The Quarries Walk - Georgian Splendour – Dragon’s Back

So called because the walk is through attractive pastoral scenery encircling the (unseen) stone quarries south east of Buxton

From the historic spa town of Buxton, the walk passes through upland farms before reaching the dry valley of Deepdale and then on to Chelmorton the highest village in Derbyshire. The pattern of narrow fields divided by drystone walls dates from the nineteenth century enclosures

The Limestone Way leads into Monyash, a village steeped in lead mining history. The route then crosses the High Peak trail into rolling countryside to arrive at Pilsbury Castle earthworks (an English Heritage site) in the upper Dove Valley.

Approaching Longnor, there are views ahead of the limestone range - including the pointed summits of Parkhouse Hill and Chrome Hill (the ‘Dragon’s Back’) which dominate their surroundings.

The next part of the walk is via hill and river valley to Hollinsclough village before heading across open country to reach Thirkelow Rocks

A brief way- marked section leads across an area occupied by the Health and Safety Executive and the research laboratories of Sheffield University before a stretch of gentle hill walking and a glimpse of ‘Solomon’s Temple’ on the approach to Buxton.

A note on flexibility:

This walk has been designed to cater for different walking ‘appetites’- strollers and striders!- by incorporating ‘distance/time flexibility’.

At its simplest, the walk is three days of roughly seven miles each day, short enough to take at an easy pace, or start late, or finish early.

The walk may be started from any point.
At Buxton, Monyash and Longnor, there are a couple of circular walks as optional ‘add ons’ for which we provide directions. The walking day could therefore be extended to give anything up to 17 miles total!

If you choose to stay any extra nights, one or both of the circular walks could be done as the next day’s walk giving opportunity for time off before continuing the main walk. Or you could take full rest or sight-seeing days! The choice is yours.