Tank in the Moors
I’m unsure where I first heard about the Tank in the Moors, but photos and vlogs about this abandoned tank caught my attention straight away. Throw in that it's found in the Peak District, an area we loved to explore on foot and by bike while living on the outskirts of Sheffield for nearly three years, and visiting it became a must-do. However, nobody really explained where to find this abandoned tank and forum questions yielded only vague answers. So, DIY it was - and after some digging and scouring Google Maps, I finally located the tank.
You can find the Tank in the Moors on the moorland around Upper Hulme between Leek and Buxton. It’s in a military firing range which has public access, but before entering you MUST check the Leek and Upper Hulme firing times published by the United Kingdom Government and ensure that no red flags are flying when you enter. Naturally, crossing a firing range may put some readers off, but if you do the checks and use common-sense, it’s perfectly safe to follow the footpaths across this land.
As you can see from the photograph below, the tank occupies a stunning location and looks in great shape despite the bullet holes down the side. No guesses why it is such a big attraction.
After checking the firing times, we choose to drive up from our home in Northamptonshire on what was predicted to be a dry, but not too warm, summer's day with sunny spells. Here’s our little adventure…
Abandoned Sherman (or Canadian Ram) Tank on the Moors near Upper Holme © Robert Thorley | Getty Images canva.com
Tank in the Moors Walking Route
While researching the tank's location - and wondering why people were so vague about it - I eventually found a walking route that passed the Tank in the Moors on komoot.com, the walking and cycling route planning software I use. The walk is less than five miles long and covers some lovely ground up and over the summit of Ramshaw Ridge. If you want to attempt this walk, please use the “Discover more info about this tour” link on the map to either follow the route on your mobile device or to download a gpx file.
We parked our car in a layby along Hazel Barrow Lane near to the crossroads by the Winking Man pub. The weather wasn’t quite as predicted. The so-called sunny spells were more like grey and drizzle, which made taking photos rather difficult (Note, I’m getting my excuses in quickly!).
We left the car and crossed the A53 road to the small road opposite and went down hill past the side entrance to the Winking Man pub. The first mile of this walk follows this road, and the views to Ramshaw Ridge would have been wonderful on a clear day. With the low cloud and drizzle we had, even the purple heather couldn’t enhance the dreary scene.
The Murky View Across the Moor to Ramshaw Ridge © essentially-england.comA touch of excitement crept up on us as we looked for the footpath on the right that would take us across the moor to see the tank. This was something I had wanted to find for some time, and I’ve loved working out a way to do it.
Along the road section we passed warning signs for the firing range and to look out for the red flags when the area was in use.
It seemed to take forever to cover this first mile along the road, but we eventually reached the footpath across the firing range and on to the tank in the moors.
Firing Range Warning Sign © essentially-england.com
The Footpath Across the Moor Towards Ramshaw Ridge © essentially-england.comAccording to the published firing range times, the range was open. And as we saw no red flags and couldn’t hear any firing, we ventured down the gravel path. The track was easy to walk and easy to follow, and after a few minutes it turned left and descended, giving views across the moorland. The shells of a few brick and stone buildings caught our eye, and beyond those we could just spy the top of the tank!
The Tank in the Moors is Riddled with Bullet Holes © essentially-england.comMy initial pleasure
at finding this abandoned tank in the moors soon turned to disappointment as we found a fence with what looked like fresh barbed
wire and very new, bright red warning signs closing off the path. I used the full 300 mm zoom on my
camera to follow the fence to try and find a gate or stile to enter the wired-off enclosure, but couldn’t find an entrance. A worn path was visible on the
other side of the fence closest to the stone buildings, but we weren't prepared
to climb the fence to get to it - and I resigned myself to taking photos from a distance and higher ground.
Checking on
Google maps when we got home, I found that these bright red warning signs are
relatively new. The Google Street View image for the start of the footpath - dated September 2023 - doesn't show a sign.
The Footpath Across the Moors to Ramshaw Ridge © essentially-england.comAfter the disappointment of failing to reach the tank in the moors, we backtracked to the wooden footpath sign to start crossing the moorland towards Ramshaw Ridge. Rocks, heather, and tussocks of grasses mingled and finding stable footing was tricky. After a couple of falls within the first few hundred metres we reached a boggy section with that horrible black ooze that makes a mess of your boots and trousers. At this point, we decided to abort the planned walk as the drizzle had started again, and we couldn't find a sensible way through the boggy part. So sadly, we retraced our steps to the car.
Walking the Ramshaw Ridge © essentially-england.comAnother disappointment, but... we didn't let that deter us from our day out! We love rocky outcrops and were determined to explore Ramshaw Ridge, even if that meant revising our route. Besides, we had to find the iconic rocks of the Winking Man, Ramshaw Serpent, and the Hanging Stone! So, we passed our car, carried on down the hill, and approached Ramshaw Ridge from the other side. And we were not disappointed!
The Ramshaw Serpent © essentially-england.comIn the end, we had a great day out exploring. The weather wasn’t the best, but we did not get soaked and it wasn’t cold. I really enjoyed finding the clues to help me identify where the tank in the moors was located and devise a circular walk that took us there. We would have loved to have completed the whole walk but weren’t properly dressed to get through bog – we probably needed Wellingtons for that.
If you find an entrance that allows closer access to the tank, please let us know. We'd love to go back and get better photos.
If, like us, you enjoy finding tanks while out and about in England, why not join us as we try to find these amazing machines on our travels? So far we have found:
- The Tank on the Beach near Mablethorpe in Lincolnshire.
- The Tank by the Beach at Slapton Sands in Devon.
- The Tank in the Forest near Mundford in the Thetford Forest, Norfolk.
Are there any others you know of?
How About These Tank Experience Gift Ideas?
Anyone who loves military hardware will love to see a tank in action. Better still, what about getting a ride, or even more betterer ;-)... a drive in one. Take a look at these great examples that you could gift to someone special, or even just treat yourself.
We regularly drive past the Tanks A Lot centre in Northamptonshire, and they always have a great display of tanks outside. I’m sure we’ll be visiting one day…
If you need to find a hotel, then try one of these search platforms...
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