A Derbyshire walk - Cromford, Bonsall, Ible, Middleton

Date of walk - 11th April 2012.  Distance - 11 miles, plus.  Start - Cromford.

I started by the canal wharf and the mills, which added a bit on to each end of the circular route.  After completing the walk I realised that only a relatively small section was within the National Park, so I have not included it as one of the Peak District series.  The measured circular route starts at the market place at the foot of Cromford Hill.

For the sake of the record a couple of pictures of the wharf and the famous historic mill complex are included to start the pictures of the day.

Canal wharf, Cromford

Part of the historic mill complex at Cromford

Cromford is at a busy road junction on the A6 with Cromford Hill coming down from Wirksworth and the Via Gellia route as well.  With numerous visitor attractions in the vicinity, and active quarrying, the traffic can be heavy.  However, it is certainly a place with plenty of interest beyond the famous mills by the river.  Scarthin is a narrow lane leading northwest from the market square, past a bookshop sharing the name of the street.  There is also a lake on the left, which adds considerable character to the village.

Scarthin, Cromford - market place end

Scarthin, Cromford - towards Water Lane

Water Lane is the start of the Via Gellia, the old lead mining route, now the A5012.  The few yards of the road walked at this stage yield a view of a waterfall or high weir for those who look carefully.  The route then bears right up Chapel Lane and climbs into the woodland beyond.

River at Cromford

Beech woodland on steep hillside above Chapel Lane

The first leaves were beginning to appear on just a few of the beech trees.  For now the sunshine was able to reach through to the ground, although a day of heavy April showers was forecast.  The path reached an old lane that has been cut off by quarry workings which are nearby on the left for a considerable distance from this point.  The lane is followed right then left, continuing to climb amongst trees with little in view on either side.  When there are glimpses of the view the contrast on each side becomes apparent.

Quarry and valley on one side of the path

Green pastures and trees on the other side of the path

Eventually the ground opens out a bit and the path makes a couple of gentle curves on the way towards Bonsall.  The walking is easy and pleasant, although the stark quarry fence spoils the view a bit and seems set back from any danger.  An old field barn is being taken over by a tree.  Round one of the curves, part of the village of Bonsall comes attractively into view.

View back along the path between Cromford and Bonsall

Town Head Farm and the approach to Bonsall

Beyond Town Head Farm, the track turns into Church Lane and the scattered houses merge into the village proper.  It passes the primary school, which is next to the church, as might be guessed.  It was certainly worth a look round the churchyard and the church which is most attractive both inside and out.

Stained glass window, Bonsall church

Church of St James, Bonsall

Blue skies were the order of the day at this stage.  It also turned out to be a good time of day to get a few nice shots of the village.  It is quite sizeable, stretching up a valley, and the parts to the north of the village cross were not visited on this route.  Instead, I turned back south along Yeoman Street, the main street and the route for vehicles between Bonsall and Cromford.  The cross is an impressive feature of the village, and there is a lovely mix of building styles and materials in the houses.  Brick is not regularly seen in Derbyshire White Peak villages, but makes an appearance on Yeoman Street.

Village cross, Bonsall

Yeoman Street, Bonsall

The road is followed as far as The Dale, where more houses run along a side valley, and climbs to Upper Town, which is almost a separate village in its own right.  Almost at the start of The Dale, a path strikes up the hillside heading southwest towards Slaley.  It is quite steep at first, but lovely views back to Bonsall open out, and the gradient eases across gently rising fields typical of limestone grazing country.  There are several field barns and numerous stone walls with gap stiles.  The path divides, but both lead to the lane.  The right hand one leads to a direct crossing of the lane, the other means a slight doubling back.

View over Bonsall

Path across gently rising fields

As can be seen from the last picture, by now there were signs of shower clouds beginning to build.  They certainly did not look too alarming at this stage, but the sunshine never turned out to be around in quite the same way for the rest of the day, and the conditions for photography were generally less good for much of the time.  Crossing Slaley Lane brought an encounter with lambs.

Lambs in a field near Slaley Lane

The ground continued to rise gently, and the grazing land became somewhat rougher.  The path reached a corner of Leys Lane, but I used another path to cut another corner of the lane.  The path crosses an area with many old mine workings, leading to the typically rough and bumpy ground, here with channels cut into the rock.  These places always seem especially difficult to capture on camera, and the light now was doing no favours so you will be spared the results here.  Next time I joined Leys Lane as it was now heading northwest.  An old barn and lots of limestone walls were lit by a little sunshine with darker clouds now around.

