A lovely route from Wildboarclough to the stunning Three Shires Head, complete with it’s packhorse bridges and waterfalls.
This walk begins from Clough House car park in Wildboarclough, and goes via a rocky track and fields to Three Shires Head before looping back via Cut-thorn Hill where you have views of Shutlingsloe in the distance, which gradually gets closer towards the end of the walk.
There’s also an option to do a short extra loop to tick off Shutlingsloe summit, about 1.7 miles. It’s totally worth it if it’s a good weather day, as you’ll have stunning views from the top and you can bag a trig point too! There are details at the bottom of the walk description so you can decide if you want to add it on.
Here you will find details on how to get to the start of the walk at Wildboarclough, car parking options, route information, map, GPX file, plus a detailed step by step guide of the walk to Three Shires Head with the option to hike up Shutlingsloe too.
Let me know in the comments if you’ve done this Three Shires Head walk and what you think!
Three Shires Head from Wildboarclough
Walk information + GPX
Walk type: Short circular walk
Distance: 5.5 miles/8.8 km
Walk time: 2-3 hours
Total ascent: 369 m/1,181 ft
Highest point: 464 m/1,525 ft
Walk highlights: Cumberland Brook, Three Shires Head waterfalls and views of Shutlingsloe summit
Trig points: 0 (or add-on 1 – Shutlingsloe Hill)
Ethels: 0 (or add-on 1 – Shutlingsloe Hill)
Stiles: 4 + (8 metal steps over wall)
Three Shires Head walk map
© Crown copyright and database rights (2024) OS 002572460
Click for online mapWalk start point
Start grid reference: SJ 98722 69877
Car parking address: Clough House car park, Wildboarclough, SK11 0BD* – Google location
*Please note the postcode does NOT take you to exact location, please double check on a paper map or google maps. This is free but small car park, but generally not too busy so unless it’s peak time you should get a space.
Alternatively, there’s some car parking available further down the road near The Crag Inn at Wildboarclough – Google location
Public transport
There are no options for public transport for this start point.
Facilities on the walk
There are no public toilets available at the start of the walk at Wildboarclough or anywhere on the walk.
There’s a pub a short distance from the car park at Wildboarclough – The Crag Inn, Nabbs Road, Wildboarclough, SK11 0BD – Google location
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
There are sections of this route which go via roads or across them, most aren’t too busy but worth noting if you’re walking with children.
Please keep the Peak District beautiful and respect everyone who uses the park. Take ALL your rubbish home to dispose of and remember close gates (as you found them). Thank you so much.
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 herePeak District weather
Check the weather for your walk location and hills. We’d recommend that you check a few resources and for hill walks look at the weather conditions in the valley and on the hilltop as they can greatly vary.
- BBC Weather for Wildboarclough
- Met Office weather for Shining Tor (nearest hill to Shutlingsloe)
- Met Office weather 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.
Three Shires Head walk route
Stage 1 – Clough House, Wildboarclough to Three Shires Head
Distance: 2.2 miles/3.5 km
Grid reference SJ 98722 69877
From Clough House car park, walk out the back of the car park, past the farm buildings on your right. Continue to the main road, cross over and go through the gate next to the green signpost for the Cat & Fiddle Inn which leads to a wide track heading alongside Cumberland Brook.
Walk along the track then over a small wooden bridge (photo below). Continue heading in the same direction but on the other side of the brook. The path is rocky and takes you through a gate heading uphill initially before it flattens out. Go through another gate, then the path splits off in different directions. Take the track across the stream, bending round to the right, which begins to head uphill again.
You’ll go past a green signpost for ‘Flash via Three Shires Head’ then shortly after through a small gate that brings you to the road. Carefully cross the road towards the fingerpost with yellow arrow. Go down the metal steps, there’s a handy rail to assist you as there are 8 steps (might be difficult with a dog).
Walk across the field to the metal kissing gate in the wall, continue walking where the ground dips, you’ll see the next wide metal gate (photo below) to continue the walk. From here, head up on the faint track and directly across the field towards the wall (no obvious path), continue heading towards the trees and wall on the right. The wall takes you down a wide gate and the footpath next to the River Dane.
