Stanton Moor and the Nine Ladies

The walk starts from the roadside car park on Birchover Road, by the quarry north of Birchover. A path leads on to Stanton Moor past the Cork Stone, a weathered gritstone pillar about 5 metres high, and climbs gently to the trig point (323 m). It crosses the heather and birch of the moor to the Nine Ladies, a small Bronze Age stone circle in a clearing, with the King Stone standing 40 metres away. From the circle the route goes east to the Reform Tower, built in 1832 in honour of Earl Grey, and follows the path along the eastern edge of the moor, past the Cat Stone, back to the road and the car park.

It is 3.6 km with 53 m of ascent; allow about 1 hour. The grade is Easy.

The paths are clear but uneven, with gates and stiles, and can be muddy. English Heritage asks for dogs to be on a lead, as animals may be grazing. More than 70 Bronze Age cairns and barrows are known on the moor. Legend has it that the nine ladies were turned to stone for dancing on the Sabbath.

The car park is free and small, and the lanes beside the moor are too narrow to park on. There are no toilets, and no station nearby.

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.