Crowden Clough Scramble (Via Grindslow Knoll) From Barber Booth | 6-Mile Route

A lovely fun scramble route up Crowden Clough from Barber Booth, not far from the village of Edale in Derbyshire.

The route to the Kinder Plateau via Crowden Clough can be done with or without the scramble option. Here I will share the details for this scramble route but if you don’t fancy it I have included the non-scramble option.

The Crowden Clough scramble is similar to the Grindsbrook Clough one; however, there is one trickier section, which makes it a Grade 2 scramble. I’ll include full details in the ‘Other Information’ section.

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

Let me know in the comments if you have any questions about this scramble route.

Crowden Clough Scramble from Barber Booth

Crowden Clough scramble + walk map

© Crown copyright and database rights (2024) OS 002572460

Walk start point

Start grid reference: SK 10813 84724

Car parking address: Barber Booth, Hope Valley, S33 7ZL – Google pin

This is a really small, pay and display, car parking area, only big enough for about 10-12 cars, perfect for mid-week adventures. But if you’re planning on coming at the weekend, you either need to arrive really early or opt for walks from nearby Edale instead which has a larger car park and facilities. You can pay for parking using cards only and will find details on car parking charges here.

Alternatively, start the walk from Edale which has a larger car park and facilities. You can join the route here (SK 11961 85932), where you can walk from the Nags Head pub via the Pennine Way trail.

Public transport

Nearest train station: Edale train station

There’s no public transport to Barber Booth the nearest station would be Edale (see the note above about where to start the walk).

Facilities on the walk

There are no public toilets available at the start of the walk at Barber Booth (the nearest ones are in Edale).

At Barber Booth, there are no facilities but down the road, at Edale, there are two pubs (The Nags Head and The Ramblers Inn) and also a cafe (The Penny Pot) so you can treat yourself there. 

When I did this walk I opted to drive to nearby Hope and stopped at The Old Hall pub, great food and beer.

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 Crowden Brook on your walk.

Other useful information

Crowden Clough scramble 

If you’re not familiar with scramble routes this basically means for some parts of the route you’ll need to use your hands to climb (or scramble) over and up rocks, generally without climbing equipment.

The UK scrambles are graded from a 1 to 3. Grade 1 is relatively easy and grade 3 is challenging. The majority of the scramble section on this route is a grade 1, however, there’s one part that would be considered a grade 2 (photo below).

Water crossings

The route includes a couple of small water crossings over Crowden Brook as you make your way up. In summer, these are a small trickle but on rainy days it might mean wet feet!

Note – this route goes via the road from Barber Booth instead of the footpath which you’ll see on the map, as the wooden footbridge next to the railway bridge is broken.

Stiles

There are two stiles on this walk, both at the beginning, see route instructions. Both have a small dog gate next to them, (see photo below).

Check the weather for your walk location and hills

The route up via Crowden Clough can be sheltered from the wind but once you reach the top, make sure you have some extra layers to put on to keep warm. The weather can vary widely from Barber Booth to the top of the hills so please check the conditions and make sure you have warm clothes/waterproofs if necessary.

• BBC Weather for Edale
• Met Office weather for the Peak District
• Met Office weather for Kinder Low (highest point nearby on Kinder Plateau) and/or MWIS (Mountain Weather Information Service) for the Peak District

Ordnance Survey walk map

The map for this walk is the Ordnance Survey OL1 – Peak District (Dark Peak Area). Check prices here with Ordnance Survey or Amazon. If you’re hiking in all weathers the Active OS maps are good to have.

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

For online maps, I recommend the 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 the OS Online App. All the walks on the website are created using OS Online + you can download them to the App.

Want to read later? Save the walk to Pinterest

Crowden Clough scramble route

Stage 1 – Barber Booth to Crowden Clough

Distance: 1.1 miles/1.8 km

Grid reference SK 10817 84736

From the car park, turn left and continue walking up the road (away from the railway bridge that you drove under). The road bends round to the right and you’ll see a fingerpost sign for Upper Booth and Jacob’s Ladder. Keep on the road, go over a bridge and past a few houses. 

