One of my favourite places in the Peak District is Castleton! I always welcome a trip to clear my head and enjoy the beautiful scenery.
This time I was invited as a guest of YHA, to stay at YHA Castleton Lose Hill Hall, in this quaint Derbyshire village.
As well as staying at the YHA we enjoyed a wonderful autumnal walk from the hostel up to Lose Hill and along the great ridge.
Here I will share details on my stay at YHA Castleton Losehill Hall. The hostel facilities, including the YHA Supper Club, a few activities we got up to after our walk.
Also, details of the Lose Hill Walk so you can enjoy the same route.
If you’ve read any of my other walks in the Peak District you’ll know how much a fan I am of this beautiful National Park in England. Please note as a guest of YHA all thoughts and opinions of my visit are all my own.
Do you have any further questions about staying at YHA Castleton Losehill Hall or the walk to Lose Hill?
Ask me in the comments below.
YHA Castleton Losehill Hall
About the Hostel
YHA Castleton Losehill Hall is located a short distance from the main village of Castleton, in fact, it’s less than 1 km before you reach the gift shops, pubs and cafes in the village.
I’ve stayed at a few YHA’s across the country and this is definitely one of my favourites.
Read my reviews of YHA Borrowdale and YHA Boggle Hole here.
As you drive or walk up the long driveway from the main road you immediately feel you’re about to visit somewhere special.
The front of the building is hidden by the trees making it an impressive find when you start exploring the large grounds of the YHA.
The hostel runs various activities so you might see groups outside taking part in activities or maybe feeding the friendly chickens and goats (if you don’t see them, you’ll probably hear them!)
Check availability at the hostel via YHA Online here.
The main reception is situated around the back of the building, leading directly in from a walled car park.
Beyond are the Peak District hills, Lose Hill, Back Tor and Mam Tor, I’ll tell you how you can go explore them later!
The modern reception area has plenty of information, photos and a handy water refill point, great for topping up your water bottles before and after your walk, helping to reduce single-use plastic bottles.
Facilities at YHA Castleton Losehill Hall
On the ground floor of the hostel, there are several social areas, including several relaxing lounge areas, meeting rooms, a very grand dining room as well as a self-catering kitchen, giving options for everyone staying at the YHA.
As the hostel used to be Lose Hill Hall it has still retained all the original features.
The rooms have high ceilings with beautiful cornices, chandeliers and open fireplaces, as well as an incredible staircase leading up to the first floor.
As with most YHA hostels, there an option to go self-catering or you can opt for the meals provided by the YHA. We had the Supper Club menu, perfect for big groups but also a way of meeting new people too.
Then there’s a fantastic buffet-style breakfast option, from continental style breakfast to a full English, to help start your day with lots of energy.
YHA Supper Club
What is the YHA Supper Club?
The idea behind the Supper Club is that you book a 2-course meal to have at a set time with other guests staying at the hostel.
Of course, not necessarily something that will suit everyone but if like me you travel alone and love a good chat over dinner, maybe planning some new walking routes then this is perfect.
It’s a set menu for each day, with alternatives for vegetarians and vegans. And in addition, if you have any other dietary requirements let them know when you book, we had a couple of people at our Supper Club that requested gluten-free meals, which was no problem.
Our menu that evening was chicken and vegetable pie, mashed potato, carrots, peas and yummy gravy (I’m a gravy addict so this was a big win for me!)
For dessert, it was a delicious chocolate fudge cake with ice-cream.
The Supper Club is served at a set time, 7 pm, perfect for autumn/winter with the early nights are closing in.
I’m not sure if they push the time back during the summer as I know I love to be out walking longer in the warmer months. But it’s great to enjoy your dinner, meet new people and then have the opportunity to socialise with them for the remainder of the evening.
YHA Castleton Losehill Hall has some board games you can play after dinner, traditional games like Scrabble, Monopoly and Cluedo but made on bespoke boards so they will last for many games!
Is Supper Club for you?
- Can’t be bothered to cook
- Want a good hearty meal on a budget!
- Love to socialise with other people
- Need an excuse to have a pudding!
Then yes, YHA Supper Club is perfect for you.
Two courses for just £9.95 and you simply book at reception when you arrive, it couldn’t be simpler!
Check availability and prices online at YHA here.
Ask me any more questions in the comments below.
Lose Hill Walk from YHA Castleton Losehill Hall
There are many beautiful walks you can do from the hostel, on our trip we did Lose Hill walk and along the ridge to Hollins Cross and back to the hostel, for games and dinner.
Lose Hill Walks Details
Walk distance: 4 miles/ 6 km
Walk time: 1.5-2.5 hours
Total ascent: 336 m/ 1,102 ft
Walk difficulty: Medium
Map required: Ordnance Survey OL1 Peak District – The Dark Peak Area
Buy your map now from Amazon or Ordnance Survey
Lose Hill Walk Map
Walk Instructions
To make it easy for you these instructions are straight from the YHA hostel.
