The Padley Gorge Circular in the Peak District has been crowned the UK's best walking route by camping gear retailer Go Outdoors, based on TripAdvisor reviews. The 9.5km trail on the Longshaw Estate offers views across Derbyshire's Big Moor and has been described by recent visitor Zoe Tehrani as 'the most magical and mystical walk in the Peak District'.
What makes the walk special
Much of the route follows the bank of Burbage Brook, a rocky stream that one TikTok user described as 'a scene from "Merlin"'. The area is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), known for birdwatching, dragonflies, and moss-covered boulders. The circular walk is straightforward and takes about an hour and a half to complete.
Pub stop and recommendations
The walk starts and finishes at the 17th-century Grouse Inn, a 'proper pub' where local guide Evelina Semenova recommends the steak and ale pie, which she describes as 'consistently excellent'. To qualify for the ranking, each walk had to finish within easy reach of a pub, with service, beer selection, and roast dinner quality factored in.
How to get there
The Longshaw Estate is about a three-and-a-half-hour drive from London. There are pay-and-display car parks nearby, and some roadside parking is available. Grindleford is the closest train station, about a mile from the start, and local bus services stop within a short walk.
Other top contenders included Studley Royal Park in North Yorkshire and Arlington Reservoir in East Sussex.
