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Trails in the Peak

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Hi all,

As of last weekend, I am a fan of trail/ fell running. Now my legs have regained normal working status, I'm planning on heading up to the peak this weekend to continue the new found hobby and wondered if you guys could suggest a few routes.
I'd like it to be about 10 miles long and ideally in a forested/wooded area. As hilly as possibly, as that's the only way I can keep up with my girlfriend.

So far I've found a circular route that goes from Hathersage> Stanage> Higgar Tor and comes in about 10 miles but I don't think there's much tree action?

Any insider knowledge gratefully received.

Thanks,
Lloyd
 planetmarshall 03 Feb 2016
In reply to adventure_vulture:
> I'd like it to be about 10 miles long and ideally in a forested/wooded area. As hilly as possibly, as that's the only way I can keep up with my girlfriend.

Well, there are no wooded hilly areas in the UK, so you might be out of luck there. Try Canada?

More seriously, try round Ladybower then back up over Black Tor ( https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/750056140 ). Or the nearby Hope Fell Race route ( google it).
Post edited at 15:31
rob sykes 03 Feb 2016
In reply to adventure_vulture:

Assuming you don't know the area that well, I'd recommend the "Peak District Trail Running" guide:

https://www.v-publishing.co.uk/books/categories/running/peak-district-trail...

Offers a good selection of routes - some of which will fit your criteria.
 Iain Thow 03 Feb 2016
In reply to adventure_vulture:

As mentioned above, the VG Trail Running Guide is excellent, 22 routes, mostly around 9-15km, with a few longer or shorter. Nearly all hilly. The Millers Dale, Chatsworth, Ladybower and Windgather ones have a fair bit of woodland.
 goose299 03 Feb 2016
In reply to rob sykes:

Just out of interest, any one know if there's similar for Lancashire?
 deepsoup 04 Feb 2016
In reply to adventure_vulture:

If you don't mind some rough ground, and mud, and getting rather wet, I have one for you: http://deepsoup.f2s.com/UKC/Bradfield_Broomhead.gpx

I've mapped it out on bikehike.co.uk and exported the gpx - if you download that and import it again I think you'll then see what I'm seeing.

It's a fig-8 a little bit away from the usual Peak honeypot areas, starting and finishing in Low Bradfield. There are a fair few trees and it definitely ought to be hilly enough for you. It's also prone to being rather muddy in places, especially if things are wet generally. A surprising amount of the paths don't appear on the OS map, you'll just have to take my word that they do exist!

Park the car in "The Sands" car park behind the cricket pitch in Low Bradfield village.

On the opposite side of the car park from the cricket pitch there's a path running alongside the stream, follow that across a narrow bridge, up some steps and then up to the road. Turn left and follow the road for 500m with Agden reservoir on your left.

Immediately after a bridge where a stream flows into the reservoir from your right there is a gate with stone steps at the side, cross these and the path forks. The path to the right follows the bank of the stream up hill, narrow, can be muddy/slippy but beautiful. At the top of this there's a ladder over a wall, then turn right, cross the stream over a railway sleeper bridge and carry on steeply up its other bank (with the stream now to your left).

Towards the top of the hill the path takes a turn to the right, after a couple of 100m when you come to a small gate don't go through it, but double back to the left and continue uphill.
(On a path that isn't marked in any way, nor is on the map, but is very obvious on the ground. Doesn't matter if you miss it though, if you end up on the road turn left and left again over the stone style next to the gate further up.)

This path brings you to a farm track close to the road, turn left heading gently downhill and keep an eye out for a narrow path forking off back off again to the right. This is the top path along Agden Rocher crag, and has beautiful views. Beyond the crag, contour around the hill - the line of the path is vague but marked with posts - to a ladder style over the wall. Cross the road directly to another path along the side of White Lee Moor.

Again not on the map but a short distance in, no more than about 100m or so, there is a path forking off uphill into the woods on the right. Follow this through the woods, then skirt around with the trees on your left and a wall to the right. Sharp turn to the left, more of the same, then the path dives back into the woods again and emerges onto a bit of moorland. With the wall to your right head straight over to the road (this bit is quite tussocky and uneven, mind how you go), then left onto the road for 200m of tarmac.

