Get Lost Mountaineering

Millstone Edge & Higger Tor from Surprise View Car Park

Start/Finish

Surprise View car park which is on the A625 road from Sheffield to Hathersage at about SK 251 800. From Sheffield, follow the A625 to the Fox House Inn where the road goes right then soon after left. The car park is just before the next right bend and is well signed. It is large but can soon fill up on busy days. It is Pay and Display but payment must be made by credit or debit card, the machine does not accept cash.

Distance/Time

4 km     About 2 hours

Peaks

Higger Tor, 434 m, SK 256 819.     OS Outdoor Leisure 1: Dark Peak.

Introduction

This isa very pleasant walk, especially on a bright sunny day in Winter. There are fine views in all directions. The going is generally good although there are some damp spots and some paths are quite stony. The route is just about on the Dark Peak map. The route was walked on a day with very low cloud as the photos show. It will be walked again before too long with better photos and may also then include Carl Wark. This walk is best on a clear day for the views. There are many more paths on the ground than are shown on the map and this may be confusing in mist.

Route

(1) Walk W along an obvious path, shadowing the road to reach a gate. Continue to reach Surprise View which is of the valley below. Cross the low wall where it dips and follow a path down to meet another path above the road. Turn right and follow the path which goes below Millstone Edge which is a rocky cliff well frequented by climbers. There are several offshoots of the path which take one nearer to the cliff face. Just before the end of the cliff, a path goes up to reach the top by a fence. Reach a stile and take the path almost straight ahead. This leads below Over Owler Tor and Winyards Nick (both on the right). Just before it reaches the road from Hathersage to Upper Burbage Bridge, there is a large rectangular walled enclosure on the right which has the remains of an old rain gauge inside it, surrounded by a wrought iron fence. From here, Higger Tor is almost due N and very obvious in clear weather with its craggy edge. There is a choice of paths, some more interesting than others which weave through the rocks. If it is clear, it is worth exploring the plateau of Higger Tor but there is no obvious “summit”.

(2) Find a path descending SW off Higger Tor and follow it to pick up a good path passing between the rectangular enclosure and the road. Follow this, roughly S; it soon becomes the outward path. When the stile above the N end of Millstone Edge is reached, stay on the top of the cliffs and walk along a path, with the fence between you and the cliffs, until the gate near Surprise View is reached then walk back to the car park.

Notes

(a) This walk took place on 14^th February, 2015.