Route Overview
| Distance | 16.63 miles |
|---|---|
| Surface | The surface is unsealed throughout. After rain, it can be a bit muddy in places. |
| Difficulty | Moderate |
| Child-Friendliness | ✅ Very child-friendly |
| Suitable Bikes | Anything (including trikes) |
| Barriers | There are no barriers, but there are some fairly tight chicanes. Trikes and cargo bikes should be able to get through with care. |
| Café / Food | There are a number of cafés on the route - see below for more details. |
| Train Access | The nearest train station is Buxton, but there is no cycling-friendly route from the station to the trail. |
| Parking | You can park at various places along the trail, but be warned that car parks fill up quickly. All the car parks are pay and display. You can park at Parsley Hey (SK17 0DG), Tissington (DE6 1RA), Mapleton Lane in Ashbourne (DE6 1FD) at at Alsop Station. |
The 16.6 mile long 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 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.
Hilliness
The Tissington Trail is continuously uphill for the first half, before levelling off.
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
- Longendale Trail
- Monsal Trail Traffic-free Cycle Route
- Tissington Trail Family-friendly 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.
Safety from traffic
The Tissington Trail is completely traffic-free.
Child friendliness
This route is very child-friendly, but do consider starting in the middle, if cycling with younger kids.
Social safety
Most of the route is very remote, though during high season that shouldn’t be an issue, as it will be busy.
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.
More Routes
To find more routes, click this link.
Interactive map for the Tissington Trail
You can download the GPX file from the map below, simply by clicking the GPX button. Hovering over the elevation profile will show the elevation for that point along the route, in both metres and feet. It will also show the gradient.
If viewing the map on your phone, you will also see a Find Me, Navigate and Record Route button, below the map. WillCycle Supporters can have voice turn-by-turn navigation of the route.
And finally…
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