This walk can also be done from Castleton village however, you would need to add additional walking time to reach the start of the walk (approx 1 km there and back).
Stage 1 Walk (YHA Hostel to Lose Hill)
Distance: 1.25 miles/ 2 km
From YHA Castleton Losehill Hall, leave through the gate at the back of the car park, from here walk about 20 metres down the track before going through a small gate on your left into a field walking towards the hills.
To your left, you’ll see Mam Tor hill, also known as ‘Mother Hill’ and sometimes paragliders if the weather is right. Continue walking across the field, it can get muddy when it’s wet, hiking boots recommended.
Follow the path through a small patch of trees, down a few steps then, cross a small wooden bridge across the stream.
Then follow the single track path on the other side.
The trail takes you gradually uphill across farmland, then on your right go through a gate and continue up a muddy track. From here continue across the field to another gate, small wooden plank bridge.
Once you’ve crossed the wooden plank, you’ll see a wooden fingerpost signed posted Hope & Castleton in one direction and Lose Hill in the other.
Turn left here (towards Lose Hill) and follow the path up the field to another gate. Once you’ve gone through the gate, turn right and walk alongside the fence line until you reach a path heading upwards.
It starts to get steep here so take it slowly up to the top, where you can see Lose Hill summit looming in front of you.
Go through the gate on your right-hand side and continue the final trek upwards to Lose Hill, you’ll see a sign at the base of the hill.
Stage 2 Walk (Lose Hill to Hollins Cross)
Distance: 1.25 miles/ 2 km
After an impressive climb to the top of Lose Hill, you’re safe in the knowledge that the majority of the uphill work is done! Now you can stop, have some snacks, a drink of water and enjoy the views.
The summit has a large impressive stone marker at the top and from here you can see for miles, on a good day!
After you’ve soaked in enough of the atmosphere, continue along the flagstone path, now taking you downhill but remaining on the ridge. Walk all the way to the next hill Back Tor, which has a small wooded area on the left-hand side.
You should also be able to spot the one lonely tree, quite iconic for me as you can spot this from other locations nearby!
Back Tor takes you uphill slightly, but nothing too steep. You can also stop here to enjoy beautiful views of Mam Tor the hill at the end of the main ridgeline.
Descending Back Tor can be a little tricky, it’s a rocky section so take your time and watch your footing on the way down. After a short distance, there’s a gate, go through here and continue heading in a westerly direction towards Mam Tor.
The ridge talks you on an undulating path until you reach another stone marker at Hollins Cross, similar to the one on Lose Hill summit.
Hollins Cross is iconic because this is where one of the mass trespass walks took place, as well as many more on nearby Kinder Scout, more than 70 years ago.
Stage 3 Walk (Hollins Cross to YHA Hostel)
Distance: 1.25 miles/ 2 km
At Hollins Cross, there are various trails leading in different directions, the most direct path back to the hostel is through the gate on your left. Here start heading back towards the hostel down a narrow rocky trail.
Surrounding you there are gorse bushes, so watch your step as you don’t want to end up in this prickly bush.
Follow the path all the way down until you reach a fingerpost point you in lots of different directions! You want to go through the gate, heading in the direction of Hollowford Road.
This section can be a little wet, follow the rocky path down a narrow trail until you reach another gate at the end.
Go through the gate and you’re now on a road. Follow it for over 1 km, until you reach a T-junction.
Here turn left and follow the track past the Hollowford Centre, with the building on your left. Walk down the track then next to some fields and a small play park. You’ll then go through a small gate that takes you out onto a track.
Go straight on for about 100 metres and you’re right back at the gate leading to the YHA!
Walk done, now go treat yourself!
More walks in the Peak District
Want to extend your stay at YHA Castleton Losehill Hall? There are plenty more walks you can do in the area, all straight from the hostel.
Why not check out these walks great from Castleton, hiking up Mam Tor and Win Hill with views over Ladybower Reservoir
You can also admire the views from Winnats Pass, which you might have driven through on your way there.
Another really popular destination for walking in the Peak District is Edale village. You can either try out YHA Edale hostel or drive/catch a bus to Edale to start the walks from there. Check out a mix of long and short walks from Edale here, including maps.
Buy your map now from Amazon or Ordnance Survey
Want to try the Lose Hill walk, let me know your thoughts below. Have you stayed at a YHA?
Ask me any more questions about YHA Castleton Losehill Hall + Supper Club in the comments below.
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Staying at Losehill YHA in a couple of weeks with my 9 year old son – my first YHA hostel experience so I was glad to read your review. He wants to climb “the volcano” hill he saw from Mam Tor on a walk last year, I’ve poured over maps and have worked out means Win Hill. Found your review while looking for routes to take for our walk, thank you.
Ah brilliant, sounds like your son has a love for adventures 🙂 Enjoy your hike up Win Hill, especially to the trig 🙂