Walks you can reach from Ashburys by train

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. Extensive woodland.

Warnings: Steep tarmac section; busy A628 crossed three times; steep climb.

Walk details: Walk Midlands (tips, photos and local insights).

Spectacular. Canal towpath with residential roads and riverside paths. Scenic canal walk through Peak District foothills along the Peak Forest Canal. Extensive woodland.

Warnings: Muddy sections on towpath.

Walk details: Walk Midlands (tips, photos and local insights).

Reverse direction: Slow Ways (inc. GPX).

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.

Warnings: Steep section beside Rakes Rocks; cliff edge high above clough; long flight of stone steps to descend near Marsden.

Walk details: Walk Midlands (tips, photos and local insights).

Recommended: The walk around the Kinder Plateau is spectacular; fine views; another deservedly popular viewpoint. A direct high-level moorland route with a lot of ups and downs, paths across rock, stone and peat, a couple of steep sections. The Kinder Plateau is rocky but the rock is easy to walk on; some badly eroded and potentially wet ground higher up. Reaches 636m and the highest point on the network. Follows the Pennine Way around Kinder Scout. No facilities en route. Paths from Mill Hill to Edale are very popular and busy.

Lunch: No facilities en route.

1 end-of-walk reward: the Ramblers Inn

Warnings: Several steep and potentially slippery sections when wet, badly eroded paths, and exposed high moorland where some descent paths are little used and easy to lose in poor visibility.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

Far-reaching views in both directions. Climbs directly from Marple up to Brown Low with far-reaching views, then descends easily through fields of sheep, passing through a farm, before reaching the suburbs of Glossop on easy pavement. Surfaces include road verge, dirt track and loose rocks and pasture; Gird Lane is rocky and quite steep with water running down it. Charlesworth is a good intermediate stop with a general store. Recommended for those able to walk uphill on uneven ground and cross fields with farm animals.

Lunch: A general store and a pub at Charlesworth mid-route.

Warnings: Until roughly Mill Brow the route is mostly on narrow lanes with frequent cars and no pavement; Gird Lane is rocky, steep and can run with water (caution in wet or icy weather); many stiles, a kissing gate, and horses and sheep in fields.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

A pleasant, varied route with generally solid surfaces, taking in a canal, a river, woodland and farm tracks. It is not very direct, with quite a few steps, stiles, kissing gates and at least one cattle grid and some seasonally overgrown and muddy sections. Visits the outskirts of Lyme Park and passes through Disley three miles from New Mills; adding the Millennium Walkway and the Torrs at New Mills is recommended. Extensive woodland.

Lunch: Pubs and a Co-op at Disley, about three miles before the end.

End-of-walk reward: Plenty of cafes in New Mills at the end.

Warnings: There are three crossings of the busy A6; use the controlled crossings nearby rather than crossing where the footpaths emerge. Farm tracks may have slow-moving cars. Steps, stiles and gates. Can be muddy.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

A delightful walk along canal towpath and through pastures and woods, much of it under tree cover, with farm tracks and stiles and occasional steps. The access to the canal at New Mills is steep. The northern edge of Lyme Park can be visited via a detour. Uses the Macclesfield and Peak Forest canals. Extensive woodland.

Lunch: Local shops and pubs in Disley mid-route.

Warnings: A mixed herd of cattle at Barlow House Farm needs care, especially with dogs. The gate at the Red Lane end of Lyme Park is locked at closing time and may be shut without warning in high winds; check National Trust opening times.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

An almost entirely off-road, foot-only route using Torkington Park, the Middlewood Way (an old railway line) and the Macclesfield and Peak Forest canal towpaths, with two golf-course crossings and a horse tunnel near Marple locks. Surfaces are largely gravel/packed earth and paved, but with difficult stiles and muddy and narrow stretches in places. Uses the Middlewood Way (NCN 55) and the Macclesfield and Peak Forest canal towpaths. Extensive woodland.

1 end-of-walk reward: the Ring O'Bells

Warnings: Several difficult or wobbly stiles (one with no step) and narrow, muddy stretches make it foot-only. Two golf-course crossings — watch for golf balls (well signposted). A muddy, cambered drop near Marple golf course. Nettles can be high in summer.

Walk details: Slow Ways.