Opposite a house, there's another ladder style and a path dropping steeply down through Pog's Wood to another road. If you turn right a short way up the road is another path dropping steeply down through the trees to the (Broomhead) reservoir. This is v muddy and slippy when it's very wet though, in road shoes you'll be doing a bit of the descent on your bum!

As an alternative, if you turn left on the road the footpath that goes off to the left through the trees after about 200m is delightful, or you can stick with the road down to the water's edge.

You can loop around Broomhead Res. There's a path across the top of the dam, and most of the way around you can take either the quiet road or a muddy path along the water's edge. There are always a few dog walkers in wellies along here.

As you come back around to the South side of the res, there's a wide forestry track with a metal gate. Follow that, then almost immediately left onto another, narrower track. After about 200m there's a wide, well surfaced bridleway (again, not on the map) heading steeply up through the woods. When you emerge onto the road head straight across and follow the farm track up towards Old Booth Farm. Through a metal gate next to the farm house, and carry on up the hill to meet another road. Turn left, take the right fork, and after about 300m or so there's a path off to the left through a broken gate. Gently down hill, past a muddy gate and across to the road. From here you can see Agden Rocher and the path you took on the way out.

Cross the road, over a concrete style and follow the farm track down. (It's always a bit soggy towards the bottom, but after a lot of rain it's more a shallow stream than a trail.) Past a few farm buildings, the path emerges onto more open pasture land. There are various paths along here, I invariably get slightly lost, but if you get it right you can dip into the woodland at the foot of Agden Rocher, but avoid climbing all the way back up to the road, rather cut across to the railway sleeper bridge you crossed earlier. Cross it again but this time carry straight on, with an area of felled trees to your right. The path turns right a little way up the hill then undulates through trees for about 500m ish until you come to a crossroads. If you want to add a bit extra you can turn sharply left for a quick victory lap around Bailey Hill and back again. You can bear right, for more of the nice path through the woods back down to the road. Or my favourite, you can bear left, through the graveyard, loop around High Bradfield Church and then directly back down the hill to Low Bradfield. (Using the same path, at the side of Woodfall House, that you started on.)

Phew.
In reply to adventure_vulture:

Thanks for all of these great ideas! It looks like there's a lot of good stuff to choose from.
If my legs can take it, we will try and run both days and tick a couple off.

Deepsoup, thanks for taking the time to type up such an epic route guide. I've just followed your description on bikehike and it looks class. I'm going to put the gpx on my garmin, which should be enough to keep me on track!

Cheers,
Lloyd

 Michael Hood 04 Feb 2016
In reply to adventure_vulture: As a matter of interest, why the "ideally in a forested/wooded area"?
 Fredt 04 Feb 2016
In reply to adventure_vulture:

Google 'Derwent Dambuster'. This years race is full, but you should find a map of a brilliant 10 mile trail route.
rob sykes 08 Feb 2016
In reply to Fredt:

that looks great....

As an aside, if someone could create a guide to "trail running routes in the peak district that aren't a bog and at least a little bit dry in some places" i'd gladly buy it.

Did the Windgather route from the VG Trail Running Guide yesterday. Nice run but v boggy and nearly got knocked over by the wind running along said crag.

to be expected i guess!!
 deepsoup 03 Mar 2016
In reply to deepsoup:

> ... Cross the road directly to another path along the side of White Lee Moor.

> Again not on the map but a short distance in, no more than about 100m or so, there is a path forking off uphill into the woods on the right. Follow this through the woods, then skirt around with the trees on your left and a wall to the right. Sharp turn to the left, more of the same, then the path dives back into the woods again and emerges onto a bit of moorland. With the wall to your right head straight over to the road (this bit is quite tussocky and uneven, mind how you go), then left onto the road for 200m of tarmac.

A slightly belated update..

I've just been up in the woods on White Lee Moor for the first time in a wee while. There's been some logging going on, and the nice path that forks off from the RoW up into the woods has been criss-crossed several times by some big ol' machines leaving *huge* muddy ruts. After rain, anyone who isn't training for one of those muddy challenge thingamabobs and fancies wading through thigh-deep goop probably won't be wanting to go that way for the foreseeable future.
(Unfortunately I was coming back the other way, so was pretty committed by the time I reached the quagmire - got off surprisingly lightly considering.)

Easy enough to avoid on the route I described there by sticking with the RoW along the side of White Lee Moor, turning right on the road at the end and following that to the ladder stile and steep descent through Pog's Wood.

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