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Tissington Trail – High Peak Trail loop from Wirksworth

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Bike touring routes & trails

Tissington Trail – High Peak Trail loop from Wirksworth

Hard

4.8

(35)

356

riders

Tissington Trail – High Peak Trail loop from Wirksworth

04:39

60.5km

560m

Cycling

Hard bike ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is right next to a parking lot.

Last updated: June 11, 2026

Tips

Includes a segment that goes up or down a series of steps

You may need to carry your bike.

After 9.32 km for 8 m

Waypoints

Start point

Parking

Get Directions

3.95 km

Hall Wood

Forest

21.0 km

Tissington Trail — Start at Mapleton Lane

Highlight • Trail

Tissington trail about 28 miles amazing views with cafe and toilets on the way windy in places awesome biking

Tip by

27.6 km

Tissington Trail

Highlight • Cycleway

The Tissington Trail is a 13-mile (21 km) traffic-free trail that links Ashbourne to Parsley Hay via the spectacular White Peak countryside. The compacted gravel trail is relatively smooth and flat (save for a relatively steep incline at Mappleton), making it a great ride for all ages and abilities. The Tissington Trail is part of a network of former railway lines in this area that are now recreational routes, meaning the exploration options are plentiful.

The trail follows the former Buxton to Ashbourne railway line, which opened in 1899 and closed in 1967. After its closure, the route was transformed into a trail and opened to the public in 1971.

Tip by

40.7 km

View of the Peak District Rolling Hills

Highlight • Viewpoint

awesome views windy

Tip by

41.6 km

Tissington Trail Summit

Highlight • Trail

Wow - 25km of GRVL heading South on a false flat descent on perfect princess GRVL - bliss.

Tip by

42.1 km

Parsley Hay Visitor Centre and Bike Hire

Highlight • Cycleway

Great snack bar and bike hire centre. Makes for a good target to aim for when riding on the Tissington or High Peak Trails.

The snack bar doesn't have inside facilities so you'll have to use the picnic tables outside. These can be cold in winter as you're about 1,100 feet (335 m) up. There's some cover from the rain. and toilets facilities.

The bike hire centre offers various kinds of bikes including ones modified for disabled users and electric bikes.

Tip by

42.7 km

High Peak Trail

Highlight (Segment) • Trail

The High Peak Trail runs from Cromford to Parsley Hay. It is built on the route of a railway which itself was built by a canal company. They used the canal method of long flat sections joined by steep sections (as with locks on the canal). This means that the High Peak Trail has a couple of hills that are much steeper (about 1:12) than you would expect on a railway. All traffic free.

Great for families so long as you are careful on the downhill sections. There are refreshments at each end and at Middleton Top, the National Stone Centre and others along the way. Can be used as part of a circular route including the Tissington Trail and a link route between the Tissington Trail and Carsington Reservoir.

Tip by

59.2 km

High Peak Trail

Highlight • Cycleway

Great route for traffic-free cycling, the High Peak trail is a gravel track which follows the course of an old railway. This railway was owned by a canal company, so was built in an odd manner with long flat portions joined by steep sections (like canal locks) where the trains were often hauled uphill by stationary engines.

This means that most of the route is nice and flat but with inclines that will often mean pushing uphill. These include Cromford High Peak junction westwards (1:9 for about a mile), Middleton Top (1:8 with a surface including drainage channels across the track, so beware when descending especially as there are very steep drop-offs to the side), and Hopton (1:14 for about 500 yards or 457 metres).

You can get a good speed up downhill but be careful as surface is very loose.

Tip by

60.5 km

Middleton Top Engine House and railway wagon

Highlight • Historical Site

Notorious for its steep gradient, Middleton Top is a super climb with majestic views at the top. Plus, there's bike hire and a small cafe here. It has also been part of the Eroica Britannia route for the past few years – imagine that gradient with barely functioning, pre-1979 gearing. At the top of the incline there's the Middleton Top Engine House, as the track used to be the High Peak steam railway.

Tip by

60.5 km

End point

Parking

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

37.6 km

9.77 km

8.53 km

2.53 km

2.03 km

< 100 m

Surfaces

24.9 km

20.7 km

9.38 km

5.33 km

269 m

< 100 m

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

Highest point (350 m)

Lowest point (120 m)

Weather

Thursday 16 July

25°C

13°C

0 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 14.0 km/h

to get more detailed weather forecasts along your route

Comments

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Tissington Trail – High Peak Trail loop from Wirksworth

Tissington Trail — Start at Mapleton Lane

Tissington Trail

View of the Peak District Rolling Hills

Tissington Trail Summit

Parsley Hay Visitor Centre and Bike Hire

High Peak Trail

High Peak Trail

Middleton Top Engine House and railway wagon

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