Peak District walk (5) - Tideswell, Peak Forest, Monk's Dale

Date of walk: Mar 23rd, 2012.  Distance 13.5 miles.  Start: Wheston Bank, edge of Tideswell.

An illustrated account of the walk, click on any picture to enlarge, or to view as a slideshow. 

Tideswell is a large village, and can be busy.  There seems to be good parking on Wheston Bank just above the village, but the centre of the village could easily be used as a starting point.  Starting at Tideswell allows the sections with some road walking to be split, whilst emphasising the complete descent from the tops to Miller's Dale as the main feature and heart of the walk.  I must say from the start that I enjoyed it thoroughly.  The day was once again dry, although it started quite dull and grey - very pleasant indeed for walking, not bad for pictures but nothing special most of the way.  

Town Head, Tideswell, from Wheston Bank

The amount of road walking to begin with might be off-putting to many, but it helps to make a good, satisfying round, and it did not drag for me in the way I feared from the map.  The lanes are quiet and no problem for walking.  The centre of the village is down in the head of the valley, but, as the picture shows, Town Head is at the transition to the open uplands.  The lane to Wheston crosses a low ridge by a few trees and fresh views open out to the south and west.  The second picture has little hint of the limestone valleys that are hidden away between the viewpoint and the skyline.

View from the top of Wheston Bank

It is not far from the bustle of Tideswell to Wheston, which by contrast appears a traditional rural and tranquil village scattered along the lane.  Wheston Hall does add a touch of grandeur, right by the lane junction where the route turns north.  A few scattered trees soften what might otherwise be a somewhat stark upland scene.

Part of Wheston village

For the next mile or so the main thing to savour is the simple quietness of the countryside.  There is certainly nothing dramatic to report, it just adds nicely to the variety of the whole walk.  The open countryside no doubt catches every wind and breeze that's going, but it was almost calm the day I did the walk.

Lane north of Wheston

The views are always restricted by slightly higher ground to the east, but the views west are more expansive, with the line of Hay Dale and Dam Dale discernible, but hiding their secrets enticingly for later in the day.

View to Dam Dale and beyond

The field of sheep in the above picture are beyond the line of Dam Dale.  The Pennine Bridleway heads down to the valley past the barn.  As always the dry stone walls are a feature of the upland grazing land in limestone country.  The sheep were all gathered into concentrated flocks awaiting lambing.  There was a field full of sheep right by Limestone Way Farm, where there were also good views back in the direction of Wheston.

Lane towards Wheston near Limestone Way Farm

The lane finally sets slightly to the east of the highest ground with new views beyond the main A623 road to which the lane is headed.  The lane junction is at Mount Pleasant Farm, at one of the highest points along  the route of the A623.  Immediately to the west there is a hill with two sharp bends above Peak Forest which will be very familiar to drivers who have used the road.  The route goes for just a few yards towards the brow of this hill, but the Limestone Way soon turns north to the right.

A623 above Peak Forest

The main road is really just a minor blip in the quietness of the countryside.  The route of the Limestone Way can be seen on the hillside ahead, above The Cop Farm.  Fresh views soon open out, and the next section really is a fine walk with good views.

Hill country north of Peak Forest

To the north there is a gradual transition to moorland that is higher than almost anything to be found to the south.  In the above picture, Rushup edge can be seen on the right skyline, and the top of the airshaft above the railway tunnel from Edale can be seen further left.  The farms make the most of the benefits of the limestone grazing country, which is well drained and supports good grazing turf.  The eye is drawn to the route ahead as an intervening dip comes into view.

Route of the Limestone Way by The Cop

The path joins the dead end lane serving the two highest properties in the vicinity, which boast fine settings with grand views south.  The gradient is not steep, but it is one of the more significant climbs of the walk.  The farm at The Cop is at an altitude of over 400m (1,300 ft).  The skyline does not mark a real summit, but the transition to a large, gently undulating plateau area.  The walled track finishes just short of the top, where there are the widest views of all to the south.  This is the highest point of the walk.  Being access land, there is nothing to stop a diversion to the trig point or the spot height of 471m, if a summit is needed and falling shy by 11 or 12 metres is just not good enough.

View from the track above The Cop

The path keeps just to the west of the highest ground, which cuts off views to the east, and the further onto the plateau, the less are the distant views.  So this point marks a real transition for the walk, with the plateau of Old Moor towards Eldon Hill being more or less a world of its own, apart from tantalising glimpses to Mam Tor and Lose Hill from an unfamiliar angle.  They are made to look relatively insignificant in the scheme of things with the higher ground of the Dark Peak filling the skyline beyond.

