Stanage-North Lees Estate & Stanage Edge
The Stanage-North Lees Estate, including the iconic Stanage Edge, is located close to the village of Hathersage and includes moorland, rock edges, woodland and conservation-grazed farmland with numerous walks, trails and views.
You can stay close-by at the nearby campsite or at a self-catering cottage both on estate itself.
A reasonable level of fitness is required to take the short walk and scramble to the rock edge. There are no formal or surfaced paths.
Dogs must be on a short lead at all times anywhere on the estate.
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The 542ha Stanage-North Lees Estate is owned and cared for by the National Park Authority in partnership with the Stanage Forum and a tenant farmer based close to North Lees Hall.
Perhaps the most well-known feature is the three-and-a-half mile long Stanage Edge, a gritstone escarpment that is considered the ‘home’ of rock climbing. Some 1,200-plus documented climbing and bouldering routes are possible along its length or in the ‘Plantation’ area.
Two large car parks and two smaller car parks have walking trails that take you directly onto the edge at various points along its length, which require a short amount of scrambling as you reach the rocks themselves. Additional trails criss-cross neighbouring hills and take you further onto other nearby estates managed by the National Trust and others. The estate can also be accessed via the Redmires reservoir complex along Long Causeway close to Fulwood in Sheffield.
Unfortunately, there are no accessible routes due to the rugged terrain at Stanage-North Lees and pushchairs are not recommended at Stanage Edge. Motorised vehicles, including motorbikes are not allowed off-road anywhere on the estate.
The whole landscape has been influenced by man and contains a wide range of interesting features, four of which are Scheduled Ancient Monuments. These include the remains of a Catholic Chapel, a Romano-British settlement and Bronze Age sites. Buildings include traditional farm buildings that predate the 16th century North Lees Hall (Grade II* Listed) which has literary associations with the novel 'Jane Eyre' by Charlotte Bronte. At the top of the long causeway Stanage Pole can be found on the boundary with South Yorkshire and Sheffield.
Facilities
parking icon Parking
Parking is available at a number of locations to access the estate, including two primary car parks at Hollin Bank and Hooks Carr, with smaller sites at Dennis Knoll and Upper Burbage. All are around 20-30 minutes walk to Stanage Edge. Sat Nav postcodes cover a large proportion of the local area so online maps or What3Words is recommended:
- Hooks Carr Car Park: ///sweep.craft.bill
- Hollin Bank Car Park: ///tunes.takes.spun
- Dennis Knoll Car Park: ///arrow.stable.exile
- Upper Burbage Car Park: ///these.inches.impose
All locations are Pay & Display, including by card.
Please don’t park on verges or other areas outside of designated parking bays as this damage the local landscape, block or obstruct farm machinery and emergency vehicles.
This is a popular location and car parking areas can often reach capacity early in the day, especially during weekends and major holidays.
Sorry, EV charging is not currently available at these car park locations. EV facilities are available for guests of the North Lees campsite and Cattis Side Cottage.
There is no provision for overnight camping or stays anywhere on the estate apart from our designated campsite.
cafe icon toilet icon Café and toilets
There are no permanent food or drink facilities available at the main car parks on the estate. Seasonal ice cream providers may be present at Upper Burbage and the village of Hathersage is around 10 minutes by car from the estate with numerous food and drink outlets.
Public toilets are available around 250 metres east of Hollin Bank car park on The Dale road. There are no visitor facilities on the top of Stanage Edge itself.
picnic icon no bbq icons Picnics, no BBQs
You can enjoy a picnic anywhere on the estate within Open Access land, but please take home what you bring. There are no bins on top of Stanage Edge due its remote nature.
BBQs or fires of any sort are not permitted anywhere on the estate or within our car parks.
Camping / wild camping / accommodation
There is no permission for ‘wild camping’ anywhere on the Stanage-North Lees estate.
The North Lees Campsite is a short walk from Stanage Edge and includes numerous field tent pitches, pods, an accessible pod and a small number of campervan bays.
The National Park also owns and operates a self-catering property a short walk from the North Lees Campsite known as Cattis Side Cottage, with bookings available throughout the year.
Dog icon Visiting with your dog
Dogs are welcome but only if kept on a short lead at all times for the safety and respect of other visitors, to avoid conflict with sheep or cattle that may be present and to avoid damage to nesting and feeding wildlife. Please bag, secure and take your dog's poo home.
Additional seasonal restrictions apply at Stanage Edge for wildlife protection, so please take note of any additional signage in place during spring and summer.
