Penistone Walk
30 March 2025
Our ramble today takes us through delightful countryside around the Don and Little Don valleys, to the north west of Sheffield. The distance is approximately 11 miles. This walk offers a wide variety of scenery and spectacular views. We shall use well-established tracks and footpaths, plus a few short sections of quiet country lanes. Please remember that we will have changed overnight to British Summertime, so there will be an hour of extra daylight in the evening.
We start at the Underbank Reservoir, near Stocksbridge. Our route takes us along the reservoir for a short distance. We then begin a long, but gradual climb above Knoll Brook. This very pretty, wooded hillside brings us to the edge of Whitwell Moor – and a taste of the panoramic views on offer throughout our journey. Near Salt Springs Farm we turn west, high above the Ewden Valley and make our way onto Barnside Moor.
We pass Ewden Height, along a moorland track and head towards Shaw Clough before turning north to Gilroyd Lane. A short section of road walking brings us past the Midhope Reservoir and on to the pretty hamlet of Upper Midhope. From here, we descend past Langsett Reservoir to Langsett village. We shall have our main rest stop here. Langsett offers a pub, a spectacularly-painted café and public toilets.
After our break, we head east along a footpath just north of the main road. For a short distance, we join the trackbed of an old, disused railway line used in the construction of the reservoir. We then turn north above Ochre Dike and past Nether House to Hartcliffe Hill. There will be an option to climb this hill, or use the footpath along the base of the hill to our final break point at the northern edge of the hill, at Hartcliffe Brow.
From here, we begin our gradual descent into Penistone. We continue to Bank House Farm, with long views of the Don Valley below us to our left. Another short road section brings us to Cross Royd Head. We then follow a footpath down towards Penistone, where we join the Trans Pennine Trail. This brings us conveniently into the heart of the town.
Penistone offers pubs and cafes. We shall depart from a bus stop adjacent to St John the Baptist Church at 17:00. Penistone is relatively close to the M1, so we should have a relatively quick journey home.
As always new walkers are almost most welcome. There is no need to book, just turn up at one of the bus stops listed below. The fare is £14 payable on the return journey home.
Coach Departure
The coach picks up at the following points.
(With the agreement of the leader other pick-up points
on the bus route may be available).
| “Staff of Life” pub, Hack Lane | Sutton-in-Ashfield | 9.15am |
| Priestic Road, opp McDonald’s | Sutton-in-Ashfield | 9.20am |
| Eastfield Side, (Blue Bell) | Sutton-in-Ashfield | 9.22am |
| Hermitage Lane stop, Sutton Road | Mansfield | 9.25am |
| ASDA bus stop. Stockwell Gate. | Mansfield | 9.30am |
