The Tissington Trail, Peak District

Follow ‘Fenny Bentley’ to go through a kissing gate and descend down a rough meadow, bearing left to duck-boards and a timber bridge over the stream in the bottom. Rise up the steepish far side of the valley, bearing a little to the right to reach the top of the hill; go through a small gate and on along the hedge(R) to double waymarked gates in a hedge. Carry on in a straight line, descending towards Fenny Bentley, close to the hedge on the left, then through 2 (slim!) metal gates. On reaching a lane at the edge of the village, turn left towards the church.

Go right through the churchyard to join the main road. The church of St. Edmund is noted for its fine screens and a 19th century hammerbeam roof of the nave and the chancel, with 26 angels.

2. Exiting through the lych-gate, beware the 3 steps down. Crossing the main road turn right for a few yards; just beyond the telephone box turn left at a signpost ‘Tissington 2’ and pass ‘The (1858) Old School’(L). In 40 yards fork right and rise up past a few houses going through a squeezer stile. After the last house(L), turn left up the meadow, aiming for a single gatepost.

Do not go through the gateway; on its right go round the hedge corner(L) and continue to rise up the meadow, heading for the top left corner. Short of the top, go over a waymarked stile under a hawthorn tree, then bear left to follow the hedge up two more large fields, the roofs of Bassett Wood Farm coming into view ahead. At the top of the last large field before the farm, turn right and just beyond a farm gate, take the stile(L) in the hedge; cross the field, passing a power pole(L) to another stile.

3. Turn right on the farm access road. In about 300 yards, including 100 yards beyond a lane(R) from ‘Tissington Treking Centre’, bear left along a hedge to a gate; staying close to the hedge cross a large field and go through a squeezer stile + gate. The line across the next field is diagonal, aiming for the far right corner to go through a small gate beside a farm gate. Walk on along a track to turn left across a cattle grid and walk down the road towards the village of Tissington, where refreshments can be obtained.

4. Having crossed the bridge over the former railway line, turn left to go down the track, then turn right to walk south on the trackbed, now the Tissington Trail. Pleasant farming country on the right is complemented by deciduous woodland on the left; in about ½ mile the farm visible on the hilltop away to the left is Bassett Wood, seen on the outward part of the walk. The Trail passes over the main A515 road, under a bridge and through the Fenny Bentley cutting before returning to the site of Thorpe station.