Cressbrook Dale and Peter's Stone Walk | 6 Miles

If you’re looking for a Peak District walk with a mix of dramatic limestone scenery, peaceful dales, and a striking landmark then this 6 mile route around Cressbrook Dale and Peter’s Stone is a real gem. Tucked away near the villages of Litton and Cressbrook, it’s a walk that feels both tranquil and atmospheric, with wildflowers in spring and stunning views all year round.

The walk also visits Wardlow Hay Cop trig point.

Peter’s Stone History

Peter’s Stone (named after St Peter’s in Rome, due to it’s domed shape) is one of those landmarks you can’t miss in Cressbrook Dale – a big chunk of limestone that’s sometimes called Gibbet Rock. At first glance, it looks like just another dramatic Peak District outcrop, but it actually has a pretty grim history. Back in the 18th and 19th centuries, it was used for gibbeting, which basically meant hanging the bodies of executed criminals in cages as a warning to others. The most famous case was Anthony Lingard, who was hanged in 1815 and then displayed here after murdering a local woman. These days it’s just an impressive feature in the landscape, but knowing the story definitely gives it a bit of an eerie edge.

Cressbrook Dale

Cressbrook Dale is a classic Peak District limestone dale, and like the others in the White Peak (like Wolfscote Dale and Cave Dale), it was carved out millions of years ago. The whole area was once a tropical seabed, and over time, layers of shell and coral built up to form the limestone. After the Ice Age, melting glaciers and rivers cut deep valleys through the rock, leaving the steep-sided dales you see today.

Cressbrook Dale in particular was shaped by meltwater rushing through cracks in the limestone, gradually widening them into a gorge-like valley. Because limestone is porous, rivers here often disappear underground, so the dale is mostly dry now – apart from the odd spring after heavy rain!

Cressbrook Dale Walk

Our walk starts from the free car park at Upperdale. We turned right out of the car park onto the road, passed the building with the post box, and turned left at the junction with Upperdale Holiday Cottage, part of the Chatsworth Escapes group.

A road junction in Cressbrook — Go past the building with the post box, and turn left

We followed the road for around a mile until we reached an open area with a footpath leading through Cressbrook Dale. The route climbs steadily, following a dry stone wall with views over to Wardlow Hay Cop. There’s a squeeze stile and the path heads over the fields to the base of Wardlow Hay Cop. There are a collection of paths running up to the summit.

A stile with a view over to Wardlow Hay Cop

Wardlow Hay Cop might not be the biggest hill in the Peak District at 370m but it certainly stands out with its perfect cone-shaped summit. At the very top you’ll find a trig point and, hidden beneath the grass, a Bronze Age burial mound that’s never been excavated. It’s a cracking little climb, and the views over Cressbrook Dale make it feel like one of those spots only a handful of people know about.

From the summit we set off north-west down the hillside, before passing through a gate into Cressbrook Dale. The path runs along the top of the Dale before dropping down, and the views are amazing.

As the path descends, we passed the entrance to an old mine shaft and then the route levels out a bit, heading through the valley bottom.

We ignored the wooden footbridge and continued north, passing the base of Peter’s Stone. From this angle it doesn’t have that well known look, but we headed further up the valley to where our path joins another path, and turned back to head to the stone. From this angle you can really see the prominence of the stone and why it made such a good spot for a gibbet.

Peter's Stone, Cressbrook Dale — Peter’s Stone

There are stone steps cut into Peter’s Stone (known as the Stairway to Heaven), and it is possible to climb up and over using these steps. There is a sign however warning of a loose cliff edge, so do this at your own risk of you decide to scramble through. You can just walk to the base of it.

A view through a craggy limestone outcrop — View from near the top of the steps

We passed just below the stone to rejoin the path that runs in the valley bottom, and followed this until we reached the woodland. The path continues through the woodland and emerges at a small collection of cottages at Ravensdale, before following a road to a junction with Bottomhill Road. This road runs past Cressbrook Mill and back to the car park at Upperdale.