Best walks near Stockport by train
MapA day hike in the countryside is just a simple train journey away — explore the most charmingly located railway stations in North of England and plan your next day of green.
Nuneaton Station Circular via Hartshill (Warwickshire)
1h direct from Stockport.
18km. Moderate ascents. 4h30–8h.
Parks, river, country park, and canal.
Lunch stop: the Stag and Pheasant (2h–3h30 in).
End-of-walk rewards: the Lord Hop, the Felix Holt, the George Eliot Hotel, the Black Swan In Hand, or the Silk Mill.
Adapted from a route by the Leicester Ramblers — download GPX route
Lichfield Trent Valley Station Circular via Whittington Heath (Staffordshire)
1h from Stockport, with one change.
19km. Moderate ascents. 5h–9h.
Golf club, heath, woodland, and Heart of England Way. MOD firing range — check access.
Lunch stops: the Tame Otter (2h–3h30 in), or the Red Lion (2h–3h30 in).
End-of-walk rewards: the Horse and Jockey, or the Turnpike.
Adapted from a route by the Leicester Ramblers — download GPX route
Buxton Station to Macclesfield Station (Derbyshire)
15m direct from Stockport.
18km.
Spectacular views. Wild landscape of deep valleys and gritstone peaks and studded with peat bogs and pine forests. Buxton developed as a fashionable spa in 18th-19th centuries using profits from Dukes of Devonshire's copper mines. Macclesfield granted borough charter for market in 13th Century. Stiles; busy road with no pavement and fast traffic.
Documented by Walk Midlands — download GPX route
New Mills Newtown Station to Chapel-en-le-Frith Station (Cheshire)
30m direct from Stockport.
9km.
Beautiful Peak District fringe landscape. Valley floor walk with canal towpath and former tramway trail. Historic route tracing pioneering industrial transport infrastructure through Peak District foothills. Busy road sections; rough ground with old concrete and limestone blocks.
Documented by Walk Midlands — download GPX route
Congleton Station to Kidsgrove Station (Cheshire)
30m direct from Stockport.
11km.
Spectacular views across Cheshire plain. Countryside ridge walk with gritstone outcrops, woodland paths, and fields. Mow Cop is where Primitive Methodism began in 1800 with mass prayer meetings by Hugh Bourne and William Clowes. Stiles and steps; steep downhill sections.
Documented by Walk Midlands — download GPX route
New Mills Central Station to Marple Station (Derbyshire)
30m from Stockport, with one change.
9km.
Spectacular. Canal towpath with residential roads and riverside paths. Scenic canal walk through Peak District foothills along the Peak Forest Canal. Muddy sections on towpath.
Documented by Walk Midlands — download GPX route
Stone Station to Stafford Station (Staffordshire)
45m from Stockport, with one change.
14km.
Boggy muddy ground at wetter times of year. Stafford Common is an unusually large surviving common land near a major Midlands centre with origins in medieval townland for grazing, protected by parliament 1839 and 1939. Comparatively busy road at Whitgreave; boggy ground when wet.
Documented by Walk Midlands — download GPX route
Hadfield Station to Marsden Station (Derbyshire)
45m from Stockport, with one change.
23km.
Spectacular views of valley while crossing dams. Primarily along the Pennine Way. Pennine Way since 1965. Hadfield = Royston Vassey in League of Gentlemen TV series. Longdendale Chain reservoirs (1830s-1884) supplied Manchester. Derelict textile mill at walk's end. Steep section beside Rakes Rocks; cliff edge high above clough; long flight of stone steps to descend near Marsden.
Documented by Walk Midlands — download GPX route
Penkridge Station to Stafford Station (Staffordshire)
45m from Stockport, with one change.
12km.
Impressive views across southern and central Staffordshire landscape. Walk traverses Staffordshire countryside from Penkridge to Stafford via the ruins of a neo-gothic manor on the site of Stafford's medieval castle. Busy road near Penkridge; care crossing main roads near Stafford.
Documented by Walk Midlands — download GPX route
Hadfield Station to Penistone Station (Derbyshire)
1h from Stockport, with one change.
25km.
Impressive vistas. Old railway trackbed (Longdendale Trail/Trans Pennine Trail), moorland paths, and country roads. Trans Pennine Trail follows the course of the old Woodhead Railway Line between Manchester and Sheffield. Electrified with new tunnel in 1950s, closed 1981 after 30 years. Steep tarmac section; busy A628 crossed three times; steep climb.
Documented by Walk Midlands — download GPX route
Bamford Station to Grindleford Station (Derbyshire)
1h from Stockport, with one change.
17km.
Spectacular gritstone Stanage Edge. Gritstone edges including Stanage Edge and Burbage Edge, moorland, woodland, and riverside paths. Gritstone edges carved by ice age glaciers; historically used for millstone quarrying. Pride and Prejudice film location. Hard terrain; rocky gritstone boulders to traverse.
Documented by Walk Midlands — download GPX route
Hope Station to Edale Station (Derbyshire)
1h from Stockport, with one change.
14km.
Commanding views from the top. Rough stone steps. The Great Ridge forms the divide between the limestone White Peak and the peaty gritstone Dark Peak. An ancient culture built a hillfort on Mam Tor. Rough stone steps; busy road at the pass; cattle grid.