Padley Gorge, Derbyshire

Burbage Brook begins its life high up on the purple heather moors above Sheffield, and by the time it enters the Longshaw Estate at the splendidly named Toad’s Mouth, it’s a gurgling, youthful stream.

Meandering gently amid the silver birches, the brook offers plenty of paddling potential and there are lots of great picnic sites on the open grassy banks. Before long, though, the steepening ground turns to woodland and the water cascades over rocky boulders as it makes its way down into the Derwent Valley far below.

Padley Gorge is renowned for its sun-dappled rockpools, and native oak and birch – especially rich in birdlife – that provide plenty of quiet places to sit and relax.

Begin your outing at the National Trust’s Longshaw car park. The meadows below the Duke of Rutland’s former shooting lodge, now a visitor centre and tearoom, play host to famous sheepdog trials each September. Follow the driveway from the lodge across the road and down to the banks of Burbage Brook, turning left towards Padley Gorge.

Perfect picnic

There are waterside picnic spots aplenty, but if it’s shade you’re after, then go on a little further into the lovely oak and birch woodland. The trees cling to the rocky hillside and many are twisted into Tolkien-like shapes. They attract visiting summer birds such as pied flycatchers, wood warblers and restarts, while downstream look out for dippers and grey wagtails.

If you picnic among the trees, be mindful of wood ants, which may choose to share your feast if you’re not careful!

Keep to the main path high on the right-hand side of the gorge, and when you eventually emerge on a lane at the far bottom, go right at the junction to visit the medieval Padley Chapel. Two Catholic priests discovered hiding here in 1588 were sentenced to death for high treason. Their martyrdom is remembered by annual pilgrimages, and the chapel is open for visitors on Wednesday and Sunday afternoons in summer.

Retrace your steps along the lane to reach Grindleford Station Café. This celebrated,
no-nonsense establishment has been a mecca for walkers for years and offers a welcome cool drink or cuppa before the return leg back uphill.

Now follow the obvious, signposted path from near the railway bridge, this time keeping the brook on your left. You can either cross over at a footbridge, or continue along the bumpy bankside track to the very top, where there’s usually an ice-cream van by the roadside.