Chrome Hill and Parkhouse Hill Circular Walk

How does climbing the ‘Dragon’s Back of the Peak District’ sound? I thought that might get your attention. There are two iconic hills, called Chrome Hill and Parkhouse Hill, that are considered a must-see when you’re planning to explore the Peak District in England. 

This walk is a good mixture of trails, fields and ridges with some magnificent views of the surrounding area and beyond. (On a nice day I must add…) These limestone hills have an interesting history and a unique phenomenon occurs here during the summer months which adds to their charm. 

So, if you’re ready, pop your hiking boots on and let’s go…I mean carry on reading…

If you’d like to see our walk then make sure to watch our YouTube video linked below.

About Chrome Hill and Parkhouse Hill

Chrome Hill and Parkhouse Hill are located approximately 7 miles to the south of Buxton in the Peak District National Park. The hills lie next to each other on the north side of the River Dove in Derbyshire, England, close to the border with Staffordshire. 

You couldn’t actually access these hills for years, until under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 they were declared as open access land with a right of way to the summit.

When you have a closer look at Chrome Hill and Parkhouse Hill you might feel like you’re looking at coral reefs. Don’t worry your mind is not playing a trick on you. During the Carboniferous period the Peak District – and much of Britain – was covered by a tropical sea. So, on the ancient sea floor the tiny dead sea creatures accumulated over millions of years to form these large limestone piles called reef knolls. These hills are on the border of harder limestone and a softer shale rock. The softer rocks wore away over time leaving these two beautiful limestone hills behind. (Geology lesson over!)

Today they’re part of a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), recognised for their geology and limestone flora. You can spot some rare Jacob’s Ladder, a perennial flowering plant producing lavender, or white-coloured flowers. Chrome Hill in particular has a lot of Gigantoproductus fossils dating back many millions of years. 

Please Note! – It’s an offence to remove any geological sample, so please be mindful of that when visiting Chrome Hill.

Did you know? – In 1997 Jeff Kent discovered that you can see a double sunset against Chrome Hill. (Can we just pause for a moment and process this amazing phenomenon?) Apparently you can only see this from Glutton Bridge for a short period around the summer solstice. (Definitely landed on my bucket list!)

How to get to Chrome Hill

By Car: If you arrive by car, I recommend trying to park in Earl Sterndale, located approximately 7 miles to the southeast of Buxton. There’s no designated car park, but you can park along the road. (Please be mindful of the locals!) Make sure you arrive early if you come by car. If you come later in the day,  you might not even find a parking spot.

If you don’t have your own car but would like to enjoy the freedom of a private vehicle, then you can always hire a car to get to Chrome Hill.

By Public Transport: Whilst public transport accessibility is pretty limited, you can take Bus 442 running between Buxton and Ashbourne. Disembark at ‘Main Road’ in Earl Sterndale and you can start your walk behind The Quiet Woman pub. Bear in mind that whilst there’s an hourly service on weekdays, there are only about two services running on Saturday and no services on Sunday. If you’re arriving from further afield, I recommend travelling to Buxton first by train. 

Make sure to plan your journey with Trainline which also provides information on bus fares.

By Bike: The area around Chrome Hill and Parkhouse Hill isn’t just for walkers. Whilst obviously you can’t climb the hills with your bike, there are a few National and Local Cycle Routes you can cycle on. Or you could leave your bike at a safe place and do the hike as well.  

Useful to Know Before You Go

Length of the Route

Just a disclaimer…This was our third or fourth time at Chrome Hill. Since last time the weather conditions weren’t great I mixed my photos with previous ones where you can see the view slightly better. 

The route we chose to do (marked red as Route 1 on the map) was about 10 km (6 miles) long. Depending on your speed and weather conditions, this route could take at least 4 hours. On this occasion we only climbed Chrome Hill, purely because it was way too foggy and slippery to climb Parkhouse Hill, which is a bit tougher. However, if you decide to climb Parkhouse Hill (Route 2 in yellow), I would add an extra 45 minutes to an hour to your route. 

If you’re not ready to climb either of these hills, that’s perfectly fine too. You can just walk around them by following the blue route on the map above (Route 3). 

Level of Difficulty

If you’re planning on climbing Chrome Hill and Parkhouse Hill, I would rate the trail (Option A and B) as moderate. It has some steep ascents and descents and a bit of scrambling which isn’t the easiest to do. 

However, the weather conditions can make the climb difficult. Since the rock is limestone, after a rainy day it can be very slippery and muddy. The wind can also be your enemy, because you have basically no cover along the ridge. 

Even though we did the hike on a dry day, it was foggy and had rained the night before, therefore it was slightly challenging. I wouldn’t recommend setting off on a rainy day as you will be exposed, it will be extremely muddy and slippery, and you will be crawling on your butt in some sections (especially on Parkhouse Hill). Doesn’t sound too much fun if you ask me!

You can still do Option C (blue route) on a slightly rainy day if you wear waterproof clothes, since you’ll be walking along a road for the most part. (I wouldn’t suggest doing it in the pouring rain though!) 

In addition, there are some sections where you’ll have to walk along some small roads without pavements. You’ll also have to walk through some fields with livestock grazing in them. 

Facilities Around Chrome Hill and Parkhouse Hill

Cafés and picnic spots: This walk is slightly limited in terms of facilities. There’s a pub in Earl Sterndale called The Quiet Woman, if you’d like a bite to eat or to grab a drink. Therefore, I highly recommend packing your own lunch, water and hot drinks. If the weather is lovely you can stop for a picnic. You can definitely stop anywhere along the bottom of the hills, and even sit on the grass if it’s been a dry week. Otherwise, it will be wet and boggy so I wouldn’t bother.  

