Peak District - Derwent Valley Heritage Way

For a long time now I've felt the need to walk the length of the River Derwent, simply because it has featured in many of my great childhood memories. I thought that I could call the walk "City to Source", I'd walk from Derby all the way up to Swaines Greave high in the Peak District. When I finally decided to give it a go I went online and did a little bit of research. I found that there was already a way marked route that did exactly what I wanted to do, the route in question is the Derwent Valley Heritage Way.



[caption id="attachment_1683" align="alignnone" width="600"] Derwent Valley Heritage Way - Map at Heatherdene[/caption]

The route stretches from Heatherdene on the banks of the Ladybower Reservoir in the Peak District, it goes via Bamford, Hathersage, Froggatt, Baslow, Chatsworth, Rowsley, Matlock, Matlock Bath, Cromford, Belper, Darley Abbey, Derby, Shardlow and ends Derwent Mouth where the River Derwent flows into the River Trent. The route itself is 55 miles long and it passes some spots of great historic interest. It can be takled in one go over a few days or it can be done in multiple sections whenever it takes your fancy.

listen to ‘Derwent Valley Heritage Way - Derwent Mouth’ on Audioboo

[caption id="attachment_1681" align="alignnone" width="600"] Derwent Valley Heritage Way - Masson Mill [/caption]

The section from Matlock Bath to Derby is of particular historic interest as it has been registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here is a snippet of factual text (borrowed from Wikipedia :-)) to give you more information... "The Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site covers an area of 12.3 km2 (4.7 sq mi) and spans a 24 km (15 mi) stretch of the Derwent Valley, in Derbyshire, from Matlock Bath in the north to Derby city centre in the south. Within the site are mill complexes, settlements including workers' housing, weirs on the River Derwent, and the transport network that supported the mills in the valley. The site consists of the communities of Cromford, Belper, Milford, and Darley Abbey, and includes 838 listed buildings, made up of 16 Grade I, 42 Grade II*, and 780 Grade II. A further nine structures are Scheduled Ancient Monuments. The buildings are a mixture of mills, workers' housing, and structures associated with the mill communities. The Cromford Canal and Cromford and High Peak Railway, which aided the industrialisation of the area, are also part of the World Heritage Site."

[caption id="attachment_1685" align="alignnone" width="600"] Derwent Valley Heritage Way - Heatherdene Sign[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1684" align="alignnone" width="600"] Derwent Valley Heritage Way - Derwent Mouth Sign[/caption]

listen to ‘Derwent Valley Heritage Way - Electronic Failure’ on Audioboo

The guide to walking the way describes the route from North to South, I chose to begin my walk at Derwent Mouth and walk northward up stream. It was rather an eventful wander which saw me eventually having to switch my iPhone off due to the failure of my Power Monkeys Extreme Battery Charger. I was using my iPhone to track my walk and also to take pictures. I will be back again some day so I can plot out a more precise map of the journey... For now though I will leave you with a selection of images from my walk with a few archive shots thrown in.

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If you would like to give the Derwent Valley Heritage Way a go yourself then you can find out more by visiting http://www.nationalheritagecorridor.org.uk/. You can also download my route file from the Peak Routes GPX Archive

listen to ‘Derwent Valley Heritage Way - Near Borrowash’ on Audioboo

Peak District - Monsal Trail

The weather this summer has been terrible, that is no understatement, it really has been rubbish. I know it must be digitally programmed into our British DNA to complain about the weather but this year it really is a valid complaint. We have had the odd day here and there where it has been nice but it always seems to fall when i'm at work :-). I can't let a little thing like the weather stop me from getting out into the Peak District though, I simply had to adjust my expectations a little and just get kitted out in the waterproofs.

Where to go when the weather is bad? Well, for some reason I can't get Bleaklow Stones out of my head but today I didn't think it would be doable judging by the forecast. The plan was to stay low and plot a route where plenty of cover was available. The Monsal Trail instantly sprung to mind as a place that was more than worthy of further exploration and would be perfect for the days weather conditions. So... a quick call to my mate Andy and the plan was set.



I reached the parking spot near Bakewell Station after a 20 minute drive from home and the rain was already falling heavily. We got kitted out in our waterproofs and then begun our wander along the trail.

A brief historical excerpt about the trail... The Monsal Trail follows a part of the former Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midlands Junction Railway, it was built by the Midland Railway Company in 1863 to link Manchester with London. It has many breath taking views along the way and you can feel the history as you walk along it. The trail officially begins down at the Coombs Road Viaduct which is around a mile down the hill from Bakewell station. We chose to start at Bakewell as there is usually ample parking near the bridge which crosses the trail. Today the road resembled a river bed as recent flooding had dragged lots of stones and rocks on to it. When we left the cars we half expected to find that they had been washed away when we returned.

