Bradford Dale Short Walk Near Youlgreave | 5-Mile Route

The Derbyshire Dales has many hidden secrets spots and you can find one of those on the Bradford Dale walk near Youlgreave.

This walk starts above the dale, in a small car park away from the village. The route takes you along the Limestone Way down to the River Bradford. Shortly after you’ll see one of the first highlights and unique spots on the walk, hidden in the wall as you walk past it!

From here you head across fields with plenty of sheep towards the village of Youlgreave, dropping down so you’re walking alongside the river again.  A short distance outside the village next to the footpath there’s a small swim spot, perfect for cooling off on a hot summer’s day! And lastly, you head back up to pick up the Limestone Way to return to the parking spot.

A beautiful short route, perfect for an autumnal or winter’s day walk. Or maybe save for a spring day when the Derbyshire Dales becomes green with new life!

Here you will find details on how to get to the start of the walk near Youlgreave, car parking options, route information, map, GPX file, plus a detailed step by step guide of the walk.

Are you planning to do this walk near Youlgreave, let me know?

Bradford Dale Short Walk near Youlgreave

gpx file

Bradford Dale walk map

© Crown copyright and database rights (2024) OS 002572460

Walk start point

Start grid reference: SK 19401 64453

Car parking address: Moor Lane Car Park, near Youlgreave, Derbyshire, 

A small, pay and display, car park, with room for about 15+ cars, if the car park is full there are laybys further down the road where you can park but mostly this car park isn’t that busy. You can pay for parking using cards or the RingGo App. Charges are; £1.50 for up to 1 hour, £2.50 up to 2 hours, £4.00 up to 4 hours or £4.75 all day. You can find more details on car parking charges here.

Public transport

Unfortunately, there aren’t any public transport options for this walk.

Facilities on the walk

There are no public toilets available at the start of the walk at Moor Lane Car Park. The nearest ones are the public toilets in Youlgreave (about halfway through the walk), a short distance off the route (SK 20969 64153).

On the route there are no shops, however, if you want to treat yourself after the walk you could drive into Youlgreave where there are a few shops and a pub (The Bull’s Head Youlgreave) where you can end your walk in style!

Water on your walk – I recommend a filter water bottle for your Peak District walks, it saves you carrying extra weight and you can fill up safely and drink water from the streams on your walk.

Other useful information

The beginning of the route follows sections of the Limestone Way, which is signposted, but I’d also recommend taking a map/compass for the walk – see below which map you need for the walk.

Please note – In summer months the swimming spot in Youlgreave can be very busy on hot sunny days. Since it’s only small be prepared to change your plans if necessary.

Check the weather for your walk location and hills before you set off

• BBC Weather for Youlgreave, Derbyshire
• Met Office weather and/or MWIS (Mountain weather information service) for the Peak District
• Met Office weather for Youlgreave, Derbyshire and/or MWIS (Mountain Weather Information Service) for the Peak District

Ordnance Survey walk map

The map required for this walk is the Ordnance Survey OL24 – Peak District (White Peak Area). Check prices here with Ordnance Survey or Amazon. If you’re hiking in all weather the Active OS maps are good to have as they are laminated so better on rainy days.

View both Peak District map options here.

And don’t forget your compass, I recommend the Silva Expedition or the Silva Classic compass.

For online maps, I recommend OS Online App (I have been using it for many years and it is worth getting if you want to start walking more). Check prices here for the one-month or annual option with OS Online App. All the walks on the website are created using OS Online + you can download them to the App.

See both maps that cover the Peak District here.

Want to learn more map skills? Check out our Guided Walks with map reading skills here.

Want to read later? Save the walk to Pinterest

Bradford Dale walk route

Stage 1 – Moor Lane Car Park to Bradford Dale

Distance: 1.1 miles/1.7 km

Grid reference SK 19401 64453

From the Moor Lane Car Park, start walking along the Limestone Way path. There’s a gap in the top left corner that leads you on to it down a track. Walk until you reach a small gate (photo below). Now head diagonally across the field to pick up a narrow track, (be careful as the ground is uneven in places).

Walk down the path, ignore the first stile signposted Limestone Way (this stops you from walking on the road). Continue walking parallel to the road, past a small pond. At the next stile, climb over and go across the road straight over to the next stone stile signposted Limestone Way.

Head downhill for 100 m across the grass to another gate. Then turn right and walk up the road (on a pavement) until you reach a fingerpost on the left, signposted Limestone Way (photo below). Head down through the woods and follow the path as it zig-zags down. Go across the bridge over River Bradford to reach Bradford Dale.

Stage 2 – Bradford Dale to Youlgreave

Distance: 1.3 mile/2.1 km

Grid reference SK 19968 63620

Turn right after you’ve crossed the bridge along the footpath. On your left look for the books in the wall, next to the old sheep wash (hidden in the summer when it’s overgrown). Shortly after turn left down a narrow footpath leading off the main track. Walk until you reach a bridge, cross over and keep on the narrow path.

Continue up the metal steps and the path brings you to an open field. There’s no obvious path, but keep next to the tree line until you reach a stone gap in the wall. You’ll now walk through several fields, with small gates in between each boundary (6 in total) – in most cases you can see the next gap once you walk through each one.

At the seventh gate (next to a phone pole), you’ll see three arrow choices. Keep going straight and then through another narrow stone gap and gate, you now come out on the path with views down to the river and towards Youlgreave village.

Stage 3 – Youlgreave to the stone bridge

Distance: 0.9 miles/1.5 km

Grid reference SK 21355 64007

Head downhill to the gate, go across the stone bridge, turn left and go through the gate and head alongside the River Bradford towards Bradford Dale. As you walk along the footpath you’ll see the small wild swimming spot with a sign on the left.

Walk along the river, through next stone gap/gate and across the stone bridge to the other side. Continue walking down next to the River Bradford towards Bradford Dale. You’ll see several sluice gates on this section, previously used to control the water levels for the trout fishing (no longer there).

Stage 4 – Bridge to Moor Lane Car Park

Distance: 1.3 miles/2.1 km

Grid reference SK 19985 63647

At the bridge (the one you crossed at the beginning), go back across and head up the track. There’s a narrow track a short way up, turn right here and stay walking alongside the river, through a gate and follow it as it then ascends back up to the road. 

At the road, turn left (there’s a pavement) and follow the path. The road splits, keep left until you reach the gate on the corner of the road (where you walked through at the beginning).

Go through the gate, up the field, to the stone stile, across the road and over the stone stile on the other side. Turn left, past the pond and follow the narrow track up next to the boundary. As you reach the open field, cut diagonally across (retracing your steps), go through the gate, along the track and you’re back at the car park!

Any questions about the walk, ask me in the comments below?

Other options for this walk

Extend the walk

Add another mile on to the walk if you’re having a lovely day and want to extend by adding a short loop on. At this stone bridge in Youlgreave, you turn right instead of left to add another mile on to the walk.

Read the full route, map + GPX file here – 6-mile Bradford Dale walk

More walks in the Peak District

Love the walks in the Derbyshire Dales? You might like these Peak District circular walks.

• Monk’s Dale Walk
• Robin Hood’s Stride from Elton
• Dovedale Walk (Bunster Hill + Thorpe Cloud)

Or check out all our Peak District walking routes here

View walks directory here

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