The delights of roger butler chosen by… ge 32 11 E u Distance: 4¾ miles/7.5km u 4¾ miles/7.5km Distance: 2 Parkhouse, chrome & hollins hills derbyshire/staffs 4

6 near the top of Chrome Hill. weathered limestone archway And look out for the towards the Derbyshire Dales. Upper Dove Valley and south panoramic views down the each these hills, with their You could spend all day on back of an angry dragon! others think it looks like the Hill resembles a stegosaurus; equator. Some say Chrome somewhere south of the Peak District was probably reef knolls, at a time when the tops were originally formed as and their narrow rock-fringed of school geography lessons 1 silk weaving, take the lane Hollinsclough, once a centre for GR ADIENT PROFILE From the road junction in Start C hrome and Parkhouse

8 HI Time: 4 hours u 4 hours Time: lls from the south. 10 Grade: Moderate Grade:

tom bailey tom Photo: R to pass through a gate and headwaters of the Dove. Turn to meet the meandering after 400m and keep ahead track/byway, by a stone barn, ahead. Fork L on the farm Parkhouse Hill both prominent leading E with Chrome Hill and 14 Landranger 119 M station at None to start. Nearest transportPublic toiletsPublic None t a cafés in Longnor; pub R N P S and Parkhouse slippery) on Chrome paths; steep (sometimes f e I r d i parking r g H S R an your walk your an p s it for me? tiles tart/ efr ollinsclough, earest town aps O LANN oute l E a Pubs and and eshments Pubs l r 2 S

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on just be the perfect winter walk. dale-slashed peaks – it might you can look back across the gentle climb to finish – where rocky tranquility. And with one quieter, a magical place of itself, and the second is even hits the crowds of Dove Dale traces the River Dove before it Wolfscote and Biggin. The first links two of the most scenic: This circuit from Hartington they twist through the hills. in steep crags and forest as river-cut gorges that wrap you famed for its dales, the 1 F

metres Wolfscote Walking in a wintry S From the car park in Start km 20 0 40 0 60 0 EAT ee 0 0 p

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District is rightly The Derbyshire Peak jenny walters chosen by… ge 32 12

E u Distance: 6 miles/9.6km u D 2 ale. Wolfscote & biggin dales derbyshire 4

6 squeeze stile into woods. gently down and through posts – before dropping again waymarked with slightly uphill beyond – stile by gate, and going passing through squeeze gap in wall. Keep with path, with posts – and through curves downhill – waymarked other side to take path that track and go through gate on gate with track beyond. Cross path through fields to reach gate and curve R to follow Wolfscote Dale. Go through toilet block, signed for centre and up steps to L of into car park by information Cotton pub on R. Soon turn L on Mill Lane, passing Charles walking south out of village centre of Hartington, start GR ADIENT PROFILE Time: 3 hours u 3 hours Time: 8 10

Grade: Moderate Grade:

tom bailey tom Photo: to footbridge, then cross Keep on L bank of river River Dove (water to R). the woods to soon meet 2 14 R Landranger 119 M seven a day, Mon- H to Peak 442 from Public Mill Lane, Public & cafés in Pubs R B N Plann S one gentle climb Clear paths, mostly level, I parking Car park grid ref in centre of S an your walk your an p s it for me? tiles tart/ Follow path through km ¾ mile/1.2 efr akewell artington (at least earest town aps O oute l A eshments shbourne calls at shbourne calls at None transport toilets S 16 S

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2 onl 3 S P A the walk on the walk maps M n 4½ miles/7km SE on grassy Continue I association with OS OS lfto.com/cwroutes E OS VIW descent, SW through hawthorn hawthorn through SW descent, a track/ meet bushes, to which leads down bridleway a fine old packhorse cross to a couple by bridge guarded of small gates. 6 path for 300m to small gate small gate 300m to for path N of Hollinsclough. lane just at to return to L downhill Turn start.

