Woodland Dog Walks in the Peak District

June 8, 2023 By

If you’d like to experience some woodland dog walks in the Peak District, then please keep reading. In this post I will highlight some of the many woodlands that exist in the Peak District. We hope that you enjoy these areas with your dog as much as we do!

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Goyt Valley Woodland Walk
Goyt Valley Woodland Walk

We have such a diverse landscape in the Peak District, ranging from open moorland and gritstone edges to soft green pastures and rolling hills, but one of my favourite places for a dog walk is walking in the woods. In the Summer, it is cool and you can avoid the harsh summer sun (if you want to), in the rain, you are protected from the weather by walking under this huge “natural umbrella” and in the Autumn, woods are great for kicking along the leaves that have fallen. The woods take on a whole new persona as each season passes. The other great advantage, is that you don’t have to keep an eye out for livestock, as you very rarely find them in woodlands.

Longdendale Estate (Stalybridge) – 865 acres

Directions: From A57 in Glossop take the B6105 and follow the road alongside the reservoirs until you reach Torside car park. (National Park Information Centre). SK008975

Details: The woodland has a path which climbs uphill via Wildboar Clough, and a stream that cascades down. You can enjoy views across to the reservoirs and moorlands. You’ll find access to the woods is via the Longendale Trail which is part of the Trans Pennine trail.

I’m pretty sure this is where Tilly and I stopped off for a dog walk after we had been further North to visit potential stud dogs when she was younger. In fact we’re planning on going back again, as it’s such a beautiful area to walk.

Recommended Dog walk books

Upper Derwent Woodlands (2012 acres) SK173893

Situated off the A57 west of Sheffield.

If you start at the visitor centre at Fairholmes you’ll find toilets and snacks available. There are several waymarked walks from Fairholmes but there are lots of other footpaths that you can follow to make up your own route. The dams here were used by the “Dambusters” during the Second World War and there is a museum which tells you more about this on the west side of the Derwent Dam.

Wharncliffe Woods (1127 acres) SK324951

Directions: (Sheffield) From A61 turn West towards Grenoside. Take the Woodhead Road north through the village. The wood is on the left once you are through the village.

The woods is part of the South Yorkshire Forest.  In fact, Wharcliffe Chase was part of a Royal Hunting Lodge and in Greno Woods stone was mined. There are access routes for bikers, horse riders and walkers.

Rivelin Valley (Sheffield) – 247 acres. SK324888

Directions: From A61 at Owlerton take the B6079 towards Malinbridge. The wood is on the right once you have passed through Malinbridge. 

Here there are some wonderful walks along the riverside. In fact, you’ll see evidence of the area’s industrial heritage on your walk, including dams, millponds and weirs.

Padley Gorge – 62 acres SK257799

Directions: Take the B6521 towards Calver. From A623 turn onto B6001 at Calver and then B6521 in Grindleford towards the station. Park at the station.

There is a great circular walk from Grindleford Station- walk along the river cross the wooden footbridge to the open country above the woodland and cross down to the other side of the gorge – taking in the contrast between open moorland and shady woodland. There are refreshments at a cafe close to the station. Large seating area outside.

Linacre Woodlands (200 acres) SK335728

Directions: Located off B6050 west of Cutthorpe – near Chesterfield.

Woodland surrounds three reservoirs, but there are also lots of footpaths around the edges of the woodland – so you can avoid the reservoirs altogether if you wish. There are toilets on site. You’ll find parking available on site with plenty of paths to follow.

Eccleshall Woods – Sheffield (346 acres) SK323824

Directions: From the A621 turn west at the Beauchief traffic lights onto Abbey Lane.

This is the largest ancient woodland site in the Sheffield area, where lots of wildlife can be found. There is an extensive network of public footpaths and bridleways and a special trail for less able people.

Black Rocks – Cromford (210 acres) SK291557

Directions: Take the B5036 off the A6 south towards Wirksworth. After approx 1 mile turn left into Black Rocks car park.

