A shorter walk than the ‘Lathkill Dale and Bradford Dale’ one which, nevertheless, still takes in the beauty of the dale.

Route

From the car park, turn left onto the road. After a short distance, where it joins another road, cross to a stile with a finger-post alongside. Cross the stile and walk diagonally left across the field to a short section of new wall which looks as if it was built specifically to carry a step-stile!

Cross this stile and then another in the adjacent wall to gain access to a large field. Follow the obvious path through several fields, passing through a small wood at one point and later taking a signposted diversion through a second wood to the right of Calling Low farm, to eventually reach the rim of Cales Dale. From here there’s a wonderful airy view of both Cales Dale itself and Lathkill Dale.

Descend a steep stone staircase into the valley floor, then turn right and follow the path until Lathkill Dale is reached at a footbridge. Cross the bridge and turn right onto the path through the dale. The river may be dry around here – this happens because the river bed is on porous limestone so the water gradually drains away underground.

Follow the path for two miles through the dale, which is mostly wooded and is a National Nature Reserve. Although now the haunt of birds and walkers, this part of Lathkill Dale has an industrial past. There were once several lead mines and evidence of the workings can still be seen – there are derelict buildings and at one point several stone columns which are the remains of an aqueduct. There are still mineshafts around and although the path is perfectly safe you should not go exploring in the woods.

When a cluster of buildings is reached at a gate, turn right and walk down to the river bed. Cross the river bed, using the bridge if there happens to be water in the river. Turn left onto a track and follow it as it zig-zags up the hillside through mature woodland. This can be a nice cool interlude on a hot day!

Eventually a gate is reached. Pass through it and turn left to walk across the field to the farm (Meadow Place Grange). A grange, incidentally, is a farm which was originally established and run by a monastery. They were often used as places to send monks who had violated the rules of their Order and were serving penance. Pass through the farmyard via three gates – the footpath is well signposted.

Once you’re in the field on the opposite side of the farm follow the arm of the finger post which indicates Middleton, ignoring the route to Youlgreave which leaves to the left. Walk alongside the wall for a short distance, then follow another finger post which points to the left and is inscribed Moor Lane this time.

Follow the path across several fields until a road is reached. Cross the road and use a stile opposite to enter another field. Cross this field, then cross a short strip of woodland. This is the beginning of Long Rake, a mineral vein which is still being mined today a little further along. The woodland looks inviting but conceals deep excavations and you must keep to the path.

Cross another field to reach another minor road. Turn right and follow this road back to the car park.

A walk through fields around the village of Alstonefield, followed by a long easy stroll along the banks of the river Dove through dramatic Wolfscote Dale and pretty Milldale. This is one of a number of walks around this part of the Peak District, which is one of my favourite places.

Route

From the car park, walk down into the little village of Milldale. Turn left to pass the refreshment shop and the telephone kiosk and walk up Millway Lane (this is NOT the road alongside the river!).

Millway Lane is marked on the map as a track and used to be one but was metalled a few years ago after a water main was laid along it. It’s too narrow to use as a road and there are ‘Unsuitable for Motor Vehicles’ signs at both ends but this doesn’t stop a few people from driving along it, so take care as there’s little room for the vehicles to pass walkers. There’s a rather bizarre 60mph speed limit sign at the bottom – for people intent on suicide, presumably!

The lane climbs steeply, with good views behind back into the valley. This is the only steep climb of the day, so take your time and enjoy the views. Eventually the route levels off and you come to the ancient St Peter’s church on the left.

After admiring the church, whose graveyard contains some ancient gravestones and an even more ancient Yew, continue into the village. Fork left to walk to the left of the pub and past the tea rooms and post office (which seemed closed last time I was there), then at the next junction of roads take the right fork.

Walk past the Memorial Hall and its small car park then, when a junction is reached, cross the road to a house called ‘The Old Reading Room’ and turn left to walk along the pavement. Obviously, you could start the walk in Alstonefield by parking there, but that would mean the climb up Millway Lane would be right at the end of the walk and I prefer to avoid uphill finishes to my walks whenever I can!

Walk along the pavement by the road for about half a mile, leaving the village behind and passing a couple of footpath signs. In theory the road can be avoided by using one of the footpaths but it was obstructed when I was there!

