1: There are two carparks at Monsal Head – one long-stay and the other (by the viewing point) restricted to an hour.  But it’s often possible to find free parking on the road to Little Longstone. The no.173 Bakewell to Castelton bus service also stops here. And there’s a pub, tearoom and toilets nearby.

2: Go through the gap in the stone wall just beyond the cafe and turn immediately right down a series of irregular stone steps.

3: Turn left at the footpath sign beside the wooden bench and follow this fairly narrow path down the slope until you exit onto the Monsal Trail.

4: To your left is Headstone Tunnel, the longest of six  railway tunnels along the Trail that were only reopened in 2011. Turn right, away from the tunnel, to cross Headstone Viaduct, with its stunning views across both sides of Monsal Dale and the River Wye.

5: You soon come to the remains of a railway platform on your left. This is all that’s left of Monsal Dale Station. The platform on the right was made of wood and supported on timber stilts because of the steep drop and has long since vanished.

6:  There’s a gate just before Cressbrook Tunnel that leads down to the small village of Cressbrook but the footbridge over the river has been closed for repair since 2020. Work is due to start soon to reopen it, at a cost of some £300,000. Continue through the tunnel.  

7: After some distance, look out for a footpath signpost on the right to Litton Mill. Follow this narrow track as it snakes down to the river. (There was a fallen tree across the path when I came down, but it’s fairly easy to get around it.)

8: Cross the narrow footbridge over the River Wye and turn right along the lane.

9: Go between the large stone gateposts towards Litton Mill. The building is now divided into modern appartments but was once a Victorian cotton spinning mill with a notorious reputation for exploiting an ill-treating pauper children (click for details).

10: Follow the track past the end of the mill around to the right and then left to reach the picturesque riverside path beside the Wye. (A notice pinned to the gate when I walked the route in July 2024 said the bridge at the end of the path was closed for repair. But it seemed fine when I reached it, so I think the sign must be out-of-date.)

11: This picturesque path beside the Wye can get very water-logged and muddy in places during winter months and after rain. So walking boots are definitely a good idea if you’re going during these times.

12: If the path is too muddy, or even flooded – or if the bridge at the end of the riverside path is closed – follow the low-level sign a short distance further on the left up some irregular steps to take a higher path (*see map at foot of page).

13: Cross the footbridge (there was another small sign pinned beside the bridge saying it was closed, but it was well-walked when I went this way, with no barriers in place), following the path as it snakes around to reach the minor road.

14: Turn right along the lane, passing the entrance to Cressbrook Mill. Like Litton Mill, this earned a fearsome reputation for ill-treating child workers, many of them snatched from Victorian workhouses (click for details).

15: Continue along this attractive lane for some distance. There are picnic tables beside the river just before the hamlet of Upperdale.

16: Turn right a short distance further at the hamlet Upperdale, crossing the wide bridge over the Wye and following the lane as it snakes up the slope, passing under the railway bridge.

17: After passing under the railway bridge, go through a metal gate on the left to reach the Monsal Trail and then turn right (the derelict brick building was part of Monsal Dale Station).

18: Retrace your steps from the start of the walk by following the Trail over Headstone Viaduct, and head up the path on your left just before the entrance to Headstone Tunnel. Turn right when you reach the wooden bench to return to Monsal Head.

19: Hobbs Cafe on the right has only recently reopened, with outside tables giving wonderfully panoramic views over the valley below. Monsal Head Hotel also serve drinks and meals from the main building, as well as a next-door stable block. And the Packhorse Inn in nearby Little Longstone is always worth a visit.

*Route diversion
The green line shows the route described above, alongside the riverbank. The yellow line shows the alternative route if the path is flooded. The first section is up some fairly uneven steps, and then follows an obvious path through a gate and towards the right of Cressbrook Hall. The path from there through the trees isn’t easy to follow, but there are some direction arrows. It eventually emerges past some houses onto a lane. Simply turn right down the lane to rejoin the route.