The Peak District is blessed with many beautiful rivers and streams that wind through rolling hills and shady woodlands. There are few things as enjoyable as walking alongside running water, not just for the diversity of wildlife and the beauty of the landscape, but for the sheer ‘feel good’ factor.
Here we’ve picked a few of our favourite Riverside Walks in the Peak District for you to try, with a range of terrain and distances. We hope you love these routes as much as we do!
Wyming Brook: Riverside walks Peak District series
Distance 1.7 miles
Time Approx 1 hour
Terrain Uneven woodland trails, stepping stones, quiet lanes, no stiles or squeeze stiles
Start and End Point Grid Ref SK26948; Postcode S10 4QX; /// crisp.ripe.hugs
Map Ordnance Survey Explorer OL1
This short walk takes you through the beautiful area around Wyming Brook Nature Reserve on the edge of the Peak District in Yorkshire. The route follows the course of the picturesque brook as it tumbles through a wooded ravine over mossy rocks, criss-crossed by a series of pretty wooden footbridges. It then follows wide, level, wooded bridleways back to the start point.
Lathkill Dale: Riverside walks Peak District series
Distance 4 miles
Time Approx 2 hours
Terrain Field paths, quiet lanes, rocky and uneven in places, steps, gates, stiles and squeeze stiles
Start and End Point Grid Ref SK15006; Postcode DE45 1JH; /// ending.corkscrew.buzz
Map Ordnance Survey Explorer OL24
This lovely walk takes you out of the pretty village of Monyash on the Limestone Way, through classic White Peak scenery. It passes through part of Cales Dale, lined with twisted, moss-covered trees, before following the stunning Lathkill Dale past the source of the River Lathkill, where it springs forth from a cave. From there the route heads up through the wide open countryside of Bagshaw Dale before returning to Monyash.
Terrain Uneven field paths, woodland trails, quiet lanes, stiles, squeeze stiles and kissing gates
Start and End Point Grid Ref SK12840; Postcode SK17 0AL; /// waltzed.scout.torches
Map Ordnance Survey Explorer OL24
This walk is an absolute stunner! It starts and ends in the very pretty village of Hartington, which has just about everything you could hope for from a Peak District village. From the village it takes you over fields and through beautiful woodland into Beresford Dale and onwards into Wolfscote Dale, where the path runs beside the crystal-clear River Dove that marks the boundary between Derbyshire and Staffordshire. The route then returns through the steep-sided Biggin Dale and back into Hartington on quiet lanes with superb views.
Terrain Country lanes, woodland paths, some inclines and uneven terrain, gates, stiles, stepping stones
Start and End Point Grid Ref SK14640; Postcode DE6 2AY; /// icon.lends.outdoor
Map Ordnance Survey Explorer OL24
This walk takes in the most beautiful views of this stunning part of the Peak District. It crosses the famous stepping stones in Dovedale, walks on shady paths alongside the River Dove as it cuts between towering limestone crags, tracks through the grassy slopes of Hall Dale, strewn with wildflowers in the summer, and passes through the picture-perfect village of Ilam before returning to Dovedale. There are magnificent views along the way, although this route does not feel like a tough one and is a good one for the whole family to enjoy, maybe with a picnic en route.
