Hope and Stanage Edge

Peak District Mountain Bike Route Guide


Region:

Hope, The Dark Peak

Difficulty:
Difficult
(Requires advanced skills and fitness)

Distance:
30 miles

Map:
OS Explorer OL1 and OL24

Route Text Download:
Hope and Stanage Edge

GPS Download:
GPX and KML
(available via the full MapMyRide page for this route, on the right hand side of the page)

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Hope and Stanage Edge Route

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This mountain bike route of 30 miles starts from the village of Hope in the Peak District. The ride heads east up Hope Valley to the fantastic trails of Blacka Moor Plantation and Lady Canning’s Plantation, near the outskirts of Sheffield, before returning via the iconic Stanage Edge trail. These areas are linked up with a mixture of rocky double track and roads, which give some great views across the Peak District National Park. While some of the road sections are long they are worth it for the riding.

1. Start from the car park in the middle of Hope on the A6187 main road, opposite the café and 18 Bikes (GR171835). Exit the car park and turn right onto the main road. Follow the road straight ahead, passing junctions on either side, out of Hope. Continue following the road ahead until reaching a traffic light controlled junction, at the Travellers Rest Inn, sign posted right to Bradwell (GR184827). Turn right then go over a bridge and follow the road to a junction with a lane on the left directly after a house on the left, just before reaching a pinch point in the road ahead (GR182825).

2. Turn left and follow the lane past a footpath, immediately on the right, then climb into the trees. At the next junction, with a rocky track ahead, follow the lane sharp right and continue climbing. At the junction at the end of the tarmac go straight on up the gravel double track and go through the gate. Stay on this track and climb all the way to the top of the hill. At the top continue ahead on the double track then follow it left as it descends gently to a junction (GR189801).

3. Go straight on through a gate then climb the double track to a junction on the following left hand bend. Follow the double track left then a short distance later descend through a left then right hand bend to a gate. Go through the gate and descend the double track. The track soon bears right before climbing to a transmitter mast. After the transmitter mast go down a steep, rocky double track descent to a left hand bend, where the rocks give way to tarmac, which has a gated grassy track signed as a bridleway ahead on the outside of the corner (GR201814).

4. Go straight on through the gate and follow the gassy and muddy track as it climbs gently across the field. The track soon reaches a stone wall on the left where it starts descending some muddy ruts. After a while the track bears right and goes through a small dip before going up a short climb. After the climb descend the track ahead to where it ends at a gate (GR212810).

5. Go through the gate then turn right and climb the lane. After reaching the top of the climb the lane descends right into a dip before climbing left to a triangular junction, with a rocky track on the right (GR218802). Follow the lane left then, at the junction immediately after, left again and descend the lane. After a little while the lane bears right then steepens before finishing with a left hand bend that leads to a junction at the bottom by The Plough Inn (GR233804).

6. Turn left and follow the road into Hathersage. On reaching Hathersage climb under the railway bridge to a junction at the top, with the station access road on the right (GR231812). Take the second turning on the right, directly after the station road, and climb the lane between the houses. Continue climbing ahead until the lane ends at a four way junction (GR233814). Turn right and climb the A6187 main road out of Hathersage. Continue following this road up the long climb, going past a couple of junctions on the way, until reaching a junction at the Fox House Pub with a road on the right, sign posted to Chesterfield (GR266802).

7. Turn right and follow the road up a gentle climb to the next junction (GR268795). Turn left and go up another gentle climb to a junction with a gated track, directly after a large gate on the right, and opposite a footpath on left (GR273801). Turn right and go through the small gate then follow the thin grit stone track across the moor. The track soon becomes a rutted muddy,which could be hard work in the wet. Follow the track ahead to where it ends at a junction with a grit stone double track (GR281794).

8. Turn left and follow the grit stone track that soon starts descending. After a while the descent becomes loose and rocky before reaching a junction with some grassy tracks on the right and a gated track just off the main trail on the left (GR290797). Turn left through the gate then follow the singletrack through a dip. After the dip the track bears left around the hill, with a steep drop on the right, before it straightens out and comes to a gate (GR286797). Go right through the gate into the bottom corner of a field. At the junction at the small wooden bench take the left hand track and climb diagonally across the field. At the following junction at the bridleway marker post turn left. Climb the grassy track through a right hand bend then go straight on past another marker post and between the two standing old stone gate posts. Continue climbing the grassy track to a gate ahead. Go through the gate then climb the rocky double track to where it ends with a junction at a road (GR277805).

9. Just before the road turn right and follow the concessional path through the trees. After a while go through a gate ahead then continue along the path to a four way junction at the Blacka Moor Nature Reserve sign (GR282806). Go straight on through a gate for the descent that is known locally as the Devil’s Elbow. The first half of the descent is a twisting trail with lots of roots to negotiate. At the halfway point the descent comes to a junction (GR286812). Turn right, following the sign for Shorts Lane, and descend the steeper rocky trail to where it ends at a junction with a wide track at the bottom (GR290807).

