New Mills, old hills and a (s)pond(s)

Walk leader: Lotte
Date: 07/06/2026
Difficulty: Moderate
Start time: 10:05
End time: 16:13
Start and end point (circular walk): New Mills Central train station
Start point - What 3 Words: ///crouching.jokers.shows
Distance (in miles): 12.5
Ascent (in meters): 550
Which Ethels are included in your walk, if any?: Black Hill, Sponds Hill
Is your walk dog friendly?: Yes, well-behaved dogs kept on a lead
Full description:
Starting from the station at New Mills Central, we follow the canal to Furness Vale before going into the countryside. A path will bring us close to Black Hill, but there are no marked trails to the summit, so be prepared for a boggy trek uphill. We then descend back onto the path and continue westward to Sponds Hill. After reaching that summit, we go back on ourselves a little bit and cross through Lyme Park. Depending on the timing, we can have a stop at Timber Yard Café. The last bit of the route follows the canal from Disley back to New Mills.

Most of the walk should be easy going, but please bear in mind that the distance is quite long. Due to this week's rain, it can also be very muddy, so you will need to wear sturdy walking boots. Don't forget your waterproofs, either! The café is located near the end of the walk, so please bring a packed lunch.

Public transport or car sharing options:
Outbound train: 09:14 Sheffield > 10:01 New Mills Central
Return train: 16:13 New Mills Central > 17:04 Sheffield

There is no parking at New Mills Central train station. The "Torr Top Street Car Park - HPBC" in the village tends to fill up quickly on weekends. If you're driving, please don't forget to offer lifts in the comments on Meetup.

Be prepared:
Please remember to dress appropriately for the time of year, with enough layers, sun protection if required, a waterproof, as well as food and water. Further information on what to bring can be found on our website here: https://www.sheffieldwalkinggroup.org.uk/be-prepared

Sign-up:
Sign-up for this walk opens 5 days before the event. If you sign up and can no longer make it, please be respectful of others and remove yourself from the event so that others can take your place. We request you do this ***NO LATER THAN 6pm*** the night before the walk.

Please note:
Sheffield 20’s and 30’s Walking Group is part of the Ramblers, a registered charity. All of our leaders are volunteers. Everyone is welcome to join us on our walks, there is no need to contact us in advance, and as long as you have a place on our Meetup booking system you can just show up. Non-members can come on up to 3 walks before joining the group. After 3 walks, we require you to sign up as a Ramblers member for insurance purposes. More information about the group can be found at https://www.sheffieldwalkinggroup.org.uk/faqs.