Litton Edge Walk and Cressbrook Dale Walk

A Choice of Two Walks – Litton & Cressbrook Dale Walk or a Shorter Walk Around Litton

These walks start with a circuit around the village of Litton, heading over Litton Edge above the village. For the shorter route, circle around Litton and return via quiet lanes, or for the longer walk, head across fields to Cressbrook Dale and up to Peters Stone near Wardlow, before climbing back to Litton village from the dale.

Litton Village and Litton Edge

From the centre of the village, leave Litton heading north (passing the post office on your right) and walk up the road out of the village. Continue to the brow of the hill then turn left on a track just before reaching Beacon House.

Climb the stile beside a gate and head up the field, passing through a gap in walls to the right and continue uphill to pass through a hand gate. After the gate continue through a meadow and keep right of a low stone wall, to reach a stile at the end of a miniature escarpment – almost like a scale model of the larger edges that the Peak District is well known for.

Continue roughly in the same direction, heading northwest, alongside a stone wall to your left, to cross another stile at the top of the field. Cross another 3 fields, keeping in the same direction. After crossing a stile beside a metal gate, bear half-right, diagonally down the next field, passing just to the right of some rough ground and nettles, after which bear slightly left aiming for the stile just to the left of the farmhouse ahead.

Cross the stile and turn left up Conjoint Lane

 

Around Litton

Walk up the quiet lane until you reach a junction at farm buildings. Cross over the junction, keeping straight ahead onto a narrow track between stone walls on either side. Follow the track downhill to reach a road. Turn right on the road and, after passing Hornbeam Cottage, head left up the public footpath via a squeeze stile and hand gate.

Head up the field and through a gate at the top, onto a road. Cross the road and over a stile to continue along the public footpath. Pass through the hand gate and alongside the wall, over a stile ahead, then a further 2 stiles to reach a road (Hall Lane) at the road corner. Go straight ahead along Hall Lane which heads back towards Litton. Where the road turns left, you can choose to return to Litton for the short “Around Litton Walk” or to continue straight ahead for the full Cressbrook Dale walk route.

Shorter “Around Litton Walk” Route Option

To complete the shorter Litton walk, stay on the lane as it turns left and follow it into the centre of Litton. The lane emerges close to the post office in the village, and back to the start.

Full Cressbrook Dale Walk

At the corner, keep straight ahead to follow the track briefly then, at the public footpath finger post, bear right over the stile and walk downhill through the field, following the arrow of the finger post to a stile at the bottom. Cross the stile then bear half left uphill to another stile half way up the stone wall. Keep heading in the same direction, crossing a farm track via two stiles.

After crossing the track, continue diagonally across fields, over a stile, a gate, a squeeze stile and finally a hand gate. Passing through the hand gate, the path turns to the right and follows the line of the stone wall on your right, above Cressbrook Dale below on your left.

After a distance, the path begins to descend, gently at first. Reach a path junction and turn left, descending the steps through the wood. Follow the steps all the way to the bottom then turn left along a clear path. Descend the path, gently at first then becoming steeper and finally down more steps to reach the Cressbrook Dale path.

Walk though Cressbrook Dale to Peter’s Stone

Turn left through a hand gate into Cressbrook Dale and follow the line of the stream bed, which is dry through most of the year. Keep left where a path heads up to the right to continue alongside the winterbourne stream. Follow the path along the wooded part of the dale until you emerge into more open ground. Continue along, passing through a gate and meeting another path. Bear left long the new path and, where the path splits, take the higher of the two options to the right. Pass a bridge to the left which leads off the main path below.

Here, there is a choice. The main walk bears right here with a scramble up the side of the dale followed by some walking over rough tussocks on an adverse camber on the steep dale side. Good boots and walking poles are recommended to follow this higher section. This can be avoided by heading straight along the path which soon drops back to the main path below, and following the obvious path to reach Peter’s Stone from the bottom.

After passing the bridge, to take the higher route to Peter’s Stone, climb a faint path to the right just before a small cave entrance. The path climbs over the top of the cave entrance, after which turn right to scramble up the dale side to meet a fainter path. Turn right on this fainter path for a few paces to reach a good point to continue scrambling up the steep hillside, aiming just to the side of the small rock outcrop above.

At the outcrop, turn left and walk with care along the rough ground, taking care with each step. The camber of the ground is steep and the ground uneven underfoot, with a risk of turning an unwary ankle. After a short difficult section, you reach a clearer path close to a fence on the right, which is easier underfoot. Continue on the now obvious path which leads to the prominent limestone dome of Peter’s Stone

There are a number of easy way up to the top of Peter’s stone from the highest side, with views over the valley of Cressbrook Dale.

Peter’s Stone Back to Litton via Tansley Dale

After exploring Peter’s Stone, head anti-clockwise around the base of the dome and descend to the lower path. Turn left and walk back down Cressbrook Dale, with Peter’s Stone now to your left. Follow the main path back to the small bridge you passed by earlier.

Turn right over the small bridge, pass through a hand gate and head up the sloping path into Tansley Dale. Follow the obvious path which climbs steadily through the dale, to reach a gate at the dale head.

Pass through the gate and through the next field to a stile onto a track. Turn left along the track then soon after, turn right over another stile and head diagonally across the field to the opposite corner.

Cross the stile at the far corner of the field to join the road from Wardlow Mires. Turn left to return to the centre of Litton.