Old barn by Leys Lane

A walled track with many puddles led left towards Tophill Farm.  It was very pleasant to be in the open upland, but the views are not of the very best, and the main feature was the sky to the south.  The northwest was where I needed to keep the weather eye on, though.

Skyscape seen from Green Lane

A brow is crossed and the land now descends westwards.  I followed Tophill Lane briefly, and then took a path which cuts a corner on the downhill route.  I was in the shade of a cloud, but the extensive quarry was bathed in sunshine, looking as attractive as any working quarry can.  A little later, when I was at the nearest point on the day's walk to Grange Mill Quarry, the siren sounded long and loud.  The bang of the explosion and the sound of falling rock that followed still managed to take me by surprise.....  Rejoining Tophill Lane, briefly, at the bottom of its hill, I took the left turn to Ible.  There was now a view of Grangemill village rather than the quarry, although the latter was much nearer than when it was in sight.

Grange Mill quarry

Grangemill village

Ible was under a cloud and refused to yield a decent picture.  It is little more than a hamlet, and has a surprisingly remote feel given the proximity to the A 5012 out of sight in the valley below.  The lanes through are narrow and circuitous, not through routes to anywhere, so I expect Ible remains quiet and peaceful for much of the time (apart from the quarry).  A path descends south down open fields into the wooded Griffe Grange valley, which was duly followed.  The path at the top was by a little stream, and I think it was watercress that was growing there.  Lower down, by another stream in the woodland, golden saxifrage was in flower.  There are two sorts - opposite and alternate - but I'm afraid I don't know t'other from which.  (Looking more closely at the picture, the leaves do look opposite to me....)

Watercress?

Golden saxifrage - opposite or alternate?

After being botanically challenged, I was geographically challenged at Griffe Grange Farm.  The map was not detailed enough to show the exact route by the farm, and on the ground there were no signs as to whether the farm should be entered.  I decided to turn back as the clouds were finally gathering.  There was a moderately heavy shower that lasted about 40 minutes, but certainly nothing dramatic as had been threatened.  Most of the time I was in woodland along the Via Gellia and then the path doubling back up a side valley to the place I wanted beyond the farm.  The main road was not great for walking, but the wooded side valley was very nice, even in the cloud and rain.

Via Gellia in the Griffe Grange valley

Side valley through woodland

The woodland was carpeted with a verdant display of wild garlic foliage, no doubt the profusion of sparkling white flowers will be out in the next few weeks.  The little valley was very secretive, and the path seems little used, although the track is wider higher up, and private tracks also cross.  The climb is gradual, which was good as waterproofs were still required at this point.  There is a very distinct contrast between the woodland and the open upland grazing country beyond.  Once in the open, the rain had almost completely stopped, and the sky was partially clear with little further imminent "threat" - why is rain always a threat, especially at this time when it is still so needed in the area?  I am sure I have even heard weather forecasters talk about the threat of "a few spots of rain or light showers" and even the threat of drizzle!  It is time to come clean and admit to a real liking for rain, so threat is a word that will not be used by me in this context, apart from when there is enough of the stuff to lead to flooding, where the dangers and damages are real.  For me, a heatwave should be announced with a threat - my least favourite walking conditions.  On the whole, I simply love being out and about on foot, whatever the weather.  I've got a pair of legs that seem to appreciate being used.

Meanwhile, why not insert a picture of a highland cow, seen earlier in the day north of Ible?

Highland cow

There were no highland cattle on the open tops of Griffe Grange - name for local hill, farms, and valley.  I turned left and kept left across the brow of Griffe Grange.  Farm buildings were away off to the right, and the open fields were quiet.

Track on the open slopes of Griffe Grange

The brow of the hill, hardly to be called a ridge, is marked with several distinctive trees (to the left of the above picture).  Beyond the brow, the wide track descends with far reaching views over the flatter country stretching away south and east.  It is soon diverted by the ramparts of an embankment built to shield the edge of an expanded quarry.  A path turns left by the boundary fence.

Trees on the skyline of Griffe Grange

Looking back along the path by the quarry embankment

The path crosses a few more fields, still bending left, before finally reaching quite a steep east facing slope and turning right to descend said hillside to Arm Lees Farm.  Above the farm, the route of an old railway line can be seen, leading to - you've guessed it - a quarry.  Hopton Quarry is now closed, but a path skirts the workings and the site of the demolished quarry working buildings.  Warning signs sternly discourage straying from the right of way, which starts after a short stretch along the lane heading north.