[caption id="attachment_1555" align="alignnone" width="600"] Headstone Tunnel[/caption]

After leaving Bakewell station you gradually head up hill until in what seems like no time at all you arrive at Hassop Station, more on that later. After Hassop you pass Great Longstone Station which was built to service Thornbridge Hall. Sadly I have no pictures of Longstone from today's walk as at this point the rain was rather heavy. After Longstone the next main feature you come across is the Headstone Tunnel, this tunnel along with numerous others on the line were finally opened to the public back in May 2011. Previously the tunnels were bypassed by using footpath diversions, thankfully after a grant of around £3.7m we can now enjoy the original route the line took through the spectacular tunnels.

After walking through the 487 metre Headstone Tunnel you come out on to another spectacular landmark, one of the crown jewels in the Peak Districts Historical arsenal, The Headstone Viaduct. Here is a picture of said Viaduct from the Peak Routes archive as once again the weather spoiled any chance of getting pictures today.

[caption id="attachment_1199" align="alignnone" width="600"] Monsal Dale[/caption]

The Headstone Viaduct is a fantastic specimen of the ingenuity of a great age in British industrial history, there are many others around the british isles but this is one of my favourites. when it was originally built there was some opposition as it was said to have destroyed the tranquility of Monsal Dale, this may be true in some ways but its there and I can't help but be impressed by it. I've said in recent posts that when I first stood below it around 15 years ago I was awe struck by it, It stands around 40 feet high at its centre and its 5 arches span the 300 metres across the dale.

Anyway thats quite enough lamenting for an age gone bye, Back to the job in hand... As we walked across the Viaduct and reached the other side I spotted a little sign that I hadn't seen before. The sign is pictured below and it represents the newly plotted White to Dark Peak walk to celebrate 25 years of the Country Walking magazine. If you would like to find out more about this then head on over to livefortheoutdoors.com.

[caption id="attachment_1568" align="alignnone" width="600"] White to Dark Peak - Country Walking Magazine[/caption]

After the Headstone Viaduct you walk along towards the Cressbrook tunnel, another one of the freshly opened gems for us all to have a wander through. As you approach the tunnel the Cressbrook Mill that was built by Richard Arkwright who plays a big part in the industrial history of this part of the world. It was once a thriving Mill but after a long history it went bankrupt in 1965 and it is now apartments.

[caption id="attachment_1554" align="alignnone" width="600"] Cressbrook[/caption]

The Cressbrook tunnel is another long and impressive tunnel at 431 metres long. when heading west it weaves slowly around to the left before you come out into the open once more.

[caption id="attachment_1559" align="alignnone" width="600"] Cressbrook Tunnel[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1557" align="alignnone" width="600"] Cressbrook Tunnel[/caption]

After the Cressbrook tunnel you don't have to wait long before you get to enjoy another one of the trails many tunnels, which was lucky for Andy and I as it was still raining heavily. Litton tunnel is next and it slightly longer than Cressbrook at 471 metres long.

[caption id="attachment_1563" align="alignnone" width="600"] Litton Tunnel - Looking out of the eastern entrance[/caption]

After the Litton Tunnel the trail climbs steadily as you pass Litton Mill, another Mill that has a very fraught history of bankruptcy and poor treatment of workers. Just like Cressbrook the Mill has now been turned into stunning apartments and a quick web search will find some available for holiday hire.

[caption id="attachment_1562" align="alignnone" width="600"] Millers Dale Viaduct[/caption]

Millers Dale is the next station on the journey westward along the trail, easy access and ample parking are available here. The station itself is now home to the Peak Park Rangers and it has handy toilet facilities for those in need. We chose to keep going today along towards the Chee Tor Tunnels of which there are 2. before reaching the first tunnel you pass the huge Lime Kilns, an historical relic and another way in which the geological wealth of the Peak District was exploited in years gone bye.

Due to time constraints we chose to head back the way we had came after we reached the Chee Tor Tunnels. The rain today had not stopped and we decided to have lunch before heading back towards Millers Dale Station while sheltering in the Tunnel.

[caption id="attachment_1561" align="alignnone" width="600"] Hassop Station from the Monsal Trail[/caption]

It was a rather grim walk back as the rate at which the rain was falling had intensified to a level at which folk in Derbyshire would class as chucking it down ;-), that is a scientific measurement, more than throwing it down but slightly less than pissing it down.. pardon my language but you need the facts to understand the scale at which i'm going by.

Thankfully we had the tunnels to shelter us from the torrential downpour and we eventually reached the haven of Hassop Station. I will admit to having never stopped here before, I have walked past an embarrassing amount of times but i'm so glad we decided to stop today. The Cafe inside the station has a vast array of goodies on offer and there is plenty of other things on sale in the book and gift shops. Cycle Hire is also available here so if you would like to find out more then click on over to http://www.hassopstation.co.uk/ Andy and I enjoyed a cup of coffee while taking the load off our feet for a while.

