Winnats Pass Scramble Walk [+ Best View Points!] | 3 Miles

June 21, 2025 CIRCULAR WALKS, PEAK DISTRICT SCRAMBLES, PEAK DISTRICT WALKS, PEAK DISTRICT WALKS WITH PUBS, SHORT WALKS UNDER 3 MILES

Looking for a Castleton walk with a bit more adventure? This Winnats Pass scramble walk is just the thing – a fun climb, views for days and all in less than 3 miles!

If you’ve ever driven or walked up Winnats Pass near Castleton, you’ll know it’s one of those places that makes you stop and stare. Towering limestone cliffs on either side, a steep winding road and views that just keep getting better the higher you go. But there’s more to this dramatic valley than just the scenery.

Walking down Winnats Pass

Winnats Pass – short for “Windy Gates” – is actually the collapsed remains of a massive underground cave system. Around 300 million years ago, this area was under a tropical sea, and all that time has shaped the limestone peaks and gorges you see today.

Back in the day, it wasn’t just hikers and cyclists tackling the pass. In the 18th and 19th centuries, it was a key route for packhorses carrying lead from the mines at Speedwell Cavern and beyond. Before the main Mam Tor road was built (and then eventually closed thanks to landslides), Winnats Pass was one of the only ways into Castleton from the west.

Like any good Peak District spot, it comes with a ghost story. In 1758, a young couple named Alan and Clara were travelling through the pass, eloping to get married at nearby Peak Forest – the Gretna Green of the time. Tragically, they were robbed and murdered by a group of local miners, and it’s said their ghosts still haunt the pass. A few locals have even claimed to hear screams or see strange figures when the mist rolls in…

Today, it’s a must-see for visitors, a haven for photographers, and a proper leg-burner for hikers. Whether you’re walking it or just pulling over for the view, Winnats Pass is one of those places that feels steeped in history – and maybe a little mystery too.

Here’s the route for this Winnats Pass scramble walk.

We parked in The Devil’s Arse (aka Peak Cavern) car park and set off towards the Cavern, reaching the quaint bridge over Peakshole Water.

Here we turned right to climb up the hill behind Goosehill Hall – the road quickly turns to a rough, rocky track. The footpath follows the wall at the base of the hill, and just after a gate we turned left and followed the wall to the base of the climb.

The start of the climb

Initially this Winnats Pass scramble is just a steep climb but it soon gets REALLY steep, so steep in fact that someone has put a rope there to help you up! The rope is attached to the fence, and the fence is a bit rickety in places.

After pulling yourself up on the rope, there’s a small level part where you can catch your breath before you carry on up a small rocky scramble. The path runs up to meet a stone wall, and then we turned right onto the top of Winnats Pass.

Limestone scramble section. It’s small but could get very slippery in poor weather

There is a path following the line of the wall, away from the cliff edges, but there are lots of viewpoints along the top. The road seems a very long way down from up here!

View down to the road, with Mam Tor in the background

We walked along the top, admiring the view, and then followed the path back down to the road level. On the other side of the road there’s a footpath just below the cattle grid.

You can either follow the road back down and admire the view of the cliffs towering above, or climb up the other side (depending on how your legs are feeling!). We took the road back down into Castleton, heading to the Bulls Head for a lovely lunch.