24. Bakewell > RH Stride

Length: 13.8mls | Av. time: 6h 15m | Ascent: 1739ft
Start: Bakewell Bridge | Google Map
Walk description, map & GPX | Download

A 13.8-mile circular walk from Bakewell – the longest in the series, and perhaps further than many people would find comfortable. I’ve included it because it passes some of the most popular historical sites in the White Peak.

They include two Bronze Age stone circles, a 14th-century hermit’s cave, one of Derbyshire’s most important country houses, and some bizarre rock carvings made by an eccentric 18th-century vicar.

The walk starts from the car park by Bakewell’s 14th-century bridge, and there are often free spaces towards the end of Coombs Road (point 34 on the pdf map). Over Haddon, Youlgrave and Birchover make good alternative starts – see also getting there.

The Grey Ladies

The route first passes through the picturesque villages of Over Haddon and Youlgrave, then follows Bradford Dale to The Grey Ladies Stone Circle, which dates back some 4,000 years.

Robin Hood’s Stride is a short distance away, where some easy climbing gives wonderful views across the landscape. Then it’s on to Cratcliff Hermitage, with its evocative carving of the crucifixion.

Above: The crucifixion carving has been dated to the 14th century. A 1549 Haddon Hall record includes a payment made to ‘Ye harmytt’ for supplying ten rabbits. (Click here for more information.)

The walk then heads east to Birchover and the bizarre carvings known as Rowtor Rocks. Said to date from the early 18th century, they include thrones, steps, altars and prehistoric-style swirls carved into the gritstone.

It’s a bit of a maze finding a way through the rocks, but the easiest route starts from the stile beside the Druid Inn, one of two pubs in the village.

From the Druid Inn, a narrow track leads up to Stanton Moor, where our prehistoric ancestors buried their honoured dead and created a number of stone circles.

Above: The Nine Ladies Stone Circle on Stanton Moor.

Turned to stone

The walk passes the largest of these, the Nine Ladies Stone Circle. Legend has it that the ladies were turned to stone as punishment for dancing on the Sabbath. The nearby King Stone is said to be the fiddler.

The route then drops down through Stanton in Peak, past the popular Flying Childers pub, and along wonderful field paths until Haddon Hall comes into view.

The hall has a rich history stretching back to the 11th century and is well worth a visit. There’s a fee for the house and gardens, but the cafe is free to enter.

From here it’s a gentle walk back to Bakewell beside the River Wye, with the final section along the Monsal Trail. The riverside path between points 32 and 33 can get very muddy, but it’s easy to avoid by staying on the road to the next junction.

Click for a pdf with stage-by-stage details of the route including photos and a map, as well as links to car parks and public transport. A walking app GPX file is also available.