The Higger Tor and Over Owler Tor walk is the perfect Peak District trail when you’re looking for great views, without having to break a sweat. This easy walk is gorgeous and takes you between two atmospheric tors, both of which are great for watching the sunset.
If you’re walking in August, it’s also one of the most spectacular places to see heather in the whole of the Peak District. A sea of purple stretches endlessly into the distance creating a truly magical scene.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Higger Tor and Over Owler Tor walk.
The Higger Tor and Over Owler Tor Walk
The stats
Distance: 1.6 miles (2.5km) each way
Elevation gain: 160m
Difficulty: Easy
Summary: The Higger Tor and Over Owler Tor walk is not flat, but the two hills you need to climb are relatively short and not too steep. The path is generally in good condition and there’s a long flat stretch of track in the middle of the walk.
The good terrain and short distance makes it a great option for sunset, as you can easily get back to the car park while it’s still twilight.
Starting the trail: to Mother Cap
From the Surprise View car park (details below) the walk heads through the gate to the north-east of the car park and begins leading gently uphill.
The dirt track takes you through a small patch of woodland before emerging onto the open moorland 250m later.
It’s an uneven but straightforward path until the last few metres which are a bit rockier. Once you’re on the moors the dirt path continues, but you’ll also occasionally climb over the gritstone rocks that litter the landscape. The rocks are nice and grippy when dry.
The gradient is gentle and the views are already stunning, but it only gets better further into the walk.
After another 250m (500m from the car park) you’ll reach the first landmark, Mother Cap, one of the Peak’s many large gritstone rock formations.
To Over Owler Tor
The gentle climb continues for another 200m before you’ll reach Over Owler Tor. This is a large collection of rocks with beautiful views over the rolling hills and out to Higger Tor in the distance.
If you’re lucky enough to be visiting when the heather is in bloom (August), it’s simply incredible.
Not only does heather cover the landscape on either side of the trail, but also the slopes of the distant hills - you can see almost as much purple as green!
Over Owler Tor has plenty of rocks you can climb up to enjoy the views and it’s spacious enough so that if you’re not the only one there you can find your own private spot.
Arriving at Higger Tor
From Over Owler Tor you have a 20m descent before the path flattens. It’s a little rocky, but easy enough. You then have just over 1km of flat track, with wonderful views out to the craggy rocks which make up Higger Tor.
It’s a dirt path with a few rocks to watch out for, but overall it’s a very leisurely section of track. This section had the densest concentration of heather, which looks almost unreal from above.
You’ll then begin heading up the small hill to reach the top of Higger Tor.
The climb lasts for around 400m and a good path takes you all the way to the top, although along the way you’ll see several social trails, which are slightly quicker, steeper routes to the top of the tor.
The top of Higger Tor is a little different to Over Owler, as there’s a big flat surface, rather than a jumble of smaller rocks.
There’s plenty of room to spread out and as it looks directly towards where the sun sets, it’s likely you’ll share it with one or two others on a sunny evening - though even in August there were only two other people there, so it was by no means busy.
The views are terrific, especially at golden hour. We even saw five paragliders drifting into the sunset, which made it even more special.
You could turn back here, but it’s worth continuing for another 250m along the flat path which leads to the other side of Higger Tor.
There are more great views, though it gets much busier as it’s a very short walk down to another car park from here.
You can also see and hear the road a bit more from this section of track, although the views make up for it.
By the time you reach this point you’ve walked for 2.5km and will follow the same trail back. As much of the way to Higger Tor is a gentle climb, the way back is either flat or downhill, so it’s very quick and easy, which is why it’s especially good for sunset.
Where to park for the Higger Tor and Over Owler Tor Walk
The trail starts at Surprise View car park, which is located just outside of Hathersage, postcode S32 2JA. It is run by the National Trust, so parking is free for members.
However, it’s also free after 6pm, so between around April and September (October at a push) you can do this walk for sunset and still get free parking, even if you’re aren’t an NT member.
Outside of this the parking fees are:
Up to 1 hour: £1.50
Up to 2 hours: £2.50
Up to 4 hours: £4.00
All Day: £4.75
Getting to the trailhead
Surprise View car park is 10 miles (25 minutes) from Sheffield, 10.5 miles (20 minutes) from Bakewell and 2 miles (5 minutes) from Hathersage.
If you’re looking to take public transport, then you can hop on the 272 Sheffield’s Peak link bus from Sheffield City Centre. It takes about 30 minutes and there’s an hourly service during the daytime.
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