AshfordSheldonMonyashLathkillBradfordAlportOverHadonSheldonAshford 30th January 2009 Three rivers, two mines and a pub |
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Parking: Park in the small village car park at Ashford, by the recreation park. It's signposted as you drive into the village. And it's FREE. Derbyshire County Council has gone mad. There's also a toilet and walls surround the car park so you can leave your gear on.
The Walk Leave the car park and walk forward to the junction of roads by a well. Turn left down Fennel Street. Ashford is a lovely pretty village that gets very busy on summer weekends. In 100m, the road bends left but carry straight on and cross the Wye by the old road bridge. The river was full and the views up and down the river are wonderful – except for the noise from the A6. Turn right, cross the road and walk 200m up the A6 before turning left up a road sign posted to Sheldon. Walk down the road and in 300m as the bends left carry on straight (FP) down a path, walk through a 5 bar gate and continue straight along a path by the river. In 50m, a path ascends left but go through a gate and carry along the river bank. Walk along the left hand bank for 0.5km until a path goes off left (it's signposted Sheldon). Carry on straight along the river towards White Lodge. It's very peaceful here. A further 230m brings you to a bridge over the river and the remnants of a mill. Walk round the back of the mill and continue on a good track which climbs away from the river and in a further 400m enters Great Shacklow Wood. Again the path goes off left to Sheldon but as before ignore this path and carry on diagonally ascending heading towards White Lodge. Eventually the ascent levels and the path contours round the side of the valley above the river until you drop down to a wall. Cross the wall and immediately turn left and ascend a steep gully on the right hand side of a wall. It's a steep climb for 200m and suddenly you exit the wood, cross a wall into a field and the gradient levels out. Walk diagonally across the field to its top corner and cross into the next field by a marker post. The path follows the line of a wall (on your right) to another wall and stile (and marker post). Turn right and walk down the line of a wall (on your right) to a five bar gate (and FP). Note the remnants of a mine on your right. Turn left and walked down a walled path (the old access lane to the mine). Shortly you cross a wooden stile and then you cross a wall into a short field (wall on your right) before crossing a further stile by 2 trees into a further field. Walk down the side of the field (wall on your left) to another wall (by a single tree). Cross the wall and then a field to a stile at the right angle of a wall by a tree. Cross the top of a short field (wall on your right) before crossing another stile. Ahead you can see a lane – your next destination. Walk down the length of the next field dropping down and then climbing to the walled lane ahead. Turn right into the lane and walk for 0.5km into Sheldon where you hit the main street (FP) through the village. To your right is the village pub but we turn left and walk down through and out of the village. As you are leave the village turn right (FP) through a 5 bar gate and up a track to a barn (stables). You pass through a couple of 5 bar gates and then follow the line of a wall (on your right), past the grave of Jess (over the wall on your right). As you walk up the line of the wall keep an eye out ahead right for the chimneys and buildings of Magpie mine – your next destination. A couple of walls are crossed before you cross a field and then another wall. In the next field you follow a wall (on your left up) to a FP and stile in the wall. Turn left over the wall and dead ahead is Magpie Mine. The path goes diagonally right across a field heading straight for the mine. A final wall is crossed before you enter the mine and its surroundings. There's a lot to take in so it's worth spending some time wandering around the last working lead mine in Derbyshire. Walk past the circular chimney and drop down via some steps by the tallest of the buildings to a track. Turn right (west) and walk past the old winding wheel towards a gate in a wall by a post. The path then drops down diagonally across two fields and finally hits a road. Walk up the road and just 100m after a bend and a right turn left over a stile (FP) and head down the right hand side of a wall towards and into a wood. As usual the wood is long and thin and represents the line of a rake – in fact it's called Hard Rake Plantation. You quickly exit the wood and cross the top apex of a field before the path crosses into another field and tracks over to its left hand wall. The path follows the wall through this field and two others. You leave the second field through a 5 bar gate opening and head diagonally left to a ped. gate in the bottom wall of the next field. The path follows the right hand side of a wall down the next field and across a narrow before crossing another wall and walking down the bottom side of the next field to a 5 bar gate opening (marker post). Here you turn left and drop down to a