Who went: PHW, PNO, PH, MP. The Wildman was back for a weekend and some of the other hangers on – the recent 50 year old – plus the usual 2 of the cricketer – failed to get promoted - and the man of the peak – before his holiday.

Weather: Cloudy with some sun and a little rain. Warmish. It was a lovely walk in typical autumn weather; cloud, some sunny periods and rain in blustery showers. About 10% of the trees had started to turn. A week later over 70% had gone – so much can happen in a week.

Parking: Park on the road from Little Longstone just before Monsal Head Hotel. Its free but at the car park at Monsal Head its £5. You have the choice.

The Walk

From the Little Longstone/Monsal Head road just before the Hotel, walk down the road into Little Longstone, pass the pub and as you start to leave the village take a path on your right (FP Monsal way).

Walk through fields and join the Monsal Way – a former railway track.

Walk down the trail, past Bakewell to the end of the trail just before Haddon Hall. The trail is very popular, particularly with dog walkers. As you leave Bakewell you usually leave the people behind.

Drop down from the railway embankment, turn left and then right before a bridge along a track with a wood on your lhs. Approx 0.5km along the track turn right (FP) on a path that drops down to the river Wye. The river was a swollen muddy looking mess and appeared as if it might break its bank soon.

The path tracks the river to a road(FP). Turn right down the road and then immediately left (FP)on a path that goes down the river bank. At first the path is on duck boards – which tells you something – at the end of the boards was a deep swollen river; the river had burst its bank. The path winds its way along the bank of the Wye until you cross it via a nice Bridge and climb up to the A6 just above Haddon Hall ( you can follow the walk directions below. However, if your way is blocked then return to the road, turned left and walked down to the main road – the A6 appropriately named Haddon Road.

Walk down the A6 for 1km to Haddon Hall. Cross the road just before the main entrance and by a bus stop in a lay by, turn right and take a track (FP Youlgreave) that goes straight up the hill, initially with a wall on your right. After a short distance the path swaps to the rhs of the wall.

The path tracks the wall up onto Haddon Fields and across to a farm. Here go straight and drop down initially through a field (with a fence on your left) and then a wood into the bottom of Lathkill Dale. Cross the river Lathkill using a nice bridge.

The view up the river is well worth a visit. Just after the bridge turn right (FP) and take the path that tracks the river.

In 0.5km the path hits a road, turn right and cross the river again over the lovely stone Conksbury Bridge.

From here the track walks up the rhs – northern side – of the river. It's a lovely and popular walk. There were many parties of wrinklies, the WI and students. Too many really for a moors freak. In the bottom part of the dale the river is tiered – for fish or watercress? The river is very clear – unlike the Wye. Why? Because the feed is limestone compared to the Wye which is fed from the Millstone grit and the peat moors. It's beautiful and peaceful.

There are interesting features, limestone caves, limestone scree and in the upper end of the valley, the Lathkill torrents out of a cave in the side of the valley.

From then on the valley is dry; the upper part is in my opinion the best part of the valley. Keep to the main part of the valley, where it divides take the left hand path. Eventually, the valley sides drop and the path outturns at a road where there are toilets - what is Derbyshire County Council thinking of.

Cross the road and track round the bottom side of a farm and up Bagshaw Dale. We had the first hard shower of the day in this Dale. The dale and the path end at the north eastern end of Monyash at a road.

Cross the road and take a path (FP) that climbs north up the lhs of a wall for 0.6km. Just past a farm on the rhs, the path crosses a wall and heads north east to the corner of a wood and then tracks up the rhs of a wall. Half way up the path are old mine workings ( Hard Rake) and a quarry, denoted by some large boulders, on your right. The path ends at a road.

Cross the road and take a track – Wheal Lane - that drops down to the top of Deep dale, then continue on the track and ascend to Overwheal. From here the track becomes a metalled road and drops down into Taddington. Continue into the village.

Walk past the pub – Queens Arms – and in couple of hundred metres turn right down a path (FP), that drops down to a track. Cross the track and walk down the lhs of a field to a track. The gate to the field says Private Land in big capitals and in smaller type, please keep to the path by the wall. As an alternative, have a pint at the pub – it has a beer garden – and at the back of the garden drop down onto a lovely walled track that goes down the back of the village. In 200m turn right into the ‘private' field. The amigos were amazed that they were granted time for a pint. They even asked if it would be OK to have one. Very compliant.

The path across the field outturns at a track. Turn right onto the track which drops down to the dual carriage way of the A6.

Carefully cross the road and continue along a walled track.

Where it this joins another at right angles take a path (FP) that goes straight and drops down to the bottom of the dry valley of High Dale.

You then have a nice climb up the opposite side to a track. Turn right at the track and drop down to a farm. Walk round the farm and take the left hand track that drops down to Middle Farm. Here turn left (FP) and track round the top of Taddington Dale, across the fields and across and onto the top of Monsal Dale. The views across the Dale are wonderful. The track eventually drops down to the western end of the viaduct. Cross the viaduct and take a path off to the left just in front of the tunnel entrance which climbs up to the hotel and refreshment – of the liquid type. We just missed the ice cream but managed a pint.

The view from Monsal Head is one of the most magnificent in England. Spend some time here.

GPS settings

Summary

By Taddington the Wildman was tired and had blisters on the balls of his feet. Peter had taken his usual tumble and was uttering his normal moans. They both agreed it was a good walk and the Hole even praised it! So it must have had some good points.

Its an easy route to follow and is entirely on paths. But be warned its popular so go mid week and out of the holidays to avoid disappointment.

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