Arm Lees Farm

Closed workings at Hopton Quarry

The path snakes through scrubby woodland, trending east, and then crosses an area scarred with old mine workings - man has certainly been busy around, on, and under Middleton Moor.  Only a little below the general level of the moor, the village of Middleton is exposed to winter conditions.  The track merges into a village lane with nice views over the village.  A short diversion down the main street is not necessary, but I thought the opportunity to see more of the village should be taken.  I doubled back along Chapel Lane, passing the Congregational Chapel.

Main Street, Middleton

A village scene, Middleton

Towards the top of Chapel Lane I turned left on a path behind houses on Churchill Avenue, and then left having just gone by a barn.  An old walled track led through small fields to another old barn.  I stopped a while for refreshments with more rain looking possible, but it did not really materialise until all the way back to the car.  What did materialise (or not) was the edge of the drop into yet another quarry, this time the last and biggest of the day.  For any who have not been counting, Dene Quarry was quarry number five for the day.  Straight ahead was not an option, so I turned left.  There is a bit of a rim, but plenty of places with views down into the quarry workings.  So quarries were confirmed as a major theme of the walk, even if not exactly planned - they are difficult to avoid in this part of the world!  Limestone is an excellent rock, and I love the natural formations, but when it comes to quarries I think I prefer the slate ones in the Lake District or in Wales.

Dene Quarry, near Cromford

Dene Quarry, near Cromford

The path followed the edge round the northwest corner and right across the northern side of the quarry, eventually descending towards Cromford village.  There are some good views overlooking the upper parts of the village, and the walk is completed down the famous Cromford Hill, lined with terraced houses.

D|own to Cromford from the quarry

Part of Cromford village up the hill

Cromford Hill

Overall the walk had plenty of interest, from the quarries to a mix of villages and countryside, some in lovely settings.  There is no doubting the variety of scenes that constantly unfold in this area of Derbyshire, and the impact of man through farming and mining / quarrying.  Cromford, being close to Matlock and Wirksworth, has a much busier feel than most of the walks previously described, but Ible is a much quieter spot.  The route is rather up and down, but with nothing really dramatic or strenuous.  I'll close with a picture of a wood anemone - there were some among bracken in the old mining area on Middleton Moor as well as the nearby woodland.

Wood anemone among bracken on Middleton Moor

Peak District walk (4) - Around Ashford in the Water and Taddington

Date of walk: Mar 13th, 2012.  Distance 14.75 miles.  Start: Ashford in the Water village. 

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

Ashford in the Water is an attractive Peak District village by the River Wye as it emerges from deep set valleys into a somewhat gentler landscape.  I started between the church and the old bridge which is now closed to traffic.  There are plenty of attractive stone built cottages, and thankfully the main A6 road stays just the other side of the river.

Fennel Street, Ashford in the Water

Just beyond a village crossroads, on Vicarage Lane, a path climbs left to cut a corner to the quaintly named Pennyunk Lane which climbs the gentle east facing slopes of Fin Cop.  It was dull and slightly misty, but very pleasant for walking.  Views gradually opened up behind.  The path soon reaches the lane which soon becomes a farm track between walls and later a footpath by the edge of open fields.

Pennyunk Lane near Ashford in the Water

The lane twists and turns even though the gradient is gentle.  It is an ideal start to a long walk, gaining height without too much effort being required.  The broad slopes are well tended and farmed, with a couple of restored dewponds which are important habitats for amphibians, including newts in this particular locality.  They were created on the quickly draining limestone grassland to provide water for livestock.  There are a couple of field barns as well.

Pennyunk Lane and the broad slopes of Fin Cop

The path stays below the skyline and turns north towards Monsal Head.  Unusually, I was hungry at a very early stage of the walk and stopped to break into the supplies, looking out over the fields towards Longstone.  The path finally does reach the crest and the contrast of the other side of the hill is suddenly revealed at the top of steep wooded slopes above Monsal Dale.  A couple of seats are provided close to the edge.  The path continues along the very rim and is quite impressive, with the viaduct eventually being glimpsed through the trees.

