New Mills had been on my list for a while, mainly because I wanted to walk the Millennium Walkway, so we decided to make a full weekend of it.
From the Fylde Coast, New Mills should take us around 90 minutes, making it an ideal distance for a Friday-to-Sunday campervan weekend. We set off Friday teatime, but the traffic had other ideas and it ended up taking us around two hours.
Friday – Arriving at the Campsite
We stayed at Lane Side Farm Pop-Up Campsite, which was £20 a night.
This is a very basic campsite – essentially a grass field with two Portaloos, which were spotless, and a sink. That was pretty much it for facilities, but sometimes that’s all we need. The views were lovely and the site was incredibly peaceful and quiet.
One thing worth knowing if you’re arriving in a motorhome or larger campervan is that some of the lanes leading up to the site are narrow. We did see a motorhome on the site though, so larger vans obviously do manage it.
Once we’d settled in, we walked to Buxworth War Memorial Club, which took us around 13 minutes.
We received such a friendly welcome. The landlady and locals were lovely and, probably more importantly as far as our dogs were concerned, they were immediately greeted with snacks and water!
There’s a lovely outdoor play area for children and we found the drinks reasonably priced. We didn’t see any food being served while we were there.
One tip – take a torch.
The walk back to the campsite is uphill and it gets very dark, so you’ll definitely be glad of one.
Saturday – New Mills & the Millennium Walkway
On Saturday morning we drove into New Mills, which took around 10 minutes, and parked at the Market Street car park, SK22 4AQ.
It’s quite a small car park and personally I wouldn’t choose it if we were travelling in a larger motorhome. I’ll add some of the alternative parking options we spotted at the end of this post.
From the car park we walked down through the centre of New Mills. It’s a small town with pubs, cafés and shops, before you suddenly start dropping down towards a completely different landscape.
We turned left down the cobbled street following the signs towards the Millennium Walkway and Sett Valley Trail.
There are different walking options from here, including the Sett Valley Trail, but we chose to head right towards the Millennium Walkway.
This was the part I’d particularly come to New Mills to see, and it didn’t disappoint.
As you descend into the Torrs, the scenery changes completely. You’re walking down in a dramatic gorge surrounded by greenery, with the rivers below and huge stone viaducts towering above you. There are also reminders of New Mills’ industrial past, with old mill buildings sitting alongside the river.
Then you reach the Millennium Walkway itself.
The walkway curves above the River Goyt and is tucked beneath the huge railway retaining wall. It’s only a relatively short section of the walk, but it’s definitely the part that makes this route a little different.
We crossed the walkway and stopped for a coffee at the café overlooking the gorge.
The views from here are lovely and it was dog friendly, which is always a bonus for us.
Along the River Goyt
Rather than turning back after the Millennium Walkway, we carried on towards the nature reserve and made the walk into a longer circular route.
The route follows the River Goyt through woodland and greenery and felt much quieter than the area immediately around the Millennium Walkway.
Eventually we looped our way back towards New Mills.
After all that walking, we stopped for a well-earned drink before picking up an Indian takeaway to take back to the campervan.
We headed back to Lane Side Farm and had another really peaceful night.
Sunday – A Walk Along the Peak Forest Canal
Sunday morning we drove back towards New Mills but this time parked at the railway station car park.
Our plan for the morning was a much gentler walk along the Peak Forest Canal.
We headed towards the canal and stopped for a coffee before starting our walk. The café was right beside the canal and dog friendly, so it made a lovely start to the morning.
From here we turned left and followed the towpath.
This is a completely different walk from the previous day. Instead of the gorge, rivers and dramatic viaducts, Sunday was all about a peaceful canal walk with narrowboats, bridges and views across the surrounding countryside.
While walking along the canal we came across a gate and a route taking us back towards the Millennium Walkway.
That gave us the option of turning what could have been a simple there-and-back canal walk into another circular route.
We followed it back down towards the Millennium Walkway, which gave us a chance to see the area again from a slightly different direction, before making our way back up into New Mills.
Was New Mills Worth a Weekend?
Definitely.
What surprised me most was how much walking there is packed into such a small area. You can walk beside the River Goyt, cross the Millennium Walkway, explore the Torrs, follow the Sett Valley Trail or have a completely different walk along the Peak Forest Canal.
