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The Roaches Peak District
View of Hen Cloud Roaches Staffordshire Peak District
The Roaches Peak District
The Roaches Peak District
The Roaches Peak District
The Roaches Peak District
Luds Church Roaches Staffordshire Peak District
On Ramshaw Rocks, Roaches, Staffordshire Peak District

Winter Warmer – The Roaches

A walk with wild moorland, stunning gritstone hills and a fascinating chasm on the Staffordshire side of the Peak District:

  • Distance: 11 miles/18km.
  • Ascent: 2300ft/700m of ascent.
  • Difficulty: Harder.
  • Great For: New and experienced hill walkers who are reasonably fit.
  • Approx Timings: 0915 – 1600. Final confirmation when you book.
  • Start/Finish:  The Former Roaches Tea Rooms, Upper Hulme, Leek, ST13 8TY.
  • Location Map >

£45.00

SKU Winter Warmer - The Roaches Categories ,

Description

The Roaches Guided Walk

The Route: The Roaches are spectacular rock formations which rise to 1657 ft/ 505m above the Staffordshire Moorlands. Our route includes ascents of Hen Cloud and Ramshaw Rocks and a walk across the beautiful, less-frequented Gradbach Hill.  A visit to a deep and legendary rock chasm called Luds Church precedes a walk along the entire length of the Roaches main ridge.  This is a wonderful day’s hiking, and full of variety with history, wildlife, unusual geology and far reaching views across the surrounding countryside.

Want to ask a question about this walk?  Please Contact Us >

Additional information

Walk Date

Saturday 23 January 2027

What’s included?

Included
  • Qualified Mountain Leader or Hill and Moorland Leader with Outdoor First Aid Qualifications.
  • Guiding throughout the day with briefing advice and support to ensure your safety.
  • Narrative on local points of interest, wildlife, geology, history and culture.
  • Optional photography of your day which can be shared with you.
  • The option of a free, return lift from a station or bus stop to the start of your walk to encourage sustainable travel. We can only arrange this if we have spare space in our vehicle and the pick-up point is reasonably close to your walk. Ask us when you book.
Not Included:
  • Parking or transport costs associated with your walk.
  • Essential walking kit or food.
  • Navigation equipment and maps for Navigation Courses (we will help if we have spares).

What to Bring

Here’s an Essential Kit Kist for all our walks >

Meeting and Parking

We meet at the layby opposite the entrance to the former (now closed) Roaches Tea Rooms, Paddock Farm, Roach Road, Upper Hulme, Leek, ST13 8TY.

Please Note: 

  • The postcode on Satnav may not take you all the way to the Tea Rooms.
  • The former Tea Rooms are up the little lane that leads north west out of the village of Upper Hulme – please see a Google Map showing the location here.
  • There is parking in the layby opposite the Tea Rooms’ entrance or in the fields adjacent (please bring £5 in coins for parking in case needed).

If local parking arrangements change closer to the date of the walk we will inform and update you with new guidance. 

Coming by Bus or Train?
We’re keen to support public transport use and reduce emissions. If you’re arriving reasonably nearby, we’ll give you a free lift.  Ask us when you book.

Facilities

The former Roaches Tea Rooms are now closed so unfortunately there are no facilities where we meet. Leek, a traditional Staffordshire Market Town, is 5 miles / 9 kilometres away, with public toilets, shops, pubs, hotels, restaurants, fuel stations and accommodation.  See map here.

Walk Difficulty

This is a Harder Walk.  Here is our walk difficulty guide >

FAQs

We have created a separate page of the most frequently asked questions here >

Accommodation

Click here to see a Google map of accommodation near this walk’s start.

Our Recommendation

30 minutes drive from the Roaches, Peak Walking Adventures owners, Sian and Richard, have created a self-contained B&B in Hognaston, in the Derbyshire Dales, close to the market towns of Ashbourne and Wirksworth.  If you’re booking a guided walk with Peak Walking Adventures, we may be able to give you a free return lift to your walk.  Set in a converted 18th-century tailor’s shop, our “Peak Walking Retreat” offers space for 2–3 guests. Spread over two floors, it has its own private entrance and parking, providing a self-contained space where you can relax and unwind. Fifteen minutes’ walk from Carsington Water, the pretty village of Hognaston has its own pub.  Peak Walking Retreat >

Other Options

We have also created a page of Peak District accommodation we recommend here >

 

 

Respect, Protect and Enjoy!

We all want to respect, protect and enjoy the fragile upland environments where we walk, so that they can be enjoyed by generations to come.  Following The Countryside Code really helps…

Respect:
  • Be considerate to those living in, working in and enjoying the countryside
  • Leave gates and property as you find them
  • Do not block access to gateways or driveways when parking
  • Be nice, say hello, share the space
  • Follow local signs and keep to marked paths unless wider access is available
Protect:
  • Take your litter home – leave no trace of your visit
  • Do not light fires and only have BBQs where signs say you can
  • Always keep dogs under control and in sight
  • Dog poo – bag it and bin it – any public waste bin will do
  • Care for nature – do not cause damage or disturbance
Enjoy:
  • Check your route and local conditions
  • Plan your adventure – know what to expect and what you can do
  • Enjoy your visit, have fun, make a memory
Want to know more?
  • Sustainability – our actions and fund raising to support the local environment, communities and economy.
  • Contact Us – ask a question or make a suggestion.
Ask us a question