10. Turn left and follow the track ahead through the valley. The track eventually turns left and climbs to a riding school, on the left, where the track gives way to the tarmac of Shorts Lane. Continue straight on up the lane and climb to a junction (GR298810). Turn left and climb the road to where it ends at a junction with the A6187 main road. Turn right and descend the road to a junction on the following right hand bend (GR289819). Turn left and climb the lane a short way before it flattens off and comes to a junction with a track on the left, directly after the second right hand bend (GR289823).

11. Turn left and go through the gate then climb the loose, rocky grit stone track to a crossroad junction (GR286826). Go straight across the junction and climb to the trees of Lady Canning’s Plantation, on the right. Continue straight on along the wide track to the second gate on the right leading into the trees (GR281832). Turn right through the gate then descend a short way to a junction. Bear left and follow the signs for the blue trail to descend the manmade singletrack, which is a fantastic series of berms and rollable jumps. The trail finishes with a climb that ends at a junction with a wide forest track. Turn left and descend to the junction at the car park (GR290834).

12. Turn left and descend the track out of the car park to a junction on a bend in the road. Go straight on and follow the road to a junction by the Norfolk Arms (GR291837). Turn left on to the main road then at the next junction, a short distance later, turn right. Follow the lane across the hill, going past junctions with two lanes on the right. Eventually the lane descends through a right hand bend to a left hand hairpin. After the hairpin the lane turns right before ending at a junction (GR277855). Turn left and follow the lane along the flat for a bit before it turns square right and descends to a T-junction (GR271858). Turn left and descend the lane through a dip then climb straight on past three reservoirs on the left. Follow the lane left around the top of the third reservoir to a junction with some grit stone tracks at the far corner (GR256851).

13. Turn right and go past a metal gate then climb the wide grit stone track. Continue climbing straight on, going through the gate on the way up, to the Stanage Pole at the top. Follow the track straight on over the top and descend to a junction on the following right hand bend (GR241843). Follow the rocky singletrack straight ahead, off the outside of the corner, towards Stanage Edge. At the junction a short distance later turn right to follow a track in a deep wide rut. Directly after the track goes through a small ford (it could be dry) bear left up the rock slab to the less obvious track, worn into the rock, right on the edge of Stanage Edge (GR240843).

14. Descend the shallow worn line across the slabs on the edge of Stanage Edge. A short distance later follow the track down through a steep, rocky left hand hairpin bend. After the hairpin descend the track of uneven boulders beneath Stanage Edge, on the left. Be careful as this trail is popular with climbers. Continue following the trail to a gate. Go through the gate and enter the trees then keep descending the rocky trail. Go through the next gate, on the far side of the trees, and descend the final boulder section. At the junction at the end of the boulders turn left from the main track and descend the wide grassy track to where it ends at a junction with a lane (GR238836).

15. Turn left and follow the lane a short way to a junction with a rocky double track sign posted as a (concessional) bridleway, descending to the right (GR239836). Turn hard right and descend the track through a gate into the trees. Follow the track down through a left hand bend to a gate on the far side of the trees. Go through this gate then straight on down a wide grassy track. Go through the gate at the far side of the field then descend through a right hand bend to a junction at a farm. Turn hard left and descend the main access track that soon bears right before descending steeply through the fields. At the end the track turns left to a gate (GR234831).

16. Go through the gate then turn right and descend the lane. At the bottom the lane then bears left and climbs gently across the side of the hill. Eventually the lane turns right and comes to a junction (GR225823). Go straight across the junction and continue turning right on the lane. Before the end of the corner the lane comes to a gate below on the left leading into a field (GR224824). Turn left and go through the gate then bear right and descend through the field just to the left of the line of trees. Go through the gate on the other side of the field. In the next field turn left and descend to the gate in the bottom of the dip. While it is quite muddy here there is a wooden walkway to the left of the gate to get you over the worst of it. After crossing the wooden walkway climb steeply up the edge of the field to a gate (GR222828).

17. At the junction directly after the gate go straight across, keeping the buildings on the right. Follow the wide gravel track through a couple of bends to a house on the left. At the house follow the muddy track ahead that soon becomes a singletrack between the trees. The singletrack eventually ends at a junction (GR219829). Follow the broken tarmac track ahead as it descends through a series of bends. It can be quite wet and muddy here. At the bottom the track bears left then goes straight on through a dip before climbing to some houses, on the right. Go past the houses and on to where the track ends at a junction, with some carved stone gate posts on the right (GR212829).

18. Turn left and descend the lane, past the big houses on the right, all the way to where it ends at a junction with the main road at the bottom (GR207826). Turn left and follow the main road over the railway to where it ends at a traffic light controlled junction (GR207823). Turn right and follow the main road straight on all the way back into the middle of Hope and the car park, on the left, to complete the ride.