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Millstone Edge Walk

1.1 miles (1.8 km)

Ordnance Survey Map Open Streetmap This circular walk climbs to Millstone Edge near Hathersage in the Peak District. The area is great for interesting geology and fabulous views over the surrounding peaks and countryside.
You can start the walk from the Surprise view car park off the A1687. From here you can pick up trails heading west to the Surprise view viewpoint.
The route then continues north along Millstone Edge. Here you can enjoy lots of pretty heather in the summer and fine views over Hathersage and the Hope Valley. The area also includes Master's Edge, a rock climbing route considered one of the hardest gritstone climbing routes in the world.
The route then bends round to Over Owler Tor and Mother Cap where there are more splendid rock formations and huge millstones to see.
To extend the walk head south from the car park to climb to Owler Tor. You can also explore the wonderful Padley Gorge Trail and the Longshaw Estate here.

Postcode

S32 2JA - Please note: Postcode may be approximate for some rural locations

Millstone Edge OS Map Ordnance survey map - Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking

Millstone Edge Open Street Map Open Streetmap - Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking

Pubs/Cafes

Head to the nearby Millstone Inn for some well earned post walk refreshments. The old coaching inn is hundreds of years old having been originally built to serve the nearby millstone quarry. They serve good quality food and have a nice garden to sit out in on warmer days. You can find them just north west of Millstone Edge on the Sheffield Road at postcode S32 1DA. The pub is dog friendly.

Further Information and Other Local Ideas

To the south east you can pick up the circular Barbrook Reservoir And Stone Circle Walk. The route visits a scenic 19th century reservoir and an ancient stone circle on Big Moor and Ramsley Moor. Next to the moors there's White Edge where you'll find more wonderful geology and pretty heather.
The Owler Tor Walk starts from the same car park. This additionally takes you along the Burbage Brook in Padley Gorge.

Photos

Surprise View Car Park, Peak District National Park - geograph.org.uk - 2655448

Surprise View Car Park, Peak District National Park

Nether Padley geograph 2599524 by Robin Drayton

The viewpoint at Surprise View. Looking towards Hathersage and the Hope Valley.

Millstone Edge - geograph.org.uk - 1213788

Millstone Edge seen from the A6187 (formerly the A625) near Whim Plantation.

Millstone Edge - geograph.org.uk - 1989715

Millstone Edge

A grindstone and Mother Cap - geograph.org.uk - 1947361

A grindstone and Mother Cap. Millstone Edge quarry was one of the main sources of Peak District millstones which were made to be used in many industries such as grinding corn, pulping timber for paper manufacture, in paint mills to grind minerals, grindstones for cutlery, pulping apples for cider making, grinding cork for linoleum and grinding mustard seeds.

At Over Owler Tor - geograph.org.uk - 2730741

At Over Owler Tor

Millstone in the heather, below Millstone Edge - geograph.org.uk - 3134622

Millstone in the heather, below Millstone Edge. A millstone shaped from Millstone Grit quarried in the area has been adopted as the emblem of the Peak District National Park. Quarrying ended at Millstone Edge soon after the last stones were sold to a Swedish paper mill in 1939. Unsold flat millstones stones from this period can still be seen by the footpath.

Silver birch and gritstone - geograph.org.uk - 2981041

Silver birch and gritstone

Video

GPS Files

GPX File

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