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Carsington Water – Tissington Trail loop from Wirksworth

Carsington Water – Tissington Trail loop from Wirksworth

Hard

4.4

(14)

154

riders

Carsington Water – Tissington Trail loop from Wirksworth

03:12

58.8km

480m

Gravel riding

Hard gravel ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is right next to a parking lot.

Last updated: June 21, 2026

Tips

Your route passes through a protected area

Please check local regulations for:

Peak District National Park

Waypoints

Start point

Parking

Get Directions

5.08 km

Carsington Water

Highlight • Structure

Carsington Water is the ninth largest reservoir in England. When full it can hold 7,800 million gallons of water. The reservoir has good quality tracks around it to enjoy the good views and wildlife.

Tip by

7.97 km

Carsington Water

Highlight • Viewpoint

can get very busy with people if its good weather

Tip by

19.3 km

Tissington Trail Start (Ashbourne)

Highlight • Parking

Very polite and friendly staff. Young chap spotted the ti gravel bike a mile off, so we got chatting for 10-15 mins.. I found most people rather friendly around here...

Tip by

25.9 km

The Tissington Trail is a 13-mile (21 km) traffic-free trail that links Ashbourne to Parsley Hay via the spectacular White Peak countryside. The compacted gravel trail is relatively smooth and flat (save for a relatively steep incline at Mappleton), making it a great ride for all ages and abilities. The Tissington Trail is part of a network of former railway lines in this area that are now recreational routes, meaning the exploration options are plentiful.

The trail follows the former Buxton to Ashbourne railway line, which opened in 1899 and closed in 1967. After its closure, the route was transformed into a trail and opened to the public in 1971.

Tip by

40.4 km

Parsley Hay Visitor Centre and Bike Hire

Highlight • Cycleway

Great snack bar and bike hire centre. Makes for a good target to aim for when riding on the Tissington or High Peak Trails.

The snack bar doesn't have inside facilities so you'll have to use the picnic tables outside. These can be cold in winter as you're about 1,100 feet (335 m) up. There's some cover from the rain. and toilets facilities.

The bike hire centre offers various kinds of bikes including ones modified for disabled users and electric bikes.

Tip by

41.0 km

High Peak Trail

Highlight (Segment) • Trail

The High Peak Trail runs from Cromford to Parsley Hay. It is built on the route of a railway which itself was built by a canal company. They used the canal method of long flat sections joined by steep sections (as with locks on the canal). This means that the High Peak Trail has a couple of hills that are much steeper (about 1:12) than you would expect on a railway. All traffic free.

Great for families so long as you are careful on the downhill sections. There are refreshments at each end and at Middleton Top, the National Stone Centre and others along the way. Can be used as part of a circular route including the Tissington Trail and a link route between the Tissington Trail and Carsington Reservoir.

Tip by

57.5 km

High Peak Trail

Highlight • Cycleway

Great route for traffic-free cycling, the High Peak trail is a gravel track which follows the course of an old railway. This railway was owned by a canal company, so was built in an odd manner with long flat portions joined by steep sections (like canal locks) where the trains were often hauled uphill by stationary engines.

This means that most of the route is nice and flat but with inclines that will often mean pushing uphill. These include Cromford High Peak junction westwards (1:9 for about a mile), Middleton Top (1:8 with a surface including drainage channels across the track, so beware when descending especially as there are very steep drop-offs to the side), and Hopton (1:14 for about 500 yards or 457 metres).

You can get a good speed up downhill but be careful as surface is very loose.

Tip by

58.8 km

Middleton Top Engine House and railway wagon

Highlight • Historical Site

Notorious for its steep gradient, Middleton Top is a super climb with majestic views at the top. Plus, there's bike hire and a small cafe here. It has also been part of the Eroica Britannia route for the past few years – imagine that gradient with barely functioning, pre-1979 gearing. At the top of the incline there's the Middleton Top Engine House, as the track used to be the High Peak steam railway.

Tip by

58.8 km

End point

Parking

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

38.0 km

6.45 km

5.39 km

4.68 km

2.66 km

1.66 km

Surfaces

23.0 km

19.4 km

11.3 km

4.97 km

< 100 m

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

Highest point (350 m)

Lowest point (120 m)

Weather

Monday 31 August

21°C

10°C

19 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 23.0 km/h

to get more detailed weather forecasts along your route

Comments

January 24, 2026,Peak District Gravel Ride

Taking in the High Peak & Tissington Trails, with an extended Cafe/Repair stop

June 11, 2023,Tissington water and Carsington trail 🥵

The last minute decision to go back onto gravel tyres was the right one 😇

August 9, 2024,Windy 2 trail ride

High peak trail and Tissington trail great for traffic free rides even with the head winds , sidewinds and tailwinds💨 into Ashbourne which was very busy with HGVs passing through. Stopped off at The Miners Arms which has a lovely beer garden 👌🏻 and then missing a turn and doublingback to camp 😅

December 29, 2024,Old Smithy tearoooms, Monyash, from Carsington

Great day out not for the faint hearted unless you're on a ebike 😁
On a warmer day it would be worth checking out the Tagg Lane Dairy parlour for ice cream 🍦👍

March 3, 2025,Ashbourne, Parsley Hay and Cromford Canal

Beautiful day to try out my new gravel bike. Lots of wildlife en route,including the two lovely little grebes in the Cromford Canal 😊.

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Carsington Water – Tissington Trail loop from Wirksworth

Carsington Water

Carsington Water

Tissington Trail Start (Ashbourne)

Tissington Trail

Parsley Hay Visitor Centre and Bike Hire

High Peak Trail

High Peak Trail

Middleton Top Engine House and railway wagon

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