Kinder Loop (86km) Print

Kinder Loop Waypoint 1
From the Derwent Overlook car park turn right and head down toward the roundabout by the Fairholmes car park. Take the second exit which often has a barrier across half of the road saying ‘no access for motorised vehicles’. The road passes below the face of the dam and curves to the right and goes uphill. Where the trees on the left come to an end, turn sharp left on to a bridleway.

Kinder Loop Waypoint 2
Follow the track with good going all along the side of the Derwent and Howden reservoirs. After about 3.5 miles the reservoirs end and there is a gate which takes you onto National Trust land and you continue to follow the track along a hillside above a river in the valley on your left. In about a mile you bear right joining a track from the left with a footpath sign on your right sign-posted ‘Langsett and the Plough Inn’. This is a lovely picnic spot.

Kinder Loop Waypoint 3
The track passes some sheep folds on the left and then fords a stream. In another 20 yards bear right along the bridleway where it splits off from the footpath at a National Trust sign for Howden Moor.

Kinder Loop Waypoint 4
Follow the stony path crossing a small stream and, where you see a steep slope in front of you to your left, follow the path around the side (NOT the rough track straight up!) which then zig zags steeply up the hill side and then contours round, with the hillside now on your right, to reach open moorland. Follow this clear path across the moor. At times it is very stony difficult going and often has boggy sections alongside. There is a stone pavement in one section as you go uphill to the top of the moor before it levels off and then starts a more gentle descent. Throughout this section it is very important to stay on the path, sticking to the stony ground and not being tempted onto adjacent peat or boggy ground. The path is clear but it is slow going. In bad weather, it is very exposed to wind and rain. In good weather, you have a glorious experience to share with the grouse and mountain hare if you are very lucky. You must be prepared for all conditions as the weather can change suddenly.

Kinder Loop Waypoint 5
As the descent continues, after about a mile and half you will find yourself above a gully/small valley to your left as the path follows the side of the hill. Keep straight on and ignore bridleway to right (after 2 miles of descent) and in about another ¾ mile you start to get views of Langsett reservoir to your right. Follow the track straight on, ignoring a turn to the right and you come to woodland on the right and the track descends in a zig-zag to a gate into woodland.

Kinder Loop Waypoint 6
Go through the gate and follow the track over the bridge (nice picnic spot by river on left) and up into the woodland. It comes to a T junction with another track where you go right. Where this track goes right and then starts to turn left (and you can see a major road ahead through the trees), turn right on a bridleway through the trees. LOOK OUT FOR a turning to the left in about 400 yards which takes you through the wood and to a gate before a VERY, VERY busy road (A616).

Kinder Loop Waypoint 7
Take your time, wait for a gap in the traffic and cross straight over up the small lane ahead. Pass a couple of houses and it becomes a track which takes a sharp right turn to join a road (Fullshaw Lane) 350 yards ahead.

Kinder Loop Waypoint 8
Turn left onto the road and go down to a junction about 500 yards ahead. Here you want to turn sharp right up a small road (Hartcliff Road), but take care as this is a complex junction and vehicles may shoot down off the main road ahead. Follow this road for about 1/3 mile – and after going steeply uphill and round a right hand bend the road levels off a bit and there is a track on your left which has a footpath sign [this track is regularly used by horse riders].

Kinder Loop Waypoint 9
Turn left down this track and follow it for half a mile, going left where it is joined by a track from the right. It becomes a small lane and at the T junction turn right on to Liley Lane and follow the lane downhill and over a railway bridge crossing the Trans-Pennine Trail you will shortly be joining. This section of road (now called Parkin House Lane) is incredibly slippery for some reason so stay close to the verge on the left. After about 1/2 mile the road turns sharply left downhill but you go straight on and follow the small lane (Shore Hall Lane) to an old level crossing where you can turn right and join the Trans-Pennine Trail (SE 2235 0270).

Kinder Loop Waypoint 10
Join the Trans-Pennine Trail (TPT) to travel west by turning right off the small lane at the old level crossing. Follow the trail for just over 4 miles going over 2 bridges to reach Dunford Bridge.

Kinder Loop Waypoint 11
Just before you reach the car park at Dunford Bridge, you will see a marker post on the left; follow this sign, leaving the railway track. You will reach a small road, turn left and follow the small road for 1.5 miles to cross the VERY busy A628, Woodhead Pass road, onto the trail across moorland opposite. This turns right and joins the old road and then crosses the main road again to moorland on the opposite side of the main road

Kinder Loop Waypoint 12
Follow the track, with the main road now on your left, keeping straight on at the brow of the hill (ignoring track to right) and as track descends down the hill you will see a marker post where you go left following ‘TPT West’ signs. This descends quite steeply to cross the main road for a third time.

