The Five Pits Trail is great for walkers, pram pushers, cyclists and horse riders. This 5.5 mile off-road surfaced route takes you from Grassmoor Country Park to Tibshelf Ponds.

You can extend your route to 7.5 miles by exploring the route through Williamthorpe Ponds local nature reserve and Holmewood Woodlands.

There are car parks at various points along the trail (see the Five Pits Trail map attached to this page) so you can plan your route to take in the full trail or a shorter route.

Steeper slopes may limit some people’s access in places (look out for the slope symbol on the map). But there are no stiles or steps and you will find seats along the way to stop and rest and enjoy the views.

The trail mostly follows the route of the Great Central Railway. Since the large collieries and smaller pits along the railway closed, the landscape has changed dramatically. Parts of the land were opencast and most of the original railway line removed.

Look out for the large site maps showing some of the heritage and wildlife along the trail.