Hardwick wider estate walk
This trail explores parts of the estate often missed, and offers fabulous views of both Hardwick Hall and Hardwick Old Hall from the far side of the valley. Please note admission fees apply for routes through our gardens and Stableyard areas.
Near to
HardwickStart point
Hardwick StableyardTrail information
Total stages: 11
Total stages: 11
Start point
Hardwick Stableyard
Stage 1
From the Visitor Reception building, head down Lady Spencer's Walk. Follow the path parallel with the car park until you reach a turning on your right, opposite the wooden gate. Follow the path down to the right and through the gate into a field. Cross the field, heading toward the gate at the corner of the exit drive.
Stage 2
Bear left heading down the exit drive towards the cattle grid at the bottom of the hill. The Hardwick Inn will be slightly ahead on the left. Jut before the cattle grid, turn right, keeping the tree line and fence on your left. Follow this route as it bears left until you reach a black metal kissing gate. Go through the gate heading into the woods.
Stage 3
Follow the path straight ahead. At the stone steps follow the path as it bears right, keeping the pond on your left. You are now passing the Duck Decoy. Cross the wooden footbridge and follow this path over the wooden boardwalk. Continue straight ahead with the ponds on your right until you reach the pond headwall.
Stage 4
At the pond headwall, bear left up the slope into the top car park, and past the pay and display machine to your left. Continue on out of the Hardwick Park area and turn right towards the motorway bridge. Immediately after the bridge, turn left at the public footpath sign. Walk up the bank to the two fields ahead of you.
Stage 5
Of the two fields now ahead of you, head into the field on your left, keeping the tree line and fence on your right. Walk up through the field until you reach a stile at the top in a gap in the hedge. In the next field ahead of you, walk towards the right-hand side, keeping the tree line on your right. At the top, remember to turn back and take in the view. Through the gap in the hedge on your right, head into the next field.
Stage 6
Cross this next field heading toward the woods. Follow the path, keeping the woods on your left until you reach the far side of the field. At the corner, follow the hedge round to the right until you reach an opening in the hedge on your left and head down through the stone ‘steps’.
Stage 7
Bear left and cross the field heading towards a small wicket gate. Go through the gate and head downhill in the direction of the cottages ahead of you. At the corner of this field, go through the gateway which crosses a stream and up toward a pedestrian gate beyond the fallen tree. Go through the gate and on through a larger gate to the right of the house. As you meet the lane, turn right. You are now in Astwith.
Stage 8
Follow the lane to the right-hand bend, then carry straight on up the track to a stile on your right. Go over the stile and follow the path across the field to another stile, then straight down to the bottom of the hill where there is a bridge over the stream and a gate. Walk straight up the hill, over a stile and across the next field which will bring you to Hawking Lane.
Stage 9
Cross over Hawking Lane and over the stile into the field. The route bears right across the field to a broken wicket gate and again over the next two fields until you meet a sharp right corner hedge. Bear right, following the hedge all the way along until you see the field meet the track which will lead you to Stainsby village. At the gate which leads onto the road, turn left and down through Stainsby village. Just after the last house on the left you will see a wicket gate signposted next to the national speed limit sign.
Stage 10
From the gate, walk straight ahead across the field with the farm buildings on your left. At the far side of the field, cut through the hedge and down the bank to the road. Take care when crossing the main road and along the road towards the motorway bridge. Continue on from the bridge following the road round past Stainsby Mill on your left-hand side until you see the black and white Hardwick Entrance sign on the right. Follow the entrance road into Hardwick and through the blue gate. You should pass two more cattle grids using the pedestrian gates before coming to a bend in the road round to the left.
Stage 11
At this point, walk down the hill bearing left toward the Row Ponds. Pass through the pedestrian gate and follow the path between the ponds and through the kissing gate into the Lower Park. Follow the grass track to the left of the fallen tree to the exit road which leads down to the Hardwick Inn. Turn left up the hill and follow the road over the cattle grid and eventually bearing right at the bend to enter the stableyard.
End point
Hardwick Stableyard
Trail map
Map of Hardwick wider estate walk | © Crown copyright and database rights 2013 Ordnance Survey
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