Wolfscote Dale + Biggin Dale Walk From Hartington | 5-Mile Route

The walk from Hartington through Wolfscote Dale is a beautiful route and perfect for a short walk in the Peak District. It’s a great route to do on a morning, afternoon or maybe evening stroll.

This is a classic low-level White Peak walk, with green hills, streams and limestone rocks jutting out from the landscape. The route takes you through three of the Derbyshire Dales starting in Beresford Dale which leads to Wolfscote Dale and finally down Biggin Dale before following the track to Hartington.

Since the walk takes you through the dales it’s an easy route to navigate and the terrain is good with a few rocky sections through Biggin Dale towards the end of the walk. Wolfscote Dale is the walk highlight whilst following the River Dove through the dale.

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

Have you done any of the Derbyshire Dales? Let me know in the comments.

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

Printable PDF Guide

Wolfscote Dale + Biggin Dale from Hartington

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Wolfscote Dale + Biggin Dale walk map

© Crown copyright and database rights (2024) OS 002572460

© Crown copyright and database rights (2024) OS 002572460

Walk start point

Start grid reference: SK 12767 60331

Car parking address: Parson’s Field Car Park, Parsons Close, Hartington, Buxton, SK17 0BE

Parking cost*

Up to 1 hour £1.70
1 – 2 hours £2.70
2 – 3 hours £4.00
3 – 4 hours £5.20
All day £6.20

If you’re planning an evening walk the parking cost is a set amount of £1.20 ( from 6 pm to 8 am).

There are also a few free parking spaces in the village square but these fill up pretty quickly!

*Costs correct at time of writing.

Public transport

Nearest train station: Buxton train station (11 mile/18 km)

High Peak buses run a service from Buxton to Hartington, number 442 bus, it’s about 40 minutes on the bus.

Facilities on the walk

There are public toilets available at the start of the walk at Hartington. There are also a couple of pubs and shops in the village to visit after your walk.

Other useful information

The Wolfscote Dale walk is a beautiful route, both navigation and terrain for this walk are fairly easy; however, the section through Biggin Dale is narrow and rocky. Also, with a few narrow bridges and slim stone stiles, it’s not a push-chair-friendly route!

When the river levels are high, mostly during winter months after melting snow and heavy rain raises the water levels, the footpath at the bridge into Wolfscote Dale and along Biggin Dale can become flooded (wellies advised!) 

There’s one stone stile towards the end of the walk, see instructions in Stage 3 for how to detour this stile if necessary.

Peak District weather

Check the weather for your walk location and hills. 

• BBC Weather for Hartington
• Met Office weather for Hartington Hall Hostel
• Met Office weather for the Peak District

Ordnance Survey Walk Map

The map required for this walk is OL24 – Peak District (White Peak Area). Check prices here with Ordnance Survey or Amazon.

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 Maps Online + you can download them to the OS Maps App.

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

Want to read later? Save the walk to Pinterest

Wolfscote Dale walk route

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

Printable PDF Guide

Stage 1 – Hartington to Wolfscote Dale

Distance: 1.4 miles/2.2 km

Grid reference SK 12767 60331

From Hartington farm shop and cafe, go up the small path between the buildings (public toilets on the other side), where it’s signposted as ‘public footpath to Dove Dale via Beresford and Wolfscote Dales’. Walk up the track bearing right towards the hills, then through two gates close together continuing south.

Keep walking and follow the public footpath signs, through a gap in a drystone wall and past a hill on your left. Eventually, you’ll reach a stone stile in a wall (there’s a gate too) leading into Morson Woods, a pretty section of the walk as you approach Beresford Dale.

Go across the footbridge into Beresford Dale with the river now on your left. Walk until you reach a wide track, from here cross the river again via the footbridge and follow the lower path leading into Wolfscote Dale (you may need to walk on the upper path and detour across if the field is flooded).

Stage 2 – Wolfscote Dale to Biggin Dale

Distance: 1.3 mile/2 km

Grid reference SK 13071 58411

As you go through the wooden gate into Wolfscote Dale you’ll notice a small cave above the path (worth a visit). Then continue along the footpath section to the River Dove. Look out for wildfowl on the water, plenty of ducks and you might see the rare Mandarin Duck.

It’s a lovely wide track as you walk down the dale, past the weirs and various rock formations. As you near the end of the dale you’ll see a huge rock formation called Drabber Tor and further along you’ll see Peaseland Rocks. At the end of Wolfscote Dale, you’ll see a National Trust signpost, pointing to Hartington, Milldale and left to Biggin, (the route you’ll take).

Stage 3 – Biggin Dale to Hartington

Distance: 2.8 miles/4.5 km

Grid reference SK 14213 56972

Turn left and head down Biggin Dale, the path along this part of the route is rockier so what your footing and this is where the worst flooding can be in winter. There is also a small cave along this part of the walk (over the stile on your right).

In summer months, you’ll walk along the dried-up river bed, as the narrow footpath on the left can be overgrown with nettles! Walk until you reach a gate, go through and continue down the path until you reach a second gate.

Follow this path until you reach a signpost directing you left back to Hartington. Turn left and go through the gate out of Biggin Dale. Then after about 300 metres, turn left at the next signpost, heading uphill out of the dale.

Continue walking on a track, past some farm buildings, ignore the first turnings on your left and continue until a narrow stone stile. Walk down here, turn left at the bottom and continue until it brings you out at the back of the Hartington farm shop.

Avoid the stile – Stay on the road and walk into Hartington Village, turn left past the pubs and left again back to the car park.

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

Printable PDF Guide

Any questions about this walk from Hartington? Ask me in the comments

More walks in the Peak District

Looking for more walks in the Derbyshire Dales? Check out these walks:

• Monk’s Dale walk
• Gratton Dale + Long Dale walk
• Chee Dale (stepping stone walk)
• Pilsbury Castle walk

Or check out all our Peak District walking routes here

View walks directory here

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