Toilet facilities: There are no public toilets along the trail so you’ll need to find a private spot somewhere along it. It might be a bit challenging, since it’s pretty open and popular. The best section is somewhere along the route behind Chrome Hill where there are some trees for cover. However, The Quiet Woman pub in Earl Sterndale will have toilets but those are only for customers. 

What to Wear and Bring With You?

You are in the north of England so weather conditions can change quickly. (One year on a sunny winter morning we ended up walking along the ridge in a hailstorm that came out of nowhere…) Since you’ll be climbing limestone hills, I highly recommend wearing proper walking shoes. Also, you’ll be exposed for most of the trail so wear weather appropriate clothing. Make sure you check the weather forecast before you set off and have a few layers with you. (You might get a bit warm climbing uphill!)

Since there are not many facilities in the immediate vicinity, pack some snacks and have plenty of water with you.

Chrome Hill and Parkhouse Hill Trail

1. Earl Sterndale to Chrome Hill and Parkhouse Hill

If you park at Earl Sterndale, the footpath to Chrome Hill starts just to the right of The Quiet Woman pub. There will be a sign labeled toward Chrome Hill and Hollinsclough. You’ll have to walk through some fields here which are pretty easy to navigate between, just follow the public footpath sign. 

Soon Parkhouse Hill will appear in front of you. (Unless you picked a foggy day like us…) You’ll need to make your way down the steep slope and cross the B5053. By crossing the stile you’ll step straight onto the carriageway, so make sure you are cautious when crossing the road.  After climbing over the stile on the opposite side, you have two options depending on which way you’d like to complete the trail. 

You can go straight up Parkhouse Hill, or you can walk through the field on your left and go around Chrome Hill first. Since it was foggy we decided to do the latter by hoping the fog would lift by the time we completed the circle. (Spoiler alert: the fog did not lift!)

So, if you’re heading to the left, you’ll eventually end up on an unnamed road. You’ll have to follow that which hugs the southern aspect of Parkhouse Hill. Once you get to a fork in the road, take the left route, following the sign towards Hollinsclough. 

2. Hollinsclough to Chrome Hill

You’ll reach Hollinsclough in about 15 minutes. I suggest you look back a few times to see the beautiful hills behind you. 

There really isn’t much in Hollinsclough other than a Methodist Chapel, a primary school and a chapel hall. Even the closest shops are over 3 km (2 miles) to the southeast in Longnor. Turn right at the T-Junction and just as you are passing the last house along Hollinsclough Rake, there will be a footpath sign on your right. This will lead you around the back of Chrome Hill. This section of the path is slightly more sheltered. Just follow the well ‘trodden’ trail crossing the River Dove and leading up onto another – wider – trail. This part might be slightly steep and muddy. 

Once you’re on the wider path, just follow that until you pass one small farm house and a bigger estate on your left. About 200 m after passing the second farmhouse, the path will split into two roads. If you don’t want to climb Chrome Hill then you need to carry on along the road on your left. However, if you’d like to climb the hill then you’ll need to take the road on your right. This track leads to Stoop Farm and will become a private road so you’ll need to follow the public footpath sign guiding you across some fields.

3. Climbing over Chrome Hill

You’ll eventually come to another track and a signpost. Follow the sign for Chrome Hill hugging a wall on your left. After passing the farm on your right and descending a very steep section, you’ll need to continue following the sign towards Chrome Hill. The land on your right is private which will be clearly marked. You’ll soon reach a gate, after which you’ll ‘officially’ start ascending Chrome Hill. This immediate section is a bit steep and can be muddy so take your time. Once you’ve reached a flatter section, that means you’re on the back of the ‘dragon’. I think the trail from here isn’t particularly hard on a nice, dry day. However, it can be very muddy and slippery on a wet day, so proceed with caution. 

Make sure to admire the view (if you can) because it’s truly amazing. You should also appreciate some of the cool formations, like the natural arch about halfway through. From about halfway you’ll be able to see Parkhouse Hill in the distance, and with a good camera you can shoot some pretty epic photos. 

Just a warning, the descent will be very steep. Last time we actually climbed the hill the other way around and it took us a while to climb straight up! (Yes it is straight up believe me!) So just take your time, and take some cool shots of that lonely tree along the trail ideally placed for some great photos. 

After descending Chrome Hill, you have two options again. You can just cross the road and climb Parkhouse Hill or walk back along the route you arrived on. Since it was foggy, muddy and looked like most people were crawling on their butts we decided to climb Parkhouse Hill another day. 

Additional Things to Do in the Peak District

If you’d like to see more of the Peak District make sure to check out some of my other blog posts:

Macclesfield Forest. A 10 km circular route filled with unique features from dense pine forestation to an abandoned farmhouse, and even a miniature Matterhorn.

Monsal Dale and Wye Valley Walk. A 10 km circular route in Monsal Dale and the Wye Valley along the River Wye and Deep Dale, stopping at Monsal Head and Ashford-in-the-Water.

Padley Gorge Walk. A magical walk in the Peak District which will make you feel like you’re walking through an enchanted forest.

Three Shires Head Walk. A picturesque waterfall, located at the meeting point of three counties in the north of England: Cheshire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire.

The Trinnacle Walk at Dovestone Reservoir. See some picturesque landscapes and do some cool things like climbing on top of a three-pronged grit-stone stack called the Trinnacle.

Chatsworth House and Gardens. Explore Britain’s favourite country house and thousands of acres of surrounding parkland.

Final Thoughts on the Chrome Hill and Parkhouse Hill Hike

Even though this particular day wasn’t the best I still enjoyed the walk. Both hills are amazing and I cannot wait to go back on a nicer day and finally climb Parkhouse Hill too. 

Have you ever been to Chrome Hill and Parkhouse Hill before? If so, have you climbed either of them and how much of the area did you manage to explore? Let me know in the comments below.