Three Shires Head is one of the prettiest wild swimming spots in the Peak District. There are two pools which both sit beneath small waterfalls, surrounded by rolling green hills. The old stone bridge gives it a quintessential Peak District feel and the water is clear and inviting.
There are a few different ways of getting there, but in this guide we’re sharing the quickest, easiest route - which is perfect for a hot day when all you want to do is get straight in the water. Instead of the popular 3.8 mile loop, we’ll tell you about the route that takes less than 20 minutes each way.
Here’s everything you need to know about visiting Three Shires Head.
The walk to Three Shires Head
The stats
Distance: 0.8miles (1.3km) each way
Elevation gain: 100m
Difficulty: Easy, but not flat
As mentioned, you can take longer routes to Three Shires Head, including a circular trail, but we opted for the shortest, easiest option. Although we haven’t yet done the circuit, it did look like a lot of walking along the road and through fields, so on a hot day we decided simply to make use of the quick route and maximise our time at the pools.
The walk to the pools via the quick trail is mainly downhill on the way and then heads back uphill to the parking area on the way back. The terrain is generally good, first along a field and then on a decent dirt path.
The pools are not signposted, but we have you covered with exact directions in this guide.
Starting the trail
The walk begins at a lay-by on the side of the A54 which you can find at these coordinates: 53.219973, -1.9986102 (you can also find it on Google Maps by clicking here).
It’s quite a big lay-by, but it could fill up on hot summer days, so you may want to go early or late if you’re planning to visit on a weekend.
From the lay-by walk north-east along the road in the direction of Buxton. After 200m you’ll see a little footpath alongside the crash barrier on your right, which leads to a steep staircase (it takes less than a minute to reach the stairs).
After descending the stairs, you’ll walk for another couple of hundred metres, before passing through a gate. You’ll then be standing in a field of sheep and cows, luckily they just ignored us - I have a bit of a fear of passing cows after being herded in Whitby a few years back!
Heading to the pools
From the gate, head downhill towards the scarred patch of earth (you can see on the photo below what to aim for). You’ll soon be in another field where you can see a post and a derelict wall.
At this point, you’ll want to look out for the powerlines which head towards the valley and river. Follow them as the path (towards the right/east) will lead you all the way to the pool.
Just 400m after passing through the small wooden gate, you’ll arrive at a large metal gate which leads you onto a narrow dirt path.
From here the walk gets prettier as you head along the track above the river. It’s a dirt path which is in good condition as it gently descends towards Three Shires Head.
You’ll reach the bridge on top of the main pool after just 400m, and then it’s just 50m further to reach the base of the waterfalls.
When you’re ready to leave the pools, it is mainly uphill, but the only bit which is steepish is when you head through the fields and it doesn’t last long - the whole walk back only took us 15 minutes.
Wild swimming at Three Shires Head
Both pools are quite small, so whilst you can’t actually swim, they’re perfect for a refreshing plunge.
The first pool is very shallow, but has lovely blue water and it’s a good spot to laze around, half in and half out of the water.
It’s easy to get in, but just be wary of the wet rocks as you enter, as they can be a little slippery.
The main pool is larger and deeper, but adults still won’t be out their depth. You have to walk over a couple of rocks which if dry are not as slippery as the ones by the first pool.
Entering the water is easy and it’s very shallow at first, but deepens as you get closer to the waterfall. It’s surrounded on two sides by pretty fern covered cliff walls, which makes it very picturesque.
In terms of temperature, if you’re used to swimming in some of the UK’s shady waterfalls, then you’re probably going to find them on the warmer side. If you’re new to wild swimming in the UK, then it’s probably going to feel pretty cold!
They do get quite a bit of sun, so to me they felt relatively warm, but I had just come from Wales where the water was glacial!
Unless it’s a really hot day, you’ll probably only want a quick plunge, as there’s no room to swim and warm up.
Three Shires Head Parking
The lay-by for the quick route to Three Shires Head is at these coordinates: 53.219973, -1.9986102 (you can also find it on Google Maps by clicking here).
Parking here is free and your time is unlimited, but there’s not a huge amount of room. I imagine on warm weekends it can fill up quickly. There are other options for getting to Three Shires Head, but this is a great easy route, so you might want to visit early or late in the day.
We visited on a very hot summer’s day during the week and there wasn’t anyone there, but judging how many times I’ve seen this spot on Instagram, I can only imagine weekends and school holidays are a whole different story.
The parking for Three Shires Head is just over a 30 minute drive from Bakewell, 40 minutes from Ashbourne and 1 hour 15 from Sheffield.
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