Derwent Edge Walk From Ladybower Reservoir (Fairholmes) | 10-Mile Route

Derwent Edge walk is a lovely route to do from Ladybower Reservoir.

You start the walk next to Ladybower Reservoir, then make your way past Derwent Dam, which looks amazing when it’s overflowing and along Derwent Reservoir.

After a gentle start to the walk, you then start your incline up to Derwent Edge, making your way past the cairn at Lost Lad and trig point at Back Tor.

The Derwent Edge walk takes you past plenty of unusual rock formations whilst overlooking Ladybower Reservoir before descending back down to complete your 10-mile loop.

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

Have you done any of the other Peak District ‘edge’ walks? Let me know in the comments below.

Derwent Edge from Ladybower Reservoir

gpx file

Derwent Edge walk map

© Crown copyright and database rights (2024) OS 002572460

Walk start point

Start grid reference: SK 17315 89330

Car parking address: Fairholmes car park, Upper Derwent Visitor Centre, Hope Valley, S33 0AQ

There are two levels to this car park but the cafe on the lower level which is near the toilets is the best place if you’re meeting people.

There’s also additional parking before you go into Fairholmes, this used to be free but January 2022, pay and display machines were also added.

Parking Cost (Cash and cards accepted)

Change is required for parking

Up to 2 hours £3.50
Over 2 hours £6.00

*Prices correct at time of writing

Public transport

Nearest train station: Bamford train station (6 mile/10 km)

There is a bus that you can catch from near Bamford station, the 273, that stops near Fairholmes car park

Facilities on the walk

There are public toilets available at the start of the walk at Fairholmes car park. However, there are no other toilets or facilities for the rest of the walk.

If you’re looking for a good place to grab a bite to eat or a drink after your walk the Yorkshire Bridge Inn is a lovely place for a post-walk stop. Of course, they’ve been closed like other pubs so go give them some support when they open.

Other useful information

The route has pretty good terrain with wide paths alongside the reservoir sections, then up on Derwent Edge much of the route is flagstoned so it’s pretty easy to follow the path for most of the route.

In late summer the heather flowers are in full bloom, it’s a beautiful sea of purple/pink flowers and looks beautiful so worth planning a walk for then if you can.

would always recommend you take a map and compass (see below).

Peak District weather

Check the weather for your walk location and hills. The weather can vary widely from Ladybower Reservoir to the top of the hills so please check the conditions and make sure you have warm clothes/waterproofs if necessary.

• BBC Weather for Bamford
• Met Office weather for the Peak District
• Met Office weather for Derwent Valley and High Neb (highest point nearby) and/or MWIS (Mountain Weather Information Service) for the Peak District

Ordnance Survey Walk Map

The map for this walk is OL1 – Peak District (Dark Peak Area)

You can buy a paper map at outdoor shops or shop online at Amazon or Ordnance Survey

Check prices here with Ordnance Survey, there are options to buy either standard map or a waterproof one. You can sometimes find cheaper deals on Amazon, but the Ordnance Survey website sometimes has discounts for buying more than one map!

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.

Check prices here for the one month or yearly option with OS Online App. 

Want to read later? Save the walk to Pinterest

Derwent Edge walk route

Stage 1 – Fairholmes car park to Upper Derwent Reservoir

Distance: 1.9 miles/3.1 km

Grid reference SK 17281 89317

Head out of Fairholmes car park, taking the footpath on the right. Follow the trail and within a few minutes, you’ll be walking past Derwent Dam. If you’re lucky you’ll see water cascading over the dam when it’s full (normally after heavy rain).

Take the path heading towards the far right tower and up the steps next to Derwent Dam.

At the top turn left and follow the footpath alongside Upper Derwent Reservoir.

Stage 2 – Upper Derwent Reservoir to Back Tor

Distance: 3.2 mile/5.2 km

Grid reference SK 17073 91942

At Abbey Tip Plantation, turn right, signposted to ‘Ewden’ and take the footpath alongside Abbey Brook.

Continue about 2 km along the path across a few cloughs, via mini stepping stones. Follow all the way to where the path splits at Sheepfold Clough.

Turn right here and follow the path for about 1 km to Lost Lad Cairn, your first Ethel on the walk.

Then about 500 metres down the footpath you reach Back Tor, the highest point on the walk. Marked by a trig point on top of a gritstone formation.

Stage 3 – Back Tor to End of Derwent Edge

Distance: 2 miles/3.3 km

Grid reference SK 19751 90975

From Back Tor, you then begin to walk along Derwent Edge. For the next 3 km you’ll walk on a flagstone path past some iconic gritstone rock formations on Derwent Edge, includes ‘Cakes of Bread’, ‘Dove Stone’ boulder, ‘Salt Cellar’ boulders and ‘Wheel Stones’.

From the rock formation, Wheel Stones, you then start to descend from Derwent Edge and reach a point with different paths. Take the path on the right heading down towards Ladybower Reservoir

Stage 4 – End of Derwent Edge to Fairholmes car park

Distance: 2.9 miles/4.7 km

Grid reference SK 20321 88015

Follow the path as it keeps descending down to the reservoir.

When you reach the lower path at Ladybower reservoir, turn right. This footpath then leads you back to Derwent Dam. From here simply follow the path back around past Derwent Dam to Fairholmes car park.

Do you have any more questions about this Derwent Edge walk? Ask me in the comments below.

Other options for the walk

Shorten the walk

An option to shorten this walk is by cutting short the beginning section of the walk to Back Tor, to make it an 8-mile route.

Instead of walking to the end of Upper Derwent Reservoir, you can take the footpath that leads up to Lost Lad Cairn and Back Tor, this takes about 2 miles/ 3.5 km off the walk.

Full walk, including map and GPX below for you.

More Walks in the Peak District

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

• Alport Castles from Ladybower Reservoir
• Burbage Edge + Higgor Tor walk
• Langsett Reservoir
• Mam Tor Via Jacob’s Ladder Walk From Edale | 10-Mile Route

Have you done the Derwent Edge walk, let me know any feedback in the comments. 

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