June 17,2026
CASTLETON, BLUE JOHN CAVERN, MAM TOR, HOLLINS CROSS, BACK TOR, LOOSE HILL, LOOSE
HILL FARM, YMCA, THE CHESHIRE CHEESE.
Distance: 7.68 Ascent/descent: ?? ft
Difficulty: Easy.
Weather: Fine & dry
Walkers: Andrew Blease, Mark Enright, Hughie Hardman, Stuart Kitchen, Greg Owens, James Riley, Russell Spencer, Keith Welsh.
Alternative walkers: Jock Rooney with Milly, Tom Cunliffe and Daisy, Peter Beale, Cliff Worthington
Leader: Joint Effort, Diarist: Russell
Starting point: Parking on Old Mam Tor Road, bottom of Winnats Pass
Starting time: 9.40am Finishing time: 1.20ish pm
This Weeks Route:
Mam Tor Circular
I have saved this walk for public consumption. Anyone can follow the route using the OS app, providing you have a registered account (Free) in future.
A reasonable turnout for the postponed walk from last week (better safe than sorry..!!) and the weather was infinitely better.
We walked up the old road, past Blue John Cavern then up to Mam tor, across the tops via Hollins Cross, then hiked up the steps to Back Tor, over to Loose Hill and then back down to the Cheshire Cheese for a good selection of Beer. The ‘B’ Team having to find another watering hold initially, we
enjoyed the peace and quiet until they arrived.
Unfortunately due to battery issues I didn’t have a phone to take pics or record the route.
Next week’s walk will be led by Russell, starting at 9.40am, Danebridge, SK11 0QE. And then back
to the Wincle Brewery for approximately 1.30pm
Happy Wandering!
June 17, 2026
Castleton (alternative walkers)
BUXTON ROAD CASTLETON, MILLBRIDGE, HOLLOWFORD ROAD, ROBINLANDS LANE, HOLLOWFORD CENTRE, LOSE HILL HALL YHA, SPRING HOUSE FARM, CASTLETON ROAD IN HOPE, PINDALE ROAD, PEAKSHOLE WATER, CASTLE INN AND CHESHIRE CHEESE IN CASTLETON
Distance: 5 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Weather: Dry and warm with sunny spells
Walkers: Peter Beal, Tom Cunliffe, Jock Rooney with Millie, Cliff Worthington
Leader: CunliffeDiarist: Beal
Starting point: Lay-by on Buxton Road near Winnats Pass junction, Castleton village
Starting time: 10.40amFinishing time: 12.50pm
Our small band of alternative walkers managed to find parking spaces in the small lay-by near the turning at the top of Castleton village near the junction of Buxton Road with the road to Winnats Pass. The usual free spaces slightly nearer the village have now been subject to parking fees amounting to £5 for a four-hour stay. The only surprise was that they managed to stay free for so long in a busy tourist spot.
Tom has shown a remarkable recovery from his knee op just over a couple of months ago and we were also joined by Cliff, who wanted a gentler walk to help his jet lag after a trip to the States, where he attended the annual Nashville country music festival.
Rain that was forecast never arrived and we enjoyed a dry, warm and at times sunny day.
From our parking spots in Buxton Road we headed through the village, did a sharp right on the road, and where it swung right carried straight on down Millbridge which soon became Hollowford Road. We passed the village cemetery and took a right turn into Robinlands Lane, passing the Hollowford Centre, an outdoor pursuits place for young people, on our left.
When the track swung left we took a path straight on, which soon joined another track, taking us past the Lose Hall youth hostel on our right.We joined another track and turned left towards Spring House Farm, soon taking a path to the right in front of stables.
The path from here wound its way gently through fields before finally crossing the railway line leading to the Hope Cement Works. Shortly after this we emerged in to Hope village, near the primary school where a path in front brought us to Castleton Road.
We turned left and almost immediately right past the church in to Pindale Road. After a short distance we took a footpath on the right in to fields running alongside the Peakshole Water. After around a pleasant 40-minute stroll through fielsthis brought us out in to Castleton village, a short distance from our objective, the Cheshire Cheese.
We were surprised to find its front door locked and headed instead for the Castle Inn in the centre of the village, where the excellent Leeds Pale was on offer. We were amazed to learned almost immediately from our A -walker companions that they were enjoying beers in the Cheshire Cheese.
It transpired that they had closed to take a delivery and locked the front door, for which the barmaid was most apologetic when we transferred there to join our eight chums for more refreshment before heading back to the cars.
Happy Wandering!
