Curbar, Birchen Edge, Baslow Edge and Curbar Edge Loop

This is an 8.4-mile (13.4-km) loop from Curbar village: it heads south beneath Baslow Edge to Birchen Edge, then returns north across Baslow and Curbar Edges. Allow about 3½–4 hours and roughly 435 m of ascent. Choose it for three different gritstone ridges and their unusual rock formations; it is a half-day hike with a rough open-moor stretch, not a short walk to one viewpoint.

From the lane rising out of Curbar, the lower route climbs gradually beneath Baslow Edge and curves around Jack Flat to Bar Brook. A narrow stone bridge crosses the brook. Cross the A621 and continue through woodland below Gardom’s Edge; fields and grassland lead to the A619 and the Robin Hood Inn, a useful landmark but not a stop to count on for food. A wood-lined climb reaches Birchen Edge. The Three Ships are three natural boulders set in a row beside Nelson’s Monument, raised in 1810 to commemorate the admiral’s victory at Trafalgar. The trig point marks the northern end of the edge.

Beyond the trig point, the route crosses a short stretch of exposed, unpathed moor. Rough grass and boggy patches make this the least obvious part of the walk. At the crossroads, head southwest toward Eaglestone Flat, where the Eagle Stone and Wellington’s Monument mark the approach to Baslow Edge. Its gritstone stacks change shape as you pass, with wide views west toward Chatsworth. Cross the road onto Curbar Edge and look for water-shaped hollows in the rock before descending through woodland to Curbar. For a photo, put one of Baslow Edge’s stacks in the foreground with the westward view behind it.

The mapped start is on the lane uphill from Curbar village (grid reference SK 25182 74596). No formal public car park or lawful roadside spaces at that exact start could be verified; Curbar Gap car park is a different access. The loop has exposed rocky edges and a busy A621 crossing, and the unpathed moor is harder to follow in poor visibility. The route later follows the A619 past the Robin Hood Inn. Dogs may be excluded from grouse moors; from 1 March to 31 July, dogs on open-access land must be on a lead no longer than 2 m. Check local signs and access notices before setting out.