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Fox House - Totley Moor - Blacka Moor Circular.

Difficulty Moderate

Walking time 4 hours

Length 12.4km / 7.7mi

Route developer: Steve Hughes

Route checker: Christine Whittaker

Start location Fox House Inn, Hathersage Road, Sheffield.
Route Summary The walk begins through a National Trust estate before crossing moorland to the western edge of Sheffield, returning by way of a nature reserve and moors. There are splendid views across to the High Peak and over South Yorkshire and North Derbyshire.
*move mouse over graph to see points on route
Getting there

By car: The car park (free) is located adjoining the Fox House Inn with access directly from the A6187. There is also a pay-and-display car park nearby in the grounds of the Longshaw estate (free to National Trust members).

By public transport:  Bus Services from Sheffield, Buxton and Matlock call at Fox House. For details visit  www.travelsouthyorkshire.com

 

Description

[1] From the car park cross Hathersage Road by the bus stop and turn right. Go down to the road junction, cross and turn right to a gate and fingerpost. Go through the gate and down to the access road to Longshaw Lodge Visitor Centre turning left along it. Just before the visitor centre turn left and follow a wide track as it bears right behind The Lodge (A) through trees to exit through a gate. Turn right along a wide grassy track and where it forks bear left on the track past the wooden pole (above to the left). This is believed to be the successor to an 18th Century pack horse trail waymarker. Continue up to a triangular road junction and cross straight ahead over two roads (to Froggatt and Calver). Go through a gate ahead and continue on the track to the isolated White Edge Lodge.

[2] Just before the Lodge take a path on the left by a wall and keep left uphill to a gate on the top of White Edge. Go through, turn left then immediately right continuing straight ahead over the moor. Look out for the stump of (B) Lady's Cross on your right. On reaching a road turn right along it. Soon you will see a gate on the opposite side of the road. Cross, go through it and follow the narrow path ahead through the heather across the moor. Take care as a section of this path can be boggy. As you cross the moor you will see the ventilation shafts (C) of Totley Tunnel. Eventually you reach the remains of a wall. Turn right and follow it ahead, passing a trig point to your left, across a track until you reach a large cairn.

[3] Continue ahead downhill following the steep and rocky path which eventually bears left. At a wall turn left along a track as it winds below Brown Edge eventually joining Moss Road. Turn right on to this track, which soon becomes tarmaced, and follow it downhill, passing another ventilation shaft, until it meets  Lane Head Road. Turn left along it at the back of the sports ground to a road junction.

[4] Turn left into Strawberry Lee Lane and follow it round until it reaches a small car parking area on the left. Go through a gate ahead and continue along the path into (D) Blacka Moor Nature Reserve, a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Follow the path as it starts to climb steeply with a brook down to the left. At a junction keep left and continue up the side of Blacka Hill until you reach and go through a gate in a wall. 

[5] At the way markers follow the signs to Longshaw going straight ahead onto a narrow, grassy path uphill bearing to the left side of the hill in front of you. Eventually go over a stile and through a gate , turning right onto a grassy track. Follow this to a road (A625), cross and continue, through a gate, on the path as it winds over the moor to join Hathersage Road (A6187). Turn left for a short distance downhill then cross to enter the car park and the start of the walk.

POI information

(A) The Longshaw Estate and Visitor Centre is run by the National Trust and has a shop and cafe www.nationaltrust.org/longshaw

(B) Lady's Cross: Now just the stump remains of this medieval cross known to date back to at least the 13th Century. Its original purpose is unclear but is thought to have been either a boundary or way marker.

(C) Totley Tunnel: From its opening in 1893 until 2007 it was the second longest tunnel in the country. Since the building of the High Speed 1 line Totley is now the fourth longest. In the winter months especially the passage of trains causes warmer air in the tunnel to rise creating steam-like condensation at the top of the ventilation shafts on the moor. More information about the tunnel can be found on various sites online.

(D) Blacka Moor Nature Reserve: Covering 180 hectares this rich habitat of grassland, heathland, wetland and woodland is the largest reserve managed by the Sheffield Wildlife Trust. For more information about the reserve, the Trust and its work go to www.wildsheffield.com/reserves/blacka-moor

Notes

Map:  OS Explorer Maps OL1 and OL24.

Refreshments: There are a number of pubs and a cafe on or close to the route (Fox House, Longshaw and Totley).

Visitor Information:  www.visitpeakdistrict.com/.../visitor-information.aspx

Local Ramblers Group: Sheffield Ramblers  www.sheffieldramblers.org

Acknowledgements

Many thanks to The Crowood Press. http://www.crowood.com/default.asp  for their permission to include this walk on the Ramblers Routes website.  The walk is based on an updated walk from their book ‘100 Walks in Yorkshire’ - part of their 100 walks series - soon to be published.  The Ramblers of South Yorkshire and North East Derbyshire have been asked to assist in updating a number of the walks.

  • Looking back towards Longshaw from near the A625 with Higger Tor and Stanage Edge in the distance. The Wooden Pole can be seen on the right.
    Looking back towards Longshaw from near the A625 with Higger Tor and Stanage Edge in the distance. The Wooden Pole can be seen on the right.
    By - Steve Hughes.
  • Looking back at White Edge Lodge, with Win Hill in the distance on the left, from the climb up to White Edge.
    Looking back at White Edge Lodge, with Win Hill in the distance on the left, from the climb up to White Edge.
    By - Steve Hughes.
  • Lady
    Lady's Cross.
    By - Steve Hughes.
  • Totley Moor with Stanage Edge in the far distance. Note the ventilation shaft (complete with condensation) of Totley Tunnel in the centre.
    Totley Moor with Stanage Edge in the far distance. Note the ventilation shaft (complete with condensation) of Totley Tunnel in the centre.
    By - Steve Hughes.
  • The Cairn on the edge of Totley Moor (marking the beginning of the descent to Totley), with the southern outskirts of Sheffield in the background.
    The Cairn on the edge of Totley Moor (marking the beginning of the descent to Totley), with the southern outskirts of Sheffield in the background.
    By - Steve Hughes.
  • The climb back up to Totley Moor looking over Blacka Moor Nature Reserve towards the southern outskirts of Sheffield. Wimble Holme Hill is to the right.
    The climb back up to Totley Moor looking over Blacka Moor Nature Reserve towards the southern outskirts of Sheffield. Wimble Holme Hill is to the right.
    By - Steve Hughes.
  • Totley Moor on the return to Fox House with Higger Tor and Stanage Edge prominent.
    Totley Moor on the return to Fox House with Higger Tor and Stanage Edge prominent.
    By - Steve Hughes.
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