A STORY WORTH FINDING · PREHISTORIC STONE CIRCLE AND HENGE
Arbor Low Stone Circle and Gib Hill Barrow
Monyash, Derbyshire, Peak District
Photo: Steve Knight (kitmasterbloke) / Wikimedia Commons
CC BY 4.0 · Display cropped to fit
WHY GO
Cross open limestone fields to one of the Peak District’s most atmospheric prehistoric monuments, with the great Gib Hill burial mound nearby.
Arbor Low feels wonderfully exposed on the high limestone plateau: an earthen bank and ditch encircle roughly 50 fallen white limestone slabs and a central stone cove. The open sky and quiet fields give this Neolithic henge a strong sense of place, while nearby Gib Hill adds another layer to the ancient landscape. Take time to walk around the monument, read the setting and enjoy the broad country views. It is a short outing with a surprisingly long story.
A closer look
Discover the landscape and stories behind this place.
Before you set out
Details and coordinates can be incomplete or out of date. Check current access, conditions, weather and your route with the site operator before travelling. This is not live navigation or emergency guidance.
This guide is due another review. Check current access and conditions with the site operator before you travel.
Approach
Turn from Long Rake onto the track to Upper Oldhams Farm and use the small visitor parking area. Walk through the working farmyard and fields, following gates or stiles to the stone circle; English Heritage gives 300 m from parking. Gib Hill lies nearby beyond the circle.
Walking time from arrival (one way)
8 minutes (approximate)
Terrain & steps
Farm track, working farmyard and uneven open field paths with gates or stiles; ground may be muddy and exposed to wind and rain.
Accessibility
English Heritage warns the 300 m field approach and its gates or stiles can be challenging for wheelchairs and buggies.
Access & restrictions
English Heritage lists free monument entry but a £1 per-person private-land access charge collected by the landowner. Visit at reasonable times in daylight. The small parking area has limited capacity. Dogs on leads are welcome, under close control around grazing animals. No smoking, vaping, barbecues or naked flames. Protect the monument by staying off vulnerable banks.
Facilities
No toilets, café, shop or other facilities on site. English Heritage identifies public toilets and a café at Parsley Hay, just over a mile west near the A515 and The Rake.
Seasonal considerations
Open at reasonable times during daylight throughout the year; the exposed plateau and farm fields can be wet, muddy or windy. Daylight is short in winter. Check the private-land charge and parking before travelling. The National Park announces refurbishment of the male and female toilets at nearby Parsley Hay from 2 November to 14 December; its accessible toilet and Changing Places stay open and temporary facilities are provided.
Sources & further reading
The references behind this entry. Use current site guidance for visiting arrangements.
These structured details need another check. They are excluded from practical filters until the guide is reviewed again.
Approach walk: approximately 8 minutes one way from the stated arrival point.
Total visit time: not verified
Step-free approach: not checked.
Retains the researched approximate 8-minute one-way approach to the stone circle, based on English Heritage’s 300 m farmyard-and-field route; time to explore Gib Hill is additional. English Heritage describes gates or stiles, without confirming that every barrier on the current route can be bypassed through a gate, so step-free remains unknown. Both total-visit timing and a fully step-free approach are unable to confirm at this time. Monyash is outside the three currently supported named area classifications, so no area is forced.
Source for these planning details
More to discover nearby
A few other places within 25 miles of Arbor Low Stone Circle and Gib Hill Barrow. Distances are approximate, straight line; use each guide’s arrival point to plan your journey.
