Walk in Hathersage and see Little John's Gravestone

Map Guide: OS Landranger 110 or Outdoor Leisure 1

Park at the main car park in Hathersage on Oddfellows Road (S32 1DU).

Start the walk by exiting the car park opposite the swimming baths and turning right. At the end of the road turn left. Continue walking down the road until you see Dore Lane on your left. Go down this lane and go underneath the railway bridge and continue 160 yards to the bottom, just before Nether Hall. At the signpost for Leadmill Bridge turn left here over a stile or through the open gate and continue walking along the track with fields on your left for about half a mile towards the main road (B6001) in the distance.

Once at the main road turn right and walk a short distance to Leadmill Bridge which crosses the River Derwent. Once over the river, at the signpost for Shatton, turn right over a stile and follow the path of the river for 125 yards until you come to a weir. The path splits into two here just before the abandoned barn in the middle of the field. Now take the left path which start gradually climbing the hillside through trees towards a stone stile. Cross this into a field and then continue with the wall on your right, through two more fields and then head up the track to the stile in front of Mount Pleasant Farm. Nice views of the valley can be seen here. Once on the road turn right and head down the narrow road for 256 yards towards Broadhay Farm.

At the bottom of the road just after the corner and Dunge Brook, turn left through a large gate where there is also a footpath sign. Veer left and start walking up the hill for 250 yards towards the wood keeping the brook on your left. Enter Callow Wood and continue up a fairly steep hill for 350 yards into the wood until you come to the wall on your right and you'll see a gate further on. Go through this gate to a field. Climb up the hill ahead and through a gate onto the road near the houses. Turn left and then at the sign post on your right go into this field and follow the path north west keeping Callow Farm to the right hand side. Common Orchids have been spotted in this field during the summer. Follow the path for 130 yards until you reach a group of trees and a small stream. Go over this into the next field and continue for 240 yards as the path exits the field at a gate onto a small road.

Turn right and continue along the road for around a quarter of a mile and you'll come to Offerton Hall. Follow the road around the hall and continue down the hill after the last building on your left until you come to a gate on your right hand side. You should be able to see the village of Hope from here now. Go through the gate and head down the hill through fields towards the River Derwent at the bottom. Locate the signpost and cross the river using the stepping stones. Hopefully you'll be able to cross but if you find this is impossible you'll have to turn to the right and follow the river back down to Leadmill Bridge (1.25 miles). Once over the river go up the steps and into a field and continue ahead for 300 yards to Castleton Road (A6187) from Hathersage to Hope.

Cross the road and turn right. If you want to do the shorter walk then head on back to Hathersage down this road for 3/4 of a mile. For the longer walk, turn left at Hillfoot Farm Cottages and walk up Jagger’s Lane and over the railway bridge. Continue alone the lane and keep a look out for some steps that go up between the first set of houses on your left. Take this path for 250 yards and follow the fence and hedge and go through the gate at the top. Follow the path for another 300 yards to fields. Go through the second field for approx 100 yards to Coggers Lane. Turn left here and carry on for a small distance until you come to another road junction on your right, Birley Lane. Keep left and follow the main road around to the left for 100 yards until you come to a signpost for Hurstclough and Bamford on your left.

Go through into a field and keeping right initially, continue down the hill to the bottom corner. Go through into the next field, keeping to the left to the lower corner. Cross the brook, over the stile and up the other side to the road. Go through the gate and then follow the road ahead between hedges. Follow the road past Netherhurst Farm on your right and another building on your left and then follow the road onwards and onto a path between hedges up to a small road called Hurstclough Lane.

Turn right and walk up the lane for around half a mile. Start looking out for a stile on the left hand side near a single large tree next to a wire mesh fence (the road veers to the right slightly here before reaching the houses). Climb the stile, turn right and walk along the edge of the field. Climb a stile and the next stile shortly after and go through the next gate. In the next field veer right and continue up to the top and over the wall stile and through the next field heading East, heading towards the large gate in the wall opposite. Go through onto Coggers Lane. Turn right and then left past the holiday cottages and continue down the driveway and over the stile here near the cattle grid. Stanage Edge can be seen ahead.

Follow the track down the hill which curves to the left and over another cattle grid, behind Green’s House to a large gate. One through the gate turn right through a smaller gate onto a narrow path. Now you will start descending the valley to woodland. Continue through and over a bridge over Hood Brook. Turn right and exit the wood into a field to the south. Walk ahead and you'll come to more stiles and gates. You'll have the brook on your right now, and eventually come to a lane. Cross over and go through the gate that is sign posted Hathersage and past Brookfield Manor on your right and head over to the stile to the left of the field. Continue once over to another stile. Continue along the wide track and through a gate into a large open field. Continue a short distance and then turn left along a path in the grass to the south east. Continue along this path with the hedge on your right for around half a mile and then you'll find the footbridge over a small stream and stile higher up. Head up the hill and through a gate onto a small road near the churchyard. Turn left and head for the churchyard entrance. Enter Hathersage churchyard and continue forwards for 40 yards.

Little John's Grave is near the Church itself on the left. To find your way back, now you will continue along the path out of the churchyard, though a series of gates and head down the hill with the large wall on your left. Turn left once down the hill and you'll enter Hathersage near the top of the village. There are various shops and eateries here if required. Cross over the main road and you will find the car park through a small path.

Why not try downloading the route to an app on your device, like OsmAnd (Android , iOS) or GPX Viewer (Android , iOS).

GPX File Download

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Walk last updated: July 2021