The Peak District Chrome Hill Walk With Breathtaking Views
This incredible Chrome Hill walk route will take you across two challenging high points and offer some of the very best views that the Peak District has to offer.
This walking route can get steep, rocky and is not for the faint-hearted – so make sure you’ve got all of your kit and supplies for the journey. If you’re not so experienced, you can try one of our other Peak District walking recommendations for a more casual adventure.
Here’s the route and some of the best stops and sights along the way.
The Chrome Hill (and Parkhouse Hill) Walking Route
Earl Sterndale
Before you set off, we highly recommend checking the weather for this trail. As you approach the higher areas, the rocky terrain can get slippery on a rainy day so to really get the most from the route, we’d recommend tackling it when the weather is okay.
You’ll start your walk to the summit from a trail next to the Quiet Woman pub in East Sterndale (SK17 0BU). After following the natural path through a few gates, you’ll reach some open fields where you’ll want to continue for around half a kilometre following the path before you pass over both of the stiles you encounter.
You’ll quite quickly come to a road and all you need to do is cross over and pick up the path again on the other side.
Carry on ahead through the gate and follow the path to the right where it splits until you arrive at another gate. You’ve arrived at the foot of one of the two big climbs, Parkhouse Hill.
Parkhouse Hill
Parkhouse Hill is one of the two distinctive limestone viewpoints you’ll encounter on this trail, but you’ll mostly tackle it on the way down from Chrome Hill.
Once you pass through the gate, you want to head right and cross through the opening between two fences as you approach the farm.
Continue across this stretch of the field until you meet up with the lane parallel to the front of the farm, take a left and follow through these gates until you reach a path running parallel to the fence.
Follow this trail for around three-quarters of a kilometre and when you reach the stile, hop over and carry on through the gate ahead.
Continue left on the trail and follow it over the next couple of stiles and gates until you reach the road.
Head right on the road and continue ahead for a while until you reach a left turn onto another, quieter road. Following this road up for a couple of hundred feet, you’ll want to take a left over the stile and follow the steep downhill trail.
Continue to follow the trail and it will take you through a few more gates as you reach your lowest point of the descent before the steep climb up to the viewpoint at the top of Chrome Hill.
Chrome Hill Walk
The walk up to the peak is pretty straightforward, although a bit rocky. The trail is straight and will lead you to the viewpoint at the top of Chrome Hill.
Be aware of the terrain if it’s particularly wet or slippy as the limestone can cause some problems without the right equipment.
From the top, you’ll have some incredible views of the surrounding landscape and Parkhouse Hill. This might be a great place to stop and take some photos or just soak in one of the best views in the area.
After a pitstop at the top to take in the view, it’s time to begin the descent. Head towards the eastern slope of the hill and navigate your way down to Parkhouse Hill below. Be careful, it can be steep!
Continue to follow the path through another gate and eventually you will reach a road on the other side of a stile.
At this point, you can make your way up Parkhouse Hill for yet another fantastic view of the area, or continue on down the road, bypassing the hill, and follow the base of it for slightly easier terrain.
For those wanting to take the hilly route, you can follow the gated path up by the farm you passed earlier on and follow the trail to the top to take in another great view and add an extra challenge to the route.
If you’re following the foot of the hill, you will eventually reach a familiar path on the road that you can easily follow back through the gates and fields to where your trail began, the Quiet Woman pub.
More About the Chrome Hill Walking Route
This walking route can get quite hilly and slippy because of the rocky terrain. It’s not suitable for smaller children or really inexperienced walkers and we’d definitely recommend a good pair of boots and some essential equipment to help make the trail a bit easier.
Parkhouse Hill also has a scramble route for those looking for a more adrenaline-filled journey to the top. It’s quite slippy and the rocks can be pretty loose, so again, we’d recommend choosing a day that’s not too wet and windy to try and get the most out of the experience.
Your starting point, the Quiet Woman pub, has a selection of food and drink for when you’re all finished on the hike, making this walking route a brilliant option for a full day out exploring the Peak District and Chrome Hill.
