Glossop Circular is a 21 kilometre (13 miles or 30,000 steps) circular walk around Glossop using bridleways, public footpaths, tracks and quite country lanes.
The walk roughly follows the boundary of the Peak District National Park and encompasses stunning views, open moorland, gorse heathland, wet woodland, quite country lanes, industrial heritage, brooks, rivers, reservoirs, pine forests plantations and the occasional watering hole!
In place the walk is very gentle Gamesley Sidings, Derbyshire Level and along the River Etherow whilst other parts are quite steep. The overall ascent and descent is 380m equivalent to 115 floors or to the top floor of the Empire State Building.
Whether you walk the whole walk in one go or walk small parts each week there’s something for everyone.
Opposite Allmans Heath Cottages follow the public footpath east towards Swineshaw Reservoir, following the dry-stone wall, the reservoir is enclosed by another dry-stone wall, follow the wall (south-east or anti-clockwise) around the reservoir.
Allmans Heath Cottages are now holiday lets, the converted Smithy has a grass heather and bilberry roof. The adjacent house is also a holiday let The Byre, a byre being a shelter for cows.
From the over-flow where the reservoir comes to a point, follow the path through down through a small woodland, cross over the stream and turn right onto Blackshaw Clough. Follow Blackshaw Clough until it meets Bute Street.
Swineshaw Reservoir was one of three reservoirs proposed by the "Glossop Commissioners", 50 local millowners and gentlemen in 1837, it was adapted in 1864 by the Glossop Water Company to provide drinking water for Glossop and taken over by the Glossop Corporation Waterworks in 1929 and then the Manchester Corporation Waterworks in 1959. It is no longer in service.
Walk along Bute Street roughly south-west, turning left when you reach Blachshaw Road, walk down Blackshaw Road for only 22m, turning right on to Dunne Road (a narrow road close to vehicles), this brings you out on to Well Gate with the Wheatsheaf on your left and the Bulls Head on your right (take your pick!) Travel down Church Street past the old cross and left at the Queens Arms on to Shepley Street. Follow Shepley Street all the way to the end pas the turning circle for the buses.
The Wheatsheaf dates from 1824 when Robert Shaw obtained a lease. The Bull's Head is the oldest public house in Glossop with parts of the building dating back to 1607. The old cross column is said to date from 1290 with the top added in 1912 to mark the accession of King George V in 1910. The Queens Arms was built by William Robinson a cotton manufacturer in 1825, name after Queen Victoria when an alehouse licence was given in 1837, the year of her ascension to the crown.
Walk along Shepley Street for about 140m heading east, until you reach the footbridge across the brook, heading south up the steep hill, which rises about 35m and then through woodland There are many paths through the woodland, head roughly south and you will come out onto Pyegrove. Walk along Pyegrove for only 155m turning left on to Sheffield Road, Hurst Road is 22m across the road on the right, opposite the Royal Oak.
From Shepley Street you can also walk along Doctor's Gate up to the Pennine Way, Dog Rock, Hern Stones, Higher Shelf Stones and possibly the most well known and visited wreck in the Dark Peak area, the Superfortress "Over Exposed" which crashed here there 1948 killing the 13 members of the crew.
Walk along Hurst Road, past Glossop & District Golf Club and on to Derbyshire Level.
The Royal Oak alehouse was built by Joshua Shepley who gained the first alehouse licence in 1818 the same year an Act was passed to build a turnpike road from Glossop to Sheffield over the Snake. A turnpike being a road on which tolls or fees were collected for using it.
Continue walking along Derbyshire Level for 1.12 km until you reach Kidd Road, turn right into Kidd Road.
Walking west along Kidd Road for about one kilometre and then a sharp left turn at the bench enclosed in a tiny walled garden. Follow the lane all the way to the end where there is a gate, after the gate bear right down the footpath to the stream, keeping the stream on your left follow the path round until you come out onto Chunal Lane next to Moorfield Industries. Turn left on to Chunal Lane.
Moorfield Lodge situated at the junction of Derbyshire Level & Kidd Road is the old gatehouse to the Moorfield House Estate. Moorfield House was constructed in 1861 by a local mill owner, Daniel Hill-Wood. The property was used as a military hospital during World War 1 and after that a Roman Catholic seminary.
Walk along Charlestown Road for about 130m, opposite Casa D’Italia is a footpath up some stone steps through the trees, turn left onto the country lane and follow this lane for 500m until you reach a sharp left turn with a footpath sign on the right pointing to Whitley Nab. Follow this path roughly north-west along the path heading to the two stiles and at the top the plantation of fir trees at the top of Whitley Nab. Follow the path around the fir tress keeping them on your right.
