Mam Tor is one the Peak District’s most popular Ethels. Despite its 517 metres (1,696 ft), the short (if stiff) climb from the car park makes it very accessible, but in striding the short distance to the summit you’re missing out on a wonderful four-mile route full of interest, beauty and scenic drama.
There’s plenty of parking on Old Mam Tor Road. Walk uphill past Treak Cliff Hill to the end of the closed-off road where it loops round on itself.
A wooden gate on the left leads to the broken road (repeatedly repaired after landslides before being abandoned) while a righthand turn heads down a lane to Mam Farm.
Veer left at the top of the farm track to climb a grassy path up the hillside, then uncultivated moorland to reach the lowest point on the Great Ridge at Hollins Cross. At this crossroads, where the Coffin Road intersects the Great Ridge, the dead were carried from Edale to Hope as the lonely valley didn’t have a church of its own at that time.
After the stiff climb to the skyline, it’s a relief to reach Hollins Cross. Pause and drink in the rise and fall of the Great Ridge, Mam Tor punctuating its southwestern flank, Lose Hill the other end.
Turn left to climb up to Mam Tor’s summit, the sheer rock face of the Ethel plunging to the valley below. For this reason, it’s a popular launching point for hang gliders.
Take time to take in the spectacle and enjoy views of Castleton in one direction and Edale in the other, with Rushup Edge bumping along the skyline beyond the Great Ridge.
Legend tells us ‘Mother Mountain’ – Mam Tor – gave birth to a series of baby hills that gather at her feet, a sweet explanation for the geography and geology of the area.
It’s other name, the ‘Shivering Mountain’ hints more accurately at the geological phenomenon that created the ‘mini hills’ and ‘broken road’, the unstable layers of shale and gritstone causing countless landslides.
Drop down off the ridge to the road, then descend the grassy path to the Sparrowpit - Buxton Road, crossing it to continue through Windy Knoll to another road.
Turn left to walk a short section of the highway before turning right at the brown sign for Castleton Caves and Peveril Castle. The road leads through Winnats Pass, rerouting the disastrous Old Mam Tor Road.
It descends through a spectacular ravine of limestone pinnacles and towering cliffs, once a coral reef under a tropical sea. Walk the wide grassy verge between the road and the rockface, passing by Speedwell Cavern. The pass meets Arthurs Way then the junction of Old Mam Tor Road and your starting point.
The photos in this article were uploaded to our Derbyshire and Peak District Facebook group, join the community to find inspiration for your next walk.
