Peak District walk (6) - Around Monyash and Lathkill Dale

Date of walk: 27th Mar, 2012.  Distance: 15.0 miles.  Start: lane west of Over Haddon.

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

Having loved walking and the outdoors for almost as long as I can remember, combining walks with photography was spurred on by the introduction of digital cameras and especially by the discovery of the "Geograph" website.  Many of my walks are planned to visit different kilometre grid squares on the map, and this is an example where the route was affected.  I will refer to other options that would avoid some of the road walking, although in this instance the lanes concerned were no hardship to travel on foot.  It was a glorious warm, sunny day during a spell where temperature records were broken for March in Scotland.

The starting point was in or near Over Haddon, and I parked on a wide verge west of the village after discovering a £5 fee for parking in the village car park for more than four hours.  I left the lane at a walled track heading north up the higher slopes above Lathkill Dale.

View across Lathkill Dale

The slope soon eased to pleasant upland grazing land so typical of the area.  Once again I was to be in limestone country throughout the walk.  I crossed the B5055 between Bakewell and Monyash and crossed fields skirting Bole Hill Farm and the hill after which it is named.  There were views back into the light.  There were a few trees and narrow strips of woodland, no doubt planted as shelter belts.  It was very pleasant following the footpath across the higher ground.

Field and tree silhouette, Bole Hill

The path crosses through the southern end of one of the plantations with fresh views then opening over upper Kirk Dale.  There was a short descent down to the lane.  My walk meant passing through the grid square south of Magpie Mine, but as a landmark of considerable interest, with the added opportunity to use paths rather than roads, a recommendation would be to cross straight over visit the mines, and follow a path through Hard Rake Plantations merging with Horse Lane well on the way to Monyash.  I resisted and kept to the lanes.  There are, however, very good views of the whole complex of buildings at the historic site of industrial heritage at Magpie Mine.

The historic Magpie Mine (lead mine) from the south

These views enlivened the long straight stretch of lane.  When it arrived at the junction, the view along Horse Lane was most enticing.  It has lovely wide grass verges, and proved a joy to walk all the way to Monyash.  The wide views across the gently undulating upland grazing land were grand on such a fine day.

Horse Lane towards Monyash

The walking was quick and easy, and I had no concerns about covering the distance of 15 miles in a reasonable time.  The fine weather so early in the year meant that only the first few lambs of the season were in evidence.  Perhaps it will turn cold, perversely, over the next few weeks when many more lambs will no doubt begin to populate the fields.

A couple of early lambs

There were so many nice views along and around Horse Lane that it is not easy to narrow down the selection of photos.  It was interesting to see how the village of Monyash was gradually revealed in its shallow bowl in the gentle uplands.  They are gentle in terms of gradient, but can no doubt be harsh in cold or windy conditions.  At one point there was a particularly good view of the setting of the village around the church.

Monyash from Horse Lane

Eventually the lane arrives at the northern end of the village.  A little detour can easily be made to the village centre, either now or on the return route through the south end of the village, and is well worth while if time permits.  The route I was following headed west at the earliest opportunity along a little walled lane that heads to Cross Lane Farm.  The small walled fields give the landscape a particular character. A little path cut a corner reaching Cross Lane just north of the farm.

Small walled fields near Monyash

The ground was now on a slightly rising trend, and the walled track led towards a barn which is at the hub of four such lanes plus another footpath.  The Limestone Way passes this point en route to Knotlow and the village of Flagg.  Meanwhile the views to the east, with the top of Horse Lane away in the distance were good, and encouraging in the sense of the progress being made.

Upland limestone grazing country north of Monyash

The track I wanted rejoiced in the name of Hutmoor Butts, heading directly ESE to the main A515 road.  To be honest, this is not the most scenic mile to be walked in the Peak District, but is quiet with a great sense of being out in the open.  The ground continues to rise slightly, and the main road keeps close to the top of a shallow ridge ridge.  The ostentatious appearance of the pub at the corner came as a surprise, as did the awkward name - the Bull-i'-th'-Thorn.

Bull-i'-th'-Thorn pub by the A515

There is also a donkey sanctuary near the top end of Hutmoor Butts.  The route crosses almost directly over the main road and heads for the line of the High Peak Trail.  This sets the route for the next couple of miles in a generally southeasterly direction towards Parsley Hay.  As many will know, it follows the line of a former railway, south of Parsley Hay splitting into two at a junction with the Tissington Trail.  It is open to cyclists as well as walkers.  As often with railways across hilly ground, the views alternate between expansive from elevated embankments to constricted within cuttings, as the two following pictures show.