Kinder Loop Waypoint 13
Follow the trail back onto the old railway line again and keep on the track for 6.5 miles all the way to Hadfield (SK 0248 9613). After about 3 miles along this part of the trail look out for the Torside car park on the right where there are toilets and sometimes a refreshment van and so is a good place for a break.

Kinder Loop Waypoint 14
Interim route. At the end of the Trans-Pennine Trial (also called the Longdendale Trail) in Hadfield is a small car park next to a bridge (SK0248 9613). Turn right out of the car park along the road and in 100 yds turn left into the Hadfield railway station car park (which also houses a café/restaurant). Head towards the right hand corner and go up a small cobbled alley which emerges by a railway bridge.

Kinder Loop Waypoint 15
Turn left, go over the bridge and then go up the hill for about 150 yards. Turn right into the park and then bear left, staying above the park, following this round to join a bigger track bearing right down hill through the woods (Banks Wood). [You have to use this footpath because riders are asked not to use the bridleway through the formal park itself but to use this path instead]. Turn left where you join a track that has come up from the park. In about 30 yards, at an intersection of tracks where the main track turns left uphill, bear right down a narrow bridleway between hedges. At the bottom, turn right onto concrete track and go over the railway bridge. The lane bears left and becomes a small road (Shaw Lane) - follow this to a T-junction where you turn right (still called Shaw Lane) and follow the road to another T junction in 100yds.

Kinder Loop Waypoint 16
Turn left at T junction on to a busier road (still called Shaw Lane). TAKE CARE ON THIS SECTION. At the very busy traffic lights 30 yds ahead you go straight across the A57 onto a rough concrete track (Cottage Lane). The junction is slightly staggered and you have to cross the line of traffic through a yellow hatch box which should be vehicle free.

Kinder Loop Waypoint 17
When on the concrete track, go up the hill and in 300 yds turn right on to Melandra Castle Road following the blue signs for the Trans-Pennine trail which loops around the edge of a housing estate (Gamesley). Follow the TPT signs all the way around the estate (about a mile) and look for turning to right signposted ‘Trans-Pennine Trail’. This track takes you to the main road (A626, Glossop Road) TAKE CARE. Turn right onto main road and follow road for about 1/3rd mile going left over a bridge, past a school and Hargate Hill Equestrian Centre. Not long after the Equestrian Centre turn left past the Rugby Club up a small lane (Hargate Hill Lane).

Kinder Loop Waypoint 18
Follow lane around sharp right hand bend and up to a T-junction (High Lane). Turn right. Take care, narrow road. Follow for about ¼ mile and then turn first left up Chapel Brow leading to Monks Road. Pass the church and go steeply uphill. Keep on road, using verges where you can up to the brow of the hill. Keep on road but take care over brow.

Kinder Loop Waypoint 19
The road drops steeply down hill and as it starts to level off you turn right along a small lane. You are now joining the Pennine Bridleway and the right turn (the first road after the brow of the hill) is signposted ‘Pennine Bridleway’. For about a 100yds before the right turn you will have been alongside one section of the Pennine Bridleway which is under construction.

Kinder Loop Waypoint 20
End of interim route. You are now on the main Pennine Bridleway all the way to Rushup Edge.

Kinder Loop Waypoint 21
The Pennine Bridleway is well marked but there are one or two places where you need to watch out. The first is after passing Bullshaw Farm where you go right through a gate into a large field on a hillside. This is signed but a bit confusing so follow the grassy track up the hill to the left and when it levels out a bit bear right and head for the gate in the wall to join the clear track around the side of Lantern Pike

Kinder Loop Waypoint 22
Follow the track which turns into tarmac and you reach a small road (in ¾ mile). When the road bends left look for a bridle gate to your right, just off the road; go through the gate and follow the bridleway down between a wood on the left and wall on the right. This descends steeply to another road.

Kinder Loop Waypoint 23
At the road, turn left and go steeply down the road over the bridge and then turn left onto the Sett Valley Trail/Pennine Bridleway. The sign is on the opposite side of the road and easy to miss.

Kinder Loop Waypoint 24
Follow the trail to Hayfield and pass to left of car park. Use Pegasus crossing to cross main road (A624) and go up lane along side the church to your left.