The name Black Rocks, takes itself from the huge gritstone rocks which are visible at the entrance to the site from the car park. There are a couple of well marked routes, which take you through forests and sections of open woodland with heathers. The site also crosses the High Peak trail – popular with walkers and cyclists.

This is just a small selection of the woodland dog walks in the Peak District that you can explore with your dog. They are great for a short stay or simply an afternoon out with the dog and kids.

Hope you enjoy.

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National Trust Dog Walks

March 2, 2020 By

Just been having a trawl through the website to find National Trust places that are dog friendly.

Here are a few things that I have discovered….

Hardwick Hall

Has 900 acres of parkland where dogs are welcome, water bowls are available in the Stableyard.

Walk around Hardwick Hall – dogs are allowed on leads – due to livestock in the area.

Manifold Velley – Wetton to Ilam Walk – dogs are allowed on leads.

Calke Park – Ticknall Limeyards walk – dogs are allowed on leads.

Eastern Moors Red Deer and Edges Walk – near Sheffield this is a fabulous walk where dogs can be off lead (taking sensible precautions) however 1st Mar – 31st July they must be on lead. The Grouse Inn is halfway round on this walk and has a conservatory at the back which is small but dog friendly. There is a giant butlers sink outside for thirsty dogs!

Kedleston Hall – dogs are allowed on leads in Parkland and pleasure grounds. There are four walks shown on the website.

 

 

 

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Black Rocks – Cromford

May 26, 2021 By Leave a Comment

Black Rocks Cromford

Black Rocks Cromford

Would you like a dog walk that is pretty much all off lead? This walk offers stunning views and a mix of moorland walking and woodland walking. You need to try Black Rocks – Cromford.

Black Rocks is managed by the Forestry Commission and has a pay and display car park.

Dog walks around Black Rock

You’ll find a visitors centre with toilets in the car park, and two waymarked walks which can be followed.

I found a great leaflet that’s published by Derbyshire County Council and shows the two way Black Rocks marked walks.

You can access the High Peak Trail directly from the car park. You have the option to either turn left and walk down the hill towards High Peak Junction and the Cromford Canal (approx. 0.75 miles). Alternatively you can turn right and head towards Middleton Top (approx. 1.25 miles).

However there are several footpaths situated in the same woodlands, so you can pretty much make up your own walks. If you have a trawl on the internet, you can find walks that incorporate the Black Rock site but also Cromford itself and the nearby Cromford Canal.

If you prefer a walk which means that the dog can be off the lead for most of the time, then stay within the boundaries of the woodland

You can also check our Weekend dog walk from Cromford, if you like to see an additional dog walk that we’d recommend in the area.

Refreshments near Black Rock

There are refreshments in the car park at Black Rock, as well as toilets. However, you’ll also find refreshment stops at High Peak Junction where you can sit outside at picnic tables. If you decide to walk to Middleton Top, you’ll find the Rising Sun nearby, which is dog friendly.

Dog Friendly pubs in Matlock

If you’d like to discover some dog friendly pubs nearby, you can check our dog friendly pubs near matlock page to find out more.

Dog Friendly Cafes Matlock

Alternatively, Matlock has plenty of dog friendly cafes that you can visit. You can check our list of dog friendly cafes in Matlock.

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Slipping on my backside down Slack side!

May 3, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Water Cum Jolly

Water Cum Jolly

Today was a great day. What started off as an ordinary dog walk turned into a bit of an adventure. I started off at Millers Dale carpark and decided to walk along the Monsal trail towards Litton Mill. I had the ideas that I would walk through the tunnels as far as Cressbrook and and then turn down towards Cressbrook Mill and walk back along the riverside towards Millers Dale rejoining the Monsal Trail at Litton Mill. This great plan went pear shaped as soon as I tried to join the waterside path at Cressbrook Mill – it was completely flooded and I didn’t fancy swimming with the ducks, which was the only way I was going to be able to stick to my planned route. Time for plan B! With my trusty IPhone, I managed to navigate a way round on the roads. Sadly it was much longer but I managed to find a new footpath which led me down slackside. Unfortunately it was pretty slippy and I managed to end up on my backside sliding down slackside. (now that’s not any easy thing to say)!
Anyhow, really pleased I’ve managed to find some new paths as I can now link these up with ones that I already know around Millers Dale. Check out the OS map no 24 for the White Peak if you want to see where I walked.
Bye for now….

