Cycling the Tissington Trail

Bank Holiday Monday, August 27th 2018, with Harry, Dan, Isaac and Rose.

We started from Mapleton Lane Car Park, had a quick coffee and teacake, using a brief rain shower as our excuse, then did the short section through the tunnel, before heading north.

A lovely ride along a disused railway track from Ashbourne as far as Hartington signal box, for three of us, while Harry and Isaac did the extra four miles there and back to Parsley Hay.

The trail climbs gently,  a total of around 700 feet in all, over its 12 ish mile length. Not too hard, but we had to keep pedalling on the way out.

We had plenty of short breaks along the way, and considering the fact it was bank holiday, the route didn't feel overcrowded - though I'm not sure the occasional horse rider would agree.

By contrast the return was easy, and the wind was behind us most of the way too.

Goyt Valley, near Buxton

Saturday 21 October 2017.
A short walk on a windy day, as Storm Brian blew around the Peak District and elsewhere. 

On the way we passed Jenkin Chapel.  This building is at the junction of three ancient tracks , or "salters' ways" which were once used to transport salt.

We had no real plan, but drove to a car park near Errwood Reservoir, then followed the road, before taking a footpath labelled "Woodland Path".

 The path climbed steeply, with wet leaves and some mud underfoot.

After a short distance the path branched and we followed the branch which led up to Foxlow Edge - the wind made itself very evident again here.  

View down to Errwood Reservoir

We decided to go down to rejoin the woodland path, then followed a sign to Errwood Hall.

This is the ruin of a grand house, once owned by a family named Grimshawe. It seemed a very appropriate name in today's weather.  The hall was built in the 1830s and demolished when the nearby Fernilee Reservoir was built in 1934.

There is more information on an excellent website about the Goyt Valley.

The main doorway

 I intend to return and explore the area more fully at some point.  

Three Derbyshire walks

Carsington Water - 8.5 miles - Sunday 13 October

RAF Quadrant Tower from the 1940s

The weather was pretty wet all morning, but we decided to risk a soaking. At least the track is clear and well marked.

Much of the way is slightly sheltered by trees, but they didn't keep us anything like dry.

Hansel and Gretel house near the dam

The sky lightened slightly at about 2:30 pm, and we dried out before having a large tea and scone in the Mainsail restaurant in the visitor centre.
A good walk, at a brisk pace, with no navigational skills required - just as well, since my map was old enough to predate the reservoir!

Hartington to Milldale and back - 9.5 miles - Monday 14 October

This is part of a walk I did last summer, in much drier conditions.

Once again the way is clear all along, and well signed, though we had to cross from Derbyshire to Staffordshire and back - footbridges over the Dove.

The first section crosses fields from the path between the pottery shop and the toilets in Hartington, then heads through Morson Wood into Beresford Dale, with its caves and grassy hillsides.

  Next is Wolfscote Dale, which narrows a little.  We emerge at the road to Alstonfield, half a mile from Milldale village, and the joy of finding Polly's Cottage open, serving hot coffees.  There are public toilets, and a shelter, as well as the Information Barn near Viator's Bridge.

We waited for the worst of the downpour to be over, before retracing our steps to Hartington.

The tea shop in the Post Office was our next stop!

Dovedale to Milldale and back - 6 miles - Tuesday 15 October

At last some blue sky!

Chaffinch at Lovers' Leap

The arch near Reynard's Cave

Lion's Head Rock

Ilam Rock

Polly's Cottage, Milldale

Robin on mossy wall

Lovers' Leap

Stepping Stones

Looking upstream

 Even though we have to return home today, we make the most of this by walking from Dovedale car park, and heading north to Milldale.  It's just three miles, and passes the stepping stones below Thorpe Cloud, lovers' Leap, Reynard's Cave,  Tissington Spires, Lion's Head Rock, Ilam Rock and Dove Holes.   Another coffee stop at Milldale, and we buy sandwiches for later.

This time we sit and watch the ducks by the river.  There's a robin perching on a mossy wall by a holiday cottage.

On the way we've seen a heron, dippers, a chaffinch, crows and squirrels.

We eat our lunch at the stepping stones, decide that today is not a Thorpe Cloud day, and make our way back to the car park.