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Short walks in the High Peak - Bridgemont and Whaley Bridge

Difficulty Leisurely

Walking time 1 hour 30 minutes

Length 5.7km / 3.6mi

Route developer: Frances Pickering

Route checker: Stephen Rhodes

Start location Bridgemont, Whaley Bridge, High Peak
Route Summary This walk climbs up above Whaley Bridge, with good views over the Goyt Valley. After decending to Furness Vale, it follows the canal tow path back to Bridgemont.
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Getting there

By car: Bridgemont is a small cul-de-sac off the A5004, just before it joins the A6 at a roundabout. 

By train: There is a train service to Whaley Bridge and Furness Vale stations from Stockport to Buxton. Check where it stops, not all trains stop at every station.

By bus:There are bus stops on both sides of the A5004, for the 199 service from Manchester/Stockport to Buxton.

 

Description

[1]  From the main road, walk along Bridgemont cul-de-sac. (A) Bridgemont war memorial can be seen on the right. Opposite the war memorial there is a way-marked wide grassy footpath going up between the end of a row of houses and a nursery school in the old village hall. At the top of the rise, go through the wooden kissing gate and onto the railway tracks. CAUTION - take great care when crossing the tracks. Go through the wooden kissing gate on the other side of the tracks and immediately turn left onto a footpath running alongside the railway

[2]  Along this path, which is quite overgrown in summer, cross over a wooden stile. After a little while the path opens up and starts to veer off right, away from the railway. The path heads towards some old sheds. Keep the sheds on the left and then cross over a stile into a field. Turn right and follow the field boundary up hill beside the wall. At the top of the field, the path is between the wall and some metal fencing. cross a stile beside a gate, then the path bears left. Soon turn right through a gate onto a drive. Turn left along the track, which curves right and leads onto a road.

[3]  This is the hamlet of Hockerley. Keep right up the road towards a wooden gate. Go over the stile to the right of the gate, underneath a large sycamore tree. Take the path on the left for a short while, but as the path turns left, carry straight on, with your back to Hockerley, up onto moorland with gorse bushes dotted around. Heading towards a wall, look for a small group of trees just over the wall. To the left of the trees there is a stile over the wall, that has a small wooden door over it. Cross two fields to exit onto a road, beside a house on your right. Turn right up the road, then straight away left up a tarmaced drive towards a metal gate.

[4]  Go over the stile to the left of the gate and follow the track up and round. Go over a stile in the wall to join a track that comes in from the left. Carry on along the track to a metal gate with a gap on the left, onto the road. Cross the road and turn left. CAUTION - this road is derestricted. Walk facing the oncoming traffic, there is a small verge to stand on when cars pass. (B) All along the road are views over the Goyt Valley and the hills beyond. Take the 2nd footpath on the right, at the top of the hill. There is a metal gate, with a stile in the wall a little to the left of it. Go over the stile and head down hill.

[5] This path goes straight down hill, through Diglee Farm yard, through several gates reaching the outskirts of Furness Vale at a T-junction. The track is now a road. Turn left at the T-junction to reach the main road - A6 at Furness Vale. Cross the road at the traffic lights, turn right then straight away left down Station Road. Stay on the left side of the road as you cross the railway line and then the canal. At the far end of the bridge over the canal, turn left and descend to the tow path.

[6]  Turn left and follow the tow path under the bridge and back towards Bridgemont. After a mile or so there are gardens coming down to the canal on the right. Look for a narrow footbridge over the canal, at a point where the canal narrows. It is marked bridge 34. Cross the canal on this bridge and follow the short path up to the main road. Cross the road and take the footpath on your left, which leads back to the cul-de-sac Bridgemont, and the start of the walk.

POI information No details available.
Notes

There is a large Tesco at the start/end of the walk, on the other side of the A5004 and the canal, which has toilets and a cafe.

Whaley Bridge is a pleasant village, with shops, cafes and a small canal basin. The basin has a warehouse which was used for transhipping goods between the Peak Forest Canal and the Cromford and High Peak Railway. Nearby is the remains of an inclined plane, part of the railway, which was operated by horse powered winch.

Acknowledgements No details available.
  • View over the Goyt Valley
    View over the Goyt Valley
    By - Fran Pickering
  • Walk beside the canal
    Walk beside the canal
    By - Fran Pickering
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