Langsett Reservoir is one of the most popular walks on the edge of the Peak District, and the start of Cut Gate, the old packhorse route over the moors to the Derwent valley. The reservoir loop is gentle. The moor beyond it is not. In the last year we were called to Langsett and its moors five times.
| Where | Langsett, on the A616 about 5 miles south-west of Penistone, on the north-eastern edge of the Peak District |
| Parking | Langsett Barn car park (S36 4GY, grid reference SE 210 004), free, with toilets. A smaller car park at Langsett Flouch. |
| Reservoir walks | Yorkshire Water’s Langsett walk is 3 miles. There is also a 2.5-mile accessible route. |
| Cut Gate | A bridleway used by walkers, riders and mountain bikers, climbing over Midhope and Howden moors past Margery Hill to Slippery Stones in the Derwent valley |
| Our incidents here | Five in the last year: walkers, a fell runner and one unusual job on the moor |
now (546 m)
Temperature 5°C feels like 2°C
Wind 8 mph gusts 19 mph
Dark since 17:04 sunset 16:27
Updated 23:53. Data from Open-Meteo, live model data, not a forecast: check the Met Office mountain forecast before you go.
The map shows the general area only.
Mountain rescue is free. Call us early. If you or someone with you is lost, hurt or won’t get down before dark, dial 999 straight away. Don’t wait until things get worse: we would much rather come out early than too late.
The reservoir loop
The path round the reservoir is well made and easy to follow, through woodland and over the dam. Even so, we are called here for walkers who have slipped and hurt an ankle or leg, often on the steeper, rockier stretches near the beck crossings.
- Wear proper footwear. Paths near the becks can be muddy and rocky.
- Don’t swim. Reservoirs have very cold water, hidden machinery and strong currents.
- Take care at the beck crossings after heavy rain. In November 2025 we were called to someone who had fallen into Mickleden Beck.
Cut Gate and the open moor
Once you leave the reservoir and climb onto Cut Gate, you are on open moorland at around 500 metres. Large stretches have been repaired with flagstones, but the tops can still be wet and boggy, and in mist they all look the same.
- Mist and featureless ground. Take a map and compass and know how to use them. Phone maps are a good back-up, not a replacement.
- Groups getting split up. In March 2026 we were called to search for a walker separated from their group on Cut Gate. Agree a plan for what to do if you lose each other.
- Weather. It can be much colder and windier on the tops than at the car park. Take a warm layer, hat and gloves, even in spring.
- Distance. Langsett to Slippery Stones and back is a long day. Turn back in good time.
- Old military debris. Parts of these moors were used for military training during the Second World War. In March 2026 we helped with the removal of a wartime shell found on the moor above Langsett. If you find anything like this, don’t touch it: note where it is and call the police.
If something goes wrong
- Dial 999, ask for the Police, then Mountain Rescue.
- Give your exact location: a grid reference or what3words address. How to give your location.
- Say whether you are by the reservoir, on Cut Gate or elsewhere on the moor, and what you can see around you.
- Stay where you are, keep warm and keep your phone free for us to call back.
When we're called here
We have been called to Langsett and Cut Gate 18 times since 2021.
Counted from our incident records since 2021 and updated every night. Locations are recorded to about 1 km, so a few incidents just outside Langsett and Cut Gate may be included. See every incident in our incident log.
Our recent incidents at Langsett
- 29 Mar 2026: Walker separated from group, Cut Gate
- 18 Mar 2026: Injured walker, Langsett Reservoir
- 1 Mar 2026: Wartime shell removed, moors above Langsett
- 1 Feb 2026: Injured fell runner, Mickleden track
- 27 Nov 2025: Person fallen into Mickleden Beck
About this advice
Written by the volunteers of Woodhead Mountain Rescue Team, from our own experience of incidents on these moors and woods. The incident figures come from our incident log.
More safety advice
- Safety on the hills: what catches people out around here
- In an emergency: what to tell the operator
- What to bring: our kit checklist
- Our incident log: every job we have been called to
See where we work on Our area, and read about recent rescues in our incident log.