Gritstone Trail

The Gritstone Trail is a 35-mile (56 km) point-to-point route from Disley railway station to Kidsgrove railway station. It links the western hills of the Peak District with a surprisingly varied walk through Lyme Park, open moorland, gritstone edges, farmland, woodland and canal towpaths. Allow about 18 to 19 hours of walking, usually split into three days. Choose it for the journey and the changing landscape, not for one single summit.

From Disley, the trail climbs through Lyme Park and out towards Sponds Hill and Bowstones. This is the highest part of the route at about 410 metres, with open, windy walking and broad views before a steep approach to White Nancy. The white hilltop monument is visible from a long way off and makes a good landmark as well as a worthwhile photo stop. Frame it with the ridge or the Cheshire Plain rather than treating it as just another path junction.

The middle section climbs Tegg's Nose, where quarry workings and Bottoms Reservoir break up the moorland, then continues through mixed woodland and fields towards The Cloud. Its gritstone summit and views are the route's best high-level payoff. Farther south, the walk passes the Old Man of Mow, a roughly 20-metre quarry remnant, and Mow Cop Castle, a 1754 folly. The last miles change character again, following the Macclesfield and Trent and Mersey canals towards Kidsgrove.

This is a substantial, hilly long-distance walk with many stiles, including ladder stiles. Ground can be rough, boggy or slippery, and the open sections are exposed in bad weather. Waymarking is generally useful, but junctions and field edges can still be confusing, so carry the route map and compass; phone coverage is not dependable. Facilities are sparse. Tegg's Nose Country Park is the most useful confirmed break, with a café, toilets and visitor centre. Dogs are allowed under control around livestock and wildlife. The saved route uses the Lyme Park alternative around the East Lodge bridge section, so follow any signed diversion there.