Casa D’Italia is an Italian restaurant, formerly The Whitley Nab and the Commercial opened in 1837. The house on the corner of Turnlee Road and Charlestown Road used to be the Drovers Arms dating back to 1824, a drover being a person who drives cattle or sheep.
Continue on the track past with the plantation of fir trees on your right-hand side walking north west towards the gate, the track continues for 175m towards another gate. Don’t go through the gate but follow the path through the gorse and small trees until you reach a stile over a stone wall. Walk due north (you should be able to see the TV transmitter in the distance), down the hill diagonally across the field until you reach the kissing gate and the stile at the bottom. Cross over the stile on to Old Land and turn left. Walk east along Old Lane in Simmondley passing several Grade II listed houses. At the end of Old Lane is the Hare & Hounds Public House. If you’re not frequenting the pub, there is a shortcut down the steps on to High Lane.
The 4.5 acre pine tree plantation on Whitley Nab is 345m (1,132 ft) above sea level. The summit near Sitch Farm is about 380m (1,247 ft). Kinder Scout is the highest point in the Peak District at 636m (2,087 ft). According to OS Maps the gorse heathland is called Horse Clough.
From the Hare & Hounds walk down the hill on High Lane towards Simmondley Lane. Take the second road on the left, Green Lane. Walk along Green Lane until the end where the road turns into a wide track.
The Hare & Hounds pub was part of the original farming community with the adjacent farmhouse, barn and stables converted into houses. The date stone above the door reads 1784 and a "B" over "G & P" which relates to George & Peggy Booth, the first alehouse licensees.
Follow the track / bridleway towards Gamesley Sidings, a 28 acre wildlife site made up of wet woodland forming part of the Pennine Bridleway and the Trans Pennine Trail.
Green Lane has existed for over a hundred years and originally lead to Gamesley Farm. Up to the late 1980s cows could be seen walking along Green Lane and up Simmondley Lane to the milking shed just past the Hare & Hounds.
You might be able to see railway line from Manchester to Glossop & Hadfield on your right-hand side, through the trees, continue on the bridleway and pass under the brick arches of Glossop Road, the trail then splits in two, either way is fine, at the gate at the end of the trail turn right, after 75m turn left at the gate and zig-zag down the path to Long Lane and the River Etherow.
Gamesley Woodlands used to be a railway goods sidings and Dinting Goods Station occupied the spot where the line branched off to Waterside Mill. Under the bridge at Glossop Road there also used to be Mottram Yard Signal Box and Staff Halt, parts of the wood platform might still be hidden in the trees. The step up to the road are clearly visible but unsafe.
Don’t cross over the road bridge but walk on the smaller road alongside the River Etherow, turning right just before the new house at the footpath sign, then travel east along the path and then track towards Glossop Road, turn left onto Glossop Road and right following the Trans Pennine Trail sign and then left onto Melandra Castle Road. Follow the road all the way round to the remains of the Melandra Roman Fort settlement.
Broadbottom Bridge over the River Etherow was built in 1683 for transporting goods on pack horses, like salt from Cheshire, and wool from the Derbyshire farms. Broadbotton railway viaduct opened in 1842, originally of wooden construction supported by stone piers, the timber was replaced with wrought iron girders only 20 years later, they're now riveted steel girders. Best Mill occupied a spot by the river and Bankwood Print Works a bit further up the river.
From Melandra Castle Road car park walk a quarter of the way around the ruins and head towards a bollard in the trees, follow the path through the trees and onto the NCN62 turning left heading north-west, continue on the NCN62 over Melandra Road and over the footbridge, heading north-east towards Brookfield and Wooley Lane.
Melandra Roman Fort whose footprint can be seen in the grass, was built around 75 AD as part of a chain of military outposts providing security across the Peak District. A railway goods branch line of the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway used to follow what is now the footpath to Wooley Lane, it opened in 1879 and viaduct span the area near Melandra Castle.
Continue to follow the Trans Pennine Trail / NCN62, crossing over Wooley Bridge Road and follow the footpath back towards the River Etherow.
The Waterside Branch Line was built by the Manchester. Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railway to serve the Waterside and Bridge mills of the well-known Sidebottom family and railway bridge used to span the main road at Wooley Bridge, the line closed in 1964 and the bridge dismantled in 1966.
The River Etherow makes a sharp left turn and the path continues to follow the river, No path through Rossington Park ????, Bridge over river at Graphite Way path on opposite side of river ???? towards New Road, turn right and the left along Bank Lane towards Bottoms Reservoir.
Walk along the footpath along the edge of Bottoms Reservoir (history / date) for about 1km then make a sharp left turn onto the path towards the Longdendale Trail. Subway????
