Walks from Season Four - Buxton
The lovely spa town of Buxton is the location for this walk - a place many people mistaking believe is inside the Peak District National Park... in fact the Park's boundaries avoid the town completely. This is a walk to a folly high on a hill overlooking Buxton and the surrounding area, starting and finishing at Buxton's railway station.
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A walk around Buxton - Walks Around Britain Shorts
Walk Info
Distance | 7½ miles (12.1km) |
Minimum time | 3½ hours |
Total ascent | 1450 ft (442 m) |
Level of difficulty | Medium |
Paths | Well defined footpaths Some road walking 12 stiles / gates |
Map | |
Start/finish | Grid SK 05904 73720 |
Dogs? | Must be kept on leads Livestock elsewhere |
Parking | Railway Car Park |
Public Transport | Northern rail service to Buxton |
Toilets/Refreshments | In Buxton |
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Route Directions
- Walk out of Buxton Railway Station and turn right towards the pelican crossing on the A53 Station Road. Don’t cross here, but turn right to follow the road around, crossing over Palace Road to the roundabout.
- Turn right here, cross over Devonshire Road, and along St Johns Road – with the University of Derby on the right. Follow the road around to the right, and then cross over to walk down Park Road.
- At the end of Park Road, turn right and follow it all around The Park, then turn first right continuing along Park Road. Turn left down Carlisle Road, then right along Watford Road.
- Just before the Cavendish Golf Club, there’s a footpath on the left. Follow this clear path through the golf course until it reaches Watford Farm.
- The footpath hairpins around and enters Watford Wood for a while, before emerging at a farm building.
- Follow the path – which is now called Bishop’s Lane – with Beet Wood on the right. Go past some buildings and through two gate posts to Plex Lodge on the left.
- Turn right and follow the marked footpath to Plex Farm. Turn left on the Public Footpath here, as it is private land ahead.
- Carry on along the path, and at Shay Lodge, turn left to reach the main road.
- Here, turn right to follow Macclesfield Old Road all the way down to a footpath stile on the left – just as the main path turns around the hill.
- Follow the public footpath signs across the fields and head towards the River Wye. The route of the path closely follows the Wye, until it crosses over it after walking past the end of Level Lane.
- Continue to follow the path behind the new houses on the left and then head southwards to the right of the dry stone wall to reach the A54 Macclesfield Main Road.
- Go through the gate, carefully cross over the A54 and turn left. At the junction with the A53, turn right toward Leek.
- As the road turns to the right, there’s a junction on the left heading up the hill signposted for Grin Low. Turn left up this road – called Grin Low Road. Take care here as the pavement soon disappears and you’re walking on grass at the side of the road.
- Soon, there’s the road entrance to Grin Lon & Buxton Country Park on the left, and follow this into the park.
- This is now part of the Dane Valley Way, and once you’re over the cattle grid, there’s the entrance to the caravan site on the left.
- Carry on right to the far side of the parks’ car park and follow the path between the trees. At the first junction of paths, turn left and then walk to the top of the hill, where Solomon’s Temple awaits – with stunning views of the Buxton area from the height of 439 metres.
- The route down from the tower is to the left when facing the direction you walked up. As the path skirts around the bottom of a raised mount, take one of the many visible paths to the left, and follow the main path through the forest, as it drops down in height. The path reaches Green Lane via a driveway, where you turn right, and then left down Temple Road.
- At the junction with Milldale Avenue, turn right to carry on along Temple Road. Follow the pavement as Temple Road turns right to join College Road, and use the pelican crossing over the B5059 Macclesfield Road to walk down Bath Road, which is on your right.
- Soon, on the left, there’s a path with thin bollards stopping traffic between Burlington Road and The Argyle hotel – take this path and walk into the lovely Buxton Park.
- Take any path you want through the park, but you need to head towards the Buxton Opera House.
- With the Opera House on the left, walk up Water Street on the right towards the A53 St Johns Road. Here, the University of Derby building you walk past early is now straight in front.
- Turn right and cross over the A515 road at the traffic lights and head back towards the railway station.
Relevant Links
For information about the clothing Andrew has been wearing throughout season four, click here.
Get to Buxton by train with our friends at Northern.
Details about Buxton Railway Station from National Rail Enquiries.
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