Hurdlow

Hurdlow is barely more than a scatter of farm buildings around Hurdlow Hall and Hurdlow Grange, set on the high limestone plateau of the White Peak, around eight miles south-east of Buxton in Derbyshire. It's the kind of place you pass through rather than head for directly, yet for walkers and cyclists it sits at a genuinely useful crossroads: the hamlet has its own access point onto the High Peak Trail, and the old station here (once known as Sparklow) was part of the Cromford and High Peak Railway, a remarkable early industrial line that first opened between Cromford Wharf and Hurdlow in 1830, with the final stretch to Whaley Bridge completed a couple of years later.

The railway closed in the 1960s and the trackbed was bought jointly by the old Peak Park Planning Board and Derbyshire County Council in 1971, who converted it into the 17-mile High Peak Trail that survives today. Around Hurdlow the land is classic White Peak scenery: broad, open limestone plateau criss-crossed with dry-stone walls, grazing sheep, and huge skies, quite different in character from the darker gritstone moors of the Dark Peak further north. It's exposed country, so weather here changes quickly, but on a clear day the walking and cycling on offer, largely flat and traffic-free along the old railway lines, is some of the easiest long-distance trail riding in the National Park.

Top things to do near Hurdlow

Hurdlow's appeal is almost entirely about what surrounds it rather than the hamlet itself, but that's no bad thing when the surroundings include two of the Peak District's best-loved trails and some genuinely ancient sites.

• High Peak Trail — Hurdlow has its own level access point onto this 17-mile former railway line, which runs on crushed limestone from Dowlow near Buxton down to High Peak Junction at Cromford; it's two miles to Parsley Hay and 4.5 miles to Friden along a gentle, largely flat gradient.
• Tissington Trail — joining the High Peak Trail at Parsley Hay, this second former railway line runs a further 13 miles south to Ashbourne, together giving over 30 miles of traffic-free cycling through rolling limestone dales.
• Parsley Hay Cycle Hire Centre — two miles from Hurdlow, this Peak District National Park-run centre hires out adult and children's bikes, electric bikes, tandems and trailer-bikes, and has a café and toilets, making it the obvious starting point for a family ride.
• Arbor Low stone circle — a short drive south near Monyash, this Neolithic henge of around fifty fallen limestone slabs surrounding a central stone "cove" is one of the most important prehistoric monuments in the East Midlands, and free to visit.
• Buxton — the nearest sizeable town, roughly eight miles north-west, with its restored Buxton Opera House, the Pavilion Gardens, and Poole's Cavern, a show cave and country park on the edge of town.
• Monyash and Youlgreave — nearby limestone villages worth a detour for their pubs, duck ponds and access to Lathkill Dale, one of the White Peak's prettiest limestone valleys.

Getting to Hurdlow

Hurdlow sits just off the A515, the main road between Buxton and Ashbourne, making it an easy stop by car; Buxton is around eight miles to the north-west and Ashbourne about fourteen miles to the south. There's a small car park at the Hurdlow access point onto the High Peak Trail. By public transport, the nearest railway station is at Buxton, from where local bus services run along the A515 corridor, though services to Hurdlow itself are limited, so a car is by far the most practical way to reach the hamlet and the surrounding trails.

Best time to visit Hurdlow

Late spring through early autumn suits Hurdlow best, when the limestone plateau is at its most inviting for walking and cycling and the trailside verges are thick with wildflowers. Summer weekends bring more visitors to Parsley Hay and the trail cafés, so weekday visits or an early start are worth considering if you prefer things quieter. Because this is high, exposed ground, autumn and winter can bring sharp winds, mist and occasional snow, so pack accordingly if you're out on the trails outside the summer months.

Where to stay near Hurdlow

Accommodation directly in Hurdlow is limited but distinctive: Hurdlow Grange, a barn conversion dating back over 300 years, has been run as holiday accommodation since 2006, and the hamlet's pub also operates its own campsite. Beyond the hamlet, the wider Buxton and White Peak area offers a fuller range of cottages, B&Bs and hotels, with Buxton itself the best base for a wider choice of places to stay within easy reach of the trails.

Food and drink near Hurdlow

The Royal Oak at Hurdlow is the hamlet's main focus, a stone-built country pub on the A515 serving food all day from breakfast through to dinner, with produce sourced where possible from suppliers within a 20-mile radius, open fires, and its own campsite behind the pub. Parsley Hay's cycle hire centre has a small café and takeaway for trail users, and for a wider choice of pubs and cafés, Buxton and the surrounding White Peak villages such as Monyash and Youlgreave are all a short drive away.