Froggatt, Curbar and White Edge Red Deer Circular Walk

Froggatt, Curbar and White Edge Red Deer Circular Walk is a 6-mile (9.6 km) loop from Curbar Gap, linking open White Edge, the gritstone ridges and a field-and-woodland return by Froggatt. Allow about three hours without rushing. It is mostly level once you are up on the edges, but this is not a smooth promenade: there is a steep bank, narrow stony paths, uneven rock and a road crossing. The payoff is variety: open moor, trig point, old stonework, three different edges and a pub roughly halfway round.

For only the famous view, take the short Curbar Edge walk from the car park. Choose this loop for a proper half-day walk.

Leave Curbar Gap on the vehicle track, take the fork towards Sandyford Brook and cross the small bridge. The first real effort is a steep climb beside a dry-stone wall. At the top, the path settles into open moorland along White Edge. Take the short detour to the trig point. Big Moor spreads out below you, with Barbrook Reservoir in the distance. Red deer live on the moor, and you may see antlers above the heather, but keep your distance and do not turn a possible sighting into a chase.

The gritstone was quarried for local mills; discarded millstones still turn up here. Heather is most colourful in late summer.

At the gap in the wall, turn down through fields towards the Grouse Inn. The pub is about halfway round and serves meals, so it is a useful break rather than a random detour. After Haywood, cross the main road and climb through woodland. Look for the small ancient stone circle just off the path before Froggatt Edge.

The final stretch follows Froggatt Edge into Curbar Edge, with weathered gritstone, boulders and wide views over the Derwent Valley. The path is generally obvious, but the edges are exposed and the rocks make you watch your feet. For a photo, include the path and a gritstone block in the foreground so the picture shows the route.

Start at Curbar Gap car park, which is pay-and-display and small enough to fill on busy weekends. There are no public toilets at the lot; Longshaw's toilets, café and shop are a separate 10–15-minute drive. Dogs are welcome only on leads, especially around deer and livestock. Keep back from the exposed rims, take care crossing the road near Haywood and the pub, and expect wet or muddy footing after rain. Barbecues and campfires are not permitted on the moor.