Walks in Disley

A Gritstone Trail direction sign with Lyme Park out of focus in the background.

The Gritstone Trail starts in Disley

The Parish of Disley and Newtown covers an area of about 9 square kilometres (3.5 sq. miles) with a boundary of some 15 kilometres (9.5 miles) in length. Altitudes range from 107 metre (351 ft.) to 411 metres (1,348 ft.) above sea level. The varied scenery on offer includes the wooded valley of the River Goyt and it tributaries, rough pasture grazed by sheep on higher ground and above this typical Pennine Moorland punctuated by rocky outcrops of Millstone Grit.

There are over 36 kilometres (22 miles) of footpaths in the parish, offering gentle rambles and strenuous walks. Many of the footpaths are very old while others were established in the 18th and 19th centuries to serve the developing mining, quarrying and textle industries.

In addition to the footpaths within the Parish there are 6 ‘Promoted Routes’ which start in, pass close by or go through Disley. These are:

Gritstone Trail
Cown Edge Way
Midshires/Goyt Valley Way
North Cheshire Way
Ladybrook Valley Interest Trail
E-Route 2 UK Section

Wheelchair and Buggy Friendly Routes

Peak Forest Canal

For young families or anyone with mobility problems the towpath of the Peak Forest Canal offers many opportunities for enjoying the open air. The relatively hard surface is flat and access is available at Bridges 24, 25, 26 and 27 in Disley and just beyond Bridge 28 in New Mills. The best access is probably at Bridge 26 off Redhouse Lane. Footpath 22, which is the access road for Cockhead farm, has a tarmac surface but is a ‘there and back’ route as is Green Lane (Footpath 28).

Seven Walks Around Disley

Please click on the following links to find more details about each walk. A downloadable version is available on each individual page.

Walk 1 : A Short Excursion

Walk 2: A Western Circuit

Walk 3: A Southern Circuit

Walk 4: An Eastern Circuit from New Mills

Walk 5: A Heritage Walk to Higher Disley

Walk 6: A linear walk along the Southern Boundary

Walk 7: An Eastern Circuit from Disley

A Parish Map and Walking Guide, containing a full-colour map and all the above walks is available to purchase at:

Disley Parish Council Offices.
Disley Library.
Fountain News.

Heritage Walks around Disley

Disley has a wealth of historical sites of interest within easy walking distance of the village centre. There are two circular walks available starting from the Ram Green.

No 1: Ring O’Bells and Higher Disley

No 2: Stanley Hall and Peak Forest Canal

For more walking ideas in and around Disley and Newtown visit Hikideas HERE and enter “Disley” in the Location box. There us also a walk planner to create walks over an Ordnance Survey map for free.

Peak District Boundary Walk

The Peak District Boundary Walk is a self-guided, long distance (200-mile) walking route around the entire boundary of the Peak District. Full details of this spectacular walk are available at Peak District Boundary Walk

Two sections of the walk pass close by to Disley and Newtown and these are:

Stage 19 – Bollington to Whaley Bridge

Stage 20 – Whaley Bridge to Buxton