The Bamford Edge walk is one of the most popular in the Peak District National Park – and for good reason.
Hikers to Bamford Edge are rewarded with spectacular views of the Peak District from the rocky overhang which juts out over the picturesque village of Bamford.
Reaching Bamford Edge is stupidly easy – if you know where to go – which we didn’t.
Hopefully we can show you how to get to Bamford Edge Walk and avoid making the mistakes we made.
Why Hike Bamford Edge?
It was a cold, bleak afternoon in late April when we were driving around the Peak District looking for something to do.
We had a lot of activities and points of interest on our list – but only a short time to see as much as we could.
Driving to Ashford in the Water was horrific. Not only were the roads difficult but when we arrived we were greeted by a line up of cars.
Of course, this line was actually a queue to the exceptionally busy car park for Ashford in the Water.
One kind commuter on their way out stopped to pass his ticket through the drivers window.
Unfortunately, we chose not to take him up on the offer as the crowds were too unappealing,
Instead, we set off to find an attraction in the Peak District National Park which wasn’t overrun with tourists and day trippers.
We drove to the trail head for Thor’s cave only to discover there weren’t enough hours left in the day.
Thankfully, Bamford Edge is comparatively secluded and quiet.
Bamford Edge Trail head
Finding the trail head for the Bamford Edge Walk was more difficult than we expected.
If, like us, you make your way to Bamford Edge using Google Maps you’ll find yourself adjacent to the lake on a double line road underneath Bamford Edge.
Instead, save yourself 10 minutes of your life and follow the map below (or click this Google Maps link) to find the beginning of the trail head.
After driving underneath the walk we turned around at the north end of Ladybower dam and made our way back the way we came, taking the turn off to New Road.
Follow New Road up the hillside until it merges with The Clough. About 30 metres after the road merges you’ll see a pullover area and a fence you can use to climb over the barbed wire which keeps the sheep in.
From there, follow the well worn path up the mountain to Bamford Edge.
Bamford Edge Walk
From the Bamford Edge trail head to the Bamford Edge lookout is a 30 minute walk at a leisurely pace.
There is an unpaved path you can follow most of the way. Towards the top the path breaks into lots of different routes between the rocks.
Cold and wind prevented us from hanging around too long, even though the views over the Peak District were fantastic.
If you dress warmly and bring some think blankets, the lookout would be a lovely place for a picnic.
Bamford Edge walk can also be done in about 10 minutes if you’re keen.
We know this first hand because after returning from our walk, we realised we left some expensive kit up the mountain and had to return post-haste to find the item and to also make our dinner reservation 1 hour away.
Have you hiked Bamford Edge yet? What’s your favourite Peak District walk? Let us know in the comments below!
