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5-6 mile walk Peak District walk for very unfit overweight

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 elliot.baker 21 Jan 2017
Hi, a close relative has made an *excellent* effort to start walking to lose weight and get fit.

Can anyone recommend a fairly easy, not too hilly 5 -6 mile loop walk in the peak district?

I was thinking Dove Dale but I hate A to B to A walks I prefer loops. I thought about Kinder Scout but I think that's a bit much for her at the moment. I don't want any thing uber exposed etc or very difficult terrain.

Thanks in advanced for any suggestions all of you.
EB
 deacondeacon 21 Jan 2017
In reply to elliot.baker:
Ringinglow-houndkirk-fox house-longshaw-burbage south-burbage north.
Not sure of the length but I guess about 5 miles.
Very flat for the peak.
Paths as big as roads so nothing exposed.
A pub halfway round.
A cafe halfway round.
A pub at the end.
Finishes on a downhill so makes you feel good when you've finished

It's also an interesting walk, with the remains of a derelict coaching inn (Badger House) on the way, an old road with old milestones in the middle of nowhere and a national trust type place (longshaw estate).
You can also see some of the most famous gritstone climbs from the path.
Quite fancy doing it myself now
Post edited at 18:29
 robert-hutton 21 Jan 2017
In reply to elliot.baker:
Grouse pub down and along Froggat edge, coffee van might be at end up to White edge turn left at wall back to the pub, flattish no big climbs and at the moment relatively dry.
Post edited at 18:31
In reply to elliot.baker:

Circuit of Burbage valley in either direction; Surprise View to Mother Cap, past Carl Wark to Higgar Tor, then down Burbage Valley highway, across the road & down to Padley Gorge, then back up to Surprise View. A longer walk for a nice day with a couple of picnic/rest stops.
Shorter version from Burbage North bridge; up & over Higgar Tor the down to the river bridge by the old/ex plantation, then up to the Burbage Valley highway & back to the start.
Another variation goes along the tops of Burbage North & South then back up the Valley.
 deepsoup 21 Jan 2017
In reply to elliot.baker:

Where is she based? Are you looking at any particular area in the Peak?

If she's looking to avoid too many hills at the mo, a good way to do that might be circumnavigating a few reservoirs. Agden and Damflask have nice paths around much of their water's edge, doing both from Low Bradfield would be about the right distance. There's a nice path around Dale Dike res too.
On the other side of the hill to the north, perhaps a wander around Broomhead and Moor Hall reservoirs?

The paths around most of the reservoirs do tend to be pretty muddy this time of year though.

When it's running you can use the bus up the Upper Derwent Valley for some nice A-B walks, here's a suggestion:
Park the car somewhere near the A57 in one of the laybys or carparks on the road to Fairholmes. Take the bus up past the Derwent & Howden dams to West End. (The hairpin bend in the road at the side of the Howden Reservoir.)

Perhaps explore along the River Westend a bit (it's gorgeous), before coming back and striking off up the hill to Alport Castles. It's a stiff climb for about a mile or so, but there are stunning views as a reward. From there turn left and wander along the ridge all the way back via Rowlee Pasture towards Crook Hill and back down to the road. The boggiest bits up of the path up there have stone flags, and the view continues to be very impressive all the way from Alport Castles back to the A57. Not one for a windy day though possibly, it's pretty exposed up there.


 Coel Hellier 21 Jan 2017
In reply to elliot.baker:

From Mam Tor car park along the ridge to Lose Hill and back is quite an inspirational walk for the novice hill walker, and is fairly easy and on good paths (the car park has already given you most of the height, and if the only steep bit, up Back Tor, was too much, one could turn round at that point).
 ThunderCat 21 Jan 2017
In reply to elliot.baker:

I (the ultimate fatty) led a work outing from Buxton station up through Buxton to the goyt valley, past the reservoirs , past the cat and fiddle and back into buxton again. Probably about 5 mile, nice terrain, never too far from civilisation if something goes wrong. Some nice gentle inclines, nothing too strenuous (but a nice feeling of achievement for the guys who didn't do that sort of thing) and a bit of a sweat at the end.

Happy to do a reccy if again if you're interest as it's a bit of the world I like.

.
In reply to elliot.baker:
What about - start from Grindleford cafe and have breakfast then up through woods below Lawrencefield to Surprise view and then back via Owler Tor and Padley gorge to return for lunch at the cafe.
 abr1966 21 Jan 2017
In reply to elliot.baker:

Shining torr from pymms chair and the loop back round is about 5-6 miles and a great walk and not too demanding...
 deacondeacon 21 Jan 2017
In reply to keith-ratcliffe:
Apart from Win Hill that is probably the steepest hill in the Eastern grit area. I find it a slog, never mind some poor fatty lol
In reply to deacondeacon:
I should have said Grindleford Station cafe - from there is about 110 m of ascent via Bole Hill to the Surprise view and not particularly steep.
 afx22 22 Jan 2017
In reply to elliot.baker:

A lap of Ladybower Reservoir is 5.5 miles. All flat to rolling with really nice views.

Paid parking at Fairholmes near the north end but loads of free parking is available depending on when you get there and how busy it is.
 wilkie14c 23 Jan 2017
In reply to elliot.baker:

i've done dovedale a couple of times by parking in hartington and catching the bus from there to ilam. A google should find you a bus timetable
 John Gresty 23 Jan 2017
In reply to elliot.baker:

Due to medical reasons I am in a similar position at the moment. I believe that it is a lot easier to get out and go for a walk if it is relatively close to home, it always seems a large waste of time if it takes longer to get to the place than the actual walk itself. Get a map out, look for riverbank walks, canal bank walks, cycle tracks and local parks that are all within easy access, do not neglect city walking, plenty of places of interest and stopping places.

Personally I prefer to visit new places, within easy reach this is getting harder but with careful perusal of maps there are still loads of places to visit, which have the bonus of usually being quieter.

Just a couple of suggestions, circuit of Rudyard Lake, circuit of Tittesworth Reservior.

John Gresty
 SuperstarDJ 23 Jan 2017
In reply to elliot.baker:

A favourite of mine is Fox House/Longshaw Estate, over the Carl Wark and Higgar Tor, down to Hathersage, along the river to Grindleford and then up Padley Gorge to the starting point. 6-7 miles perhaps? Bit of moorland, bit of wooded walk, and a river. You get a Café/Pub at start plus Hathersage and Grindleford. You can do a bit of gear shopping in 'Outside'. And for added interest a bit of (pre)history at the Carl Wark plus Hathersage's Little John and literary associations.
In reply to elliot.baker:
Mark Richards wrote a set of books that might be worth looking at. White Peak Walks North & South & High Peak walks. They cover a range of distances and are well illustrated in the Wainwright style.
http://www.cicerone.co.uk/product/detail.cfm/book/518/title/white-peak-walk...
http://www.cicerone.co.uk/product/detail.cfm/book/517/title/white-peak-walk...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Books/High-Peak-Walks-Mark-Richards/0902363433/r...
When I was exploring the area they took me to lots of new places.
Post edited at 11:31

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