Path by the rim of Monsal Dale

Without the trees I am sure the path would feel quite exposed.  The edge drops slightly to the lane at Monsal Head, which is followed for a short distance when heading for the viaduct.  The viaduct takes a bit of the sting out a considerable descent early in the walk.  Following this, the rest of the walk basically only has one major climb and one long descent towards the end.  The viaduct provides airy views of the valley, and the tunnels which were closed for many years can now be followed along the Monsal Trail.  The climbing starts immediately on crossing the viaduct, by taking a rising path to the left, towards Putwell Hill and Brushfield.  The sun began to shine rather weakly and intermittently, but it was warm for the time of year.

Valley views from the track to Putwell Hill 

Eventually this track reaches the other rim of Monsal Dale, but the views were hazy and indistinct, and my pictures were no good, lacking any detail, or the atmospheric look that such conditions can bring.  It should still be noted as one of the highlights of the varied and interesting route that was unfolding.  In this part of the Peak District the name of the area seems particularly inappropriate, as all the drama is confined to the valleys, with wide open uplands beyond and nothing remotely like a peak in sight.  The uplands provide easy country walking, however, and are an integral part of the variety in the landscape.  Brushfield Lodge is on a tongue of land which marks the transition between the two types of landscape, perched above the steep wooded sides of Monsal Dale and Taddington Dale.

Upland pasture near Brushfield Lodge

The landscape ahead begins to unfold with views towards Taddington, with the valley down to the left.  The track provides very easy walking, heading slightly downhill to the hamlet of Brushfield.  It is apparent from the various notices that the rough track is open for use by limited number of four wheel drive vehicles and motorcycles, with requests for respectful and courteous use.  All was quiet on that front today, with just one business van heading up to the lodge.  The approach to Brushfield is especially attractive, and I was very taken with the little cluster of farm buildings and cottages on the south facing slopes.

Brushfield from the east

The trees provide shelter from westerly winds.  The little lane beyond does a hairpin into the side valley of High dale before heading for the main road.  This too is a very pleasant walk, I think meriting the two pictures that follow without further comment.

Lane from Brushfield

Hairpin bend, High Dale, near Brishfield

I left the lane at the hairpin and headed a short distance up the valley, soon finding the path that turns sharply left slanting up the hillside to cut a corner towards Taddington, thus avoiding any walking along the main A6. One of the fields was densely packed with sheep which had a good supply of additional food scattered across the ground. the path also rewards with good views of the valleys around Taddington.  For the sake of the report it is difficult having to be selective in the pictures, but the following one gives the best overall impression of this section.

Valley views towards Taddington

The track down to the main road was delightful, typical limestone grassland with a hint of surface rock and scattered trees.  It comes out exactly opposite the turn for the lane to Taddington village, which is a bonus for walkers.  The lane uses the left hand valley in the above picture, leading gently up to the east end of the village.  The main street has plenty of character, although the sense on just passing through was that it has slightly more of a workaday atmosphere than some of the pretty spruced up villages not far away.  It is not one of the better known touristy villages, perhaps all the better and more authentic for that.  It is a relatively large village, but if there is a village shop I did not see it.  The church is lovely, and I had further refreshments by the churchyard gate near the war memorial with its poignant roll call of names.

Taddington church

Taddington Moor rises further to the southwest, sheltering the village, which itself is at over 1,000 feet above sea level.  Slipperlow Lane and the path above provide excellent views over the village, providing it with that special sense of a place deeply tied in to its location and landscape.

Overlooking Taddington

Over the brow of the hill a new world is entered with an expanse of the open moorland and rough grazing.  The ground is the highest for some distance around, culminating at Chelmorton Low to the east, but the gradients are generally very gentle, so once again there is nothing that could be called a peak.  Still, the walking is straightforward, and with larks singing it was quite grand.  The large number of stone walls to be negotiated by the stiles is the only obstacle to rapid progress.  The sun was out, but still hazy with distant views lacking.

On Taddington Moor

The main landmark is the upland farm at Fivewells Farms, which must be cold and windswept at times, but today was a fine, tranquil location.  A tractor was at work on the improved grassland, which was very well cultivated for such altitude.  In places the rough, uncultivated moorland grass provided a clear indication of the work required to produce such fine dining for the sheep.  Eventually the path reached the horizon in line with the wall trending slightly left, at the brow of the short descent to the village of Chelmorton.  The church and the pub are at the top end where the path enters the north end of the village. This has an even more of an upland feel than Taddington, and must be rather exposed to westerly winds.  Still, the houses generally have the sturdy stone, well-built look of the area, very suited to the surroundings.

