Lose Hill Short Walk from Castleton | 5-mile Route

Lose Hill walk is a great short route to do from Castleton in the Peak District. The summit is slightly shorter at 476 metres than nearby Mam Tor, which is 517 metres, but it still has stunning views of the Hope Valley.

Lose Hill is a popular walk, since it makes up part of the Great Ridge, so don’t expect to have the summit all to yourself unless you’re heading up for an early morning or late evening walk.

Lose Hill also makes up 1 of the 95 Peak District Ethels so you can begin ticking them off! See the full Ethels list here.

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

I recommend that you have a paper map with you on the walk, you can find details below on which map you need for this walk.

If you’d like to do a longer route, you can find one to include both Lose Hill and Mam Tor summit we have a 7 mile walk that you might like here.

Let me know in the comments if you do this Lose Hill walk and what you think!

Buy a printable/downloadable PDF route guide for the walk here.

Lose Hill walk from Castleton

GPX file

Lose Hill walk map

© Crown copyright and database rights (2024) OS 002572460

Walk start point

Start grid reference: SK 149 829

Car parking address: Castleton Visitor Centre, Buxton Rd, Castleton, S33 8WN – Google location

Parking Cost (As of Feb 2023)

• £1.20 – up to 1 hour
• £2.50 – 1-2 hours
• £4 – 2-4 hours
• £6 – 4-10 hours
• £7 – 24 hours

You can also use the PaybyPhone App to save finding change on the day. The location code is 806748.

Public transport

Nearest train station: Hope train station (2 miles/3 km)

There is then a bus you can catch from the main road outside the station into Castleton village (271/272 bus). It takes about 8 minutes but they only run once an hour.

Facilities on the walk

There are public toilets at the start at Castleton Visitor Centre, where the car park is also located. There are no other toilets on the route.

The Castleton Visitor Centre also has a small cafe but this doesn’t open until 10 am, so if you’re planning an early start it won’t be open.

Castleton village has numerous other pubs, cafes and shops, perfect for after the walk.

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

Other useful information

Castleton is a lovely village in the Peak District, but it is also very popular, expect it to be busy on weekends and during the peak season in the summer months.

The weather can vary widely from Castleton to the top of the hills so please check the conditions and make sure you have warm clothes/waterproofs if necessary.

The route has some signposts but I would always recommend you take a map and compass (see below).

Peak District weather

Check the weather for your walk location and hills.

• BBC Weather for Castleton
• Met Office weather 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)

View the different 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.

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.

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

Want to read later? Save the walk to Pinterest

Lose Hill walk route

Stage 1 – Castleton village to Lose Hill

Distance: 2.2 miles/3.5 km

Grid reference SK 149 829

From the car park and visitor centre in Castleton turn left, walking up the road. You’ll need to cross over as the pavement ends on the left-hand side of the road.

Follow the path left around the corner, then again as the road bends round to the right. Walk past the shops and pubs, including Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese Inn on the right.

Continue on the road out of Castleton village, over a small bridge. Then go across the road and look for a signpost leading up a track.

Turn left up the track and follow it until the end, next to a tall stone wall. As you reach the end of the wall, turn right, you’ll see the car park for the YHA Castleton Hostel.

A short distance up the track there’s a small gate, turn left here heading across the field, which can be muddy. Keep to the right of the field, then down a few steps and over a small stream via a wooden bridge.

Then follow the single track path on the other side and round to the right.

The path takes you uphill across farmland, go through the gate on your right and continue up another muddy track. Continue across the field to another gate and a small wooden plank bridge.

Over the wooden plank, there’s a wooden fingerpost signed posted ‘Hope & Castleton’ and ‘Lose Hill’.

Turn left following the sign towards Lose Hill and up the path up the field to another gate. Once you’ve gone through the gate, turn right for a short distance and walk alongside the fence line until you reach a path heading upwards.

It’s a steep grassy path, continue until you reach a gate on your right-hand side.

There’s a sign for Lose Hill, you then follow the path upwards to Lose Hill summit, marked with a large cylindrical stone.

Stage 2 – Lose Hill to Hollins Cross

Distance: 1.2 mile/2 km

Grid reference SK 153 853

This part of the walk is fairly easy to navigate, you are walking along the Great Ridge and on clear days you can see for miles, including the route ahead.

From the stone marker at Lose Hill summit, walk along the flagstone path gradually descending and leading along the ridge.

Follow this path all the way to the next summit on the ridge which is Back Tor. As you approach, you’ll see a lone tree on the left of the path, above where Brockett Booth Plantation is below.

Back Tor has wonderful views along the ridge to Mam Tor summit, which you’ll see at the end.

The path then takes you down from Back Tor, it’s a rocky and steep so take your time, although the path has recently had work done on it so it’s easier now. Once you’ve descended keep following the path along the ridge. You’ll reach a gate that you go through and continue heading along the ridge.

Eventually, via the flagstone path, you reach a large stone that marks Hollins Cross. From this point, there are numerous paths, you can see all the way into Edale village on the other side of the ridge.

Stage 3 – Hollins Cross to Castleton

Distance: 1.5 miles/2.5 km

Grid reference SK 136 845

From Hollins Cross, there are several different paths, so be sure to pick the right one!

Next to the stone marker at Hollins Cross, there is a gate on your left, go through here and you’ll be on a narrow rocky track surrounded by gorse bushes!

Follow the path as it descends the path and through a small gate. If you look to your right you will see Mam Tor hill. Continue following the path all the way until you reach another gate, there’s another fingerpost sign here with lots of arrows!

You want to follow the track towards Hollowford Road. This section is in between two boundaries with hedges, it is rocky and can be wet if there’s been a lot of rain but it’s only a short section.

You then go through a gate and onto the road, with some buildings on your left. Follow the road until you reach a t-junction. Turn right and follow the road all the way back into Castleton village.

Once you reach the main road into Castleton, head straight and follow it around to the right, going past the shops and pubs, you’ll be back at the car park and visitor centre.

Do you have any more questions about this walk, maybe what to wear on your hike or any other questions? Ask me in the comments below.

Additional options

Shorten the walk

An option if you decide you don’t want to climb to the summit of Lose Hill, maybe it’s a windy day or you simply don’t want to climb to the top!

At the base of Lose Hill, there’s a path heading off to the left, this runs parallel to the Great Ridge, through a small wooded area, (Brockett Booth Plantation).

In terms of distance, it’s only about 300 metres difference, but it does mean you don’t have the steep climb to the top, saving your legs about 60/70 metres of ascent.

It also misses out the trickiest section of the walk, descending from Back Tor, which is a rocky path down.

Ask me any questions in the comments if you’re not sure.

More Walks in the Peak District

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

• Shutlingsloe Hill from Wildboarclough (near Macclesfield)
• Chrome Hill from Hollinsclough
• Kinder Scout via Grindsbrook from Edale
• Three Shires Head from Gradbach

Have you done the Lose Hill walk, let me know any feedback in the comments. Which bits of the walk did you like?

How windy was it along the Great Ridge? Tell me in the comments below.

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