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Catleton & Speedwell Cavern Circular

Peak District Walk

Nat Park - Peak District - Great Ridge Castleton

County/Area - Derbyshire

Author - Lou Johnson

Length - 4.3 miles / 6.9 km    Ascent - 650 feet / 197 metres

Time - 2 hours 50 minutes    Grade - easy

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Walk Route Description

Photo from the walk - Catleton & Speedwell Cavern Circular
Click image to visit gallery of 9 images.

This circular Peak District walk starts from Castleton, which is a popular spot for tourists. There is a large pay and display car park adjacent to the Tourism Information Centre at grid ref. SK149829. There are plenty of opportunities for refreshment in the village either before you start the walk or after you have returned.

Exit the car park and turn left along Buxton Road and walk as far as the T-junction. Turn right here along Back Street which leads to the Market Place. Here bear right and continue along The Stones which leads directly into Goosehill. Towards the end of this lane take the signed footpath (grid ref. SK147826) bearing right towards Speedwell Cavern with the wall to your immediate right. This path climbs gently offering good views to your right of the Castleton Ridge.

Reaching the road by Speedwell Cavern (grid ref. SK139827), take the footpath almost opposite (just to your right). This leads through a field to a junction of paths (not too evident) where you turn right down to another road (grid ref. SK139826). Turn left along this road, which is the old main road to Buxton but now closed after the large landslip on the southern flank of Mam Tor. Continue along this road for just under a mile to reach the site of the landslip where an information board tells the story of what happened.

Continue to the end of the tarmac (grid ref. SK132829) where the old road bends sharply to the left. Take the signed footpath on the right and follow a track to Mam Farm. Stay on the track past the farm to the next house. Keep to the right of this property following the path across a number of fields to reach a complex junction of paths and track just to the east of Woodseats (grid ref. SK137842). Follow the track eastwards for a short way until you reach a no access sign. Here the path away from the track following a wall which should be immediately on your right to meet with one of the main paths leading up to the Castleton Ridge (grid ref. SK141841).

Turn right here and follow the clear track which leads into Hollowford Road and takes you into Castleton. Reaching the main road, go straight ahead to turn left into Buxton Road with the car park on your right.

Other walks nearby

Walk 1688 Old Dam & Sparrowpit from Mam Nick moderate9.0 miles
Walk 1286 Castleton Great Ridge & Mam Tor from Hopemoderate8.5 miles
Walk 2599 Kinder Scout and Castleton Ridge from Hopemod/hard13.5 miles
Walk 1706 Win Hill from Hopeeasy/mod6.5 miles
Walk 2522 Rushup Edge & Edale from Mam Nickmoderate7.0 miles
Walk 1368 Mam Tor, Upper Booth & Rushup Edgemoderate7.0 miles
Walk 1831 Mam Tor & Hollins Cross from Mam Nick easy3.0 miles
Walk 1080 Shatton Moor and Offertoneasy/mod7.5 miles
Walk 1159 Grindsbrook & Edale Head from Edalemoderate7.5 miles
Walk 1264 Rushup Edge & Crowden Towermoderate10.0 miles

Recommended Books & eBooks

Great Mountain Days in the Pennines

Great Mountain Days in the PenninesAn inspirational guidebook to 50 classic walks on the rolling Pennine landscape. The graded routes, between 6 and 13 miles in length, cover classic Pennine fells and moorland such as Whernside, Ilkley Moor and Pendle Hill; exploring the North and South Pennines, Yorkshire Dales, Howgills and Dark Peak. Many routes are also suited to fell running.
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Dark Peak Walks

Dark Peak WalksGuidebook to 40 walks in the Dark Peak area of the Peak District National Park. 35 circular routes for most abilities, from 8km to 19km, around Edale, Marsden, Fairholmes, Baslow and Castleton, including Kinder Scout and Mam Tor, and 5 longer (25km to 45km) routes highlighting the best of the Gritstone Edges, High Moorland and Deep Valleys.
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