Houses in Chelmorton

Much of the village lines along a single street, notable for an unusual stone built telephone box with green trim.  A path heads back regaining most of the little bit of lost height, but the village is well worth visiting.  I rather regretted missing the top of Chelmorton Low, but it was already a good long walk.  From the lane there was a good view back over the village with the strip fields either side.   It really has a sense of being off the beaten track, and again it had very much a character of its own.

Chelmorton village below Chelmorton Low

Strip fields above Chelmorton

The route ahead involved some road walking, although it could be extended somewhat by using a path towards the village of Flagg.  The lane is generally quiet and has good verges and is much better than most for walking.  It heads easily over the gentle plateau south of the higher parts of Taddington Moor, and keeps north of the rather isolated village of Flagg.

Country road near Flagg

Eventually, after passing the crossroads in the picture above, the next lane from Flagg on the right turns opposite a track which was taken away from the road.  It led past some modern farm buildings and trended right, across quiet moorland, or grassland which was somewhat rougher than the pastures around Fivewells Farms earlier.  It really is a place to sense the quietness and tranquility on a calm day.  The distant views were still refusing to clear, but I stopped briefly for the next round of light refreshments.  At about that point I got the following picture of a field barn with the hazy background.

Field barn below Taddington Moor

After passing some rougher ground which indicated a former mining area, a footpath crossroads saw the left turn cutting a corner on the way back towards Taddington village.  The path comes out at a lane junction just before the ground starts to trend down north towards the village.  The road was followed briefly to the first track leaving to the right which headed down towards the east end of the village.  It was a lovely walk skirting round the hill at the edge of the village.

Above Taddington

I kept above the dead end lane to Over Wheal, eventually joining it near Lodley View.  There was an especially fine view overlooking Coombs Farm to Monsal Dale and Fin Cop.  The open moorland I was on was slightly higher than the top of Fin Cop, which seems such a significant top when approaching from the east.

Coombs Farm, Monsal Dale and Fin Cop

There is an extensive range of farm buildings at Over Wheal, not necessarily as attractive as might be hoped for such a setting, but there is a sense of the hard work that must be required to farm the area viably, however lovely the surroundings.  Soon there are the first views of Deep Dale, the next objective on the walk.  After passing the farm, a grassy footpath soon leaves, trending left towards the rim of the valley.

A view of Deep Dale

To the left of the picture, Deep Dale Lodge is perched in a terrific location.  The valley is once again a nature reserve, maintained for the variety and profusion of the wild flowers that so thrive in these limestone areas.  A short steep descent led to the upper valley floor, and then it was simply a matter of following the valley floor gently down past the steep slopes.  The next picture gives an impression of being down in the valley.

In Deep Dale, Fin Cop rising beyond

Lower down, the western side becomes more wooded and the valley eventually becomes less well defined, although above the main valley floor of the river Wye.  The path trends right.  To avoid walking along the main A6, a path is signposted slightly right again for both Sheldon and Ashford in the Water.  It climbs increasingly steeply to woodland.  The Sheldon path continues up the very steep slopes, and the Ashford path dives into woodland, climbing just a little.  All of a sudden you realise you are on a very steep wooded hillside high above the A6.  The height, steepness and narrowness of the path were just with the toleration limits for my vertigo, but plenty of people might find it too much.  Of course mountaineers would consider it a mere stroll.  However it reminded me of the need and wish for a lot more proper hill walking to try and regain more of a head for heights.  With all the trees and the north facing shade it was impossible to get a real impression in a picture.

Path across steep hillside, Great Shacklow Wood

The path continues in this vein for a fair distance, and is certainly a major feature of the whole walk.  The slope finally eases and the path curves gently down to the valley floor.  There follows a delightful riverside stroll, adding yet another variation to the walk, thankfully opposite the busy traffic of the A6.  An old sawmill is passed by near a bridge, a weir and flood level measurement post.  One of my favourite pictures of the day was near the end, just focussing on a short stretch of the river and valley floor in the afternoon sunshine.

River Wye above Ashford in the Water

The path merges with the lane from Sheldon, and a very short stretch along the A6 (with a good pavement) leads to the historic bridge crossing mentioned at the start.  That famous spot I will omit from the pictures, as the light was not ideal, and I much preferred the results I obtained of the attractive church from the spot where I had parked the car and found it safely awaiting my return.  Truly a walk to savour and a route to recommend with enthusiasm, even considering the stretch of road walking after Chelmorton.

Church, Ashford in the Water