Millennium Walkway in New Mills
- Jennifer Kozyra
- Jan 2, 2024
- 4 min read
Updated: Jan 1
The Millennium Walkway is a spectacular structure you can marvel at while on a walk through the Goytside Meadows Nature reserve with a waterfalls and woodland to explore.
The Millennium Walkway is a 175-yard aerial walkway spanning a cliffside above the River Goyt which provides a route through the previously impassable gritstone gorge at Torrs, New Mills which is an area of exceptional natural beauty and unique industrial archaeological heritage.
Mills Council do prefer visitors getting to the town via train or bus due to the town being only small and increasingly popular. I have included train and bus information further down if this is a method you can use to visit New Mills and to do the Millennium Walkway Walk
How to get to the Millennium Walkway from Tor Top Car Park
From the car park, turn left and follow the cobbled road down and turn right. This is a gentle slope, but as its cobbles, it can be slippy. There is a hand rail, though. You will then come to a sign post, giving you a few route options, including Seff Valley Trail and The Torrs. Just follow signs to the Millennium Walkway.
Top Tips
🥾 Easy walking route
🐕 Dog friendly
👶 Not fully Pushchair friendly as there are slopped and bumpy cobbled path, however there are alternative routes from the town to the Walkway
🏬 Close to town centre
🍔Places to eat after your walk in the Mill or in the town
🛝 Playground at High Lea Park
🚂Visit New Mills via the Train
🚌Visit via bus to help with the traffic in town
🚗Parking at Torr Top Street car park, SK22 4BS £2.60 (2023) for 4 hours, or free on a Sunday.
About the walkway:
The Millennium Walkway itself is quite spectacular. It is a 160m long walkway that links New Mills, the Torrs and the Riverside Park. Before it was built the Riverside Park was inaccessible. The Millennium Walkway is suspended from the side of the gorge, above the point where the river flows over a large weir. It's an innovative and futuristic structure, described as a steel spiders web.
As the bridge curves around the bend, you can look out over the river. As we had had quite a bit of rain before our visit, the river was full and had that amazing roaring noise of water crashing as it went down the weir. On the other side of the river is an old mill where there is a lovely cafe and bar called the Torr Vale Tap.
After walking over the Walkway, we carried on along the path, which takes you through Riverside Park and Mousley Bottom Nature Reserve which is a wooded area.
We walked for about 3km which was a small loop which then brought us back at the mill. The nature reserve can get a bit muddy if the weather has been wet so suitable shoes are a must.
🥧 Torr Vale Tap
This is such a great venue inside the Mill. With a lunch menu filled with soups, curries, sandwiches and their iconic homemade pies. I had a chicken and ham pie and it was honestly so good, served with chunky chips, peas and a jug of gravy.
My eldest had a homemade leek and potato soup which was super thick and served with wedges of focaccia bread.
We noticed that the Tap also puts on loads of events and can even host parties or weddings. I definitely need to check out some of their events in the future.
Other Food Options
After your walk it is also very easy to head into the town which has plenty of cafes and pubs to choose from.
Playground:
We didn't find it on this visit, but there is a fantastic park 10 minutes walk from the car park called High Lea Park with lots of very unique & fun play equipment. It also has the most stunning flower garden in the summer
I would highly recommend a visit. It has stunning views and great for those who enjoy a nice walk. Definitely wear decent footwear though as the paths through the woodland was rather muddy.
Parking
🅿️ Torr Top St car park
Pay and display – Car spaces: 63 (Disabled spaces: 4)
Opening times: 8am to 6pm
Maximum stay: 10 hours
Address: Torr Top, New Mills, High Peak, Derbyshire SK22 4BS
🅿️Market St car park
Pay and display – Car spaces: 44
Opening times: 8am to 6pm
Maximum stay: 10 hours
Address: Market Street, New Mills, High Peak, Derbyshire SK22 4AA
🅿️Town hall car park
Pay and display – Car spaces: 13 (Disabled spaces: 1)
Opening times: 8am to 6pm
Maximum stay: 10 hours
Address: Town Hall, New Mills, High Peak, Derbyshire SK22 4AT
Visit by Train
🚂 Train – New Mills is very fortunate to have two train stations with direct connections to Manchester and Sheffield along the stunning Hope Valley line from New Mills Central
And Buxton, Stockport (linking in with the West Coast mainline to London and Scotland) from New Mills Newtown
🚂 New Mills Central is just a few steps from the entrance to the Torrs Riverside Park
🚂New Mills Newton Station is approximately five mins from another entrance to Torrs
Visit by Bus
🚌 Bus – New Mills Bus Station is located at the top of Union Road and has several services:
60 – Hayfield – New Mills – Whaley Bridge – Macclesfield
60a – New Mills – Whaley Bridge – Macclesfield
61 – Glossop – New Mills – Buxton
199 – Buxton – Chapel – Whaley Bridge – (Newtown/New Mills) Stockport – Manchester Airport
358 – Hayfield – New Mills – Marple – Stockport
389 – New Mills Town Service
Visit Dec 2023/2025