Kinder Loop Waypoint 25
Turn right at the end of the lane and ride up the hill through Hayfield for about 150yards to take the first turning on the left, then immediately left again. This road then forks - take the lower fork.

Kinder Loop Waypoint 26
Follow the well-signed Pennine Bridleway for just over 5.5 miles to the start of Rushup edge (SK0918 8248). This is a left turn just before the first road you will have seen since leaving Hayfield.

Kinder Loop Waypoint 27
Turn left at Rushup Edge leaving the Pennine Bridleway. The path is alongside the road but fenced off for 150 yards. Go through a gate and bear left to follow the stony track up the hill. The going is easier on the path to the right of the track. Go through the gate shortly before the top of the incline and then go straight on (signposted to Castleton and Hope via Mam Tor and Hollins cross) ignoring the bridleway to left about 20 yards after the gate.

Kinder Loop Waypoint 28
After about half a mile (9-10 minutes riding at walk), the bridleway and footpath separate. The bridleway passes to the right of the wall though a gate and then follows the ridge with the wall on your left.(If you get to a stile, you have missed the junction so retrace your steps for about 50 yards). Go through several gates and then join the foothpath again as it heads down hill on a well maintained path. THERE ARE OFTEN PARA-GLIDERS ON THIS SECTION

Kinder Loop Waypoint 29
Pass through another gate and turn left on the small road ahead. This goes steeply uphill and bends to the left with a blind summit in 50 yds so TAKE CARE. After the summit go down hill to a bridleway on your right after about 100yds. Go through the gate and then go straight ahead to contour around the side of the hill. Do NOT take the bridleway that goes steeply down hill to the left.

Kinder Loop Waypoint 30
Follow the path around the side of Mam Tor and after about half a mile it joins a foot path coming down from Mam Tor which is a stone pavement. This passes along the ridge with fabulous views of Kinder to your left. Where the pavement ends, there is a small stone monument, this is Hollins Cross.

Kinder Loop Waypoint 31
Drop down left off Hollins Cross down the path to the left that goes between 2 old disused stone and wood gate posts. [Do NOT go sharply left back down the path along the side of Mar Tor and lower down.] The path descends quite steeply initially and is stony and slippy in places so take care. It eventually joins a small lane alongside a farm (Back Tor Farm) which you continue to follow down hill, over a small bridge until you reach a T-junction.

Kinder Loop Waypoint 32
At this road turn right, pass under a railway bridge and stay on the road alongside the railway and past Ladybooth riding centre in the small hamlet of Nether Booth after ½ mile. About ¼ mile after leaving Nether Booth, look out for a bridleway/footpath on your left shortly before a road sign for Z bends. Signpost to Alport, Ashton, Derwent, Snake Pass and Glossop. Follow this path between hedges and around the back of a house.

Kinder Loop Waypoint 33
Having gone around the back of the house you emerge onto a much wider track which you follow uphill, over a stream at Jagger’ s Clough (after 1 mile), to a ridge just before a conifer plantation (after another ½ mile) where the track is crossed by a track running along the ridge. Turn left along the ridge (signposted to Glossp via Snake Pass) and follow this rough track over a small stream (after ½ mile) and downhill [keep to the right on path at side where main track very stony] to meet a small lane (after another ¾ mile).

Kinder Loop Waypoint 34
Turn right (signposted Upper Derwent) and follow lane down, through gate, over bridge and up to go straight across very busy road (Snake Pass road). TAKE CARE.

Kinder Loop Waypoint 35
Follow the lane up through Rowlee Farm and through the gate (signposted to Lockerbrook Farm) to track which zig zags up and passes through fields. After a gate, the track passes woodland to the right and then turns sharply left (about ¾ mile from Rowlee Farm) to Lockerbrook. Stay on track for a few yards as it bends round to left then turn sharp right back down a rough track. Go left in 20 yards just before a gate. [In effect you are going straight on from the track you were originally on, but there is no direct path so you have to do this little detour]. Go through gate and follow track through field alongside wall and wood to left to reach a complex of gates in about half a mile.

Kinder Loop Waypoint 36
Go left down the bridleway through the woods via either the almost too narrow bridleway gate or use the 2 larger gates to turn left. This bridleway joins the road alongside the Ladybower Reservoir at a car park.

Kinder Loop Waypoint 37
Turn left at the car park onto the road alongside Ladybower reservoir which is on your right. Follow the road to a small roundabout next to the large Fairholmes car park in about 1 mile.(SK172 892)