Padley Gorge and Burbage Brook Walk

This is a 2.3-mile circular walk from Woodcroft car park and Longshaw cafe, linking open meadow, a historic pond, ancient oak-and-birch woodland and Burbage Brook. Allow one to one and a half hours, or longer if you want to sit by the water and look around. It's the walk I'd choose for a first taste of this corner of the Peak District: short enough to fit around other plans, but varied enough not to feel like a lap of a park. The route is officially easy, though the ground beside the brook is much less polished than the distance suggests.

From the car park, follow the access path to the cafe, then head downhill through rhododendrons to Longshaw pond and on through Granby Wood. The opening stretch is straightforward, with gates and a few stiles. After Granby Barn, cross the road into the meadow and take the steps down to Burbage Brook. A wooden footbridge brings you to the streamside path, which becomes rougher and more uneven as it enters Padley Gorge. Expect rocks, exposed roots, muddy patches and a short steep section of steps. The route is waymarked with pink arrows, but there are enough side paths near the water to make it worth paying attention.

The best part is the change from open Longshaw meadow to the close, mossy feeling of the woodland beside the brook. Stop at the bridge, then walk upstream and look back through the trees: the water, rocks and old oaks give you the scene this walk is named for. In the meadow, Carl Wark and Higger Tor sit on the skyline. Longshaw pond was made around 1827, while the sunken track by the brook, Hollowgate, once carried packhorses across the Peak District. If you want one useful photo, frame the brook through the oak branches with a strip of path or rock in the foreground; it shows that this is a walk, not just a generic stream picture.

Woodcroft is pay and display, with free parking for members who bring their card; Haywood and Wooden Pole are alternatives. The cafe and toilets are at the start/end, and the cafe is a handy reason to finish at Longshaw rather than rushing back to the car. Parking is popular on bright days, so an early start makes the whole visit easier. Dogs are allowed but must stay on leads, and the short lead rule matters especially around cattle and ground-nesting birds in the meadow. This is a good family walk for people happy with uneven ground and steps, but it isn't a stroller route or a smooth, step-free stroll.