[1] Go up the drive through (A) Whirlowbrook Park. If you are driving, there are two car parks - the walk starts from the second car park, behind Whirlowbook Hall. Here take the footpath (initially paved) into the woodland on the far right at the back. Follow path over a bridge and at path junction turn left to fingerpost. Turn right heading up steep path/steps to top. Go over two stiles ahead, then turn left and soon turn right over another stile. With wall on left, continue ahead through three fields to Wigley Farm and Ringinglow Road.
[2] Cross, turn left to footpath sign and go over stone stile on right to follow path right along hedge/fence to end of field to turn right between trees and fencing. At Cottage Lane cross and go ahead along Common Lane (track) through park to another road. Turn left, and go along road around right hand bend, but at next bend follow footpath right beside stone building to pick up an old paved track over a ford then uphill to houses (Trapp Lane). Go ahead to a junction, and follow fingerpost on left down steps to follow a path/track bearing right down into woodland.
[3] Take the second path on left, down. At the bottom go ahead over bridge and stile, then straight across field ahead to follow sign right along field boundary to re-enter woodland. The path crosses a footbridge then bears left down to a track along the Porter Brook - turn right here. Keep straight on to cross a road. Follow paved lane bearing right continuing along Porter Brook to the (B) Shepherds Wheel Museum on your left (check the opening times if you want to visit). Go left up the steps to the back of the museum and alongside the millpond. At the end bear right to go up onto Hangingwater Road and cross.
[4] Take the track on the right (with brook on your left now) and follow track to cross Whitely Wood Road. Follow the path ahead to go over stepping stones and continue ahead. If you prefer to avoid the stepping stones, use nearby stile on right and turn left and follow the path (with the brook on your left) to Ivy cottage Lane. Turn right up the lane and go up the stone steps on your left. Continue along this path for a short while then go left downhill to turn right at bottom to the toilets and Forge Dam Cafe. Passing the cafe go up the slope to the dam, bearing right on path around dam, over a bridge to turn right on the path to a road. Cross and continue bearing right to cross another footbridge to a lane. Continue on right hand path ahead to the end to turn right to join the cycle path (keeping right ahead). Cross another road to enter Porter Clough and soon into woodland. Go left over 3rd wooden footbridge and up to a car park and Fulwood Road.
[5] Turn left along road (passing Alpaca Farm) to end. Turn left and at the Norfolk Arms, cross road to walk along Sheephill Road opposite, turning left at footpath sign to Limb Valley. Follow the path ahead (caution the path may be muddy) - ignoring 2 signed paths off to right - turn right at 3rd sign down steps into woodland. Follow the path, (and if you prefer a shorter walk continue ahead back to the first bridge to turn right back to the car park) otherwise continue to just after 3rd footbridge turn sharp right up bank and over stile into field. Keep ahead over next stile and then turn left at marker post just ahead. Bear left along field and over ladder stile to continue left around edge of next field to a stile on left in far corner. Go into woodland turning right on path following wall (joining another path coming in from the left). Continue to signpost to turn right on a path along woodland boundary. Ignore the stile on right (in the corner at the end) and bear left on a path (roughly parallel to woodland boundary on right) that may become indistinct in places due to fallen trees. Eventually, on your right (in the corner) along the boundary you will come to another stile.
[6] Go over stile, leaving woods to follow the path bearing right (with Moorview Farm on your left), over stile ahead to continue along field boundary and over a ladder stile at end. Go diagonally left to the far field boundary (with Moorside Farm on your right) through the stile in boundary wall. Go straight ahead along track to Hathersage Road. Cross and walk down Ash House Lane, turning right at the end for a short distance along Limb Lane to follow an old walled track on left (signed) down into (C) Ecclesall Wood. Follow the path down bearing right (follow signs to Abbeydale Road South) as it passes houses on the left and then bears right downhill along Limb Brook. As the path approaches Abbeydale Road you pass a miniature railway (D) on your left (at the other side of the brook).
[7] When you reach Abbeydale Road turn left on grassy area and re-enter wood at lst footpath on your left. Take the path that bears right (signed to Abbey Lane) - unless you would like better views of the site of the remarkable miniature railway, and then retrace your steps. At the path junction go ahead to next fingerpost and follow the sign bearing left to Abbey Lane. At next junction bear right (signed Abbey Lane) to skirt the bird sanctuary on your left. Stay on the wide track to turn down left on a short narrow surfaced path to turn left again at the bottom. Continue to 2nd set of fingerposts where - unless you wish to visit the Discovery Centre/Cafe, in which case follow the signs then retrace your steps - you continue uphill on a wide track . At path junction bear right through gate and at next gate/junction bear right down steps to go over a footbridge and bear right to leave wood through a gap in the stone wall. Keep right ahead along sports field boundary and when you see a gap between conifer trees turn right into woodland and bear left along path parallel to stream. Follow this path to eventually return to sports field and exit ahead to cross Hathersage Road to make your way to the entrance to Whirlowbrook Park. Go past the entrance and look out for a fingerpost on your left just after the houses. Turn up here along path to back of house and continue, passing a pond to eventually come to a wide path junction. Turn left here to go over the bridge and retrace your steps to the car park.