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Sunshine all week!!!

April 21, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Just had a beautiful walk in Monyash today. The sun was shining, and the birds were singing! I’m planning on making the most of the lovely weather this week. The MET office is predicting sunshine all week! Happy Days…. Tilly me and my shadow

The temperature is going to be upwards of 23 degrees from Wednesday – so the short sleeved t shirts and dare I say it – shorts(?) will be coming back out of the wardrobe!

I’m now busy planning walks and taking photographs for the forthcoming Doggie Guides. Got to make the most of the weather while it lasts.

If you fancy a visit to the Peak District with your dog, I suggest getting up here this week – it could be snowing soon! (You think I’m joking?)

 

 

 

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Monyash Meander

June 8, 2023 By Leave a Comment

Mum’s just taken me on a great walk around Monyash. There was lots of rabbit smells around and I was running around like an overzealous hoover. We saw a few Duke of Edinburgh students about, with big ruck sacks on their backs. What’s that all about?

Water at Old Smithy Tea Rooms All this walking is thirsty work, so it’s a good job that the Old Smithy Tearooms had some water outside for thirsty dogs.

I think she fancied a Latte, but we didn’t go in cos I know she wanted to get some work done this morning. Pity, cos I like having a snooze on the floor, while she has a hot drink. Maybe next time……..

 

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Ring of Trees Walk in Buxton

March 2, 2020 By

Mum had to get the car serviced today, so we had plenty of time to have a great explore around Buxton. She had got this new book of walks that she wanted to use. It described a series of walks linking up the wooded areas in Buxton. She knows I really like Grinlow Woods, and this was one of the woods that was included in the book. I was quite excited and pulled mum up the hill towards my favourite spot.

Pooles Cavern isn’t too far away from the garage, so we trotted up the road. I thought I was going to have some great  fun chasing squirrels and rabbits in Grinlow Woods, but mum cajoled me along and begrudgingly I followed her up the road on a different walk.  Pretty soon I was taken by the new urban smells around Buxton.  I’m not used to lots of traffic and smelly cars, so I didn’t much care for crossing the roads and wandering along pavements.

Pretty soon though, I was able to sniff the stinky wild garlic and eat lots of long lovely grass, much to my mum’s disgust.

Several times, my attention was taken by the squawk of a Pheasant but they were always too far away to get at – although the one the other side of a gate, looked pretty interesting, and mum had a bit of a tussle with me, as I was convinced I could get under the gate and say hello to the bird!

Soon we were trotting along the golf course footpath, mum was looking a bit worried, and as I looked about, I could see a few golfers practising their shots, as long as they didn’t come close to me, I wasn’t too worried….

Soon enough though we were heading to a gate at the end of the golf course, I watched mum, stop and read the huge notice that was stuck ominously to the fence “Beware Cows and Bulls” – it didn’t look too inviting, but neither of us fancied trudging back the way we’d come. We confidently strode through the field, looking unconcerned as the cattle stared at us. We soon got the other side of the field to relative safety or so we thought……

Suddenly there was a viscious barking and growling and the nastiest looking collie dog was sat just a few feet away from us, luckily on a chain.  We hot-footed it around the farm yard and straight towards a couple of angry looking geese. At least that’s what my mum told me they were.  I didn’t know what to do, I was just glad my mum dragged me out of there quickly. She used a few words I hadn’t heard before, and I don’t think they were meant for doggy ears.

Mum heaved a sigh of relief once we’d shut the gate on the geese, but that was too soon, because we had the Championship Limbo Goose in front of us, it continued to chase us up the field. Thankfully it gave up pretty quickly, I like to think I frightened it off!

