Torside Reservoir Circular Walk | 5 Miles

January 5, 2022 CIRCULAR WALKS, PEAK DISTRICT WALKS, PEAK DISTRICT WALKS WITH KIDS

If you are looking for an easy Peak District walk, this Torside Reservoir circular walk might be the one for you. Using part of the Trans Pennine Trail, this scenic Peak District 4.64 mile walk is a great one to do with kids. It’s a perfect Peak District walk for families.

 

This Torside Reservoir circular walk starts from the car parking area at the Longdendale Trail to the east of the reservoir. Following the Trans Pennine Trail along the bottom of Shining Clough Moss, the paths are level and easy to follow. The Trans Pennine Trail is constructed on a former railway line and is used by walkers, cyclists and horse riders.

 

 

Along the way there are various information boards telling you about the wildlife and an accessible viewing platform, giving you views over Torside Reservoir. There are also stations where you can listen to someone who sounds like Brian Blessed telling you about the area (it may even be his actual voice).

 

Although the paths are level and make for easy going, they can be muddy in places so be sure to wear suitable footwear. Wellies will be great for little ones who like jumping in puddles!

 

After about 2km you can detour off to the car park and toilets through the Upper Longdendale Valley Memorial Forest. There is a winding path which leads you down through the woodland (or a straight one, if you wish).

 

The TPT eventually meets Woodhead Road. To continue the walk you’ll need to cross Woodhead Road (taking care with children and dogs) and follow the path down to the reservoir. You’ll pass over the embankment between Torside Reservoir and Rhodeswood Reservoir, which looked very atmospheric on our misty Christmas Eve walk.

 

There is a bit of a climb up some steps to get into the woods on the other side of Torside Reservoir. We saw a sign indicating this woodland is Tinsel School Wood – very festive!

Holly loved wandering through the woodland and you can access the reservoir water from here if you wanted to take a closer look. The woodland is really enclosed and makes a great place to explore.

 

We had to take a detour out onto the main road as there is a closed footpath over Woodhead Reservoir, but then it was back to the car.

 

We saw lots of wildlife, including deer, hares and a heron and the area itself is beautiful. It’s rapidly becoming my favourite place to spend time – it’s stunning, and this is one of the more accessible Peak District walks.

 

 

Here’s the route for this easy Peak District walk:

 

Torside Reservoir Walk Route Map:

Parking: Just off the B6105 in a small layby.

Facilities: Toilets in the car park at the Upper Longdendale Valley Memorial Forest SK13 1JF

Walk Time: 3 hours with frequent stops to find geocaches

Difficulty: ▲

Distance: 4.5 miles (7.5km) approximately

Trig Points Bagged: None

Peak District Peaks Bagged: None

 

For a longer walk around the reservoirs, why not try: Torside Reservoirs Walk | 13 Miles

For more walks from Crowden Camp Site, why not check out Crowden Circular Walk via Crowden Quarry, Crowden to Featherbed Moss Trig Point or Crowden to White Low and Hey Edge – all are worth a trip out but are more challenging than this easy Peak District walk.