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High Peak Junction – High Peak Trail loop from Cromford

Routes

Bike touring routes & trails

High Peak Junction – High Peak Trail loop from Cromford

Hard

5.0

(1)

riders

High Peak Junction – High Peak Trail loop from Cromford

02:12

22.8km

480m

Cycling

Hard bike ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: June 12, 2026

Tips

Cycling is not permitted along parts of this route

After 2.37 km for 59 m

After 18.5 km for 70 m

Waypoints

Start point

Train Station

Get Directions

2.40 km

High Peak Junction

Highlight • Historical Site

High Peak Junction was where the Old Comford and High Peak railway met the Cromford Canal. It is now a great spot to take a break with a shop that sells hot drinks and snacks.

Tip by

2.81 km

Well done to anyone who manages to cycle up the full incline from High Peak junction to the nice seat at the top with a lovely view. The incline is a constant gradient so no chance for the rest at any point. In autumn there are a lot of leaves and nuts on the ground which makes cycling even harder. I failed after about two thirds of the slope!
Great way though to gain the height and then travel further along the High Peak trail.

Tip by

5.85 km

Ruins

6.69 km

Middleton Top Engine House and railway wagon

Highlight • Historical Site

Notorious for its steep gradient, Middleton Top is a super climb with majestic views at the top. Plus, there's bike hire and a small cafe here. It has also been part of the Eroica Britannia route for the past few years – imagine that gradient with barely functioning, pre-1979 gearing. At the top of the incline there's the Middleton Top Engine House, as the track used to be the High Peak steam railway.

Tip by

7.96 km

High Peak Trail

Highlight • Cycleway

Great route for traffic-free cycling, the High Peak trail is a gravel track which follows the course of an old railway. This railway was owned by a canal company, so was built in an odd manner with long flat portions joined by steep sections (like canal locks) where the trains were often hauled uphill by stationary engines.

This means that most of the route is nice and flat but with inclines that will often mean pushing uphill. These include Cromford High Peak junction westwards (1:9 for about a mile), Middleton Top (1:8 with a surface including drainage channels across the track, so beware when descending especially as there are very steep drop-offs to the side), and Hopton (1:14 for about 500 yards or 457 metres).

You can get a good speed up downhill but be careful as surface is very loose.

Tip by

8.96 km