1 6 t S art 3½ miles/5.5km and take L on track Fork 5

sharp R after the next gate. gate. the next sharp R after L, path permissive Follow N to alongside wall keeping of way Join right Rock. of Tor cattle by junction, track at N of Stoop just grid/stile, trending and continue, Farm lane reach to 700m for SW, near Booth Farm. 5 gate E onto Hollins Hill (Open Hollins Hill (Open E onto gate wall meet Climb E to Access). ridge. leading S along broad on R and follow wall Keep almost S for signs, walking views 1km, with uninterrupted Hill and Parkhouse Chrome to beyond. Hill and the valley the at steeply land drops The end of the ridge and follow a zig-zag for fingerposts

Parkhouse, chrome & hollins hills Parkhouse, derbyshire/staffs 2½ miles/4km 2½ miles/4km Marker posts indicate indicate posts Marker 1¾ miles/2.75km Go R on lane and by cattle Go R on lane and by 1 mile/1.5km 200m and leave L for Turn OS Explorer map OL24 u the way forward on another forward the way – go through path permissive turn ahead to and keep gate of gateposts to the open lane. to of gateposts cross a footbridge next to a to next a footbridge cross a pair through Continue ford. 2 3 4 the unfenced lane to climb lane to the unfenced Access Hill (Open Parkhouse R of a conspicuous land). Veer and gradually rock protruding up the northernclimb path path flanks. An intermittent with the airy ridge, rises to and it is worth outcrops, to ‘up and over’ continuing and the the scenery enjoy sense of exposure. unexpected the back to steps your Retrace on the steep taking care lane, slopes and banks of grassy polished limestone. grid take stile on L to follow a follow on L to stile grid take pasture over path permissive a ridge to limestone and a low an isolated by in a wall gate spur Climb the grassy tree. ahead straight rears which now of Chrome the crest reach to approximately for Hill. Continue and as the ridge begins450m stone eroded N, pass drop to the R towards on R. Keep arch a end of the ridge and follow with some simple path, steep which can be easily scrambling a gate. L to veer to avoided, u 11 midlands ✁ Date walked time taken your rating 19 y 20

e: jan n 6 i 5 onl S P 4 A the walk on the walk maps M n I association with OS OS lfto.com/cwroutes E OS VIW down into Hartington. Turn L Turn Hartington. into down return to T-junction again at to start. start. to

3 1 2 4½ miles/7.3 km 4½ miles/7.3 then L on this lane, Turn t S art

6 very soon turn L again on track soon turn L again on track very 548 – route – labelled cycle Dale End House on L,passing on track and climbing gently the hills. across big views to ahead through Continue of tracks, crossroads staggered building on farm passing later L and curving R to hit a road. hit a road. L and curving R to L on lane which leads Turn

derbyshire & biggin dales Wolfscote 2½ miles/4.2km signed Biggin. L here, Turn 3¾ miles/6.2 km 3¾ miles/6.2 Turn L, signed Hartington, L, signed Hartington, Turn 1½ miles/2.3km There’s an interesting an interesting There’s OS Explorer map OL24 u This junction can be one huge junction This should be a but there puddle, on the rocks past way dry-boot and the stony the L. Follow to up through trail wet often 1¼ miles/2km Biggin Dale for junction another path reach to with a fingerpost. u the R here) and go through and go through the R here) in arrive to another gate National Dale at Wolfscote sign. Trust and continue downstream downstream and continue you bank. When on R-hand on L, footbridge spot next On the other turn and cross. bear R as waymarked side, along beside path and trace to arrows following fence, cross Go through, gate. reach ahead the small stream to the footbridge (ignore 3 4 5 going through gate and then gate going through along walk R to swinging the At the floor of dale. ahead signed keep fork, next through Biggin, passing for and on along base of gate road. reach the dale to cave if you want to detour detour to want if you cave L; up the hill to a short way trace bear R to otherwise, the dale, down the path a junction to 1¼ miles/2km with a fingerpost. with the river to your R, for your to with the river 12 midlands