Get Lost Mountaineering

Millstone Rocks & Lad's Leap from A628 above Valehouse Reservoir

Start/Finish

Rough unofficial small car park on the north side of the A628 (Woodhead Pass road) about 1 mile east of Tintwistle at SK 040 982 and at the south west bottom corner of an obvious wood.

Distance/Time

7 km     About 3 hours

Peaks

No real peaks as this is an edge and moorland walk.

The highest point is Coombes Clough at Lad's Leap which is about 480 m.

OS Outdoor Leisure 1: Dark Peak

Introduction

This is a straightforward edge and moorland walk in the Dark Peak which, in good weather has good views of the surrounding Pennine Moors including Bleaklow to the S. Some of the going is boggy, even in a dry spell, and gaiters are strongly recommended unless the ground is frozen or dried out in a hot spell. Part of the route passes below the cliffs of the old quarries without difficulty. Unless the paths are blanked out by snow, navigation is fairly straightforward even in mist.

Route

(1) Set off up the obvious track but soon leave it to follow a path by the side of the wood which rejoins the track higher up. Ignore the first two tracks into the wood which have “private” notices on them. The main track enters the top of the wood and climbs gradually to a grassy terrace then passes in front of the old quarries which are now a few short cliffs. After these, the track becomes a path and continues up to a stile. Cross over and continue before soon branching right onto quite a peaty and boggy path. Follow this across the open moor to another stile which is just before a short ascent to above Millstone Rocks. Continue along the path until it crosses the stream at the top of Coombes Clough using a rocky ford below Lad's Leap. Note that the stream is called Hollins Clough above the ford! Continue across the stream for as far as you wish but there isn't much to see past the obvious large cairn. There is nothing to indicate exactly where Lad's Leap is.

(2) Retrace back across the stream then over the stile and open moor to the stile above the path to the quarries. The easiest return is to retrace the outward route, however, this route finds a different way back. Do not cross the stile but follow the very peaty and boggy path by the barbed wire fence; there is a better path a little higher. Continue past the end of the peaty, boggy section and start a gentle descent. Reach a broken wall which looks like a cairn on approach. Join a grassy path in a groove and continue descending. Reach a stile over the barbed wire fence and cross over. Immediately go left and follow the fence on a path. This soon drops steeply and roughly so you may wish to weave around a bit but the steepness eases at the first corner. Continue following the fence down to join the outward track where it entered the top of the wood then follow the track or path by the side of the wood back to the start.

Notes

(a) This walk took place on 18^th January, 2019