At a point where the road veers left, look for a stile in the wall to your right. Climb over the stile and walk diagonally left to the corner of the field where there’s a gateway. Go through this and head for the right-hand end of the small plantation of trees which is ahead of you. Go through a gate at the corner of the plantation and head for a finger-post which can be seen in the opposite wall of the next field, a little to the right.

At the finger post, turn right into the green lane. Follow this until it comes to an end at a gate (at grid reference 129 568). On the way, there’s a gate with a battered ‘no right of way’ sign, leading into a field with a waymark post indicating a footpath – most odd, but luckily not important for this walk!

Cross the stile by the gate at the end of the lane and turn left into a field through another gateway. Walk straight ahead as the field descends, with a wall on your right. When the corner of the wall is reached, look ahead for another wall which comes into the field from the far side and ends abruptly in the middle of the field. Cross over to this and walk on the right hand side of it to a gate with a stile in the far wall.

Pass through the stile and walk a short distance to another gate. Go through this gate, being sure to close it properly as requested by a notice on it, to enter How Narrowdale. Walk straight down the bottom of this short, pretty dale which runs between Narrowdale Hill (left) and Gratton Hill.

At the dale bottom, go through a squeeze stile (a gap between two stones) by yet another gate and walk straight ahead, ignoring a track which runs left to right. Follow the obvious route, sometimes a path and sometimes a walled track, passing through several gates, until finally you reach a gateway (which may or may not have a gate!) leading to a flat meadow.

Do not enter the meadow. Instead, look for a small wooden gate to the right, leading the way into a path which may be rather overgrown with nettles. Follow the path, with a hedge and fence on your left, until a wooden bridge over the river Dove is encountered. Cross the bridge and turn right to pass through a stile and join the made-up path along the river bank.

The rest of the walk doesn’t need any directions, as you simply follow the river all the way back to Milldale. Along the way you pass through Wolfscote Dale and eventually reach the road at Lode Mill, where you cross the river by the stone bridge.

The dale is peaceful and quiet. There’s lots of wildlife on the river, including ducks which may eat from your hand! Additionally you may see herons, hares and rabbits and maybe even a fox. The dale sides are rich in flora, a now-rare example of limestone hillsides. Please keep to the path and avoid damaging the flowers.

Back in Milldale there’s a National Trust information point by the bridge as well as a chance to buy a very welcome cup of tea or ice cream!

A pleasant walk on riverside paths, lanes and ancient pack-horse trails with spectacular limestone views. A walk full of interest at all times of year.

Route

From the car park, head left along the trackbed of the old railway, signposted to Hartington. This is the Tissington Trail, on the route of a railway which ran from Ashbourne to Buxton. It was closed at a time when railways were seen as a burden although, like many others which suffered the same fate, it would have been invaluable now as a means of reducing traffic in the National Park.

Leave the trackbed by a footpath on the left at a point where the trail crosses a bridge, to gain access to Bradbury’s Bank, a National trust property. Following the signposts, head diagonally right to a narrow gateway and continue in the same general direction down the hill until the wall in the valley floor is reached. Turn left and walk down the dale, following the wall all the way to the river Dove. There is some spectacular limestone scenery along the way as you rapidly descend.

On reaching the river, turn right and pass through a stile by a gate and then immediately cross Coldeaton Bridge. This is a continuation of the old packhorse route you’ve just been following and the route can be seen zig-zagging down the steep bank. The modern path goes steeply straight up the bank but I think it’s much better to follow the old zig-zags. These start on the left of the new path then cross it about half way up. The grooved path gives a good sense of history and is much easier walking than the direct route, at a cost of being longer.

At the top of the bank pass through a stile into a rather overgrown track, after pausing to enjoy the view back down into the dale. Follow the track (which can be very muddy in wet conditions) for half a mile or so until it joins a road.

There are good all-round views over fields along the way and the track itself has a good compliment of daffodils in spring and flowers such as blue field scabious later in the year. Alstonefield church (pictured left), which you’ll pass later in the walk, can be seen ahead.

Turn right onto the road and follow it for a short distance into the pretty village of Alstonefield. Turn left in the village and walk past (or visit!) the George pub on your right. If you decide to give the George a miss, there’s a pretty green outside the pub which is a good spot to rest any tired legs.

Once refreshed, continue straight ahead on the same lane until you locate the ancient St Peter’s church.