View across Old Moor to Lose Hill and beyond

The route is not in doubt, following the wall all the way to the junction with a wide track between walls.  It was good to hear the full call of a curlew, which by all accounts is becoming a rarer bird than it once was.  For me it is the most evocative sound of all of open moorland countryside, and one that still creates part of the thrill in being out and about in our upland areas.  Without the wall to guide the wide moorland could be difficult to navigate in misty conditions.  The route passes a large dewpond, and the walking is very straightforward.  The Limestone Way continues north, but our route turns left (west) along the well made walled track.

Walled moorland track, looking east

Across the plateau, the map suggests there was formerly a great deal of mining activity, so caution may be required if exploring the access areas.  I decided to take the second path heading back south, closer to the summit of Eldon Hill.  It provided a glimpse of the quarry, and generally stays on slightly higher ground, whilst only being fractionally longer than the first.

The northwest corner of the walk by Eldon Hill

This is definitely a significant point on the walk - downhill all the way to Miller's Dale through the transition from the open moorland to the limestone valley.  For me, every step of the way from here to the lowest point by the church in Miller's Dale made a most satisfying journey on foot.  I had lunch by a small limestone outcrop just before rounding the shoulder of Eldon Hill.  Limestone can usually be relied on to provide decent natural seating arrangements, and this was no exception.  It was a joy to cross beyond the shoulder of the hill and gradually see the fresh view south unfold - one of the highlights of the walk and another reason to walk it in this direction rather than clockwise.

View over Peak Forest village and beyond

The village of Peak Forest is spread out at your feet, the next destination of the walk.  The path follows the line of a wall round to the right for a short way, before making a beeline down to the top of Eldon Lane.  The only challenge is to choose between taking advantage of the lovely path and gradient and enjoying walking at full speed, or taking time to savour the views.  I ended walking briskly between regular stops - taking pictures is now a completely integral part of my walking, and this was not a place to miss out on the opportunities provided.

Descending to Eldon Lane

The top farm is called Eldon Lane Farm, and the farmhouse was dated 2006.  I wondered whether it was a new build, which would seem a rare thing these days, or a rebuild or barn conversion.  The larger farmhouse by the white pole is called Sweetknoll, and I certainly approved of the name as I wandered by, enjoying the location.  The sheep made a great noise as the farmer came to tend to them in the field, and they ran towards him.  They would not have acted like that if I had entered the field.  Soon I was down in the village.

Approaching Peak Forest village

Peak Forest is the sort of village that many will have passed through, may be many times, but have never stopped to look around.  Only the name, which seems a little odd, with neither a peak nor a forest in sight, may cause the stirring of interest.  Otherwise the inconvenience of the 30 mph limit may cause the impatient to dislike the village.  In my experience of only ever having driven through in this way, I must confess to considering it a somewhat bleak place.  How important it is not to judge a place before getting out of a speeding metal box and having a proper look on foot!  It is nice to get pleasant surprises, and I was pleasantly surprised by the village and its setting when having a chance to take it all in a bit better.

Part of the village of Peak Forest

The sad part of walking through the village was seeing the recently closed shop and chapel opposite one another, just off the main road.  The shop looked as though it was functioning, and from over the road looked as though boxes of stock were strewn all over the floor.  Are rural communities going to be for ever bereft of facilities, or it is just a weird blip of modern life that will get resolved?  At the moment there seems to be no stopping the downward trend.  At least I heard the sound of children playing during the primary school lunch break.  The main road was quiet, so even along there the impression was much more favourable than when passing through by car.  I soon left the main street along Damside Lane, wondering about the background to the name with no body of water in sight.  The next item on the itinerary was Dam Dale.  The valley suddenly narrows, with Dam Dale Farm filling the gap at the head.  Beyond the farm it is a very pleasant, quiet walk along the valley.

View down Dam Dale

At this stage the valley is distinctive without being spectacular.  It is fairly typical limestone scenery.  The path is not well worn, confirming that this must generally be a quiet and peaceful spot.  The walking is very straightforward along the base of the eastern slopes.  The valley floor is flat with sheltered grazing for sheep. The Pennine Bridleway crosses the valley by the low line of crags seen ahead in the picture above.  Like the Wye valley that this valley eventually joins, different sections are given different names.  Beyond the crags it becomes Hay Dale.

Trees in Hay Dale

The sides of Hay Dale are marginally steeper, deeper and rockier.  The old trees are however the most eye catching feature near the head of this section.  There were many branches and stumps on the ground, but other are hanging on in various stages of ageing.  They really are a distinctive sight, although it is clear that soon more of them will come to the end of their days.  Once again the valley seems quiet, although the path is a little more worn, partly no doubt because of the designation as a nature reserve.  Limestone country is well known for the variety of wild flowers and they way they seem to thrive.  Towards the lane crossing, the character of the valley starts to change, becoming a little more complex and grander.  Over the road it is known as Peter Dale.

