Recreational Route: London/Southern England/East Midlands/Northwest England
Princes Risborough to Stockport
363km/230 miles
A route linking southern and northern England, connecting the Ridgeway in the Chilterns with the Trans Pennine Trail on the edge of the Pennines via historic estates, farmland and the Peak District National Park. Some parts of the Way follow already existing paths, and the route is easily linked into the London path network. Officially it begins at Pulpit Hill near Little Kimble, but the guidebook listed below also describes a 5km/3-mile link from the station at Princes Risborough.
The route was opened in 1994 as a collaboration between numerous local authorities and user groups. For most of its length It is a multi-user route also open to cyclists and horse riders, apart from a section in Derbyshire which is only open to walkers. There are numerous sections where the recommended route for walkers is different from the route for other users, and the information on the this page mainly covers the walkers' route. Information on the bridleway route is available from the British Horse Society.
Walkers from the London area can approach the Midshires Way via the South Bucks Way which follows the valley of the river Misbourne for 37km/23 miles between the Ridgeway at Coombe Hill and the Grand Union Canal and London LOOP at Denham Lock. Coombe Hill is on the Ridgeway 5km/3 miles east of Little Kimble, providing an easy link to the Midshires Way.
The bridleway route has a different starting point on the Ridgeway at Bledlow. This section, which of course is also open to walkers, is also know as Swan's Way, a 65-mile/104km bridleway route from Goring along the Ridgeway to Bledlow and then on to Salcey Forest where it meets the Ridgeway walkers' route.
The walkers' route from Pulpit Hill across the Vale of Aylesbury incorporates the North Bucks Way, a route originally devised by local Ramblers. The North Bucks Way leaves the Midshires Way at Whaddon to continue for a short distance tothe river Great Ouse at Wolverton, Milton Keyne, 56km/35 miles from Pulpit Hill.
The Brampton Valley Way is an attractive linear country park along a disused railway line between Northampton and Market Harborough (22.5km/14 miles), providing an off-road multi-user route that is also part of National Cycle Network Route 6. The Midshires Way follows it for most of its route.
The High Peak Trail is a multi-user trail along a disused railway line from Cromford to Dowlow, across the White Peak area of the Peak District National Park (30km/18 miles). The Midshires Way uses all but the short eastern section of the Trail. The Tissington Trail is another old railway route running 21km/13 miles from Ashbourne via Tissington and Hartington, joining the High Peak Trail/Midshires Way at Parsley Hay.
The Goyt Way is a 16km/10 mile route following the river Goyt from Whaley Bridge to Etherow Country Park, now entirely part of the Midshires Way. A section also forms part of European Path E2.
The Etherow-Goyt Valley Way runs for 25km/15.5 mile along the Etherow and Goyt rivers, connecting Vernon Park, Stockport with the Longdendale and the Longendale Trail in the Peak District National Park, via Etherow and Werneth Low Country Parks. The Midshires Way uses it between Etherow Country Park and Vernon Park.
 | The section along the Goyt Way and Etherow-Goyt Valley Way between Marple and Broadbottom is part of European path E2. |
 | Some easy access sections. Contact individual highway authorities for details. |
Connects with
Midshires Way:
South Bucks Way/Ridgeway:
Etherow-Goyt Valley Way:
- Langendale Trail
- Tameside Trail (E2)
Parks and countryside
Highway Authorities
Tourist Information Centres
- Ashbourne 01335 343666
- Aylesbury 01296 330559, www.aylesburyvale.net
- Bakewell 01629 813227
- Buxton 01298 25106
- Derby 01332 255802
- Leicester 0116 299 8888
- London Numerous TICs, including one in Hillingdon. Click here for details.
- Loughborough 01509 218113
- Market Harborough 01858 821270
- Matlock 01629 583388
- Melton Mowbray 01664 480992
- Milton Keynes 01908 558300
- Northampton 01604 622677, www.northampton.gov.uk/Tourism
- Nottingham 0115 915 5330
- Reading 0118 956 6226
- Stockport 0161 474 4444
- Thame 01844 212834
- Wallingford 01491 826972
- Wendover 01296 696759, www.chilternweb.co.uk/wendover
See also Peak District National Park.
