Autumn Series
Autumn Series | Round 3 Route Description
Grindleford, Eastern Peak District
The charming village of Grindleford is the venue for the final round of the 2022 Autumn Series using the same popular course as we used last year.
The start for both routes is a two minute walk from registration and the first 2.7 km is flat and fast being a delightful combination of a wide field path and a riverside run heading north alongside the River Derwent. Passing under the railway line the route enters Rough Wood and after following a lovely woodland path for 1 km the routes split. The shorter route continues south across the fields and re-joins the riverside path for the final sprint for the line in Grindleford.
After the split point the long route takes some lovely paths through Oxhay Wood steadily climbing to the main road (A6187) crossing point – CARE! – just below what is known locally as Surprise View. A good, wide path follows through woodland below Millstone Edge then emerging onto an open moorland path at around the 6.5km mark. The going flattens out a little for a while on an obvious path/track before the final push for the high point/summit of the run at a height of 379m above sea level. Hopefully the amazing views from here will be worth the effort of the climb!
At around the 8 km mark the path starts it’s descent into the Burbage Valley – the path is pretty obvious but it is a tad rocky in places plus it is usually muddy/slippery/marshy in various spots so plenty of CARE! is required. After crossing a stone bridge there’s a small climb and the main bridleway is reached and the run turns SW for ‘home’. The bridleway is flat and fast then STOP! for the fast road crossing at the 10 km mark; we’re now in Longshaw Estate owned by the National Trust and following the riverside path towards Padley Gorge – this is all beautiful trail running terrain – enjoy!
At 11 km it’s back into the woods again for the remainder of the route – the paths are gently undulating before the final climb through Hay Wood starts at 13km – this is a little bit of a sting in the tail and the climb just seems to drag (particularly if the path is muddy) even though it’s only just over 0.5 km long. The ‘reward’ however is a 1 km steepish descent through the woods all the way to the finish by the road and just two minutes from the registration venue.
