One of the best things about Buxton is that you can walk in any direction and in 30 minutes you will be in the countryside. There are many walking options for people of all ages and abilities.
Local walks in Buxton
Pavilion Gardens and the Serpentine Garden are both popular as they are largely flat and right in the middle of town, a regular part of daily exercise routines. Moving the difficulty up a notch, we have Grinlow Woods and Solomon’s Temple to the south, and Corbar Woods and Corbar Cross to the north. Grinlow Woods are accessed via Poole’s Cavern car park. Corbar woods can be accessed from Manchester Road and Corbar Road. Both destinations have a large woodland area with pastures and a hilltop viewing point at the peak.
Walks from Buxton to local villages
Some of our favourite walks involve neighbouring villages which can reached in around 90-120 minutes. Groups of people may wish to drive to the destination in the morning and leave a car in the area for a quick and comfortable ride home. Others may prefer a bit of a ramble and there are plenty of bus routes offering a quick return to town.
Combs Reservoir
Taking the Manchester Road out of Buxton on to Long Hill, walk up past Cold Springs Farm and take the old roman road right up the hill shortly after. Follow that road up the hill alongside Combs Moss and towards Whitehall activity centre. At the centre you will turn right on a road leading down into Combs valley. With stunning views of the reservoir and Manchester skyline in the distance as you descend into the affluent Combs. I usually head to the Beehive Inn for some light refreshments before deciding to walk back, or continue along to Chapel-en-le-Frith and jumping on a bus back to Buxton.
Buxton to the Beehive in Combs – Google Maps Link
Chelmorton
This is a slightly more complicated route through areas without any phone signal, so best taking a map, but this voyage which cuts through Deep Dale and past Hobb’s Thirst Cave is well worth the adventure. Leaving Buxton in the fields on the North side of the A515, I usually start at Lime Tree Caravan Park and take the track up towards Staden and then through the Cowdale area. Much of this will be about finding a beaten path and marching through fields. You come to Deep Dale about 2/3 of the way to Chelmorton and this can make a nice place for a quick break. Up out of the dale and back into the pastures, you’ll be wanting to find Caxterway Lane or ultimately Old Coal Pit Lane (A5270) which will lead you into Chelmorton. I would typically head to the Church Inn for some cold refreshments, before deciding to walk back or jump on the bus.
Monsal Trail
For this walk I would be leaving town near the A6 Bakewell road towards the south east. Personally I start at Tongue Lane industrial estate, using Dale Lane to access the Dale towards the River Wye. This Dale can be a bit overgrown and may not be suitable for people wearing shorts. Another option is to either drive or get the bus out of town to Wye Dale car park, where you can park and walk on towards Blackwell Mill. From there jump on the Monsal Trail (More info about the Monsal Trail here) and decide how far you want to walk. Miller’s Dale is the first stop (We would recommend the Angler’s Rest), or after a series of tunnels you can climb to the stunning Monsal Head, which offers some of the best views and a selection of pubs and cafés. Beyond this is also Ashford in the Water and finally the picturesque town of Bakewell.
We’ll be posting articles about more of the walking in Buxton and the surrounding area in the coming months. Please get in touch if you’d like to suggest a route of your own which you have enjoyed.