Cross over the Longdendale Trail and heading south-east (gate or stile) heading roughly south towards Padfield, this path brings you out between 125 & 127 on Padfield Main Road, (turn right for the Peel Arms pub) or turn left and head up the road turn right after number 130. Follow the path (7 gates????) and this brings you out on to Little Padfield Road, turn left in to Little Padield.
From the south-east of the village walk roughly east, follow the dry stone wall ???? through 2 gates ???? unit you reach Woodhead Road, turn right on to Woodhead Road, down the road for 45m to turn left on to the next footpath.
The Waterside Branch Line was built by the Manchester. Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railway to serve the Waterside and Bridge mills of the well-known Sidebottom family and railway bridge used to span the main road at Wooley Bridge, the line closed in 1964 and the bridge dismantled in 1966.
Melandra Roman Fort whose footprint can be seen in the grass, was built around 75 AD as part of a chain of military outposts providing security across the Peak District. A railway goods branch line of the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway used to follow what is now the footpath to Wooley Lane, it opened in 1879 and viaduct span the area near Melandra Castle.
Broadbottom Bridge over the River Etherow was built in 1683 for transporting goods on pack horses, like salt from Cheshire, and wool from the Derbyshire farms. Broadbotton railway viaduct opened in 1842, originally of wooden construction supported by stone piers, the timber was replaced with wrought iron girders only 20 years later, they're now riveted steel girders. Best Mill occupied a spot by the river and Bankwood Print Works a bit further up the river.
Gamesley Woodlands used to be a railway goods sidings and Dinting Goods Station occupied the spot where the line branched off to Waterside Mill. Under the bridge at Glossop Road there also used to be Mottram Yard Signal Box and Staff Halt, parts of the wood platform might still be hidden in the trees. The step up to the road are clearly visible but unsafe.
Green Lane has existed for over a hundred years and originally lead to Gamesley Farm. Up to the late 1980s cows could be seen walking along Green Lane and up Simmondley Lane to the milking shed just past the Hare & Hounds.
The Hare & Hounds pub was part of the original farming community with the adjacent farmhouse, barn and stables converted into houses. The date stone above the door reads 1784 and a "B" over "G & P" which relates to George & Peggy Booth, the first alehouse licensees.
The 4.5 acre pine tree plantation on Whitley Nab is 345m (1,132 ft) above sea level. The summit near Sitch Farm is about 380m (1,247 ft). Kinder Scout is the highest point in the Peak District at 636m (2,087 ft). According to OS Maps the gorse heathland is called Horse Clough.
Casa D’Italia is an Italian restaurant, formerly The Whitley Nab and the Commercial opened in 1837. The house on the corner of Turnlee Road and Charlestown Road used to be the Drovers Arms dating back to 1824, a drover being a person who drives cattle or sheep.
Moorfield Lodge situated at the junction of Derbyshire Level & Kidd Road is the old gatehouse to the Moorfield House Estate. Moorfield House was constructed in 1861 by a local mill owner, Daniel Hill-Wood. The property was used as a military hospital during World War 1 and after that a Roman Catholic seminary.
The Royal Oak alehouse was built by Joshua Shepley who gained the first alehouse licence in 1818 the same year an Act was passed to build a turnpike road from Glossop to Sheffield over the Snake. A turnpike being a road on which tolls or fees were collected for using it.
From Shepley Street you can also walk along Doctor's Gate up to the Pennine Way, Dog Rock, Hern Stones, Higher Shelf Stones and possibly the most well known and visited wreck in the Dark Peak area, the Superfortress "Over Exposed" which crashed here there 1948 killing the 13 members of the crew.
The Wheatsheaf dates from 1824 when Robert Shaw obtained a lease. The Bull's Head is the oldest public house in Glossop with parts of the building dating back to 1607. The old cross column is said to date from 1290 with the top added in 1912 to mark the accession of King George V in 1910. The Queens Arms was built by William Robinson a cotton manufacturer in 1825, name after Queen Victoria when an alehouse licence was given in 1837, the year of her ascension to the crown.
Swineshaw Reservoir was one of three reservoirs proposed by the "Glossop Commissioners", 50 local millowners and gentlemen in 1837, it was adapted in 1864 by the Glossop Water Company to provide drinking water for Glossop and taken over by the Glossop Corporation Waterworks in 1929 and then the Manchester Corporation Waterworks in 1959. It is no longer in service.
Allmans Heath Cottages are now holiday lets, the converted Smithy has a grass heather and bilberry roof. The adjacent house is also a holiday let The Byre, a byre being a shelter for cows.
Please let us know if you spot any issues, errors in the directions or if you can add anything to the information at each sight.