Holme Moss to Snailsden and Britland Edge Hill
It packs a genuine sense of wilderness into ten kilometres - trackless peat, two rarely-visited tops and the huge radio mast of Holme Moss as your landmark all the way round.
Effort: Moderate distance, manageable climb
Underfoot: Technical, navigation required
E2·T4 — how we grade routesA short but serious 10.4km moor loop from Holme Moss out to the trig on Snailsden and over Britland Edge Hill at 523m. Little distance, but proper pathless peat and navigation on the high Pennine watershed.
It packs a genuine sense of wilderness into ten kilometres - trackless peat, two rarely-visited tops and the huge radio mast of Holme Moss as your landmark all the way round.
The route
From the free car park high on Holme Moss, drop onto the moor and head out across open ground towards the trig pillar on Snailsden, then work along the watershed to Britland Edge Hill at 523m. There are no made paths for much of it; you follow the lie of the land, the fence lines and the peat groughs across some of the roughest ground in the northern Peak. The loop is only 10.4km with 155m of climbing, but the terrain does the work - expect wet feet, slow going and real navigation. The Holme Moss transmitter mast, one of the tallest structures in the north, is your constant reference on the skyline.
The ground
This is blanket bog at its most uncompromising: deep peat hags, sphagnum, cotton grass and long stretches with no path at all. In cloud it is a place for map, compass and confidence, not GPS alone. In clear weather the views run north over the Holme valley and south across the Dark Peak.
Why it works
It is the antidote to a busy honeypot route: short enough for an evening in summer, wild enough to feel like a proper outing. Treat the grade with respect - the low distance hides genuinely hard, exposed terrain, which is why it earns its rating on the ground rather than the numbers.
Good to know
This is a short outing that runs like a much bigger one, so do not be fooled by the distance. Save it for settled, clear weather: in mist the trackless peat gives nothing away and the going is slow and serious. Carry map, compass and the confidence to use them, plus a windproof and warm layer for the exposed tops. Dogs are not permitted on the access land around Snailsden because of ground-nesting birds, and the ground is genuinely wet, so waterproof shoes and a willingness to get muddy are part of the deal.
Long trackless sections of deep peat bog and groughs, very slow and wet underfoot, with serious navigation needed in cloud where the ground is featureless. Fully exposed to weather. Access is restricted around Snailsden for ground-nesting birds - check before you go.
Safety on this route
- No signal? Text 999 — pre-register first: text register to 999
- Tell someone your route and expected return time before you head out
Leave No Trace
- Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but memories.
- Please respect the countryside and all its inhabitants.
- Dogs on leads near livestock, and around ground-nesting birds from March to July.
- Gates as you find them — open or closed, leave it that way for the farmer and the next runner.
- Take it all home — wrappers, peel, tissue, the lot. It doesn't count as biodegradable if you can still see it.
- Stick to the path where the ground either side is wet, planted, or nesting habitat.
Common questions
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