Parking
Parsley Hay car park and Cycle Hire Centre, reached from the A515 Buxton to Ashbourne Road; join the trail directly from the centre. Five dedicated disabled spaces are listed on the National Park route page.
Overview
About Parsley Hay Miles Without Stiles
Why go
- Easy, surfaced former railway route
- Accessible facilities and cycle hire at the start
Heads up
- Shared with bikes and horses
- Eight kilometres if you walk to Ruby Wood and back
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Peak District map
Full mapElevation315–352 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 Parsley Hay Miles Without Stiles, 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.
Recorded for this trailhead
Parsley Hay Railway Trail0:00 / 0:24
“Parsley Hay is coming up, with a level walk along the old railway through limestone cuttings and open fields. The official route to Ruby Wood and back is about five miles and two hours, with no stiles or steps.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Peak District Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Two Railways at Parsley Hay
- The Lapwing's Aerial Display
- Arbor Low Stone Circle and Gib Hill
- Two Burials in One Hill
- 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 Parsley Hay Miles Without Stiles
An easy railway trailParsley Hay Miles Without Stiles is an 8 km out-and-back on the former railway between Parsley…
Parsley Hay Miles Without Stiles is an 8 km out-and-back on the former railway between Parsley Hay and Ruby Wood, following the Tissington Trail south to Hartington Station. It is the easy choice for a flat White Peak outing: the official route is 4 km each way, and the surface is compacted with no stiles or steps. Allow about two hours, more if you stop at the station or the picnic area.
What you seeStart beside the cycle-hire centre, pass the bridge and bollards, then keep right at the fork.
Start beside the cycle-hire centre, pass the bridge and bollards, then keep right at the fork. The trail runs through limestone cuttings and along embankments, with fields, dry-stone walls and broad views opening beside the old railway. Hartington Station is the halfway landmark; its preserved signal box still holds the old signalling levers. Carry on to Ruby Wood, then turn around.
Make it workUse the Parsley Hay car park off the A515.
Use the Parsley Hay car park off the A515. The cycle centre has refreshments, toilets, picnic tables and cycle hire, with five dedicated disabled spaces and a RADAR-key toilet. The route is shared with cyclists and horse riders, so dogs are allowed but need close control. This is an easy access route, though weather and equipment still affect individual wheelchair suitability. If 8 km is too much, start at Hartington Station for the official 800 m one-way option to Ruby Wood.
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.