It’s also close enough to the Fylde Coast to work really well for one of our Friday-to-Sunday weekends.
Lane Side Farm was basic but peaceful and at £20 a night it suited us perfectly. Add in a friendly local club within walking distance, dog-friendly cafés, a takeaway and plenty of walks, and we didn’t need much else.
I’d definitely come back – particularly as there are still sections of the Sett Valley Trail and canal that we haven’t explored yet.
Good to Know
Lane Side Farm Pop-Up Campsite – £20 per night when we stayed. Basic grass field with two spotless Portaloos and a sink.
Buxworth War Memorial Club – around a 13-minute walk from the campsite. Friendly, dog friendly and reasonably priced drinks. Take a torch for the walk back.
Market Street Car Park – SK22 4AQ. Handy for the Millennium Walkway but quite small. I personally wouldn’t choose this one with a larger motorhome.
Millennium Walkway – free to visit and easy to combine with the Torrs and River Goyt for a longer circular walk.
Peak Forest Canal – a good option if you want a gentler walk and can also be linked back towards the Millennium Walkway to create a circular route.
Parking in New Mills
We parked at Market Street Car Park, SK22 4AQ, on the Saturday. It was handy for walking down into New Mills and towards the Millennium Walkway, but the spaces and car park felt quite tight. Personally, if I was in a larger campervan or motorhome, I would look at one of the alternatives.
We also noticed parking further down Station Road SK22 3JB, towards Mousley Bottom Nature Reserve, which appeared to have more room and larger spaces and would be another option to look at if travelling in a bigger van.
Torr Top Street Car Park, SK22 4BS, is another larger town-centre option and is well placed for accessing the Torrs and Millennium Walkway.
There is also parking at New Mills Newtown railway station, which we used on the Sunday when we wanted to walk towards the Peak Forest Canal.
As always with campervans and motorhomes, I’d check the signs and any current restrictions before parking, particularly if you have a longer or taller vehicle.
Where to Stay – Campervan & Motorhome Options
There are a few different options around New Mills depending on how basic you are happy to go and how close you want to be to the town.
Lane Side Farm Pop-Up Campsite
This is where we stayed and we paid £20 per night. It’s a very basic pop-up site on a grass field with two spotless Portaloos and a sink. There was no electric hook-up when we stayed, but the views were lovely and it was incredibly peaceful.
Buxworth War Memorial Club is around a 13-minute walk away and we received a really friendly welcome there. Just remember to take a torch as the walk back to the campsite is dark and uphill.
The lanes approaching the campsite are quite narrow in places, although we did see a motorhome staying on the site.
Bugsworth Basin – Free Park-Up
Another option for campervans and motorhomes is Bugsworth Basin. Parking is currently free, although spaces are limited, so it’s worth checking the latest information before travelling.
It’s a great location if you want to leave the van parked up and explore on foot. You can join the Peak Forest Canal directly from the basin and walk approximately three miles towards New Mills. It’s a lovely, predominantly flat canal-side walk.
The Navigation Inn beside the basin was closed when we visited, but Buxworth War Memorial Club is only a short walk up the road.
New Mills Marina
If you prefer a proper site with more facilities, New Mills Marina is another option.
It’s a Caravan and Motorhome Club Certificated Location with hardstanding pitches, electric hook-up, water and waste disposal, as well as toilets and shower facilities.
The big advantage here is the location. You’re right beside the Peak Forest Canal and within walking distance of New Mills, so it’s a really good base for exploring the canal, the Torrs and Millennium Walkway without having to move the van.
It’s more expensive than the basic options, but you’re paying for the extra facilities and the convenience of being so close to everything. You do need to be a Caravan and Motorhome Club member to book the Certificated Location.
Is the Millennium Walkway Dog Friendly?
We found the walks around New Mills and the Millennium Walkway really dog friendly. There are plenty of bins along the routes and lots of benches where you can stop for a rest and take in the views.
One thing to be aware of is that although there are plenty of easier sections, some parts have steep steps and inclines, particularly when walking down into and back out of the Torrs.
If you’re walking with older dogs, young children or using a dog pram, it’s worth planning your route as not every section will be suitable for wheels.
There are plenty of different paths though, so you can easily make the walk shorter or longer depending on how far you want to go.
Van Miles 
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