It is a legal requirement for dogs to be on a short lead on Open Access land from 1st March every year and this includes the vast majority of the estate.
More on visiting with your dog.
bike icon Bike hire
Sorry, there are no bike hire facilities at Stanage North Lees itself.
Directions
General postcode: S32 1BR
North Lees Campsite & Cattis Side Cottage: Birley Lane, Hathersage S32 1DY
See above for detailed car park information.
Map to Stanage-North Lees Estate & Stanage Edge
Driving directions
Travelling
bus icon Bus services
It is not possible to reach Stanage Edge or the estate directly by bus or train. The service that stops closest to the estate is the 272 from Sheffield to Castleton.
You can alight at Hathersage and walk up to the estate, although it is around two miles of relatively steep ascent at times. Alternatively, alight at Fox House or Surprise View (the National Trust's Longshaw Estate), and walk across the moor.
It is also about a two mile walk from the terminus of Service 51 from Sheffield to Lodge Moor (for Redmires and Long Causeway).
Service 215 from Sheffield to Bakewell and Matlock also calls at Fox House.
train icon Train
The Hope Valley Line (Northern Rail) which connects Sheffield and Manchester has 5 stations within the Peak District National Park, and each provides access to stunning scenery and recreational opportunities. Hathersage is the best station at which to alight for accessing Stanage and North Lees, although it does require a two mile uphill walk to access the estate. Alternatively, alight at Grindleford and walk up the stunning Padley Gorge (National Trust).
The Hope Valley line train service is run by Northern Rail.
Car parking is available at North Lees as shown on this map.
Don’t miss...
TV and film
The wider estate and Stanage Edge has featured in several TV and film backdrops, perhaps most notably with Keira Knightley in 2005’s Pride & Prejudice. You can recreate this famous scene with care at the top of Stanage Edge. The best car park to access this area from is Hooks Carr.
Landscape and heritage
Why not seek out some of the famous millstones that inspired the Peak District’s iconic logo and boundary markers, now nestled below the rock edge at: ///veal.retain.depend
Nottingham legend and folklore hero Robin Hood is also rumoured to have hidden out at Stanage Edge, leading to the namesake of 'Robin Hood’s Cave': ///exists.light.grain
Close to our campsite and cottage at North Lees along Birley Lane, you’ll find North Lees Hall. Although the hall itself has private residents and there is no access inside, a public footpath runs immediately alongside where you can enjoy the striking 16th century design, rumoured to be at the hand of Robert Smythson, who also created Hardwick Hall and Wollaton Hall. In 1845, it also welcomed renowned novelist Emily Bronte, with the hall and nearby landscape believed to have inspired aspects of Jane Eyre.
Wildlife
Spring / summer
The estate’s flagship species is the ring ouzel or so-called ‘mountain blackbird’. Ring ouzels arrive from North Africa in late March and early April, staying until late summer nesting amongst the rocks and vegetation of Stanage Edge. Ring Ouzels are similar in appearance to a blackbird, but with the male having a prominent white, crescent-shaped mark across their chest (females lack this feature) and both males and females having silvery tinges to their chest and wing feathers.
During this time, climbing routes and some footpaths may have temporary restrictions – shown with clear signage - to allow the birds to occupy territories with minimal disturbance. The Peak District is one of the few remaining strongholds of the ring ouzel in England. It is especially important to keep your dog on a lead at this time.
Other birds that be seen along the edge or in the skies above in spring and summer include meadow pipits, skylarks, red grouse, curlews, lapwings and kestrels. Stonechats are often seen amongst the emerging bracken below the Edge, and wheatears may perch prominently amongst the rock fields. Late summer may see huge golden-ringed dragonflies visit.
The woodlands surrounding the Campsite and North Lees Hall come alive in spring with chiffchaffs, willow warblers and resident birds; whilst pied flycatchers, spotted flycatchers and redstarts make the most of dozens of specially-provided nestboxes or natural nesting sites amongst the buildings.
Autumn / winter
A bounty of autumn berries from rowan trees and more help to fuel ring ouzels for their return migration, with incoming redwings and fieldfares making the most of what is left.
The winter woodlands are home to flocks of finches and tits, with regular nuthatches, treecreepers and woodpeckers.
Several birds of prey may pass through including kestrels, buzzards and perhaps even red kites and peregrine falcons. Short-eared owls hunt at dusk on the moorland, but can also be seen during the day.