stile (FP) by a 5 bar gate which gives access to Horse Lane. Turn right and ahead is Monyash. Drop down on the lane for 0.6km until just before a left-hand bend and road junction turn left (FP) through a 5 bar gate that gives you access to the top of Bagshaw Dale. The marks the start of a lovely trip down one of the best Dales in Derbyshire; except for a problem at the end of Bagshaw Dale. Cross a wall and then walk down a long thin field. We stopped for a break after the stile and were pestered by four chickens and a cock who wanted some of our food. They must be used to people stopping here, so beware! The dale begins to deepen as you walk down the field and through a 5 bar gate. You walk down another couple of fields with a wall on your left before crossing over into the left hand field and walking down the valley bottom with a wall/fence on your right. You soon hit an area where the farmer has let horses practice jumping and churned up the grass into a sloppy mud bath. It's a mess but the end is nigh . As you walk up through a gate by a 5 bar gate you shortly gain access (FP) to the Monyash/Bakewell road. There are toilets here; quite a surprise. I'm sure DCC didn't fund there erection. Still turn left and then right (FP) and take a path that heads down into Lathkill Dale. The top part of the dale is wonderful. You drop down along the dale bottom into an every deepening limestone valley, into an area of large boulder scree on the valley sides, limestone crags and then large limestone boulders strewn across the dale bottom. Suddenly before you water comes out of a cave – the source of the cleanest of all Peak District rivers, the Lathkill. Its cool clear and clean. The path continues to drop following the left hand side of the stream until ahead on the right is a footbridge and off to the right joins Cales Dale.Turn right, cross the footbridge and take the path that climbs up the right hand side of Cale Dale. After 300m drop down left to a stile in the dale bottom and climb up the opposite side of the dale up some steps. It's a short steep climb, and of course there was more moaning from you know who. The top of the steepest part of the climb is announced by a gate in a wall which gives access to a field. The path climbs across the field to a wall, across the next field to its top right corner, then diagonally across the bottom of a third field to a wall which after it has been crossed the path turns sharp left (FP Youlgreave) and tracks up the right hand side of a wall to a wood. This marks a detour round Calling Low Farm. The path goes through wood and at the far side turns right through a field with benches in them to a narrow wooded area at the far side of the field. Through the wood is a further field, which was very muddy. The path heads diagonally right to a gate in a wall (FP) at the far side of the farm. From here the path cuts diagonally across a field to the top right hand corner of the field and into the top corner of Low Moor Plantation wood. Once out of the wood the path cuts across the top corner of the field to a stile in a fence. The path goes straight and diagonally across the next field, across the top corner of the next and diagonally across the last field to the junction of Back Lane and Moor Lane (FP). Cross Back Lane and walk down Moor Lane. In 200m you hit a PAD car park, but everyone parks on the road. At the far side of the car park turn right (FP) down a track with a wall on the left hand side. At the end of the wall go through a gate and turn left and drop down through a field with lots a moles hills and a wood on your left. The path drops down to a road just before a bend (FP). At the road turn left and walk 100m round a bend then turn right (FP) on a path that drops down to a road below (FP). At this road turn right and walk down the road for 0.4km. Just round a sharp left hand bend, turn left down a track that descends down through a wood into Bradford Dale. At the bottom of the dale cross a bridge to the far side of the river. On the far side of the river turn left and walk 0.9km down the southern side of the river Bradford until you are below Youlgreave. It is a pleasant walk on a wide track with the clear running river on your left. There's a lot of weed in the river and spot the trout; there are plenty. As we walked down a lady on a horse trotted up towards us. Behind the horse was its mate – a donkey. It's the first time I've seen such a thing although I know that often a donkey is paired with a lone horse. At Youlgreave cross the river by a footbridge and on the northern side turn right and continue walking down the river bank. Continue walking down the north side of the river and in 0.4km you come to a lane and houses. At the end of the lane cross a road and through stile by a 5 bar gate walk down a track and cross the Bradford again. This part of the dale is not deep but has pronounced limestone outcrops. The track continues down the valley with the river on your left, passing a bridge and then as the main track bends right and climbs; you take a path/track off left through a gate. The track goes through a 5bar gate before moving away from the river and hitting the