| Total
distance 37.0 Km (23 miles)
Grid references and map links from: OS Outdoor Leisure 1 The
Dark Peak.
To open map link click on
'show'. To change to OS map select halfway between + and -
on map size selector.
1. 114 794 show
Start on Church Lane
2. 133 806 show
Gate joining Limestone way.
3. 161 824 show
Bottom of Pindale
4. 171 848 show
Fullwood Stile Farm
5. 160 877 show
Top of 'The Beast'
6. 163 890 show
Cross trail (top of switchbacks)
7. 170 884 show
Top of the 'Screaming Mile'
8. 170 897 show
Derwent Dam
9. 167 910 show
Bottom of Snake Road
10. 161 887 show
Hagg Farm
11. Same as 3. Bottom of Pindale.
Where
is Peak Forest?
Peak to Peak Article
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1.
(0 miles) Peak Forest has only one crossroads and the ride
begins on the Northward side of this along Church Lane. Follow tarmac road 400 yards
to a small group of houses marked 'Old Dam' on the map. Turn right
up here (Old Dam Lane) up tarmac climb 500 yards from turn off then
take left turn down to small farm. Before the house turn right
through the iron gate. This turns immediately North and is a stony
farm road (shown below)

On the map this
area is marked as Oxlow Dam. Follow up between trees and through two
gates for a distance of three quarters of a mile. cresting the top
the rutted track drops down to another iron gate which leads out on
to grass.
2. (1.3 miles)
Turn left here and follow the dry stone wall on your left for half a
mile to another metal gate. Turn right here on to light coloured
stone quarry road. Follow this road through quarry and bear left on
to the Kamikaze (called Dirtlow Rake on the map, must make a note to
get OS to change this!). At the end of the Kamikaze join tarmac road
for a short downhill section of 200 yards then turn right on to
broken tarmac road at line of trees. One hundred yards up here then
turn left on to Dentists Grade (see photo below)

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Follow down between
walls, then straight down through Pindale Valley (a very old abandoned
quarry) bearing left slightly on to single track sections
as in photo below.

From the bottom of
these head straight down past house on left to join a tarmac road at
the bottom of Pindale.
3. (3.8 miles)
Go straight on down the road for 1 mile in to Hope village. (Turn
left for Woodbine Cafe 100 yards on right) Back out of cafe go left
100 yards and turn left opposite church. go 0.8 miles to right bend
over stone bridge then carry straight over on to Fullwood Stile
Lane. A steep climb on tarmac here, over railway bridge to a left
bend at Fullwood Stile Farm.
4. (5.9 miles)
After this bend on to Brinks Road the surface degrades and heads up
to an iron gate through and follow up steep bumpy climb. Continue on
along here, surface becomes sandy then there is a second climb which
is very rocky (but you can make it!). At the top of here is a wooden
gate. Go through up short muddy climb then through deep water
sections (in winter) to another wooden gate. Go through and up a rocky
climb (with footpath alternatives on left border) to another gate
with a stile where two bridleways cross. Turn right on here down
rutted track to another gate at the corner of a wood, through here
and continue on down very rocky trail which is the top of The Beast.
(see photo below)
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This is a really top photo of the beast. As
with nearly all pictures on MTB Britain, Click on it to see more. |
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