Parking
Start at Malin Bridge tram stop in Sheffield and finish at Ladybower Inn. This is a one-way walk, so use public transport or arrange a return from the finish rather than treating it as a car-park loop.
Overview
About Abbey Brook Trespass Walk
Why go
- A long walk with real historical purpose
- Varied scenery from valley paths to open moor and Abbey Brook
Heads up
- One-way logistics and a long, strenuous day
- Indistinct, boggy sections make navigation slow
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Peak District map
Full mapElevation74–496 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
5 active Peak District alerts
- ClosureA54 Cat and Fiddle road closureThe A54 Macclesfield Main Road (Cat and Fiddle) is fully closed to all traffic from 27 July through 30 October 2026 during phase 1 improvement works.Official details
- ClosureHooks Carr (Stanage Popular) car park closureHooks Carr (Stanage Popular) car park will be partially or fully closed from 6 October for four weeks.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Peak District Tour Guide
Your drive to Abbey Brook Trespass Walk, narrated.
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.
More stories near here in the app
- The River That Powered Sheffield
- The Furnace the Wind Fed
- Dungworth's Other Carols
- The Little Gardens at Lodge Moor
- 298 audio storiesacross Peak District’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Red Deer, Red Fox, Eurasian Otter, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 88 trails, 76 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“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!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Abbey Brook Trespass Walk
What this walk isAbbey Brook Trespass Walk is a 19-mile point-to-point walk from Malin Bridge tram stop in…
Abbey Brook Trespass Walk is a 19-mile point-to-point walk from Malin Bridge tram stop in Sheffield to Ladybower Inn. It follows the Loxley Valley and Agden Reservoir, crosses Duke's Road and open moors, then drops beside Abbey Brook before the Upper Derwent finish. Allow about 10 hours. This is a hard one-way day out, not the shorter Fairholmes loops.
Why do itThe route recalls the 1932 Abbey Brook mass trespass, when about 200 ramblers headed onto land…
The route recalls the 1932 Abbey Brook mass trespass, when about 200 ramblers headed onto land then closed to them. Peter's Rock looks over the brook and marks the confrontation point. The best stretch is Derwent Edge, where gritstone outcrops rise above the reservoirs before the descent.
What to expectThe opening is valley walking around Bradfield, but the middle becomes rougher: indistinct…
The opening is valley walking around Bradfield, but the middle becomes rougher: indistinct paths, grass tufts and boggy ground with exposed moorland and little shelter. The Abbey Brook descent brings steep ground, waterfalls and close views of the water before the final woodland and road sections. Navigation is part of the hike; use a current map. At the Salt Cellar, frame the gritstone with the valley beyond, but stay on the established path.
Making it workStart at Malin Bridge and arrange transport to the Ladybower Inn; there is no return loop.
Start at Malin Bridge and arrange transport to the Ladybower Inn; there is no return loop. Low Bradfield and Fairholmes provide toilet and café stops, but much of the walk is remote. The full line crosses multiple landholdings, so check current access and dog rules before setting out.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Peak District
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.
