Snake Pass, Peak District

About this drive

The A57 Snake Pass between Glossop in Greater Manchester and Sheffield crosses the northern Peak District at 512 metres — the highest A-road in England. The pass takes its name from the Snake Inn on the summit, not from the sinuous character of the road, though the road has both. The western approach from Glossop climbs quickly through the Longdendale valley before the road opens onto the Dark Peak moorland; the eastern descent to Sheffield is gentler and more forested. The summit plateau is classic Dark Peak country — blanket bog, cloudberry, and cotton grass on the peat, with the Pennine Way crossing the pass on its long journey north. The view from the highest section looks across Bleaklow and the Kinder Scout plateau — the highest points of the Peak District, most of them accessible only on foot. The pass closes regularly in winter snow and ice — it is among the first roads in northern England to be shut and among the last to reopen. The Woodlands Valley visible from the eastern descent is managed for grouse shooting and represents the land-use pattern that has shaped the Peak District moorland for centuries. The drive is best in late summer when the heather is in flower on both sides of the road.

Stops along the way

• 📸 Ladybower Reservoir · Scenic Viewpoint

  A long reservoir below the moors, with the road tracing its eastern shore.