Tissington Trail cycle route overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐
The Tissington Trail is a disused railway in Derbyshire, and is now a traffic-free cycle path. It follows the route of the old Buxton to Ashbourne railway line, which opened in 1899. Stretching for almost 17 miles, from Ashbourne to Pomeroy, the route offers Victorian railway heritage in abundance. From tunnels to bridges, and spectacular views along the way, this route has it all.
Officially, the Tissington Trail is actually only 13 miles long, but the route on the map below continues past the point where the Tissington Trail joins the High Peak Trail. As a there-and-back, it is a 34 mile route, but can be further extended by combining it with the full High Peak Trail.
The route is quite elevated. This has the benefits of offering wonderful views over the Derbyshire Dales, in good weather. However, that also means it is exposed, with little to no shelter from the elements during bad weather.
In summer, especially during school holidays, the Tissington Trail can get extremely busy.
Photos by Shivaji Shiva and KarlOnSea.
Surface of the Tissington Trail
The surface is gravel throughout, but is easy to ride on, even when wet. After or during rain, puddles will form in places, and it can get a bit muddy.
UPDATE: The trail was resurfaced during January to February 2023.
Refreshments
You can get refreshments at The Tunnel Café in Ashbourne, at The Old Dog pub (leave the trail after 2.7 miles), at the Tissington Snack Kiosk, at the Waterloo Inn (off the trail, in Biggin), at Hartington Station, at the Blueberry Kiosk in Parsley Hay, at Tagg Lane Dairy (slightly off the trail at 15.5 miles), at The Royal Oak pub (just off the trail, at 15.6 miles) and at Pomeroy.
Bikes
You can use any type of bicycle along the Tissington Trail, including trikes, cargo bikes and tandems.
Do note that escooters are explicitly not allowed.
Toilets on the Tissington Trail
There are toilets in Ashbourne, at the Ashbourne Bike Hire (shortly after the tunnel), at the Tissington Snack Kiosk, at Hartington Station (not a a train station anymore), at Parsley Hay Bike Hire, at the Royal Oak pub (off the trail), and also in Pomeroy.
Ratings
Safety: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Hilliness: ⭐⭐⭐
Refreshment stops: ⭐⭐
Barriers: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Surface: ⭐⭐⭐
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐
Points of Interest
There is rich industrial heritage all along the Tissington Trail.
The village of Tissington has the remains of fortifications dating back to the English Civil War.
Look out for the Istrian stone Shelter (close to Parsley Hay).
Routes in Derbyshire
- Monsal Trail Traffic-free Cycle Route
- Tissington Trail Traffic-free Cycle Route
- High Peak Trail traffic-free cycle route
- Cloud Trail Traffic-free Cycle Route
Barriers on the Tissington Trail
There are some chicane barriers along this route, and in places there are bollards. The bollards are far enough apart to allow trikes through with ease, but the chicanes will be fairly tight.
In places, the trail is fairly narrow.
Bike Hire on the Tissington Trail
You can hire bicycles at Ashbourne Bike Hire, at the Bike Barn, and at Parsley Hay Bike Hire.
Of particular note is the fact that Parsley Hay Bike Hire also rents out adapted cycles, but do speak to them first.
Forecast for the Tissington Trail
What the Tissington Trail looks like
Video of the Tissington Trail cycle route
Getting to the Tissington Trail cycling route
Sadly, the nearest train station is Buxton, which is too far to be a practical option, especially if you’re cycling with kids.
There are car parks in Ashbourne, in Tissington village, at Thorpe car park, and again at Parsley Hay. These are pay and display car parks, and especially during summer school holidays can fill up quickly.
There are several camping options very close to the Tissington Trail, including the New Vincent Farm Caravan and Camping Site, and Peak View caravan site, Newhaven Lodge Farm.
Video of the Tissington Trail cycle route
Here’s a video of some of the trail.
More Routes
To find more routes, click this link.
DayCycle
DayCycle routes are routes can can easily be cycled by most people in a day, or part of a day. Do have a look at all the other DayCycle routes available on WillCycle. Many contain detailed route guides, as well as embedded maps (like the one below) from which you can download the GPX file for the route.