The Peatlands Way

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The Peatlands Way: A Practical Guide to the Humberhead Peatlands Loop

Published 17 July 2025 Updated 5 June 2026

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HikeList Score

The Peatlands Way scored 78/100 on HikeList's trail-quality metrics.

Very Good

See score breakdownHide breakdown

Ideal length 70
Balanced challenge 90
Scenery & wildness 66
Varied terrain 100
Accommodation 74
Food & support 75
Path quality 84
Season flexibility 89

Computed from length, challenge, scenery & wildness, terrain variety, accommodation, food & support, path quality and season flexibility.

The Peatlands Way is an 80 km (50-mile) circular lowland walking route around Thorne and Hatfield Moors, the Isle of Axholme and the Doncaster area of England. Most walkers take about 3 days. It is moderate rather than strenuous: the loop is flat, with only 323 m of cumulative ascent, but waymarking is sparse and the open peat moors can be trackless. It suits walkers who like big skies, wildlife, canals and villages, and who are comfortable navigating with map and compass.

Route Overview

The circuit starts and finishes at The Delves, also known as Delves Fishponds, in Thorne, beside Thorne North railway station. From Thorne it links Moorends, Thorne Moors, Crowle, Ealand, Belton, Haxey, Epworth, Wroot, Hatfield Moor, Hatfield Woodhouse, Stainforth, Fishlake, Kirk Bramwith and Sykehouse before returning to the start. Rail options at Thorne North, Crowle and Hatfield/Stainforth make day sections and self-arranged logistics straightforward. If you want a simpler waterside trip for comparison, see the Ashby Canal Trail; for another inland English multi-day option, see the Amber Valley Route.

How The Peatlands Way opened the Humberhead peatlands

The Peatlands Way was developed around 1999 by the Humberhead Green Tourism Forum and English Nature, partly through the UK-North America Countryside Exchange Scheme. Its purpose was to link historic peatland communities around the Humberhead Levels and open the first walking access across Thorne and Hatfield Moors. The waymark is a nightjar on a yellow background, reflecting the bird’s strong association with the moors.

Notable highlights

Thorne and Hatfield Moors (Humberhead Peatlands NNR): The route crosses a major lowland raised-bog landscape of about 2,887 hectares. It is a National Nature Reserve and Special Area of Conservation, with soft, springy peat underfoot on the open moors.
The nightjar: This nocturnal, insect-eating bird is the trail emblem. From late May to August, listen at dusk for the male’s distinctive churring across the bog.
Epworth and Wesley heritage: Epworth is the birthplace of John and Charles Wesley and an important town in the story of Methodism. The Old Rectory, St Andrew’s Church and market cross sit on the town’s Wesley Trail.
Isle of Axholme: This slightly higher, fertile ground rises from the surrounding peat fens. Expect open farmland, drainage landscapes and villages such as Haxey and Belton.
Trans Pennine Trail link: Near Kirk Bramwith and Sykehouse, The Peatlands Way joins the Trans Pennine Trail beside the New Junction Canal. This gives a level towpath section and a useful link into the wider national trail network.

Challenges to expect

Navigation is the main difficulty. Ground waymarking is sparse and often missing, and the open moors can be trackless, so carry a map and compass and know how to use them. The route is low and flat, but winter sections can be very wet or boggy. Expect mixed surfaces, including peat, cinder tracks, field edges, lanes and an unpleasant A161 section near Crowle. Dogs and access may be restricted on the bog.

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