Magpie Mine Short Walk From Ashford-in-the-Water | 5.5 Mile Route

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This short walk to Magpie Mine from Ashford-in-the-Water is a lovely route, including rivers, woods and fields all in one walk, oh and a little uphill walking!

Magpie Mine is a disused lead mine and covers a large area with many buildings still in tact, it makes a great places for both adults and children to explore. And for photographer lovers, the dark skies make for some impressive starry night photos of Magpie Mine.

From Ashford-in-the-Water, you cross the River Wye and walk alongside it before turning off into Little Shacklow Woods and an uphill walk up to the village of Sheldon. The walk then goes via farmland to reach Magpie Mine at the highest point on the walk.

Once you’ve explored the old mine, it’s back to Sheldon and a gradual descent via Great Shacklow Woods to the River Wye, where you follow it back to the start at Ashford-in-the-Water.

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

Let me know in the comments if you’ve done this short Magpie Mine walk and what you think!

December 2021 – I’ve received a message saying there’s a fallen tree on the route (Great Shacklow Wood) that is possible to get round but you may need to climb over. If you’ve done the walk and noticed it’s been removed if you could let me know please. Thanks

Fancy a longer route? Why not check out our 8-mile walk to Magpie Mine

Magpie Mine short walk from Ashfield-in-the-Water

gpx file

Magpie Mine short walk map

Walk start point

Start grid reference: SK 19414 69799

Car parking address: Ashford-in-the-Water car park, 4 Court Lane, Ashford in the Water, Bakewell, DE45 1QG  – Google maps

This is a small car park in the village of Ashford-in-the-Water. These are community toilets and stay open with donations, suggested donation is £2 for parking. Please remember to take change with you to pay in the donation box.

Please note during busy periods and weekends the car park, can fill up quickly, so it’s best to arrive early to get a space or visit mid-week. There’s a small amount of street parking but please be aware of the local residents when finding a space.

Alternative car park (different location)

If you find it’s too busy here, there’s another cars parks you could use for this walk. White Lodge car park is 1 km from the route, you’d just need to walk along the river to join with it on the stage 4 section. Costs £1.50 to £4.75.

Public transport

There is a TransPeak bus that goes between Buxton and Bakewell and stops in Ashford-in-the-Water to start your walk.

Facilities on the walk

There are public toilets available at the start of the walk at Ashford-in-the-Water, these remain open from walker donations, so please remember to take some change with you.

There are also toilets at White Lodge car park, 1 km from the route (near the end of the walk).

The village of Ashford-in-the-Water has plenty of facilities before or after your walk. There are a couple of pubs, The Bulls Head and Ashford Arms, as well a small shop and Aisseford Tearooms, all situated on Church Street, round the corner from the car park.

There’s also a small pub in the village of Sheldon, which you walk past on the walk – Cock and Pullet, Sheldon.

Other useful information

There are some sections of this route that go via roads, these are mostly quiet roads, however, please take care on these parts.

From the village of Ashford-in-the-Water up to Magpie Mine the temperature can drop, plus it’s quite exposed so on a windy day it can be colder than when you set off. Please take warm clothes with you.

The woodland part of the walk can be muddy in places, also the cave mentioned in the route did look unstable in places so please take care. It’s certainly nice to look at but I opted not to go exploring (you’ll see what I mean if you go there). 

Both Little Shacklow Woods and Great Shacklow Woods were full of wild garlic, great for foraging during early Spring months.

The route has some signposts but we always recommend taking a map and compass on your walks. See details below.

Would you know what to do in an emergency situation?

We have a guide with what to do, who you need to call and also some useful kit that should be in your backpack. Ask us any questions in the comments or via our social media.

Happy hiking + stay safe

read here

Peak District weather

Check the weather for your walk location.

The temperature can vary from the village to Magpie Mine, so even if it feels warm, it’s worth taking a jacket to put on at Magpie Mine.

• BBC Weather for Ashford-in-the-Water
• Met Office weather for the Peak District
• Met Office weather for Bakewell

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 weathers the Active OS maps are pretty good to have.

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

For online maps, you can get via OS Online App or Viewranger App. Check prices here for the one month or yearly option with OS Online App.

Magpie Mine short walk route

Stage 1 – Ashford-in-the-Water to Little Shacklow Woods

Distance: 1 miles/1.6 km

Grid reference SK 19445 69776

Leave the car park, walk past the houses and turn left down the road towards the village. Cross the road at the corner and walk over the bridge across the River Wye.