After visiting the church (and inspecting its ancient Yew), take the lane which leads past the churchyard and eventually descends to Milldale. This is marked on the map as a track and used to be one but was metalled a few years ago after a water main was laid along it. It’s too narrow to use as a road but this doesn’t stop a few people from trying. There’s a rather bizarre 60mph speed limit sign just past the church – for people intent on suicide, presumably!

Once in the pretty village of Milldale, cross the packhorse bridge over the Dove. This is Viator’s Bridge from Izzak Walton’s book ‘The Compleat Angler’, although in Walton’s time it didn’t have parapets (which would have got in the way of the packs which were hung on the sides of the horses) and therefore resembled a stone path crossing the river.

Follow the well-made riverside path downstream. The Dove along here is the haunt of trout, dippers and water fowl and I once saw a kingfisher. The river may almost dry up in late summer but can be a torrent in winter: the floods of 1998 washed the surface of the path away in places, although it’s subsequently been repaired.

As a large cave looms ahead, turn away from the river and cross a short area of grass to enter wooded Nabs Dale, heading towards Alsop-en-le-Dale. Nabs Dale is steep and rough but also delightfully quiet and peaceful, surrounded by high limestone crags. Pause for a few minutes to listen to the birdsong from the woods.

On leaving Nabs Dale into farmland, turn left past a house and head towards the farm buildings. Pass through a gateway then walk diagonally uphill, heading for an electricity pole. Cross the wall by a stile about 30 metres above the farm, then head for the farm track and turn right.

Follow the farm track, going straight on at a cross-roads of paths. The track descends to eventually join a minor road, passing some small bungalows along the way. Cross the road and use the stile to get access to the field opposite. Follow the path across this, heading for the top right-hand corner. Here, another stile leads onto the main road opposite the car park entrance.

Route

From the car park, walk down the road to the river. This usually has a good compliment of ducks which are always hungry and will come up onto the bank if you offer food. I sometimes take a small bag of corn (sold in pet shops as pigeon food) to feed them, as this is better for them than the usual bread!

The walk continues over the bridge. This is ‘Viator’s Bridge’ from Izaak Walton’s book ‘The Compleat Angler’, although in Walton’s time it didn’t have parapets and resembled a stone path crossing the river. The lack of parapets was due to it being a packhorse bridge in the days when goods were transported around these parts on unmade tracks by horse-power. Parapets would have got in the way of the packs which were strapped to the sides of the horses.

Crossing the Dove takes you from Staffordshire into Derbyshire, as the river forms the county boundary around here. Once across, take note of the old packhorse track zigzagging its way down the hillside – this is your return route. The zig-zags were to make it easier for the laden horses to ascend and descend the steep hill.

Follow the well-made riverside path downstream. The small weirs which cross the river are intended to create pools, which favour trout and other fish. As well as the fish, the Dove along here is the haunt of birds such as dippers and water fowl. I also once fleetingly saw a kingfisher here. The river may almost dry up in late summer but can also be a torrent in winter and has been known to freeze over in cold weather – the last time I can remember this happening was the winter of 1996/97.

As a large cave (called Dove Holes) looms ahead, turn away from the river at a metal sign indicating a footpath to Alsop-en-le-Dale, crossing a short area of nettles and grass to enter wooded Nabs Dale.

Nabs Dale is rather steep and rough but also delightfully quiet and peaceful, surrounded by high limestone crags. Pause for a while to listen to the birdsong from the woods and enjoy the scenery. It’s a wonderful place for a lunch break or a little ‘birding’!

Eventually you leave Nabs Dale over a stile by a gate, into farmland.Turn left past a house and head towards the buildings of Hanson Grange farm. Pass through a gateway then walk diagonally uphill, heading for an electricity pole. Cross the wall by a stile about 30 metres above the farm, then head left to the farm track and turn right onto it. From now on the walk is through open fields.

Follow the farm track to a crossroads of paths by a trough, then turn left. This is the highest point of the walk. Pass through several fields, always keeping the wall on your left and descending gradually. The views are spectacular, particularly into the deep cleft of Wolfscote Dale, some distance away to the right.

As the path and wall veer left the buildings of Milldale come into sight below, giving a wonderful airy view of the village (pictured). The church you can see on the hill opposite, at Alstonefield, is worth a visit.

Finally, the zig-zags of the packhorse route provide an easy way down the steep hillside back to the village and its welcome refreshments. Please preserve this fragile ancient track by not cutting off the