Route Guide

Difficulty: 

Moderate (For Experienced Riders)

Distance: 

16 - 20 Miles

Maps: 

OS Landranger 119

Region: 

Peak District

Navigation Resources: 

GPS Log - MMO Format

GPS Log - GPX Format

This is an 18.5 mile mountain bike route that starts in Bakewell and travels through the rolling hills of the White Peak to Stoney Middleton and back. As well as some great riding there are some excellent views, especially on the trails across Longstone Edge.

1. Start from the old railway station car park on the Monsal trail (GR222690). Exit the car park by the road and turn left to ride away from the station building. At the crossroad junction a little further on turn left. Climb the lane and cross the bridge over the Monsal trail. Stay on the lane and climb past a BW on the right then the golf course on the left. After a right hand hairpin follow the lane as it bears left to a junction with some tracks on the right, by the farm on the left (GR228694).

2. Continue straight on along the lane and go over the crest of the hill. Descend into the trees and go past a gate on the right. Keep straight on past the next gate as the lane steepens. At following junction, where the lane flattens off, take the wide dirt track off to the right (GR235697). Descend this fast, loose track to where it becomes tarmac just before reaching Edensor. On reaching the tarmac go straight on into the village. At the far side of the village bear left at the forked junction then go through the blue gate and over the cattle grid to the junction with the main road (GR251700).

3. Turn left and follow the main road over the next cattle grid then past a lane to the farm on the left. The main road then climbs through a few bends to a junction (GR247707). Turn left on the B6048 to Pilsley. At Pilsley, the next village, turn right at the staggered crossroad (GR241709). Go to the far end of the lane to the junction in front of the pub. Turn left and climb to the crest at the end of the houses. The tarmac then becomes a dirt track that descends a short way to a junction (GR238710). Turn right and follow the double track for a short but fun descent. At the bottom where the track flattens off follow the muddy ruts to the gate at the end. It can be quite muddy here but I have still been able to ride these ruts in the middle of a wet winter.

4. Go through the gate and turn right onto the main road. A short distance later turn left and go through the gate that leads on to a rutted, grassy track (GR235714). At the next junction, near the building on the left, take the right hand track through the gate and into the trees. After a while drop down through a couple of bends to a stream and use the ford or the stone crossing on the left. After the stream is a challenging rocky climb that leads to a gate at the top. After the gate follow the muddy track to a farm. Go straight on through the gate to the left of the farm building and descend to a junction with the main road in Hassop (GR223721).

5. Turn right on the road and climb through a left hand bend to the next junction at the Catholic Church. Turn left, towards Great Longstone and Rowland, and go past the entrance to the Hassop Hall Hotel. Climb the lane following the line of the wall on the left that encloses the grounds of Hassop Hall. The lane eventually flattens off and comes to a junction at the far end of the wall (GR213721). Turn right and follow the dead end lane to Rowland. Climb the lane out the far side of the village and past the water storage facility where the tarmac soon gives way to limestone double track. Go past the restricted byway on the left to a junction with a wide track on the left, at a gate. Go straight on through the gate and past the grassy double track on the right to climb a steeper section of the limestone trail to a junction at the top (GR222732).

6. Go straight on and follow the wide trail as it bears gently to the left before coming to the next junction by the protected ‘Double Dyke’ on the left. Take the left hand track and follow it, ignoring any tracks on the right, to a junction at the other end (GR225736). Turn left and climb the wide dirt track. At the junction with a gated bridleway on the right, at the start of the quarry, go straight on where the wide dirt track kicks up for a short, steep climb. Keep the quarry on the right and follow the track over a crest then bear left to a junction. Bear right to stay on the wide track and stay by the edge of the quarry. Climb over the next crest then descend through a right hand bend that leads on to a left hand bend with some gates leading into the fields on the right (GR205732).

7. Go right through the second gate and follow the singletrack along the line of the wall, on the right, over the crest of the hill. Keep following the wall and descend through a couple of gates to a gated junction at the bottom. Go straight on through the gate and descend a short way to a small metal gate (GR207742).

8. After this gate and turn right to ride past the pools on the left to a gate leading into the deep cut of Rough Side. Go though the the gate for a great descent with a loose, rocky, water eroded channel that weaves across the track. In wet weather this channel can be a stream. Stay in the bottom of the valley all the way down, bearing left after a while. The descent eventually gives way to tarmac. Follow the lane all the way to the junction with the main road at the bottom, on the outskirts of Stoney Middleton (GR235751).

9. Turn left on the A623 and ride into Stoney Middleton, past the houses on the left. After these houses go past 40mph then the 30mph signs to the centre of the village. At the next group of buildings, just after the ‘30’ signs, turn left up the very steep lane (GR231754). Don’t start too fast on this climb, it goes on for a while. Go straight up between the houses. Once the village has ended the gradient decreases slightly, but the climb still continues for a while. After the crest the lane comes to a four-way junction on a right hand bend (GR212751).

10. Turn left and climb the wide dirt track. Go past a high stone wall on the right then follow the wide track as it bears right then left and comes to a rutted double track between the drystone walls. Descend this track to the previously visited junction at the bottom (GR207742). Go straight across the junction and through the small metal gate to the right of the wide track. Climb to the junction just after and turn left through the gate. Cross the wide dirt track then climb the rutted grassy track on the other side. Follow this wide grassy track all the way to the top then bear right and descend to a gate. Go through the gate and past the entrance to the quarry on the right, bearing slightly left to a gated junction (GR218736).

11. Go through the gate and turn right to climb the previously ridden wide dirt track, keeping the quarry on the right. After the crest follow the track left to a junction, where the wide track turns off to right (GR214735). Take the track on the left and descend the trail covered in big, loose boulders between the drystone walls. Keep going straight on down to the junction at the bottom (GR217728). This trail is very technical and real challenge to clean as the loose boulders go all the way down. If that is not your thing you should turn left at the gated junction at the start of this paragraph and retrace your wheel tracks back to Rowland and pick up the return route there.

12. Turn right and descend into Rowland. After the village follow the lane to the junction at the other end (GR213721). Turn right and follow the lane as it bears left to the next junction. Take the lane on the left and follow it all the way down to junction at the bridge. Just before reaching the junction take the thin track off to the left that leads to the top of the bridge and the Monsal trail (GR206710). Turn left and follow the Monsal for a few miles. Go past a small industrial estate on the right, on the outskirts of Bakewell, to the old station building is at the end of the industrial units. Turn right and go down the side of the station to reach the end of the ride at the car park.