Public Transport
- For details of public transport on the Ridgeway, see the Ridgeway page.
- Stations on or near the Swan's Way at Princes Risborough (near Bledlow) and Milton Keynes Central.
- Stations on or near the South Bucks Way at Uxbridge (a few km down the Grand Union Canal), Denham, Amersham, Great Missenden and Wendover.
- Stations on or near the North Bucks Way at Monks Risborough, Little Kimble, Wolverton.
- In Northamptonshire the Way does not pass near to stations but can be reached by bus at various points from Northampton, Kettering and Market Harborough.
- In Leicestershire the Way does not pass near to stations but can be reached by bus at various points from Market Harborough and Leicester.
- In Nottinghamshire the Way mainly does not pass near to stations but can be reached by bus at various points from Leicester, Loughborough and Nottingham. Sawley is close to Long Eaton station.
- Stations on or near the Way and High Peak Trail in Derbyshire at Duffield, Belper, Cromford, Buxton, Whaley Bridge. Bus connections from Derby and Nottingham, Bakewell, Ashbourne and Buxton. The Tissington Trail is served by buses between Ashbourne and Buxton. For more on public transport in the Peak District National Park, click here.
- Stations on the Goyt Way and Stockport section of Midshires Way at Furness Vale, New Town, New Mills, Strines, Marple and Stockport. Numerous local buses in this area.
- Stations on the Etherow-Goyt Valley Way at Broadbottom and Hadfield.
For more on finding out about public transport, click here.
Maps
Swan's Way 171; South Bucks Way 172
Swan's Way 174; South Bucks Way 175, 176
The route is shown on the latest editions of these maps.
Publications
- Walking the Midshires Way by Ron Haydock and Bill Allen, ISBN 1 850058 778 7. Sigma £7.95.
Describes walkers' route from Princes Risborough to Stockport in 17 sections of 16km/10 miles to 6.5km/4 miles with sketch maps, route description in both directions, notes on features of interest. - Individual leaflets may also be available from the appropriate local authority:
- Midshires Way in Buckinghamshire, Bledlow or Great Kimble to Salcey Forest, 73.5km/46 miles or 65.5km/41 miles
- Midshires Way in Northamptonshire, Salcey Forest to Welham, 73.5km/46 miles
- Midshires Way Leicestershire, Welham to Old Dalby, 48km/30 miles
- Midshires Way Nottinghamshire, Old Dalby to Sawley, 32km/20 miles
- Midshires Way Derbyshire Section 1, Sawley/Long Eaton to Duffield, 28km/17.5 miles
- Midshires Way Derbyshire Section 2, Duffield to Dowlow, 46.5km/29 miles (does not include a detailed description of the High Peak Trail section between Middleton Top and Dowlow, since this is easy to follow)
- Midshires Way Derbyshire Section 3, Dowlow to Whaley Brdige, 33.5km/21 miles
- The Goyt Way (Stockport), Whaley Bridge to Etherow Country Park, 16km/10 miles
- Midshires Way (Stockport), Compstall to Stockport 12km/7.5 miles
- Vale of Aylesbury Countryside Pack, including North Bucks Way, and Chilterns and South Bucks Countryside Pack, including Swan's Way and South Bucks Way. £3 each or £5 for both packs from Buckinghamshire County Council.
www.buckscc.gov.uk/countryside/recreational_routes - Brampton Valley Way. Free leaflet from Northamptonshire County Council's Brixworth Country Park.
- High Peak and Tissington Trails, free leaflet from Derbyshire County Council at Middleton Top Visitor Centre.
- High Peak Trail: Circuit Walks from Middleton Top, 25p, and Circuit Walks Around Wirksworth 1-4, 35p each. Leaflets for circular walks connecting with the High Peak Trail and Midshires Way from Derbyshire County Council at Middleton Top Visitor Centre.
- Walking the High Peak Trail by John Merrill, ISBN 1 87475 411 X. Walk & Write £3.95. Guide with sketch maps.
- Walking the Tissington Trail by John Merrill, ISBN 1 87475 410 1. Walk & Write £3.95. Guide with sketch maps.
- Etherow-Goyt Valley Way: A Walking Guide, booklet £2.25 from Tameside council. Useful booklet with sketch maps, photos and background details.
