Hayfield and Lantern Pike

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Walk directions

Follow the old railway trackbed signed ‘The Sett Valley Trail and Pennine Bridleway’ from the car park in Hayfield. This heads west down the valley and above the River Sett to meet a minor road close to the A6015 New Mills road at Birch Vale.

Turn right along the road, then right again along a rising cobbled track behind the cottages of The Crescent into the shade of the woods. Beyond a gate, the track meets a tarred farm lane at a hairpin bend. Turn left, uphill, to reach a country lane. A surfaced lane, staggered to the right across it, climbs further up the hillside. Keep going past the entrance to Higher Cliff Farm to a gate at the edge of the National Trust’s Lantern Pike.

Leave the bridleway here and turn left along a grassy wall-lined path, climbing heather and bracken slopes to the rock-fringed ridge. Turn right and climb to Lantern Pike’s summit, which is topped by a view indicator.

The path continues northwards from the top of Lantern Pike, descending to the northern boundary of the National Trust estate, where it rejoins the track you left earlier. Beyond a gate, keep ahead on the main path which then curves left across a pasture to a five-way footpath signpost near Blackshaw Farm.

Go through a gate, turn left along a walled farm lane past Bullshaw Farm, then right at a junction to follow a track in front of Matley Moor Farm. Where the track curves right, leave it and take a rough grassy track on the left. Go over the stile at its end and continue northwards, uphill on a grooved path following the line of the wall. The path ultimately joins a semi-surfaced track from Knarrs.

Continue downhill on the track and at the end turn right and walk along the road to reach the A624. Cross this with care and go over the stile at the far side. Turn immediately right, following a faint, rutted track with a wall on the right-hand side. This eventually joins another track before crossing the little valley of Hollingworth Clough on a footbridge before climbing up the heather slopes of Middle Moor.

Near a white shooting cabin, turn right on the stony Snake Path. Leave the moor through a gate and curve left to descend across a succession of grazing pastures. A contained track finally leads down to Kinder Road.

Turn right to the village. At a fork near the bottom, keep left and immediately left again down a broad passage to come out beside The Royal Hotel. Go right to the street and left past St Matthew’s Church, then swing right beside it to the main road. Cross back to the car park.

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Location

Nearest postcode:

Additional information

Terrain - Good paths and tracks, some stiles

Landscape - Heather moorland and rolling farm pastures

Dog friendliness - Walk is on farmland and access agreement land; dogs should be kept on lead

Parking - Sett Valley Trail pay car park, Hayfield

Toilets en route - At car park

Walks in Derbyshire Dog-friendly walks in Derbyshire

About the walk

Hayfield was busy. It had cotton mills, papermaking mills and calico printing and dye factories. Hayfield had times of trouble. Floods washed away three bridges in the town, even swept away some bodies from their churchyard graves. And in 1830 it resounded to the marching feet of a thousand...

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Been on this walk?

Send us photos or a comment about this route. Or recommend a route of your own.

Find out more

Walking in Safety

Read our tips to look after yourself and the environment when following this walk.

Learn more

Get an AA guide

Explore our range of ‘50 Walks in’ guides - they’re the ideal companion for a ramble.

Learn more

About the area

The natural features of this central English county range from the modest heights of the Peak District National Park, where Kinder Scout stands at 2,088 ft (636 m), to the depths of its remarkable underground caverns, floodlit to reveal exquisite Blue John stone. Walkers and cyclists will enjoy the High Peak Trail which extends from the Derwent Valley to the limestone plateau near Buxton, and for many, the spectacular scenery is what draws them to the area.