Bole Hill, Higger Tor, Padley Gorge

2 Hr 14 mins

5.41 miles (8.71 Km)

Road leading to Grindleford Station

SK251788

Note: The northern part of this route is covered on OS map OL1.  Please note also that parts of this route are now quite overgrown so route-finding is not always straightforward.  A bit of easy scrambling is also necessary in places.

Head past the station café on your right and follow the track just past the renovated Padley Chapel on your right to a cattle grid and a sign “Longshaw Estate”.
Immediately after the cattle grid (gate on right) turn right uphill.
When the wall on your right ends, continue uphill (path has all but disappeared here) bearing right over rocky ground to skirt round the steeper boldered area in front of you.
Skirting rightwards and upwards below the steeper ground, you will eventually see a wall.
Follow the feint path around its left end and up to a plateau (in summer the path above the wall is virtually obscured by bracken but battle your way through to the obvious plateau).
Trend right across the plateau passing the remains of a stone building on your left.
Take the well defined path uphill to a gate.
Through the gate and continue for 20 mtrs then turn left uphill to another larger plateau filled with silver birch trees.
Follow the wide path through the wood keeping the craggy outcrop away to your right.
The path eventually bears left and slightly uphill away from the crag which now becomes considerably higher and is the well known climbing area of Lawrencefield with its nice setting around a pond.
At the end of the climbing area, a wall can be seen over to the right. Head right and uphill here crossing the wall.
At the top turn left to kissing gate..
Through the gate turn left to another kissing gate and continue up to the road.
Turn left at the road and follow the bend round to the right.
After the bend, take the track on the opposite side of the road heading up to Millstone quarry.
The path takes you past a series of climbing bays of the old quarry. Probably every serious UK climber will have spent time battling with some of the extreme climbing at Millstone.
Towards the end of the quarry the undulating path leads uphill to the top of the cliffs and to a gate onto the moor.
Turn left through the gate and in the distance, beyond 2 rocky outcrops, you'll see the large flat topped rocky plateau which is Higger Tor.
The path leads you past the rocky outcrops on your right and eventually up to Higger Tor (excellent views).
Head to the right hand end of the plateau where a rocky descent leads you down onto a well defined path leading to another rocky plateau (wall at the end nearest to you) with the road in site well beyond.
Head to this plateau and traverse it between the boulders to its far left corner (nearest to road).
Drop down over rocks to narrow path and follow this via a stream crossing (can be fun when there has been a lot of rain and the water level is high) and a wide path to the road.
Cross the road directly, through the gate marked “Longshaw”.
After 50 mtrs bear right downhill, through gate and continue downhill to the wooden bridge over the stream.
Head downstream keeping it on your left, passing 2 wooden bridges (don’t cross the stream) and through a metal gate.
Continue downhill through the wood passing a sign on the right to “Surprise View & Bolehill Quarry”.
Continue straight on for another 200 mtrs where the main path bears right up a series of stone steps but turn left at this point heading downhill and almost back on yourself.
Zig-zag left then right downhill to a bridge.
Cross the bridge and take the steps over to the right.
At the path at the top turn right then right again bringing you back towards the stream.
Keep following the path downstream, past green railings where the stream passes through a short tunnel.
At the road turn left which brings you back to the café and parking area