Arnfield Brook

Guide to scrambling up Arnfield Brook outside Tintwistle in the north-west Peak District. Summary verdict: fair bit of pre-scramble approach but the seven waterfalls are quite fun

Route in: park in Tintwistle – there are sometimes a few places on Crossgate Lane just before the anglers’ car park (which is not usable); otherwise park elsewhere in Tintwistle; or take the train to Hadfield and walk up. Walk around Arnfield Reservoir or up Arnfield Lane and take the footpath heading roughly north-east from Arnfield Lane at OS ref SK 01688 9788. Follow the footpath through the wooded copse, taking the left fork at SK 02661 9869

Start point: enter Arnfield Brook by the weir where the fence line crosses at SK 02781 98892

Grading: of the seven waterfalls in the central cluster, the first is too overhung to be fully climbable but can be scrambled half-way up at grade 1 and the rest are divided between grade 0.5 and grade 1 falls. The final steep section of the brook up to the flattening out of Robinson’s Moss is grade 1

Notes: Arnfield Brook runs through private land and is not accessible from the Reservoir up to the final weir

End point: the standard end point would be after the seventh waterfall at SK 03085 99147 (after c.120 feet of scramble ascent in total) but if you yomp up to the final steep section then the scramble ends around SK 03758 99870 (a further 150 feet of scramble ascent)

Route out: if you finish after the seventh waterfall, you can retrace your steps down the brook until you get to your original path that runs back down to Arnfield Lane; or head north to the vandalised shooting cabins and then follow the grouse butts track south-west to Arnfield Farm on Arnfield Lane. If you finish after the upper steep section, head west across country until you pick up the track by a fence line, then head down to the shooting cabins and thence to Arnfield Lane

Map link: https://www.alltrails.com/explore/map/map-january-12-2025-abcc532

Time: just under an hour from Tintwistle parking to start point; then 20 mins to scramble the seven waterfalls; another 30 mins up to the upper steep section; and 15 mins to scramble that. Around 40 mins back down from the 7^th waterfall if you retrace your steps; around 60 mins if you return via the shooting cabins; and 70 mins if you return having scrambled the upper steep section

Combine with: nothing much else in the immediate vicinity

Gear: drybag and wetsuit only

Verdict: pity about the first fall’s overhang and a somewhat poor approach:scramble ratio but the rock is generally grippy and the scrambles are quite fun

Category: Standard

Score: 7/10

Video guide: