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Torside Clough & Longendale from Old Glossop

Peak District Walk

Nat Park - Peak District - Bleaklow Longendale

County/Area - Derbyshire

Author - Andy Chaplin

Length - 7.4 miles / 12 km    Ascent - 1250 feet / 379 metres

Time - 5 hours 0 minutes    Grade - moderate

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Ordnance Survey Explorer OL1Sheet Map1:25kBUY
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Walk Route Description

Photo from the walk - Torside Clough & Longendale from Old Glossop
Click image to visit gallery of 3 images.

This Peak District walk starts in the Old Glossop car park on Wellgate (grid ref. SK041948) which is handy when you come back as it is opposite the Wheatsheaf and the Bull's Head pubs. The walk climbs up past Cock Hill to Clough Edge then follows an easy route back around the reservoirs, through the outskirts of Padfield and back to Old Glossop.

From the car park, where there is an information board about Old Glossop, go east on Wellgate. Continue along Hope Street and into Charles Lane. After 100 metres down Charles Lane, a footpath leads off between the lane and farm track. This is the Glossop Low Quarry track and it takes a route around the old quarry then climbs uphill between the Blakemoor and Edge plantations. There are good views back now to Old Glossop.

When you pass the trig point on Cock Hill, which is over to the left of the track, a path continues to the north east along a line of grouse butts. At grid ref. SK066967 there is a shooting hut and a moors track (from Blackshaw Farm) comes over from your left. Carry straight on north east along a reasonably well-defined path that comes onto the Pennine Way above Torside Clough.

There are great views down the clough to the Longdendale valley. Take the Pennine Way down to the Longdendale Trail and follow that westwards for 2 miles. About half way between Valehouse Reservoir dam and the southern bend of Bottoms reservoir there is a junction of paths over the Longdendale Trail. Go left across fields to Padfield.

In Padfield turn left on Padfield Main Road then right on Peel Street. This becomes a path that heads off towards Little Padfield Farm. Go left through the buildings and then take the footpath that heads south east towards Glossop cemetery. You will come out on Woodhead Road.

A little way down the road on the right there is a path off on the left that skirts the western edge of Swineshaw reservoir then joins the Blackshaw Clough road coming from the reservoir dam. Follow this back towards Old Glossop until it bends to the right then take the track straight on to Blackshaw Road and come out, under the flats, onto Well Gate.

Editor's Note - Old Glossop is worth exploring. The Information board at the start of this walk provides some ideas of what to see.

Other walks nearby

Walk 1168 Old Glossop & Bleaklowmoderate9.5 miles
Walk 1703 Longdendale from Hadfield Stationeasy/mod9.0 miles
Walk 3607 Reservoirs Walk from Tintwistleeasy/mod5.5 miles
Walk 1923 Cown Edge & Whiteley Nab from Chunal easy/mod6.5 miles
Walk 1486 Harry Hut, Mill Hill & Doctor's Gate from Glossopmoderate11.3 miles
Walk 2625 Torside Clough from Longdendalemoderate4.5 miles
Walk 3027 Bleaklow Head from Longdendalemoderate8.0 miles
Walk 2637 Coombs Ridge, Cown Edge from Broadbottomeasy/mod7.0 miles
Walk 1686 Cown Edge easy/mod7.3 miles
Walk 2521 Hollingworthall Moor & Walkerwood Reservoirsmoderate7.0 miles

Recommended Books & eBooks

Pennine Way Map Booklet

Pennine Way Map BookletMap of the 270 miles (435km) Pennine Way National Trail, between Edale in the Peak District and Kirk Yetholm in the Scottish Borders. This booklet is included with the Cicerone guidebook to the trail, and shows the full route on Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 maps. This popular long-distance route typically takes three weeks to complete.
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Walking in Derbyshire

Walking in DerbyshireWalking guidebook to 60 circular day walks in Derbyshire and the Peak District. Includes the Derwent, Wye and Trent river valleys, near Derby, Matlock, Glossop, Bakewell and Ripley. Routes range from easy to moderate and are between 4 and 14km (2 to 10 miles). Walks focus on places of interest, from Stone Age forts to castles to grand estates.
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