"Noisy cascades, hidden dells and weirdly shaped trees give Padley Gorge a wonderfully Tolkiensque feel"
Walk directions
From the roadside gate go down to the path and follow it to the right, past the signpost and cross Burbage Brook by the footbridge. Turn left and follow the riverside path downstream until you meet a gate into woodland.
Follow this clear but bumpy path along the upper slopes of the wooded gorge, with the cascading brook increasingly far below on the left. Ignore paths off left and right until you come to a gently rising section of shallow stone steps.
Continue on up the rocky path. Staying on the main route you eventually begin to drop down to the edge of the wood. Go through the gate at the bottom and down an unmade residential lane. At the bottom turn right to reach Padley Chapel.
Retrace your steps along the level lane, going straight on at the junction, and then past Padley Mill and over the brook to reach the cafe on the far side of the railway bridge.
Go back across the railway until, just before the bridge across the brook, you go right through a wall gap by the National Trust sign for Padley Gorge. There are lots of paths up the rough, wooded hillside, but stay close to, or in sight of the brook on the left.Â
After about 0.25 miles (400m) drop down to cross the brook by a footbridge at the bottom of the ravine. Go up the steep, switchback path on the far bank and rejoin the outward route. Turn right and follow this back to the top of the gorge.
Burbage Brook begins its life quite sedately, high up on the heather moors above Sheffield, and as it enters the National Trust’s Longshaw Estate it’s a pleasant stream just begging for a paddle or perhaps a picnic on its irresistible grassy banks. Then, all of a sudden, it disappears into the... woods and plunges down the side of the Derwent Valley towards Grindleford and takes on a wholly different appearance. A deep ravine The walk traces the route of the brook as it cascades downhill, forming waterfalls and occasional rapids, and carving out a deep ravine among the trees. Indeed, Padley Gorge is renowned for its superb and historic woodland, the native oak and birch a remnant of what must have once cloaked much of the wider valley. And what’s left is wonderfully atmospheric, with many of the trees that cling to the rocky hillside twisted into shapes that wouldn’t be out of place in one of J R R Tolkien’s books. You may not see a Hobbit, but what you probably will see are woodland birds. Apart from residents like great tits, treecreepers and nuthatches, the woods attract summer visitors such as pied flycatchers, wood warblers and redstarts; while downstream look out for dippers and grey wagtails. Since its rich covering of broadleaved woodland supports so many other birds, Padley Gorge is also a good place to see – or more usually hear – a cuckoo. About the size of a dove, the cuckoo arrives in late March or April and stays till mid summer, laying its eggs in the nest of smaller birds such as warblers and pipits. Padley Chapel At the foot of the gorge the route emerges at Upper Padley, where there’s a brief diversion to inspect Padley Chapel, a barn-like building dating from the Middle Ages. Two Catholic priests were discovered hiding here in 1588 at a time of religious intolerance, and were subsequently sentenced to death for high treason. Their martyrdom is remembered by annual pilgrimages, and the chapel is open for visitors on Wednesday and Sunday afternoons in summer. Once you’ve clambered back up the gorge and emerged from the woods, pause to admire a handsome wooden footbridge. It was made out of a single oak in 2010 by local woodworker and ex-National Trust forester Robin Wood.Â
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.
"Noisy cascades, hidden dells and weirdly shaped trees give Padley Gorge a wonderfully Tolkiensque feel"
Walk details
2hrs
Difficulty:
Hard
Gradient:
Challenging
Distance:
3 miles (4.8kms)
Ascent:
460ft (140m)
Walk directions
From the roadside gate go down to the path and follow it to the right, past the signpost and cross Burbage Brook by the footbridge. Turn left and follow the riverside path downstream until you meet a gate into woodland.
1 of 6
Follow this clear but bumpy path along the upper slopes of the wooded gorge, with the cascading brook increasingly far below on the left. Ignore paths off left and right until you come to a gently rising section of shallow stone steps.
2 of 6
Continue on up the rocky path. Staying on the main route you eventually begin to drop down to the edge of the wood. Go through the gate at the bottom and down an unmade residential lane. At the bottom turn right to reach Padley Chapel.
3 of 6
Retrace your steps along the level lane, going straight on at the junction, and then past Padley Mill and over the brook to reach the cafe on the far side of the railway bridge.
4 of 6
Go back across the railway until, just before the bridge across the brook, you go right through a wall gap by the National Trust sign for Padley Gorge. There are lots of paths up the rough, wooded hillside, but stay close to, or in sight of the brook on the left.Â
5 of 6
After about 0.25 miles (400m) drop down to cross the brook by a footbridge at the bottom of the ravine. Go up the steep, switchback path on the far bank and rejoin the outward route. Turn right and follow this back to the top of the gorge.
Burbage Brook begins its life quite sedately, high up on the heather moors above Sheffield, and as it enters the National Trust’s Longshaw Estate it’s a pleasant stream just begging for a paddle or perhaps a picnic on its irresistible grassy banks. Then, all of a sudden, it disappears into the... woods and plunges down the side of the Derwent Valley towards Grindleford and takes on a wholly different appearance. A deep ravine The walk traces the route of the brook as it cascades downhill, forming waterfalls and occasional rapids, and carving out a deep ravine among the trees. Indeed, Padley Gorge is renowned for its superb and historic woodland, the native oak and birch a remnant of what must have once cloaked much of the wider valley. And what’s left is wonderfully atmospheric, with many of the trees that cling to the rocky hillside twisted into shapes that wouldn’t be out of place in one of J R R Tolkien’s books. You may not see a Hobbit, but what you probably will see are woodland birds. Apart from residents like great tits, treecreepers and nuthatches, the woods attract summer visitors such as pied flycatchers, wood warblers and redstarts; while downstream look out for dippers and grey wagtails. Since its rich covering of broadleaved woodland supports so many other birds, Padley Gorge is also a good place to see – or more usually hear – a cuckoo. About the size of a dove, the cuckoo arrives in late March or April and stays till mid summer, laying its eggs in the nest of smaller birds such as warblers and pipits. Padley Chapel At the foot of the gorge the route emerges at Upper Padley, where there’s a brief diversion to inspect Padley Chapel, a barn-like building dating from the Middle Ages. Two Catholic priests were discovered hiding here in 1588 at a time of religious intolerance, and were subsequently sentenced to death for high treason. Their martyrdom is remembered by annual pilgrimages, and the chapel is open for visitors on Wednesday and Sunday afternoons in summer. Once you’ve clambered back up the gorge and emerged from the woods, pause to admire a handsome wooden footbridge. It was made out of a single oak in 2010 by local woodworker and ex-National Trust forester Robin Wood.Â
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.
