The Hope Pilgrimage is a 30 mile long distance footpath linking the villages of the beautiful Hope Valley in the Derbyshire Peak District. It begins in the Dark Peak village of Edale, the most popular place to start a walk in the UK due to its location at the start of the Pennine Way and at the foot of Kinder Scout, the Peak District’s highest point.

From Edale, we head over the Great Ridge into Castleton with its Norman castle looming overhead. We then follow the Hope Valley to Bradwell, famed for its delicious ice cream – and the Hope cement factory. Then it is onwards to Hope itself before arriving in Hathersage with its outdoor shops and links to both Robin Hood and Charlotte Bronte. Our final leg, takes us to historic Eyam, the “plague village”.

As we progress along the route, we will be popping in to some lovely churches along the way to get our guide books stamped. Although this walk has been designed as a pilgrimage, for us it is simply a very good linear walking route. However, do feel free to join us if the pilgrimage aspect appeals to you too.

We will stay at the Little John in Hathersage throughout our walking break. There are plenty of places to shop, eat and there is even an outdoor pool for a refreshing dip.

This 30 mile guided walk takes 3 days and there will be an option of an extra half day walk from Hathersage on the final morning.

Itinerary (subject to change)

Day 1: Arrive at the accommodation and settle in. Holiday briefing followed by dinner.

Day 2: Edale to Hope. Catch the train to Edale where our walk starts at the parish church. Here we get the first stamp in our Hope Pilgrimage guide book. From Edale, the most popular starting point for a walk in the UK, we head over the Great Ridge and along to Mam Tor, the site of an Iron Age hill fort. After enjoying far reaching views across the Hope and Edale valleys, we descend into Castleton, a pretty Peak District village popular with visitors. After a break for coffee, ice cream or both, we take the footpath to Bradwell and on to the neighbouring village of Hope where we finish for the day. Train or bus to our accommodation in Hathersage. 9.5 miles / 460m ascent

Day 3: Hope to Stanage Edge This morning we return to Hope to continue our pilgrimage route. We head uphill to the impressive Win Hill with spectacular views all around. From here, we descend to Ladybower reservoir and the village of Bamford before ascending once again to the iconic gritstone outcrop of Stanage Edge. Reaching the end of Stanage, we are picked up by taxi at Upper Burbage car park for the short journey back to our accommodation. 11 miles / 740m ascent

Day 4: Stanage Edge to Eyam We restart our journey at Upper Burbage soon reaching the impressive Higger Tor and then making our way down into Hathersage. From here, we follow Highlow Brook before turning uphill and over the moors to our final destinationof Eyam. Eyam is a village steeped in history and is paticularly known for its heroic actions during the plague of 1665/6. We end at the parish church with its stained glass window relating the story of the plague. 9.5 miles / 470m ascent

Day 5 Hathersage Circular An optional half day walk from Hathersage taking in the surrounding hills, moors and the River Derwent. Great views and varied terrain. Exact route according to weather conditions – end in Hathersage by 2pm for onward journey. Around 5 miles

Feedback from a previous trip: “A very positive first solo holiday experience thanks to you and the women on the holiday who were so easy going and lovely, everyone accepted and respected. Gorgeous countryside and relaxing walking having you take care of it all – appreciated your knowledge of the area and the way you led the group.” Jo
“I enjoyed the Hope Pilgrimage very much. Having never visited the area before I was really grateful for your local knowledge and all the information that you shared with us. I appreciated the pace of the walks so that there was never a feeling of having to “keep up” and we had plenty of time to catch breath, take photos, have snacks, etc. Everything was organised so well.” Anne

• Price
• Grade
• Guide
• Accommodation
• Travel

Single Occupancy with Shared Bathroom £695Single Occupancy with Ensuite plus £50 Twin Ensuite Room (shared with another participant) £100 per person discount on ensuite price. If there is nobody to share the room, the single occupacny rate will be applied. Price Includes: 4 nights B&B accommodation/ packed lunch each day/ transport to and from walks/ guide book for stamps along the way. Not Included: dinner - this will be arranged by your guide/ personal expenses/ insurance.

The walk is graded moderate and involves walks of between 9 and 11 miles per day so a good level of fitness is required. The paths can be rough underfoot but are generally well maintained. There are some prolonged and occasionally steep ascents on the route but we can take our time. There are various options to shorten the walk if you wish to finish early.

Your guide for this holiday is Clare Kelly, owner of Her on a Hill and local to the area. "If you know me already, you will know that I love the Peak District in general and the Hope Valley in particular and so am very excited to be leading this break."

We will be staying at the Little John in the centre of Hathersage, the perfect location in the Hope Valley. All of the rooms are spacious doubles or twins and a hearty breakfast is included.

Travel to the Little John, Hathersage S32 1DD By public transport Hathersage is on the Sheffield to Manchester trainline with services running once an hour at most times. You can also arrive by bus from Sheffield. By car From the south take the M1 to J29 and then follow the A617. Take B6051, B6054 and A6187 to Station Rd/B6001 in Hathersage. From the north take the M1 to J34 and then follow A6109. Take A625 and A6187 to Station Rd/B6001 in Hathersage. If you want to avoid Sheffield you can exit earlier at J36. There is off road parking available at the accommodation.