Hike the dales and meadows of the White Peak — Limestone Way

The Limestone Way takes you through the heart of the White Peak, in the Peak District. It explores a landscape of picturesque dales, rolling hills and wildflower meadows lined with drystone walls.

Starting from Castleton, in Derbyshire, the Way travels 46 miles (74 km) through the southern part of the Peak District National Park to Rocester village, just over the county boundary in Staffordshire.

For its entirety, the trail explores quintessential limestone countryside. Expect patchwork pastures separated by crumbling walls, deep dales that are rich in beauty and wildlife, traditional villages, pretty woodlands, and grasslands that burst into colour as wildflowers blossom.

Along the way, you explore spellbinding scenery and sights, including: Peveril Castle, one of England's earliest Norman fortresses; Nine Stones Close, a Bronze Age stone circle; and Robin Hood’s Stride, a rock formation that is rich in folklore. You also visit some stunning dales, including Cave Dale, Monk's Dale, Bradford Dale, and Dovedale.

Whilst there are no mountains to climb, this is classic hillwalking and can be tough-going at times. The trail, which is waymarked, can also be quite rugged in places. As such, you will need an average-to-good level of ability and fitness to tackle the route.

In this Collection, I split the route into three stages; 13.9 miles (22.4 km), 16.8 miles (27 km), and 17.5 miles (28.2 km), respectively. Now, that is an ambitious itinerary. However, it is manageable, especially during summer. On stages 2 and 3, I have given advice on how to shorten/split the hikes. As ever, you can divide the Tour into as many days as you are comfortable with or walk any single stage. You are relatively well-served by accommodation along the route. However, places to stay can be limited so it is worth planning in advance and scheduling your rest days accordingly.

To get to the start of the trail, you can catch a train to Hope, which is served by direct trains from Sheffield and Manchester, and then jump on the 173 or 271/272 bus service to Castleton. To get home, you would need to catch the Swift bus service from Rocester to Derby, which has good public transport links, including direct trains to London and Sheffield.