Route Outline
• Day 1
You arrive in Tideswell – “too small to be a town too large for a village” – a large, vibrant village steeped in history and home of the Cathedral of the Peak.
• Day 2 - 10 Miles
Depart Tideswell and follow a picturesque dale to the grandeur of the limestone gorges of the River Wye. On easy level paths alongside the river and the converted railway of the "Monsal Trail" you pass through Millers Dale and the magically named Water-cum-Jolly. From here a steep, but short, climb leads to the spectacular Monsal Head with its famous views of the old railway viaduct arching across the valley below.
After lunch, descend back into the valley on a gentle track to pass under the famous bridge and through wide pastures below the Stone Age settlement of "Fin Cop". You then walk up the gentle, not often visited, Deep Dale to cross fields to the chocolate box village of Monyash with its beautiful village green, pond and church.
• Day 3 - 12 Miles
Today you leave Monyash to follow the delightful Lathkill Dale, passing through nature reserves alongside the winding river. Lots of opportunities to spot wildlife, on quiet days you may even see the elusive kingfisher in the lower stretches of the dale. You also have the chance to safely and easily descend an old mineshaft and see another river running 50 feet below the surface! You pass along the gentle Bradford dale with the chance to visit the village of Youlgreave, for lunch or to look at the famous church brasses.
The walk then takes you over Harthill Moor and follows one of the most ancient thoroughfares in the Peak, you pass a stone circle, the "Mock Beggars Hall" of Robin Hoods Stride and you can visit a medieval hermits cave with a crucifix carved in the bed rock. From here is a short climb and then an easy stroll through woods and fields to your finish at Winster.