Sight · Peak District National Park
Boulder-strewn gritstone plateau with huge views over Burbage Moor
Overview
A broad gritstone plateau at 424 m on Hathersage Moor, scattered with huge weathered boulders and pockets of heather and cotton grass. The pull is the short effort for a big payoff: a modest climb puts you on an open summit with views in every direction, plus rock shapes worth scrambling around at your own pace. Climbers know the crag below as Higgar Tor, and the boulders on top are popular for low-level bouldering.
Parkwolf’s verdictWhy stop hereMap
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Peak District Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Peak District National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this place
Higger Tor and Carl Wark“You're nearing Higger Tor, where a short rocky climb reaches a broad summit scattered with boulders.”
Plays as you drive up to Higger Tor in the Parkwolf Peak District Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Higger Tor is a compact summit plateau you walk onto, with views in all directions opening up at once. That makes it a distinct stop from the nearby gritstone edges rather than a repeat of them.
Parking nearby is limited and fills up on busy weekend mornings, and the national park asks that you use the provided car parks instead of verges or habitats. Paths across the moor can be faint or hard to follow in places, so a map or offline route is worth having.
A short walk of around three miles from Hathersage reaches the summit, and many people link the tor with Carl Wark, the rocky outcrop just to the south that is generally regarded as an Iron Age hill fort, though its construction date is unknown and likely somewhere between 500 and 800 BC.
Wildlife
248 sightingsRed DeerMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
36 sightingsRed FoxMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
15 sightingsEurasian OtterMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
51 sightingsPeregrine FalconMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
47 sightingsEuropean Fallow DeerMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
54 sightingsWestern Roe DeerMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Peak District. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
EasyPadley Gorge and Burbage Brook Walk3.7 km · 1.3 hr · 2.1 km awayA short woodland-and-stream loop with a surprisingly wild feel.
EasyOrange Route at Longshaw Estate2.7 km · 1 hr · 2.1 km awayA short, marked loop with a café beside the start.
EasyBlue Route at Longshaw Estate4.5 km · 1.5 hr · 2.2 km awayAn old ice house and carved stone reward this gentle moorland loop.ModerateLongshaw Woodland Explorer Walk5.3 km · 2.3 hr · 2.2 km awayPond, packhorse track and a boulder-filled gorge in one loop.
ModerateStanage Edge from Hathersage10.6 km · 3.5 hr · 2.5 km awayGritstone underfoot, climbers below, and the Hope Valley opening out.
ModerateJane Eyre Hathersage Trail7.8 km · 3.5 hr · 2.8 km awayA literary loop with a steep climb onto Stanage Edge.
ModerateRedmires Reservoir, Stanage Edge and Hallam Moors Circular15 km · 4.8 hr · 3.7 km awayA long moorland loop linking Redmires, Stanage Edge and High Neb.
EasyRedmires Conduit Miles without Stiles1.6 km · 45 min · 3.9 km awayA short level walk to a Victorian waterworks tower
Sight · 0.6 km awayCarl WarkBelieved Iron Age hillfort perched on gritstone above open moorland
Sight · 2.1 km awaySurprise ViewWide Hope Valley panorama and gritstone rocks, a short climb up
Campground · 2.5 km awayNorth Lees CampsiteQuiet valley pitches a short walk from climbing and moorland trails
Sight · 2.5 km awayLongshaw EstateAncient woods, gritstone edges and moorland walks above the Derwent Valley
Sight · 2.6 km awayDavid Mellor Visitor CentreHandmade cutlery in a landmark round factory, plus a free museum
Sight · 2.6 km awayHathersageGritstone-edge village base with open-air pool and Jane Eyre echoes
Sight · 2.7 km awayPadley GorgeMossy boulders, tumbling water and ancient oaks in a steep gorge
Sight · 3 km awayStanage EdgeThree and a half miles of gritstone cliff above Hope ValleyParkwolf’s Peak District ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