Alport/Youlgreave road by a red BT box on the outskirts of Alport. Turn right onto the main road, cross the River Lathkill and walk through the village. Look for the warning to vagabonds high up on a building on your right; not a pleasant place, Alport, for such people. We hurried out of the village. Just outside the village turn left and climb up Dark Lane. Shortly on your left you pass a cave in front of which an old horse drawn silage cutter has been left. It's a good climb for 0.3km then the gradient levels and you continue to a farm. Walk through the farm yard with the buildings on your right. On the far side turn left through a stile (FP) and take the path to Over Haddon which goes diagonally right across the field. Ahead on the top side of Lathkill dale you can see the next target (and a pub) 1.5km away, Over Haddon. The path crosses a couple of fields and then a road. From the road a well defined path goes forward to a wall. The path then follows the top of Lathkill Dale before diagonally climbing up towards a white building at the end of a road; there are fabulous views down along the valley from here. As you climb you cross a wall. We were heading for the white building – The Lathkill Dale Hotel. An interesting feature on the climb over the fields was the number of mole hills spread across the fields; they seem to be more rampant this year. You gain access to the end of the road via a gate. Walk down the road and call in at the pub. You need to take your boots off, but the Hotel has a good range of real ales – and a beer garden. Walk down the road and keep going forward until you get to the far end of the village; in front of you is the village car park. Turn right and walk up to a T junction. Turn left and walk out of the village. 300m form the T junction turn right (FP) and walk up a path on the left hand side of a field (a wall is on your left). At the top of the field cross into another field and diagonally cross the bottom of this field into a third field. The path crosses diagonally to the top left hand corner of this field and then diagonally across the bottom of the fourth field. The path then walks up a lane for 100m and then diagonally across two more fields to a road (FP); at the top of the first field is a line of trees. The path aims for the top left hand corner. After crossing the road (FP) the path climbs gently and diagonally across three fields. Here you can see a FP diagonally left half way up the far side of a field. To get to the finger post walk ante clockwise round the edge of the fourth field and at the bottom of the far side of the field cross the fence via a stile and follow the right hand side of the fence up to the finger post. From here the path goes diagonally right through an old mining area – Magshaw Mine to the top end of a row of trees. Cross into the wood and walk along the top of the wood to the far end. The path then drops down the left hand side of a field to a road that runs up Kirkdale. Turn right and immediately left and climb up a lane for 0.6km heading towards Magpie Mine. At the top of the lane, cross a field diagonally right, to the top right hand corner of the next field. From here care is needed. Don't take the main path going to the top wall of the next field, but head diagonally left to a finger post in the centre of a field; the mine and its workings are on your left. From the FP go straight and cross into the next field. Follow a wall (on your right) to the top of the field. Cross into the next field and immediately turn right (FP) and walk down the bottom of a field (wall on your right). The path then crosses two fields, before following the line of a wall down, past Jess's grave and the stables to the main road through Sheldon (it retraces the path you walked up in the morning) (FP). At the road, turn right and walk down the road for 200m. Just after a left hand bend and a farm turn left down a dale. Walk down the dale, past the water treatment plant, through a gate and into Little Shacklow Wood. A good path drops all the way down the Dale to the path that follows the southern bank of the Wye (Way maker Post). As you drop down you pass a cave with a memorial and shrine and near the bottom you come out of the wood through a 5 bar gate and walk down the path with a wall on the right hand side. By the river bank turn right thorough a 5 bar gate and retrace your steps to the road. Turn left and walk down the road to the A6. Here turn right and walk down the A6 for 250m to the old bridge. Turn left, cross the road and the Wye using the bridge. Carry on straight up the road to the square and then turn right into the car park.
Summary An interesting walk with along three of the most beautiful rivers in Derbyshire – Lathkill, Bradford and Wye – and through two of the best known lead mines in Derbyshire – Magpie and Magshaw. The top of Lathkill dale is one of the best secrets of Derbyshire and the Magpie mine an area that all should go and visit and ensure that they understand what our industrial heritage is all about. Hard work, bleak landscape and death. We shouldn't idolize the past but understand and respect it. |
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