Peter Dale

Through Peter Dale the walking continues to be very easy, although in places the crags and steep woods loom a little larger and grimmer.  Peter Dale continues almost as far as the next road crossing, just beyond the narrowest section yet encountered, where there is a notice board heralding the arrival at the Monk's Dale nature reserve.  Beyond this second lane crossing the character of the walk soon changes.  The valley narrows for a second time with a mix of low crags and dense woodland.  The gradient of the path remains very gentle, there are no major obstacles to negotiate, but the underfoot conditions require some explanation.  Almost every step involves care due to the mix of bare rock and mud.  The limestone is in small blocks which are at the same time both knobbly and slippery - both when wet and dry.  The mud is not heavy like clay, but is slippery in a different way to the rock.  The shaded and sheltered conditions means the mud rarely dries out fully.  People with experience of limestone country will realise exactly what is meant.  So for some distance care is required, and the length of Monk's Dale cannot be rushed however easy it may look on the map.  For a full 1 to 1.5 km the trees are so dense that the overall valley can hardly be seen, even when there are not leaves.  Yet the whole place and experience of walking through it is strangely magical.

Path in Monk's Dale

Even without a tree leaf in sight, green was colour when walking through in March.  The grass, the moss, and the emerging spring ground cover vegetation is more vivid than the picture suggests.  It made me wonder at what it will be like in May or June when the fresh green new leaves are out.  Eventually, the path rises a bit on the left side of the valley and begins to open out a bit.  It descends briefly back into the trees again before reaching a point where the scene is transformed and the scale of the valley at this point is revealed - deeper and more impressive than anything seen higher up.  The path rises quite high up the bare valley side, above a low line of crags, with good views.  The whole walk gives a good insight into the varied nature of limestone scenery.

A Monk's Dale scene

The path passes a bare hillside with scree and a few trees, with views on towards the far side of Miller's Dale.  It descends once more to valley level, with an ill-defined stream that is more like a series of water meadows, rather a fascinating sight.  Further on it becomes more like a normal stream with a footbridge, beyond which the path climbs a little so that it ends up just above the church in Miller's Dale.  There are glimpses of the village between trees, and a steep walled path zig-zag's the short distance down.  The church really is crammed into a small site between the road and the craggy hillside.  It looks taller than it is long.

Miller's dale church

The path squeezes between the church and the house on the right of the picture, emerging onto the narrow pavement by the road.  The route then takes a fairly direct line back up to Tideswell, the valley floor here being the lowest point of the walk.  Rather than the main road, which is not good for walkers, the smaller lane rising more steeply through the woods can be taken.  It is called Meadow Lane, which seems totally inappropriate in the steep woodland but much more so higher up.  It emerges onto gentler slopes with pleasant views across and along the Wye Valley.

Above Miller's Dale

A pleasant path through the fields was used, although the lane is very quiet and perfectly pleasant for walking.  The upland meadows look as though they yield good grazing, and there are also some trees dotted around.  One of them seemed especially suited as the subject for a picture.

Tree near Monksdale Lane

The path crosses a track and then a little lane which takes a slightly more looping course to the village before rejoining Meadow Lane by Meadow Farm.  The farm is set at the edge of a side valley overlooking the limestone scenery of Tideswell Dale - rather a fine location.

Meadow Farm above Tideswell Dale. 

The lane continues pleasantly towards Tideswell, and the climbing is now gentler and more intermittent.  There are some interesting views of the village from Sherwood Road, which runs parallel to the main road a little to the west.  Tideswell is quite a large village, running nearly a mile from Town End to Town head, with another line of development along Whitecross Road towards the main A623.  The report closes with a small portfolio of village views at the close of the most satisfying and varied walk, which comes with a hearty recommendation.

Town End, Tideswell

Tideswell village centre from Sherwood Road

Town Head, Tideswell

Town head, Tideswell

Town Head, Tideswell

Peak District walk (3) - Litton and Chee Dale

Date of walk: Feb 8th, 2012.  Distance 13 miles.  Start: Litton village. 

An illustrated account of the walk, click on any picture to enlarge, or to view as a slideshow.

Litton, like so many of the Peak District villages, has a distinct character, and is an excellent place to start a walk.  It has been a prolonged dry and mild period of weather, although often dull, and today was no exception.  These are excellent conditions for comfortable walking, but a little more challenging for photography, at least if a riot of colour is the aim.  Litton is on high ground, but not far from some steep limestone valleys typical of the area.  Some of these valleys and their surroundings were the focus for the walk.

