Hope Valley in Derbyshire’s Peak District National Park derives its name from the village of Hope. The area was mentioned in the Doomsday Book in 926 AD recording that a local battle was won by King Athelstan, and it was also mentioned that Hope village had a church and a priest, quite a rare occurrence at that time in Derbyshire.

The nearby Win Hill Pike and Lose Hill are said to be named so after a battle with King Edwin of Northumbria and King Cuicholm of Wessex in 626 AD.
The ancient trading route The Portway is nearby, and the river Noe snakes through the valley between Lose Hill and Win Hill Pike making for a gorgeous countryside scene.

Parking and start point
Being one of my longtime favorite places in the Peak District, Hope Valley is the start of a lovely and varied circular walk, it takes in hills, heather, Ladybower reservoir and a couple of refreshment stops along the route.
I personally like to begin the walk from Hope Train Station, or the lane leading up to the station it is great for parking, public transport and close to good campsites and accommodation. The address for the train station is Station Road, Hope, Derbyshire, S33 6RD
The walk
Our circular walk takes us over the train bridge then a little stroll across the fields, I find this part of the journey especially nice during the spring months and early summer, because I love to watch the young lambs playing (If taking a dog along, a short lead through this area is important.)

At the gate take a right onto the little one-track lane towards Aston. Picturesque in itself this little lane has only a couple of farms and a handful of cottages along it, there’s an old stone horse drinking trough to the left where the public footpath begins, this is where the route heads up towards Win Hill Pike.
The ascent uphill is a very gradual one and the views increase as the path climbs upwards and onwards until the whole of the Hope Valley is below and the river Noe can be seen snaking its way through the valley.

One feature of the valley you can’t miss is the Hope Cement works which dominates the view in the valley, Lose Hill and Mam Tor can be seen once halfway up the track. If you look carefully, you may also get a glimpse of Peveril Castle, Mam Tor and the Winnats Pass in Castleton.

Over the stone stile and upward some more through the heather and gorse bushes and more scenery will come into view, looking toward Aston and Bamford way below, the river Derwent snakes along the landscape and the Ladybower reservoir will be in sight very soon. I always find this a peaceful spot for a mug of coffee from a flask, and time to take in the views while sitting amongst the heather.

Break over and upwards again heading towards the pine trees, by now Bamford edge should be in sight across the valley, and around the corner is a lovely view of Ladybower reservoir that was built between the years 1935 and 1943 and took another 2 years to fill, it has two totally enclosed bellmouth overflows that are locally known as the “plugholes.”

When the Ladybower reservoir was constructed the villages of Derwent and Ashopton were abandoned and submerged. Ashopton Village stood near to the Snake Pass road and the Snake Pass Valley, I have written a separate blog about the Snake Pass called Wanders around Snake Pass.

The next step of the journey has the opportunity for a climb up to Win Hill Pike trig point and a chance to sample the views all around 360 degrees.

I recommend that you don’t miss this chance, it’s like heaven to me taking in the sights from the top. I enjoy hiking up to Win Hill Pike in the snow and the experience is breathtaking, my blog of Win Hill in winter is called Win Hill Pike – A Snow Covered Pimple.

With or without the hike up to the top, the next part of our circular takes the path down through the pine trees to Ladybower reservoir, a beautiful track although a rather steep descent, the alternative path to the left-hand side through the trees is easier going but adds another half mile to the walk.

Once at Ladybower reservoir the sights continue to inspire, packed with interesting history if you take a closer look. I can’t think of a more tranquil place to wander and take time to relax before heading over the dam and walking down hill to the right.
Refreshment stops
If you feel like a refreshing drink or a lunch, the Yorkshire Bridge Inn is just around the corner and is a beautiful place to stop before continuing downhill on the Ashopton Rd. The address for the Yorkshire Bridge Inn is Bamford, Hope Valley S33 0AZ

Once into the village of Bamford my recommended stop is The Anglers Rest, a community owned pub, Café and Post Office. I love this place for great food, good ale and wonderful fresh roasted coffee, not forgetting the helpful friendly staff!
Bamford Train station
Once refreshed again it’s time to stroll further though Bamford, there’s a train station close to the bottom of the road which is an easy option to get on a train and return you to Hope Station or back home again if you arrived by train to take the walk, this can add a little interest to the last leg, or if you want to complete the circular, at this point take the little lane to the right, it is the last side road before the train bridge.

Continue until you reach the main road again and follow it back toward Hope village.
Along the main road there was another lovely pub to visit called The Rising Sun, but it has been closed for a long time now and is unused. Another pub on the main road is the Travelers Rest pub, a good stop off if you have youngsters because of their large play area. They also have accommodation and a large car park.

Finishing the walk
The main road will continue to take you towards Hope village but as a personal preference I like to take a short cut by turning right onto Parsons Lane past the Hardhurst Farm Campsite, a highly recommended camping and touring caravan site that we usually use ourselves.
It is still a working farm plus as a bonus at weekends there’s a scrumptious family run café serving hearty full English breakfasts and bacon butties etc, “the Parlour café, “and yes as the name suggests it used to be the milking parlour! All are welcome, camping or not so it’s a nice spot to begin your day!)

If you’re taking my short cut back to the train station, take a left at the Carbolite factory site, it’s a public footpath that runs alongside the factory and returns you back to the train station again.

Lots of fresh air, beautiful sights and good stops along the way. Whichever choices you might decide to make along the route, I hope in some way I’ve inspired you by sharing one of my regular circulars from Hope valley while pointing out some of the most scenic and treasured spots along the way.