Walk · Derbyshire

Carsington Water circuit

Wirksworth · DE6 1ST

8.2MILES

3h 40mON FOOT

160mCLIMB

CircularSHAPE

The route A-road B-road Lane Track Path Water Woodland

Off-road 94% 6% shares tarmac with cars

Field & moor path 22%Lane & track 72%Road with traffic 6%

Our drawing of the route, over road and path data from OpenStreetMap. It shows where the walk goes and what it goes through. It is not a survey and not a navigation aid — carry OS Explorer on the hill. Off-lead information here is what walkers reported or what signage allows — never our advice. Whether and when a dog is off the lead is the owner’s decision and legal responsibility; keep dogs under control near livestock and follow signs on the day.

Starts at

Carsington Water visitor centre, Big Lane, between Wirksworth and Kniveton DE6 1ST

Parking

Large paid car park at the visitor centre, open with the centre from 10am; the free Millfields and Sheepwash car parks on the south shore are smaller and fill early

Directions to the start →

Eight miles right round the reservoir, three and a half to four hours, mostly on surfaced tracks with a mile or so of field path on the far shore and no climb worth the name. Start from the Severn Trent visitor centre between Wirksworth and Kniveton, where the car park is large, paid, and open with the centre from 10am. Severn Trent requires dogs to be on a lead at all times here because of the wildlife, the shoreline is fenced along the sailing and wildlife sections though there are shallow inlets on the Millfields side, and the cafe has outdoor tables where dogs are welcome.

THE SMALL PRINTSevern Trent requires dogs to be kept under control and on a lead at all times at Carsington Water because of the nature and wildlife on site.

House rules, decoded

Livestock — leads on

REGION · DERBYSHIRE

GRID · 53.0597, -1.6250

SOURCE · HTTPS://WWW.STWATER.CO.UK/OUR-VISITOR-SITES/CARSINGTON-WATER/

Carsington Water circuit

House rules, decoded

Badger Barista

High Peak Trail: Middleton Top to Minninglow

New Buildings Farm Bunk Barn

Dog-friendly cottages you can book

Tell us the pub we have not walked into yet.

Get the new stamps first.

Your patch, watched for you.