So the direction was southeast, away from the village, heading for the first valley called Tansley Dale.  It starts just as a shallow dip in the fields near the village, with their full share of limestone walls.  Quickly though, the sides steepen and you dive down into the confined world of limestone valleys.  The views are restricted but full of interest, therefore good destinations when conditions are not great for long distance vistas.  It was also like entering a visual representation of a fractal - Tansley Dale leads into the larger Cressbrook Dale which goes down to the still larger valley of the River Wye.

Tansley Dale into Cressbrook Dale, near Litton

In this type of limestone scenery, the landscape seems compact, with fresh views around every corner, and the corners come thick and fast.  It makes for very satisfying walking country, and you can very quickly feel off the beaten track and escape the crowds, even in such a popular National Park, so close to large urban centres in all directions.  There are many of these valleys which are destinations in their own right and become thronged with walkers, but there are enough for some with fine enough scenery to remain fairly quiet.  On reaching Cressbrook Dale I turned right to head downstream.  Beyond an open section with some crags, the valley becomes well wooded.  The valley floors are typically shaded and damp, excellent sites for mosses and a range of wild flowers - limestone country is renowned for its botanical diversity.  Just on the cusp of spring, the moss in contrasting with the bare trees provided the main visual impact.

Footpath in Cressbrook Dale

Eventually a group of cottages is reached at Ravensdale, and the path turns into a track then a little lane, joining another of the lanes that wind confusingly around the vicinity of Cressbrook village.  Cressbrook Mill, one of the historic textile mills of the area.  Generally Cressbrook was regarded quite favourably, even though women and children were still required to work long and hard hours.  It is located right at the point where the stream down Cressbrook Dale reaches the River Wye, at the lowest point of the walk.  The buildings have been restored and converted into flats - the final industrial action producing nylon ceased in 1965, previously cotton had been the material.  A path sneaks by the mill to the river, turning right to head upstream on the north bank.  The path is right by the water and often prone to flooding.

River path between Cressbrook Mill and Litton Mill

A short section of the valley here rejoices in the name of Water-cum-Jolly Dale.  The river twists and turns so much that sections have their own name, and to this day there is no continuous road up the valley.  Indeed the map needs to be studied quite carefully when driving away from the main routes, to check out how to get to one place from another.  To walk from Cressbrook Mill to Litton Mill is only a mile by the river, but to drive, you have to go up to Litton, down Tideswell Dale to Miller's Dale and up the dead end road to Litton Mill, over five times the distance.  This makes it all the more extraordinary that the valley was chosen as a route for a railway line which was actually built.  The valley is famous for the line with all its tunnels and viaducts, and can be followed by walkers as the Monsal Trail.  Even the tunnels have recently been opened, and cyclists can use the route as well.  The river winds through steeply sided woodland before arriving at Litton Mill.

By Litton Mill

Litton Mill, like Cressbrook Mill, has now been converted into flats.  However, Litton Mill was especially notorious for the unspeakable working conditions, little short of slave labour for young children moved up from London.  I think I would find its strange to live within walls with such a history, even though the surroundings are so beautiful and very tranquil these days.  To keep the walk varied, I crossed the river over a long bridge just by the cottages beyond the mill.  I crossed the Monsal Trail up on the south side of the valley, and climbed up through a reserve called Priestcliffe Lees, or geological and botanical interest.  The views open out over the valley and the limestone scenery with all its particular qualities is laid out.

Wye valley, Derbyshire limestone country

There are many lumps and bumps indicating spoil heaps from historic small scale mineral mining, and there are areas of cliffs and exposed rock.  Towards the top the ground becomes smoother, with the open green pasture land also associated with the rock type.  The contrast always seems striking.  Limestone, being porous, means that these pastures are well drained and almost always provided easy and attractive walking.  Sometimes the plateau areas can seen dull, but they are quite different from the "Black Peak" moorlands further north.  I stopped for a break and refuelling towards the top of the longest steep climb of the day, and soon joined a good track leading towards the hamlet of Priestcliffe, not far from Taddington.

Upland track, soon turns left for Priestcliffe

 Priestcliffe has a real rural air about it, even though within a mile or so of the busy A6 route to Buxton.  The next section involved some road walking, but quiet and pleasant enough, through the further scattered hamlets of Priestcliffe Ditch and Blackwell, either side of the Miller's Dale road.  Strangely, these villages, along with Litton are on the highest sections of the walk.

