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Ashbourne Walks

7.77 miles (12.5 km)

Ordnance Survey Map Open Streetmap The Derbyshire Dales town of Ashbourne is a fantastic base for walkers looking to explore the southern end of the Peak District. Several long distance walking trails pass through the town and surrounding area. The beautiful valleys of the River Dove and River Manifold are also nearby.
This walk takes you along the Bonnie Prince Charlie Walk to the delightful village of Osmaston and the adjacent Osmaston Park.
Here you'll find pretty lakes and nice woodland trails through Shirley Park. The route loops through the park, crossing the lake and following the wooded paths before returning to Ashbourne on the same path.
You can extend the walk by continuing south along the Bonnie Prince Charlie Walk to Shirley and Longford.
Just after passing Shirley the Centenary Way long distance trail branches off to the east. You could follow it through the countryside to Ednaston and Brailsford.
The Tissington Trail, a shared walkng and cycling path runs north from the town. You can follow this into the Peak District and visit the beautiful Dovedale and and Ilam Park.

Ashbourne OS Map Ordnance survey map - Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking

Ashbourne Open Street Map Open Streetmap - Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking

Walks near Ashbourne

  • Carsington Water - This route follows the circular cycling and walking trail around Carsington Water in Ashbourne, Derbyshire
  • Ilam Park - Ilam Country Park is a delightful open space owned by the National Trust
  • Royal Shrovetide Football Challenge - This walk celebrates the Royal Shrovetide Football Match which occurs annually on Shrove Tuesday in the town of Ashbourne.
  • Thorpe Cloud - This short walk climbs to the top of Thorpe Cloud in the Peak District
  • Tissington Trail - The Tissington trail is a 13 mile off road path following the trackbed of a disused railway line through the stunning Peak District National Park.
    The trail is shared by walkers and cyclists offering fabulous views of the Derbyshire countryside
  • Limestone Way - Travel through the beautiful Peak District National Park on this walk through Derbyshire and into Staffordshire.
    The walk starts at Castleton, passing through the scenic Cave Dale and past the remains of Peverill Castle
  • Bonnie Prince Charlie Walk - Follow in the footsteps of Bonnie Prince Charlie on this walk which traces the route of his march from Ashbourne to Derby in 1745
  • Centenary Way - Follow the Centenary Way from Ilkeston to Ashbourne on this 25 mile walk through the Derbyshire countryside
  • Dovedale - The beautiful Dovedale is one of the must see areas in the Peak District
  • Sudbury Hall - This wonderful 17th century mansion in Derbyshire boasts a superb Great Staircase, fine Long Gallery, exquisite plasterwork, wood carvings, classical story-based murals and portraits by John Michael Wright, and of Charles II's mistresses.
  • Ashbourne to Dovedale Circular Walk - This circular walk takes you from the popular town of Ashbourne to the beautiful Dovedale in the Peak District
  • Wetton - This pretty Peak District village is in a fine location for exploring the mills and caves of the River Manifold Valley and the White Peak .
  • Thor's Cave - This walk takes you to the stunning natural cavern of Thor's Cave in the Manifold Valley area of the Peak District
  • Brassington - This attractive Derbyshire Dales village is close to a number of popular waymarked trails and a major local reservoir
  • Osmaston - This estate village is located in the beautiful Derbyshire Dales just south of Ashbourne.

Pubs/Cafes

The George and Dragon is a good choice for some post walk refreshments. They do great food and also have a lovely beer garden to relax in on warmer days. It's situated on the market place in the town at a postcode of DE6 1EU for your sat navs. The pub is also dog friendly if you have your pet with you.

Further Information and Other Local Ideas

To continue your walking from the town try the Ashbourne to Dovedale Circular Walk which visits the glorious Dovedale before climbing to a wonderful viewpoint at Thorpe Cloud. The circular Fenny Bentley Walk also visits Thorpe Cloud and Dovedale from the pretty village to the south east. The village is worthy of exploration with the pretty Bentley Brook, a 14th century church and a fine inn with particularly lovely gardens to see. The route also visits the 17th-century Jacobean mansion house at Tissington Hall.
The delightful village of Parwich lies just a few miles to the east of Dovedale. There's a pretty village green, old limestone cottages and a pub dating back to the 1600s. You can reach the village on the Limestone Way from Thorpe.

Photos

Osmaston village pond - geograph.org.uk - 1348184

Osmaston village pond

Osmaston Mill - geograph.org.uk - 724446

Osmaston Mill

Towards the lake, Osmaston Park - geograph.org.uk - 1348202

Towards the lake, Osmaston Park

Lake in Osmaston Park - geograph.org.uk - 1348213

Lake in Osmaston Park

Ashbourne, Free Grammar School

Ashbourne, Free Grammar School. A Grade I listed building with a wonderful facade. The town includes over 200 listed buildings including historic almshouses, ancient coaching inns and photogenic old town houses.

St Oswald's Church, Ashbourne (5452749737)

St Oswald's Church, Ashbourne. The Grade I listed church dates back to 1220 and is a notable feature of the town. Its 212-foot spire was referred to by author George Eliot as the "finest single spire in England". The building also includes some exquisite stained glass.

Victoria Square in Ashbourne - geograph.org.uk - 2630960

Victoria Square in Ashbourne

Memorial gardens, Ashbourne (geograph 5306715)

Memorial gardens, Ashbourne

Video

GPS Files

GPX File

Ashbourne.gpx (On Desktop:Right Click>Save As. On Ipad/Iphone:Click and hold>Download Linked File)