Once through the gate turn right and you’re now on the Dane Valley Way, the footpath leads all the way to the packhorse bridge at Three Shires Head where you can stop and enjoy the waterfalls and maybe take a dip in one of the pools if it’s a warm day!
Stage 2 – Three Shires Head to Road near Crag Hall
Distance: 1.5 mile/2.4 km
Grid reference SK 00948 68521
Once you’ve explored around the Three Shires Head area, waterfalls and pools, if you walked across the packhorse bridge, head back over so the River Dane is on your left. The path splits so you want to take the right-hand track which heads uphill and around the base of Cut-thorn Hill.
The track brings you out on a road, keep walking in the same direction up the road, past the house on the left and on the opposite side of the road there’s a small wooden gate (photo above) that you need to go through. Walk along the grassy path, towards a short way marker post, bear left here and walk up towards the wall. Go over the gap in the wall (photo below), then over the stile, you can now see Shutlingsloe Hill in the distance.
Walk towards the road, going through a small gate then on the other side of the road there’s another wooden stile next to a fingerpost. Follow the path here which leads across a couple of bordered sections (photo below), go through another wide gate then past a small building on your left. The footpath continues towards the trees, where there’s another gate before you head through the woods on a rocky track that leads you to a road.
Stage 3 – Road near Crag Hall to Wildboarclough (Shutlingsloe option)
Distance: 1.8 mile/2.9 km
Grid reference SJ 99041 68656
Turn right onto the road and walk until it splits, take the road bending around to the left where it goes through some gate posts, keep walking, the path goes through a small area with farm buildings (Firs Farm) (photo below), head straight and through a wide metal gate. This field is private land so keep to the right of way which continues straight across the field then at the wall you double back next to the wall and go over a small wooden bridge, near the trees.
Walk down the narrow track, following the yellow way markers going straight on towards some more trees, go over the wooden fence (waymarked) and along the stream to another wooden bridge. This brings you to another road, turn right and then look for the road that forks off left heading uphill (signposted Private Road).
Head up the road, going uphill, the road splits at the cattle grids, (option to add Shutlingsloe Hill – 1-mile extra – see details below) take the right-hand lower one which takes you back past a house then over a small wooden bridge, through two gates then over the stile to the road. Turn left down the road and the car park will be on the right.
Ask me questions about the Three Shires Head route in the comments below.
Walk options
Extend the walk to add Shutlingsloe Hill
At the cattle grids instead of taking the lower option your can take the left-hand track heading off uphill towards Shutlingsloe, which adds about 1.7-miles/2.7 km to the walk, but extra ascent too, totalling 564 metres for the walk so a short but steep add on!
See instructions below:
Walk along the track until it bends round to the right (this is private), pick up the grassy path uphill (signposted with arrow markers). Walk in-between the gap in the wall, up over the wooden bridge and through the metal kissing gate. Keep walking uphill following the way markers.
At the next metal kissing gate go through, then you can see two paths heading up to Shutlingsloe. Take the left hand path, follow this all the way to the summit it brings you out at the trig point.
From Shutlingsloe trig point, head down from the summit via the flagstones heading north on the opposite side. It’s a steep descent, with a few large steps to negotiate on the way down. You’ll reach a wall with a small gate then three stone steps down to the path (photo below).
Walk along the path until you reach a metal gate (don’t go through). Turn right on the few flagstones, along the base of Shutlingsloe, the path now turns into a grassy path with views of Shutlingsloe in front of you, go over the small wooden bridge and continue on the grassy path. It then heads downhill to a section that’s narrow before you reach a metal gate, with another green signpost.
Go through here then follow the path alongside the wall until you reach the metal kissing gate at the base of Shutlingsloe (the one you walked through earlier).
Turn left through the gate, follow the path back down, via the second kissing gate and wooden bridge to the track which brings you out at the cattle grids. Turn left here and follow the instructions in Stage 3.
More walks in the Peak District
Love short walks in the Peak District? You might like these circular walks.
- Monsal Head Short Walk | 2-Mile Route
- Baslow Edge Short Walk From Curbar Gap | 3-Mile Route
- Magpie Mine Short Walk From Ashford-in-the-Water | 5.5 Mile Route
Or check out all our Peak District walking routes here
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