A farm at Blackwell, across the Miller's Dale road

The short section of the Pennine Bridleway was the epitome of smooth limestone grassland, with little sign of the dramatic scenery close by, below, to the north.  The route curves gently, almost intersecting with the A6, where there are now real indications of the change of scenery.  However, at this stage it is just a fairly small, unremarkable valley heading down to the north.   Quickly the valley becomes deep with steep grassy sides, and soon becomes rocky as the descent continues.  Rounding a rocky band, the Monsal Trail comes into view with a bridge across, which reveals an even more dramatic view - the first impression of what is to come through Chee Dale, undeniably the highlight of the walk.

Former railway cutting and crags, Chee Dale

The valley floor is a little lower down still, with a footbridge across to the Blackwell Mill Cottages.  A sign warns that the Chee Dale footpath is liable to flooding and difficult in places, but starts gently enough, heading downstream, through the trees by the river with views to the crags on the other side.   The first of several viaducts soon appears, confusing until it is realised that not only was a railway built through the valley, but a three way junction with another line through Great Rocks Dale, a line that continues to serve the vast Tunstead limestone quarry nearby.  The next viaduct is the actual Monsal trail crossing the valley.  There are steep steps up to the trail allowing close up views of some of the arches.  The valley path continues, and rock begins to appear lower down closer to river level.  Around a bit of a spur, overhanging crags appear ahead with the first sequence of stepping stones beneath.  The steps are large square blocks with textured surfaces, and not difficult to cross.  Tall people like myself have to mind their heads on the overhanging crag in places.

Chee Dale stepping stones, looking upstream

The steps mark just the start of the most splendid river walk I have encountered, with a real sense of intimacy with water, rock and trees.  For a short distance, low crags hem in the river on both sides and you feel fully engaged with a little world where there is no real sense of the wider geography beyond.

Crags by the river Wye, Chee Dale

The path continues to find unexpectedly straightforward progress close to the river for a while, and then is confronted with the tortuous course past Chee Tor.  Rounding a spur at the first and tightest bend, the path has to divert across footbridges over the river and climb a little way up the valley side with a steep drop below.  The second footbridge is by the next viaduct, and it is clear to be seen why the path divert across the river, because of a awkward crag.  Rounding the corner, the other series of stepping stones can be seen a short way ahead, even more enjoyable for me because the crag is vertical rather than overhanging, and there was more chance to appreciate the surroundings.

Lower Chee Dale stepping stones, looking upstream

Even uploading the picture, I'm taking time to recall a place that really made an impression on me.  I've done plenty of walking, although not much in mountains or rugged terrain recently, so it was really great to have the opportunity to enjoy the route here.  Please take care when planning the route, pets or young children may have difficulties, and there is the obvious danger of flooding.  Another more detailed view of the steps seems in order.

Cheed Dale footsteps, river Wye

Immediately beyond is another feature, with an overhanging crag dripping water over the path, possibly the most dramatic bit scenically of the whole valley.

Crag overhanging the river Wye, Chee Dale

The route ahead looks as though it is about to ease, but there are a couple of steep places above the river still to be negotiated, with fine views across to the craggy ramparts of Chee Tor which has the river on three sides.  I was rather sorry my first visit was just part of the full day's walk that had been planned.  It would be well worth returning for lingering exploration and taking time to let the special atmosphere of the valley sink in, although it does slow the walker down rather anyway because of the terrain underfoot.  Butterbur was in flower in several places, and I also saw for the first time scarlet elf cap fungus which was a lovely sight.

Crags of Chee Tor across the river Wye

The valley remains deep and steep sided towards Miller's Dale, but not quite with the intensity in the landscape of Chee Dale.  Miller's Dale is where a road is able to cross the valley - the only through road crossing between Buxton and Ashford in the Water.   It is also the place with another soaring viaduct, this time double line structures above the road and river.  There is a small village in the valley with a pub and a church, set amongst the woods and steep valley sides.

Miller's Dale

A dead end lane leads along the valley towards Litton Mill, almost completing the loop to where the river was crossed earlier in the day.  The main feature is the limestone crag above the road, near Ravenstor youth hostel.

Crag by the lane from Litton Mill

The crag is part of a narrow spur or wedge of high ground between the Wye valley and Tideswell Dale, the final stretch of the walk.  It is rather less spectacular but still a very pleasant and varied walk in itself, with the view opening out at one stage to Hammerton Hill.  A concessionary footpath means that no road walking is required towards Tideswell, although there is a pavement anyway.   The road to Litton is followed as it completes the gradual climb away from the Wye back to the more upland surroundings of the village, at the end of a most satisfying and enjoyable walk.

Entering Litton from Tideswell Dale