After that adrenaline burst we had to stop for a quick slurp of water, before we continued up the hill apparently through Watford wood.

There was a lovely view of Buxton appearing next to us, and mum stopped to take a couple of pictures.

Mum then had to struggle a bit with a gate because the owner of the garden which we were about to walk through had used a bicycle tyre as an ingenious way to fasten the gate.

The garden and the view from the house was gorgeous.  A few chickens gave me something else to think about as they poked their heads out from underneath the bushes – if I hadn’t been on that lead, they wouldn’t have stayed their for too long…..

Anyway we walked down a great big hill and passed some very posh looking houses and up towards a farm, where the farmer obviously wasn’t too keen about the walking route passing right through his farmyard as they had made it none too easy to get through the gate. It was like Fort Knox with several chains, lead ropes and goodness knows what else stopping us from getting through.  Soon enough though, mum had sorted it and we were away through the fields.  A pesky rabbit shot out in front of me through Shay Lodge Wood and then disappeared into nowhere?  One minute it was there and the next gone? I ran around that spot for ages trying to find it, but no luck….

Finally we headed through some fields towards Macclesfield Old Road and eventually reached my favourite place – Grinlow Woods.

I had loads of fun running after squirrels and lots of lovely smells everywhere.

To finish off our walk we went into Pooles Cavern coffee shop. They don’t mind hairy mutts and mum let me in, as long as I was a good girl – which of course I was (just don’t tell her about the water I slurped that had overflowed from the plant pots………)

 

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Shillito Woods dog walk in Peak District

May 3, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Just had a lovely walk this morning near Sheffield.
Park at Shillito Woods carpark – grid reference SK295749
1. Cross Foxlane and walk through the small gate onto the access land. Towards Ramsley Moor.
2. Drop down to the bridleway and turn right. Follow this bridleway for about 20 mins or so, until you reach a large wooden gate. The gate had signs for the Ghb Ward walk. Turn right down the track.
3. After a short while, before you reach the lane, take a right turn into a woods. You need to go through a small gate marked access land.
4. Follow this path through the woods keeping the stream on your right, once you have crossed it. This path will eventually bring you back up to the moor that you first started on.

Length of walk: approx 4.5km
Time: Allow no more than one hour
Terrain: quite rough in places. Stout walking boots required.

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Goyt Valley Walk

March 2, 2020 By

This is a brilliant walk to blow the cob webs away.  It is mixed terrain, including hills, woodlands and moors. There are many walks, but the one detailed here starts from the Errwood Hall Car Park.

For more details and a map, you will need the Goyt Valley Visitors Guide which outlines several waymarked routes, and has a useful map highlighting many of the paths in the area.

We started in the Errwood Hall Car park and in order to avoid the road,  we walked up the hill out of the car park in a westerly direction (towards Errwood Hall) to meet a track and then turned left (southwards) towards Goytsclough Quarry.  This track runs parallel with the road, but eventually meets with it, at which point you can cross the road and follow the Riverside Walk – which is very picturesque.

 

The Riverside walk is simply a small detour which will link you back up with the road which you then need to cross again and follow the signs towards Goytsclough Quarry. At this point you will find yourself following the waymarked path number 5 which takes you in a westerly direction towards the Cat and Fiddle and Stakeside.  This is quite a climb, but offers spectular views on a clear day.


Once you reach the top, you have the opportunity to walk across towards the Cat and Fiddle and get yourself a pint or walk down towards the coffee shop and get yourself a brew.  We turned in a northerly direction and followed the signs towards Stakeside.

At this point you are following path 5 but this also combines with path 1 as it nears Shooters Clough. We did another detour down to Shooters Clough and enjoyed a scenic woodland treat, which included a hop across a small river at the bottom……

 


You now follow the signs towards Errwood Hall, which is now unfortunately ruined. It belonged to the Grimshawe family and the grounds still contain many rhodeodendron and azalea bushes.

We took a picture of our dog, who looks quite at home in the ruins of the hall!

From the hall, follow the signs to the Errwood Hall Car Park where you first began.

 

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