You’ll then see a red phone box on your left. Keep walking straight and over a second bridge. Then immediately after you’ve crossed the bridge turn right through a wooden gate with a brown sign for ‘Footpath to open country’.

Go up the stone steps and follow the narrow footpath as it follows Crowden Brook on your right. Keep walking then go up a set on more steps that bring you out at a boundary fence.

Follow this along to a wooden stile (with an option for dogs), then along to a wooden gate and over a narrow wooden bridge over the brook. Follow the path up to the next gate and then walk along until you reach another stile the National Trust sign for Crowden Clough, which is the start of the Open Access Land.

Stage 2 – Crowden Clough to Grindslow Knoll

Distance: 1.9 mile/3.1 km

Grid reference SK 10221 86084

Once over the stile, walk along the path, after a short distance look for a Crowden Brook waterfall slightly off-path on your left. It’s a scramble down to it but it’s a pretty find with lots of green moss dripping around it.

Then continue along the grassy path as it then turns into a rockier route the further you hike up Crowden Clough. In the distance, you can see the rock formation known as Crowden Tower.

Then you reach your first water crossing, there are a couple of large rocks to use as stepping stones. Or if you have waterproof boots then it might be easier to walk through. The route then continues on the other side of the brook and becomes rocky, with more crossings.

You’ll then reach a wooden gate, go through here and bear right on the narrow path then over the brook again. Shortly after, there’s a distinctive path heading off left but to complete the scramble you’ll need to follow Crowden Brook.

The option here to do the route with or without scramble – Keep on the main path on the left instead of taking the more obscure path on the right.

The scramble path is on the right-hand side of the brook, it comes and goes depending on the terrain. Follow it until you are near the top, then it crosses over the brook again (you’ll see the path on the other side). It’s now becoming more of a scramble then you reach a large flat rock, the trickiest section of the scramble (photo below).

Scramble up and continue heading up until you reach the top of Crowden Clough. If you turn left you can pop up to Crowden Tower for some great views. Or alternatively, turn right and continue on the route. It’s a wide path that follows the edge of the plateau, with a flagstone section.

Walk until you reach two unusual shaped rocks (see photo below) where the path bears off to the right towards Grindslow Knoll. Follow the path, via some flagstones then up a path to the top of Grindslow Knoll, where there’s a large pile of stones at the summit.

Stage 3 – Grindslow Knoll to Grindsbrook Booth

Distance: 1 miles/1.6 km

Grid reference SK 11037 86824

From Grindslow Knoll summit, pick up the path heading east from the summit down a narrow rocky path. If you look ahead on a clear day you’ll have a wonderful view of the Great Ridge from Mam Tor to Lose Hill.

Follow the path down to a gate and continue walking downhill, the path curves round to the right and brings you out at another wooden gate. Walk across the grass until you reach a fingerpost sign. Turn right here following the sign for Pennine Way and through the gate.

Note

Be sure not to go straight on following the Pennine Way in the other direction, unless you want to visit the pub in Edale! 

Alternatively, if you’ve parked in Edale this is the point you’ll pick the route up!

Stage 4 – Grindsbrook Booth to Barber Booth

Distance: 1.8 miles/2.9 km

Grid reference SK 11961 85936

Walk across the flagstones that lead across the field, now heading in a westerly direction, until you reach another gate, go through here and continue on the path through another couple of gates.

The path then takes you up and over a small incline before heading down to the corner of the field and a small gate in the left corner.

Go through here and down the track, through another gate and turn left, then immediate right through the farm (Upper Booth Farm). Once through the farm turn left at the red phone box and follow the road back round to Barber Booth car park the same route you began the walk.

Ask me about the walk in the comments below.

More walks in the Peak District

Love the scramble routes in the Peak District? You might like these walks.

• Grindslow Knoll (via Grindsbrook Clough) | 4-Mile Route
• Blackden Brook to Kinder Plateau (Scramble + Waterfall Route)
• Kinder Scout Walk (Via Red Brook Scramble) | 9-Mile Route

Or check out all our Peak District walking routes here

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