Monsal Trail blog
Litton to Cressbrook Dale
An 8-mile walk from the pretty village of Litton through two of the White Peak’s most picturesque dales – Tideswell and Cressbrook – returning past one of Derbyshire’s most gruesome landmarks.
White Lodge to Monsal Dale
A fairly easy 5.5-mile walk from White Lodge carpark, through Great Shacklow Wood and along the River Wye to the picturesque village of Ashford-in-the-Water, returning through Monsal Dale.
Miller’s Dale to Monk’s Dale
This 5.5-mile walk from Miller’s Dale includes some wonderfully scenic paths, but the short section through Monk’s Dale can be quite challenging, although well worth the effort.
Monsal Head to Longstones
There are some wonderful views on this 6-mile walk from Monsal Head up to the site of a Bronze Age burial mound at the highest point of Longstone Moor, before returning through Great Longstone.
Monsal Trail by LVR
A small electric train connecting the Monsal Trail with Buxton would greatly benefit this famous Georgian spa town, but the project seems to have come to a grinding halt because of a lack of funding.
Ashford to Churchdale
An easy 3-mile walk from the picture-postcard village of Ashford-in-the-Water to the Monsal Trail, returning through picturesque Churchdale and recorded during the village’s well-dressing week.
Hassop Station to Bakewell
A gentle 4-mile stroll from Hassop Station down to the popular town of Bakewell, famed for its puddings, returning along the Monsal Trail, with many opportunities for refreshments along the way.
Deep Dale rewilding
Topley Pike Quarry lies close to the Buxton end of the Monsal Trail. Plans to return it to a nature reserve have been put on hold because of planning problems. Which is a great shame.
Miller’s Dale to Tideswell
From Miller’s Dale, this walk of just over seven miles passes through picturesque Tideswell Dale before heading across a mix of fields, lanes and tracks to reach Wormhill, returning along the River Wye.
Bakewell to Chatsworth
A 7-mile walk from the Peak District’s most popular town to its most popular tourist attraction, across some wonderfully scenic paths, tracks and open fields, returning through the village of Edensor.
Bakewell to Rowsley
Eight miles through some glorious White Peak countryside, from Bakewell at the eastern end of the Monsal Trail to Rowsley, returning along a section of the Derwent Valley Heritage Way.
Topley Pike to Wormhill
A 5-mile stroll from Topley Pike lay-by, a few miles from Buxton beside the A6 to Bakewell, along tracks and fields to Blackwell and then north to Wormhill, returning along the Monsal Trail.
Monsal Head to Ashford
A very easy 4-mile circular walk from Monsal Head to Ashford with an option to enjoy the wonderful views from the Iron Age settlement at Fin Cop, perched high above Monsal Dale.
Facebook Group launched
I decided it was time to promote this website to a wider audience by launching a Facebook Group. Otherwise it does start to feel like I’m talking to myself. And that’s never a good thing.
Hassop Station to Ashford
This very easy 6-mile walk from Hassop Station crosses some wonderfully picturesque White Peak contryside to reach the equally scenic village of Ashford-in-the-Water, lying beside the River Wye.
Miller’s Dale to 5 Wells Tomb
A 6-mile walk across the White Peak from a once-busy Victorian railway station to Britain’s highest Neolithic burial tomb where our ancient ancestors once buried their honoured dead.
Cressbrook Mill
Cressbrook Mill escaped the fearful reputation of Litton Mill. But an eight-year-old girl snatched from a Bristol workhouse wrote a searing account of how ‘Tom the Devil’ ruled with a rod of iron.
Litton Mill
Litton Mill earned a brutal reputation for the exploitation and ill treatment of pauper orphans taken by force from the streets of cities as far away as London to work long hours in dangerous conditions.
Wyedale to Buxton
The biggest problem with the Trail is that it stops about three miles short of Buxton. But there is a 9-mile walk that will take you through two attractive dales to reach the famous Georgian spa town.
Wyedale to Chelmorton
A mix of picturesque riverside paths and open White Peak countryside on this 8-mile circular walk from Wyedale carpark through Chee Dale – with two sets of stepping stones – and on to Chelmorton.
Miller’s Dale to High Dale
Starting from Miller’s Dale Station, this walk of just under 7-miles crosses a mix of narrow paths, open fields and farm tracks to reach High Dale before dropping down to return along the Monsal Trail.
Headstone Viaduct
Victorian critic John Ruskin famously complained that Headstone Viaduct allowed “every fool in Buxton to be in Bakewell in half-an-hour”. Today we see it in a very different light.
Magpie Mine
Magpie Mine was Derbyshire’s last lead mine, finally closing in 1953. It was the site of three murders in 1833, and a widow’s curse which foretold yet more deaths and accidents to come.
Ashford to Magpie Mine
Starting from the picture-postcard village of Ashford-in-the-Water, this 8-mile walk takes you beside the River Wye and through Deep Dale to the ruins of Magpie Mine – the scene of a triple murder.