Cross the road and turn right walking down the pavement for about 200 m. Then at the next road on the left, turn down here and continue until you reach a track at the point where the road bends to the left. 

Go through the gate, then ahead is a second gate leading you to a footpath alongside the River Wye. Walk along the path for about 500 m, you go through another gate then in-between a wide gap in the stone wall. Here is where you turn left and leave the River Wye.

The footpath heads towards the trees, continue walking then go through the gate into the Little Shacklow Woods.

Stage 2 – Little Shacklow Woods to Magpie Mine

Distance: 1.5 mile/2.4 km

Grid reference SK 18338 69538

The path starts to slightly head upwards into the woods, some parts of this path can be muddy. Follow the path as it continues heading up. After about 500 m, follow the path as bends around to the left (there’s another feint path continuing straight ahead but ignore this).

At this point, where the path bears left, there’s a cave up on the left. The rocks did look unstable when I visited so I opted not to go inside, but it’s nice to look at! Keep following the path up through the woods, it’s a slow and steady uphill but eventually you reach a stone wall and small gate.

Go through then continue to another small gap and gate that brings you out to a large grassy area with houses on the right (Sheldon village). Head up towards the wall and go through the gate in the wall.

Turn left, heading up the road for about 200 m until you see a footpath on the right. Walk down here, you’ll walk next to some gates down a narrow path then over another stone stile. Keep heading across the grass, now Magpie Mine will be in sight, in the corner there’s a gate to walk though.

Magpie Mine is a permissive Open Access area, so you’re able to walk around the old lead mine and explore all the old buildings.

(As you go through the gate into the access area, look to your right where you’ll see the stone stile hiding in the corner – this is where you’ll continue the walk.)

Stage 3 – Magpie Mine to Sheldon

Distance: 0.6 miles/1 km

Grid reference SK 17260 68186

Once you’ve finished exploring Magpie Mine, return back towards the gate your entered, but this time bear left into the corner of the wall where there’s a stone stile (hopefully you spotted on your way in).

Heading in a northerly direction, walk towards the next wall and through the gap in the stone wall. Keep walking straight across to a small gate in the stone wall.

Slightly to your left, there’s another gate with a tall post (yellow marker on top), go though here and follow the path to the next stone wall with three stone steps over it (and another tall yellow marker signpost).

Now head directly across to the far right-hand corner, another stone stile and out in a grassy area next to some houses. There’s a very small gap and gate which leads to the main street of Sheldon. Turn right and walk down the road.

Continue walking, there’s a pub called the Cock and Pullet on the right, however your footpath is just before this on the left, signposted with a green Public Footpath sign. Go over the stone wall via the stone steps and down the footpath alongside the house.

Stage 4 – Sheldon to Ashford-in-the-Water

Distance: 2.4 miles/3.8 km

Grid reference SK 17413 68798

Go over another stone stile and another on to a track. Turn left here and walk down until you reach a footpath on your right, signposted Public Footpath with a wooden pole.

Walk down here, though a gap in the wall then down to a small gate in the corner. Walk along then over three stone steps over a wall in a field. Follow the wooden signposts across the fields until you reach a wall leading into the woods, the gate is on the left (photo below) heading into the woods.

Once in the woods follow the path down towards the River Wye. As you reach the footpath running along the lower route, turn right and then follow this alongside the river.

(This is the point where you’d join the route if you parked at White Lodge car park.)

You’ll go past some old buildings, through a gate (or stile) and then it will bring you back to the point where you left the path to enter Little Shacklow Woods.

Keep walking along the river, though the gate, then onto the side road, that links into the main road. Cross over, back across the bridge and it’s up the road, past the houses, back to the car park on the right.

Ask me questions about this route in the comments below.

Other walk options

Longer route?

Fancy visiting Magpie Mine but would like a longer route? Try our Magpie Mine 8-mile walk from Ashford-in-the-Water that goes via Deep Dale, Monsal Dale and the Monsal Trail.

• Magpie Mine Walk (+ Monsal Dale) From Ashford-in-the-Water | 8-Mile Route

More walks in the Peak District

Love the 5 mile walks in the Peak District? You might like these circular walks.

• Bradford Dale Short Walk Near Youlgreave | 5-Mile Route
• Thor’s Cave Walk + Manifold Valley From Wetton | 5-Mile Route
• Wolfscote Dale + Biggin Dale Walk From Hartington | 5-Mile Route

Or check out all our Peak District walking routes here

View walks directory here

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