Castleton to Hope by Hollins Cross

A 5.4-mile circuit with 190 metres of ascent and about two and a half hours, lifting straight out of the village onto Commondale Moor before returning down the old moor road to the Esk; the climb is steady rather than steep but the moor top is boggy in every month with an R in it. It starts by the shops at the top of Castleton, where there is free roadside parking, and Castleton Moor station on the Esk Valley line sits at the bottom of the hill for anyone arriving by train. Commondale Beck gives a drink near the halfway point and the moor is broad, open, off-lead country, but sheep roam loose across the whole of it and this is grouse moor, so leads go on for the open sections from 1 March to 31 July.

Under five miles but nearly three hours, because both halves are steep: a rocky gorge climb out of Castleton and a return down the limestone cleft of Winnats Pass. The narrow entrance to Cave Dale is behind Bar Gate in the village; park in the Castleton main car park on Buxton Road, which is pay-and-display and the only sizeable option in the village. The lower gorge is a scramble over water-worn limestone that a small or elderly dog will struggle with, sheep graze the whole plateau and Winnats, and the National Trust asks for short leads all year across its High Peak land, tightened again from March to July for ground-nesting birds.

Six and a half miles with 210 metres of climbing, roughly three hours, along the whaleback of Castleton Rigg and back down through the field paths and stiles of Danby Dale; the ridge is exposed and the dale bottom stays soft into early summer. Start in Castleton village, which has roadside parking and a station on the Esk Valley line at the foot of the hill. There is little water on the ridge so carry some, several of the dale stiles are the narrow squeeze sort that a big dog will need lifting over, and leads are required on the open moor from 1 March to 31 July as well as through the grazed fields lower down.