Longshaw woodland explorer walk
Follow this 3 mile route to explore Longshaw and beyond. This walk will take you through wonderful woodlands and into the beautiful Padley Gorge where you'll follow the dramatic flow of water as it weaves through and over rock formations. You'll also follow an old packhorse route up onto Owler Tor where you can enjoy far reaching views of this part of the Peak District. The scenery on this walk changes with the seasons so it's definitely one to come back to throughout the year.
Start point
Longshaw Visitor Centre, grid ref: SK264798Trail information
Total stages: 8
Total stages: 8
Start point
Longshaw Visitor Centre, grid ref: SK264798
Stage 1
From the tea-room, cross the drive and turn left along the path by the fence. Go through a small gate. Turn right and go slightly downhill with Rhododendron bushes on your right and a ha-ha on the left to a small gate. Follow the path to the pond.
Stage 2
Follow the curve of the pond and then continue down the hill through Granby Wood to Granby Barn. Take a look inside and learn a little about the history and wildlife of the estate.
Higger Tor and Carl Wark from near Longshaw Pond | © Phil Wigston Stage 3
Follow the path down to the road, cross carefully to the small gate, go through and go slightly right down the path to the bridge over Burbage Brook. Cross the bridge and then look slightly right for the entrance to Hollowgate. Follow this old packhorse route with banks on either side covered in heather and gorse bushes.
Atmospheric view of a path and the trees at Padley Gorge | © National Trust Images / Anthony Marshall Stage 4
When you reach the top of Hollowgate, don't go through the wooden gate but turn left up a sharp incline. Owler Tor is off to your left. The wind and weather has transformed the relatively soft gritstone boulders and rocks into fantastic natural sculptures. Follow the path across Lawrence Field with the road on your right.
Stage 5
When you get to the end of Lawrence Field, with a five-bar gate and stile directly in front of you, do not cross the stile but turn left and follow the path downhill keeping the fence line on your right. Over the fence is the top edge of Bolehill quarry which is popular with climbers. Around 500m down the path you will arrive at a fence with a small gate, go through this gate and continue on this path until it forks. Take the left fork and follow this towards the southern boundary wall of Lawrence Field. You will reach a gate on the right.
Stage 6
Go through this gate and turn right onto the wide path descending the hill until you reach the end of this path and see an obvious path to your left.
Pied flycatcher at Longshaw | © Chris Kelly Stage 7
Turn left and continue to descend until you reach the main Padley Gorge path, constructed out of gritsone blocks. Follow this up the valley until you reach a metal gate leading onto an open area strewn with boulders. Follow the path alongside Burbage Brook to a small wooden bridge. Cross the bridge and follow the path left and upwards to the gate below Granby Barn where you crossed the road early in the walk.
Stage 8
Cross the road carefully and retrace your steps past Granby Barn, the pond and back through the rhododendrons. This will lead you back to the tea-room where you started.
End point
Longshaw Visitor Centre, grid ref: SK264798
Trail map
Map for Longshaw Owler Tor Padley walk | © Crown copyright and database rights 2013 Ordnance Survey
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