Hathersage is one of the best walking bases in the Peak District. Stanage Edge is about two miles above the village, Higger Tor and the Iron Age hillfort at Carl Wark sit on the moor beyond it, and Padley Gorge lies a couple of miles towards Grindleford. All of them can be walked from the door of The Little John, and the village has its own station on the Hope Valley line.
The advantage of walking from a village rather than a car park is that you can start when you like, finish where you started, and not spend the last hour of a good day working out whether you are under the limit. It also means that if the weather turns at eleven you are twenty minutes from a fire rather than an hour from the car.
Four to start with
Where to walk
Distances are approximate and from the middle of the village. Take a proper map: the moor changes its mind about visibility quickly.
Stanage Edge
About 6 miles round
The classic, and the reason a lot of people come to Hathersage in the first place. Up by Birley Lane or the path past North Lees, along the top of the longest gritstone edge in the Peak, then down a different way to make a circuit. Big views the whole length of the edge, and climbers to watch if you want an excuse to stop.
Half a day at a gentle pace. Steady climbing rather than steep, but exposed along the top in weather.
Higger Tor and Carl Wark
About 7 miles round
Over the moor to the tor, then across to Carl Wark, an Iron Age hillfort that looks exactly like what it is: a lump of gritstone somebody decided to fortify two and a half thousand years ago. Emptier than Stanage and better for it.
Rougher underfoot and boggy after rain. Worth doing on a clear day for the view back down the valley.
Padley Gorge
About 5 miles round
South east towards Grindleford, into a steep wooded valley of ancient oak, moss and boulders with Burbage Brook running down the middle. Completely different in character to the edges above it, and at its best in autumn.
Sheltered, so a good option when the tops are in cloud. Slippery roots after rain.
The river to Leadmill
About 3 miles round
Down to the Derwent and along the water towards Leadmill Bridge. Flat, gentle and manageable with children, a dog and a hangover, in any combination.
An hour and a bit. The one to do on a Sunday morning before the carvery.
Afterwards
What the pub is for
Boots off or boots on, we do not mind. There is a fire through the cold half of the year, cask ale on the bar, bar snacks from noon and a kitchen that understands why somebody might want a pie at three in the afternoon.
If you are staying, you do not have to think about driving at all.
Asked often
Walking from here
Can you walk to Stanage Edge from Hathersage?
Yes. Stanage Edge is roughly two miles from the centre of Hathersage and is comfortably walkable from the village. Most people go up by Birley Lane or the path past North Lees and come back down a different way, which makes a half day of it.
What is the best walk from The Little John?
For a first visit, up to Stanage Edge and back down past North Lees Hall is hard to beat: about six miles, big views the whole way along the edge, and it starts and finishes at the pub.
Are there easier walks near Hathersage?
Yes. The riverside path along the Derwent towards Leadmill is flat and gentle, and the walk up to St Michael's churchyard and Little John's grave takes only a few minutes.
Is Padley Gorge worth visiting?
Very much so. It is a steep wooded valley of ancient oak and moss with a brook running through it, a couple of miles from Hathersage towards Grindleford. It is at its best in autumn.
Do I need a car to walk from Hathersage?
No. That is one of the best things about the village. Hathersage station is on the Hope Valley line with direct trains from Sheffield and Manchester, and the walks start from the village itself.
Are dogs welcome after a walk?
Always. Dogs are welcome in the bar, muddy paws and all.