[caption id="attachment_1560" align="alignnone" width="600"] Hassop Station Cafe[/caption]

After a short break from the elements in Hassop Station we ventured back out into the rain to walk the final stretch back to the cars at Bakewell Station. I can thankfully confirm that the cars hadn't been swept away by a river which was now running down the road. It had been another great walk and I joked with Andy that one day we would manage a walk in nice weather. Its a long running Joke that when he and I go for a walk we seem to always experience weather at its most extreme. We've had wind (Peak District – Ladybower & Alport Dale), we've had snow (Peak District – Kinder Scout – Northern Edge in the Snow) and now we've had about the worst rain you could get today.

listen to ‘Peak District - Monsal Trail & A Wet iPhone’ on Audioboo

If you would like to find out more about the trail and what amenities are available then visit http://www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/visiting/cycle/monsaltrail. Thanks for reading my post for today's wander and I hope you will join me again soon for another Peak Route :-).

Peak District Routes - Under Construction

Welcome to the new Peak District Routes blog, the home of the forthcoming Peak Routes Podcast. Over the coming weeks I will be adding new content to the site and also some great routes that I have already documented on my personal website. I plan to record podcasts for each route that I do and make GPX files available which can be loaded into GPS devices.



The reason I decided to create this site is because I would like to promote the wonders of the Peak District. I have explored many corners of the Peak and would like to share my experiences with you. If you like what you see, read or hear then you can download the route file and have a go yourself.



The idea came to me while I sat having lunch on the Eastern edge of Kinder Scout. I was surveying the surrounding area and it suddenly dawned on me... In the last 8 months I had climbed to the top of every Hill, walked along every edge and meandered through every valley that I could see. Towards the north I had walked on Bleaklow, then looking clockwise I had stood atop Margery Hill and walked the entire length of the Derwent Edge. I had walked along Stanage and Bamford Edges. I remembered the day I walked the Edale Skyline route and finished upon Win Hill after starting at Loose Hill. I had left no feature unchecked from my list of Peak District achievements. It was at that moment that moment the idea of http://www.PeakRoutes.com took shape. I knew it was high time that I set up a website where I could share all my Peak District routes and experiences... Yes... I already do that on http://www.DeanRead.net but I wanted to create a site that was 100% dedicated to my love of the Peak, it would be my launch pad to promote the joys I have had from walking here. Peak Routes was born :-)

Thanks for stopping bye and please come back soon.

Peak District - Bakewell and Monsal Loop

I have just returned home from another rather impromptu walk in the glorious Peak District. This time we headed for the White Peak, Bakewell to be precise. I had been wanting to do a walk in that area for some time but the lure of the slightly more mountainous feel of the Dark Peak pulls me back every time, we only had limited time so it was the perfect choice as it's a short ride from home.



We parked the car near Bakewell Station and set off along the Monsal Trail, I haven't walked along this trail for some time so it was nice to come back and see the improvements that have been made recently. We walked North West and passed Hassop Station, This would be a nice place to stop i'm lead to believe as there is a great cafe here... We just had a quick look over the fence as we went by. We carried on passing through Great Longstone station and it wasn't long until we reached the newly opened Headstone Tunnel. This was perhaps the main reason why we had chosen to do this route, I had been wanting to check it out for some time and I wasn't at all disappointed.



The Headstone Tunnel was opened to the Public back in May 2011, It has been fitted with lights and it makes a perfect photographic venue. Sadly I didn't have my Canon DSLR with me today but I did have my old Canon A640. I set it to manual mode, adjusted a few settings and posed for another picture while wearing my Social Hiking T-shirt.

The tunnel is very impressive indeed as is the very famous Headstone Viaduct, some would call it the Monsal Dale Viaduct but I'll give it its correct name here. Looking up from below the Viaduct you really do get a sense of the engineering mastery that has been used to construct it, It reminded me of when I stood underneath the Sydney Harbour Bridge... The only difference is the materials, they are both equally breathtaking.



From the Monsal trail we took a left turn and headed down off the Viaduct and along the River Wye through Monsal Dale. The place was deserted today which is the way I prefer it, It can become rather busy here in summer and at weekends. I took a quick picture at the Weir and then we kept going towards Great Shacklow Woods. We climbed up the footpath which weaves its way through the forest then drops back down towards the River.

The sun had begun to break through the clouds as we continued down the valley to Ashford-in-the-Water, this is another place that gets very busy. The ancient bridge here is another great photographic spot, There was a bus load of students doing surveys in the river so I couldn't get in to the spot I wanted for a picture. Not to worry.. We continued along the river and in no time at all we were back in Bakewell.

For more information on the Monsal Trail, visit this page on the Peak District National Park Authorities Website..
http://www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/visiting/cycle/monsaltrail