Winnats Pass and Mam Tor Circular Walk in Peak District (with photos)

The Winnats Pass and Mam Tor walk is one of the most spectacular in the Peak District and a favourite of many hikers.

The walk starts from the Castleton visitor centre, will go up Winnats Pass and down, and then up to Mam Tor and along the ridge, before descending back to Castleton village. You can expect beautiful views over Winnats pass and Hope Valley from the Great Ridge.

I have provided photos to help guide you along the same route that I took.

Walk Type: Circular
Walk Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 5 miles (8km)
Hiking Length: 2.5 to 3 hours

Getting to Castleton

Castleton is one of the most popular villages in the Peak District and is very accessible by public transport. The small village is very picturesque with several pubs, cafes, and restaurants, and lots of cute shops selling all kinds of handmade goodies.

Getting to Castleton by:

Car: If driving to the Winnats Pass and Mam Tor walk, then the most convenient place to park is the visitor centre car park, which is where this walk starts and ends. This can obviously fill up quickly, so if there are no spaces, you can try the Mam Tor car park, or along the road from Castleton to the start of Winnats Pass (these spaces are free so get there very early to avoid dissapointment!!).

Train: The closest train station to Castleton is Hope (Derbyshire). Most trains will come from Manchester or Sheffield. It will take around 45 mins to walk to Castleton, or you can get the 272 Sheffield’s Peak link bus from the end of station road, into Castleton village which takes around 5 minutes.

Bus: The 173, 271 or 272 buses all stop in Castleton, running from/ between Bakewell or Sheffield.

About Winnats Pass and Mam Tor

Winnats Pass is situated in the White Peak area of the Peak District (Mam Tor is the Dark Peak area). The huge limestone cliffs tower high over the winding road, which believe it or not used to be underwater. The whole area used to be under the ocean, with evidence of this in the rocks of the cliff face, where you can see fossilised sea creature remains.

There is also a spooky legend about the pass, which is that it is haunted by a couple who got murdered there back in 1758 by miners. Their bodies were found years after the event, but stories say some can still hear the howl of their screams at night…creepy!

Mam Tor is 517m high and overlooks Winnats Pass, Hope Valley and Edale. Mam Tor means ‘mother hill’ as it is the largest of several hills below it, which have appeared from the various landslides over the years. The hill is a little steep but it is not for long and anyone with a reasonable level of fitness will be able to do it.

Castleton to Winnats Pass and Mam Tor walk

The start point for the Winnats Pass and Mam Tor walk is the Castleton visitor centre. There are public toilets at the centre so make sure to use these as there are none on the rest of the walk. Also make sure you have snacks and water with you. There are plenty of places to eat in Castleton after your walk too!

Make your way along the road out of the village, past the Three Ducks Café and towards Winnats Pass. After around 10-15 minutes you will veer left off the main road to a small car park at the bottom of Winnats Pass. Here you have an option to walk through the pass (although there is a steady incline) and take in the awe-inspiring landscape from below, or you can choose to climb up the steep path directly.

I tried to follow directions I saw online but feel I may have taken the wrong path, but I did see someone else walking the same route, so I guess it’s fine! I will explain the way I walked, providing images along the way, which will hopefully be helpful to you.

Starting from the bottom of the car park I started walking up the steep hill and to the left of a fence going up. This part was extremely steep, and I had to get on my hands and knees in parts. If it is wet be careful here and stay away from the edge (obviously, but it is super windy up there!).

Carry on walking up this steep bit until it evens out. Turn back around and take in the views from here as they are pretty spectacular!

You will also be walking right next to the sheep, but they won’t cause you any harm! You will then come across a small gate, which you turn right into, and then straight through another gate on the left. After this, it is pretty flat, across a grassy patch.

You will see Mam Tor in the distance and people walking up the trail. You will come to a gate crossing a small road, go straight across and follow the grassy path round to the right, crossing over another road. This will take you to the start of the Mam Tor track.

From here, it is pretty straightforward, just follow the path up to the summit, stopping to take in the views of Edale road to the left. The summit is a great place to stop for some snacks and take in the wonderful scenery. Then continue along the ridge, not forgetting to take some pictures, it is a stunning path!

After some time, you will come to three stone pillars and a gate to the right. I took this path back down, but you can continue on to Hollins Cross if you like. The path back down was really pretty, and the scenery changed a bit, with some wildflowers and ferns growing along the side of the hill.

Eventually you will reach a gate by a tree, which leads down a small rocky path (the signpost to Hollowford road). This path had turned into a little bit of a stream when I was there but not too bad! Take this path and follow the road round to the right (it will lead onto a tarmac road). This road will take you back into Castleton village.

And you have made it! Now take a well-earned rest with a beer or slice of cake (or both!).

Where to stay in Castleton

There are plenty of spaces to stay in this popular village but if travelling in peak season I would say to book as early as you can as the best places will fill up quick. I stayed at Dunscar Farm, which is a 10-15 min walk from the village.

I would definitely recommend this place, the owners are so friendly, and the views of Winnats Pass are amazing from the farm. It is close to the start of Winnats Pass, you just walk to the end of the drive and then cross over a field. It is also lovely and quiet with stunning views all around.

Booking.com

Check out other walks in the UK:

• The Botallack Mine Walk: Cornwall
• Beautiful Walks in England: Rye, Sussex
• Walking the Thames Path from Hammersmith to Chiswick House
• Best Walks in London: Hampstead