The trail starts near Cromford railway station and climbs through the stunning High Peak area of Derbyshire giving fabulous views of the area and progresses through the Peak District to Hurdlow near Buxton.
Highlights on the route include the historic Middleton Top Engine House, built in 1829 and fabulous views down to the nearby Carsington Water. Along the way there is the interesting Harborough Rocks, the Neolithic chambered tomb and two Bronze Age bowl barrows at Minninglow Hill and the fascinating Neolithic henge monument of Arbor Low.
In terms of a run there is a massive challenge at the start with a 1.5km straight uphill section called Sheep Pasture Incline with a 1:9 gradient and absolutely has to be done without walking! This section of the old train line starts at the old workshops and finishes at the Sheep Pasture Engine house. As the route progresses there are further inclines at Middleton & Hopton and along with the many outstanding views this is a truly inspiring trail run.
A map of the route can be found at https://www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/visiting/places-to-visit/trails/high-peak-trail and further information is available at the Sustrans website https://www.sustrans.org.uk/find-a-route-on-the-national-cycle-network/high-peak-trail
Comments
I shall be doing a run of the trail in the next few weeks on a sunny day