Monsal Trail blog
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.
Monsal Head to Litton Mill
A fairly easy 5-mile walk from Monsal Head along the Trail and across Headstone Viaduct, before dropping down to Litton Mill, returning along the picturesque River Wye past Cressbrook Mill.
Monsal Head to Monsal Dale
2 miles from Monsal Head: A wonderfully picturesque stroll from this popular viewpoint down to the River Wye and Monsal Dale. Perfect for a quick leg stretch and to clear away the cobwebs.
Brief history
Today’s quiet and peaceful Monsal Trail once rang to the noisy sounds of steam engines running on one of the most important railway lines in the country, linking Manchester with London.
Bakewell Station
Bakewell Station played a vital part in the town’s prosperity and expansion, but it very nearly didn’t happen when the Duke of Rutland refused permission for it to pass close to Haddon Hall.
Hassop Station
Hassop Station was built to the highest standards and included a first class waiting room designed to entice the Duke of Devonshire. But it was all to no effect as he preferred Rowsley!
Great Longstone Station
Great Longstone Station was the third stop on Midland Railway’s extension from Bakewell to London and Buxton. It opened in 1863 and closed 99 years later in 1962; a victim of the Beeching cuts.
Monsal Dale Station
A stretch of platform is all that’s left of Monsal Dale Railway Station which lay on the Buxton side of Headstone Viaduct. It was the last of five stations to be built on this section of the line.
Miller’s Dale Station
Set in typically scenic Peak District countryside, Miller’s Dale Station became an unlikely but important intercity hub in the heyday of steam travel on the route between London and Manchester.
Blackwell Mill Halt
Blackwell Mill Halt was built for railway workers living in the cottages close to the start of today’s Monsal Trail. Recent plans for a light railway could mean it emerges once again from the undergrowth.
The lost stones
A recent walk along Monk’s Dale set me wondering whether medieval monks really did once live and work in this wonderfully tranquil spot, seeking to escape the cares of the world.
Bakewell to Lathkill Dale
9 miles from Bakewell Station: This walk passes Haddon Hall before heading towards Alport and on to the wonderfully picturesque Lathkill Dale before returning via Over Haddon.
Wye Dale to Chee Dale
3.3 miles from Wyedale carpark: Starting at the Buxton end of the Trail and including a short stretch along stepping stones beside the River Wye at Chee Dale which some may find a bit daunting.
The project begins…
A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step, according to Mao Zedong. This little website is probably not quite on the same scale, but at least I’ve now made a start.