Lane towards Pilsbury, view from High Peak Trail

Cutting on the High Peak Trail

Old railway routes certainly provide a great introduction to walking or cycling for those not familiar with route finding or exploring the countryside on foot.  I'm very happy including a section such as this within a walk, but prefer to discover smaller footpaths and create my own route plans.  The countryside to the west of the old line looks quiet and inviting, and is unfamiliar to me.  The next picture gives an impression, not far from the interestingly named Custard Field Farm.  Eventually the hills give way to the upper Dove and Manifold valleys.

Countryside west of Parsley Hay

Even Parsley Hay itself is only a hamlet, despite the road junctions and former railway junction nearby.  If Parsley Hay is not seen as a worthwhile objective on the walk, a corner can easily be cut using a path by Moscar Farm, crossing the main road, and avoiding some of the walking along the lane north to Monyash.  For my own purposes on the day of the walk, I felt it worthwhile including Parsley Hay.

Lane west through Parsley Hay

I crossed the main road and followed the lane all the way to the edge of the village of Monyash.  It rises at first, with interesting views back to the road junction, the hamlet, and the great cutting on the Tissington Trail.  it then crosses a wide plateau, but again the grass verges make for easy and pleasant walking, with views gradually opening out to the north, which really expand when clearing the brow.  The next two shots illustrate the contrast.

Upland plateau between Parsley Hay and Monyash

View north from the edge of the plateau

The lane descends most attractively towards the village of Monyash, with the limestone walls once again a prominent feature of the landscape.  Again, the route just touches the edge of the village, with another opportunity to explore if desired.  The Limestone Way heads southeast from the village and is the key to the next stage of the route followed.  I seem to be getting stuck into a rut of presenting pictures two by two, so here are a couple around Monyash and views from the south.

Village scene, Monyash

Monyash from the south on Milkings Lane

The walled track ends near the upper part of Fern Dale.  The dale can be used for a short cut down to Lathkill Dale, but I enjoyed the continuation along almost as far as One Ash Grange Farm.  There are only occasional hints in the view of the nearby drama of the limestone valleys, but generally the broad upland grazing land predominates in the scene.  Again the walking is easy underfoot and enjoyable.

Limestone Way above Fern Dale and Lathkill Dale

Pasture south of Lathkill Dale

At last the path is taken north, heading for the rim of the valley, which makes a fitting culmination for the walk.  The crags mean the path is diverted behind the rim upstream back towards Monyash, and still the full scale of the valley is not really revealed from above.

Across Lathkill Dale 

Path descending in to upper Lathkill Dale

Once in the valley, it is a sharp about turn to head downstream.  Immediately there is a gateway which seems to be the entrance into a different, hidden world.  Even so, there is nothing to really indicate the view that opens out a bit later.

Limestone scenery, Lathkill Dale

The next section does reveal some of the finest limestone scenery in this part of the Peak District.  The day was remarkably warm for March, but it was fascinating to walk through the shade as seen in the picture.  There were three or four little dips where the cold air had sunk and it was like walking into a real frost pocket.  They were very localised, only lasting for a few paces at a time, but quite dramatic and refreshing.  It would be exactly the sort of experience that would be welcome in really hot summer weather, but I guess the effect then is rarely as pronounced as it was the day I visited.  Meanwhile the limestone formations captured the visual attention, while the walking underfoot remained quite straightforward throughout.

Limestone formation on the northern rim of Lathkill Dale

A side valley comes in from the north, almost as grand as the main valley, and then the valley closes in once more and goes through several changes of direction.  The valley loses the atmosphere of bare rock and grass, and becomes more wooded, and the river becomes much more significant after the dry upper valley.  The water in the river flows very clear and fresh.  No single picture seems to do justice to the overall impression of walking along the valley, which is an experience to be savoured.  It is not a large scale landscape in world terms, and remains quite intimate, but certainly has enough character and drama to be memorable.

River  Lathkill

In Lathkill Dale

The trees take over all the more the lower down the valley and the limestone crags are less in evidence.  The shelter of the valley means that there are many fine, tall trees.  The route finding is very easy.  Carry on downstream as far as the first significant buildings - an old mill and a lodge at the point where a lane winds down from Over Haddon.  All that remains is to walk up through the village to return to the starting point.  Tantalisingly, I will not include pictures of the village, which did not seem to be very good on this visit.  The whole walk can be recommended with the possible variations mentioned.

Trees in Lathkill Dale

Lodge in Lathkill Dale below Over Haddon

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