Written by The Hilltop Family
The Hilltop Family moved to Belper two years ago to get closer to all the fantastic days out which Derbyshire and the Peak District have to offer! Hannah, Simon, sons Harry and Jake, and labradoodle, Sandy, have picked this Stanton Moor walk to share with us.
This toddler friendly walk is a perfect blend of moorland, woodland, stunning views, and Bronze Age history. Situated just seven miles away from Matlock, this adventure includes lots of places for little imaginations to play, such as the Nine Ladies stone circle, and plenty of variety for the family to enjoy.
Due to the stony surfaces, it’s not pram friendly and, depending on how much stop and play time the kids get up to, you could easily spend a couple of hours exploring on the route. For a brisk dog walk, you’d be round in 45 minutes or less.
DIRECTIONS
Park on Birchover Road (DE4 2LR) between the villages of Birchover and Stanton in Peak
Enter towards the Cork Stone and follow the path straight ahead after the gate
Take the second left across the moorland towards the woodland
Follow the path north-west from the Nine Ladies
Go through the gate and take the small woodland path on your left
Follow the narrow woodland, taking care with the fallen trees and a very small drop, until you reach the larger path and turn right
Turn left. Take care not to let little ones wander away to the edge of the treeline as there is a sharp drop
Walk through the woodland, over the stile, and continue straight ahead on the path southwards
Follow the winding path through. There is one slightly steeper path down where little ones may need some assistance
Follow the beautiful mossy wood and moorland route back towards your start point
To see a map of the walk, check out page 24 of the magazine here.
The Bronze Age stones are traditionally believed to depict nine ladies who were turned to stone as a penalty for dancing on a Sunday!
Why not team your walk with a visit to one of Matlock’s lovely cafes like The Garden Room, Kefi or Butterfingers, or head further on to Fig Coffee House in Matlock Bath?
Tag @boom_magazine_derbyshire in your photos!