How to get to Trollers Gill

Route instructions to be used with a map.

I have provided route instructions for all possible parking locations. It is clear which is which!

Start point parking on B6265. If parked at the verge on New Road, start at point 2.

1. Beginning at the verge side parking on the B6265 take the gated walled path leading alongside the dry stone walling, walking in a southerly direction. Follow this clear wide track until you reach New Road.

2. On New Road, turn left for a short distance (just over 50m), then carefully cross the quiet road to the path which heads through the wall over a step over. This is your alternative parking spot.

3. There is a clear, flagged path that will lead you past Hell Hole. The area has been planted with trees recently, and is encircled by a fence. There is a stile into the area, but please do bear in mind the previous warning that this is not a child friendly area to explore and the pothole has claimed lives in the past! An awe inspiring look but don’t touch kind of place!

4. Continue, passing Hell Hole on your left, until the path joins another large clear track. There is a little signpost pointing you in the direction of Trollers Gill here. But ignore it and keep on the wide track which winds round Middle Hill, veering to the right. As you come around the corner, up ahead you will see a tangle of iron, and the remains of an abandoned mine shaft. Go take a look, it’s another little quirk to check out! But again, exercise common sense and do not venture in!

5. Continue to descend on the wide track until you reach the bottom of the hill. Here you will see Skyreholme Beck ahead. Take the path leading to your left, which leads leftwards and upstream of the Beck. Shortly, you will see the beginning of the gorge that is Trollers Gill. Here you will notice one of the brilliant elements of mystery on this walk that my kids love! The river that comes from nowhere! In fact, the river continues underground beneath Trollers Gill and you will see the point at which it disappears at the top!

6. Head into the gorge and watch your heads! It is here that the legendary Trolls of Trollers Gill like to lob stones at you from the top of the gorge. Nasty little monsters……. Head up the gorge and soak in the immense atmosphere of the place. Watch out for the Demon Dog though, reportedly he has saucer sized eyes, is deadly (of course!) and can turn you to stone at a glance! Some say he was the inspiration behind Arthur Conan Doyle’s Hounds of the Baskervilles! See why I love this walk?!

7. As you reach the top of the gorge, there is a little path offshoot up to the right which takes you to an old mining tunnel. We have taken a peek inside (with helmets and torches) but you’ll have to be happy with cave spiders, there are HUNDREDS of them!

8. The river will reappear and you need to find the path that passes to the right of the water. In dry times, it won’t matter as the beck is easy to cross back and forth. There’s a geocache along here….. can you find it? Download the geocaching app to find out more!

9. Keep following the Beck until you reach a little mini waterfall, and a bridge. Cross it and take the path that heads fairly steeply upwards towards Gill Heads. It is a clear well walked route and it will take you back towards the wide track you joined at the start.

10. Your return route from here is the one you started on, so head back to the flagged path, wave goodbye to Hell Hole (now on your right) and head back to your starting point!

Route instructions from parking at Skyreholme.

1. Head towards the road bridge at the entrance to Parceval Hall, but don’t cross it. Just before it on the left is a stile and footpath sign. It had ‘to the gill’ painted on it, but sadly a sign has been placed over the top part. Continue over the stile and follow the beck which is on your right.

2. The path passes through a gap in the wall and then over another stile with a little ‘slappy bum’ gate (as we refer to them! They are lethal if they get you in the back of the legs!)

3. Continue to follow the line of the beck through the trees, passing a farm building to your left and through another of those angry gates! Virtually every time we have walked this route we have seen deer here. Look to the right over to the opposite bank, that’s where we’ve seen them most frequently (and be super quiet!)

4. Continue along this path, you will soon see Trollers Gill emerging in the distance, you need to get through another gated stile and then keep right. To your right will be the beck, there is a clear path ahead leading into the gill, follow it, keeping right. Here will be your clue as to whether the gill is flowing or not! There is a point at which on the footpath water flows from a spring underground to join the beck. Upstream of this the bed is usually dry, but if there’s water in it, you might have a bit of stream hopping to do!

5. Continue over the dry stone wall into the gill.

6. Watch your heads! It is here that the legendary Trolls of Trollers Gill like to lob stones at you from the top of the gorge. Nasty little monsters……. Head up the gorge and soak in the immense atmosphere of the place. Watch out for the Demon Dog though, reportedly he has saucer sized eyes, is deadly (of course!) and can turn you to stone at a glance! Some say he was the inspiration behind Arthur Conan Doyle’s Hounds of the Baskervilles! See why I love this walk?!

7. As you reach the top of the gorge, there is a little path offshoot up to the right which takes you to an old mining tunnel. We have taken a peek inside (with helmets and torches) but you’ll have to be happy with cave spiders, there are HUNDREDS of them!

8. Soon the river will reappear and you need to find the path that passes to the right of the water. In dry times, it won’t matter as the beck is easy to cross back and forth. There’s a geocache along here….. can you find it? Download the geocaching app to find out more!

9. Keep following the Beck until you reach a little mini waterfall, and a bridge. Cross it and take the path that heads fairly steeply upwards towards Gill Heads. It is a clear well walked route and it will take you back towards a wide track. Turn left and head downhill onto it.

10. Ahead you will see the remains of the Gill Head Fluorspar mines, we like to take a peer in from what’s left of the HUGE cast iron gate, but there is no way I’d head inside, even with a helmet, the mines look hugely precarious! Very cool to peer into though!

11. Head downhill following the clear and obvious path. Soon, you will be back to where you were at point 4. Turn right, and retrace your steps back to Skyreholme.

Last walked December 2025.