Harboro Rocks

About Harboro Rocks

Rising sharply above the High Peak Trail near Wirksworth, these dolomite limestone crags offer some of the finest bouldering in the White Peak. The summit provides a wide-angle view across the shimmering expanse of Carsington Water and the wind turbines at Hopton, making it a rewarding short diversion from the main trail.

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Did You Know?

• •The name is thought to derive from 'Hare-burgh', suggesting either a 'hill of the hares' or a fortified place, referencing the natural defensive qualities of the crag and evidence of an Iron Age hillfort on the site.
• •Harboro’ Cave, tucked into the base of the rocks, has a long history of human occupation; excavations have uncovered artefacts ranging from Upper Palaeolithic flint tools to Roman pottery and coins.
• •The rocks are composed of 'dolomite' limestone, which is magnesium-rich and harder than the standard carboniferous limestone found elsewhere in the Peak District, giving the crags their distinctively weathered, pitted texture.
• •From the summit trig pillar, you can clearly see the steeple of St Mary’s Church in Wirksworth to the east and the massive earth dam of Carsington Water stretching out to the south.
• •The hill is classified as a Tump, a title that sounds like the noise one makes after losing their footing on the slippery limestone, but actually denotes a hill with a thirty-metre prominence.