Miller's Dale - Peak Forest - Dam Dale - Peter Dale - Monk's Dale - Miller's Dale

Eric Davies

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Miller's Dale is a rather unusual place. Its buildings, St Anne's Church, the Angler's Rest pub, a few houses and a woodworking supplier, are wedged along the narrow base of a steep valley carved by the eastward flowing Wye. A brooding viaduct, marking the line of the disused Cromford and High Peak Railway, straddles the road through the hamlet. At the defunct station, just west, there is now room to park.

This gives access too for the many walkers and cyclists who use the Monsal Trail, the latest manifestation of the former railway. With increasing concern about the deleterious impact of cars on our National Parks, the notion of this railway being restored has been raised for discussion. It would certainly be an imaginative piece in the jigsaw of traffic management.

Until 1804 eloping couples came to Peak Forest, which served as a kind of southern Gretna Green, marriage ceremonies being performed with no questions asked. In recent months the usually quiet village hit the news again when residents occupied the disused Methodist Chapel in protest against plans to demolish, rather than turn it over to community use.

This walk uses part of the Limestone Way in its route, but don't follow the markers as the route links up in a different way.

England - Central England - Derbyshire - Peak District

Features

Birds, Church, Flowers, Food Shop, Great Views, Hills or Fells, Pub, River, Tea Shop, Toilets, Wildlife, Woodland

6/26/2020 - Simon Worrall

Re-walked in part June 2020 (see comments below dated 21 March 2020). Walked down the dales section after abandoned walk earlier in the year due to flooding. All the dales were now dry underfoot and the meadows were in full bloom. Lots of butterflies to see and very peaceful. Section through Monks Dale is still quite tricky even in dry weather with the limestone track / river bed still slippy - doesn't get much sunlight in parts. Several fallen trees across the narrow track to navigate too. However as referred to in another walk Monk's Dale does feel somewhat prehistoric so is an interesting place to pass through before emerging into the wider, open valley.

3/21/2020 - Simon Worrall

Walked March 2020. A walk of two distinct halves. The first part from WP1 to WP7 gives long distant views of the gently rolling Derbyshire countryside punctuated with many, many dry stone walls most in remarkable condition. Apart from a short steep climb up to Monksdale Farm (WP2) the first half is along well trodden, fairly level paths and farm tracks. There's a short climb across the fields from WP7 to WP8 (didn't encounter any cows!) and then the route drops gently down to WP9 and on to WP10 at Dam Dale Farm. The second part of the walk, from WP10 is entirely different topography - walking down a series of Dales with increasingly steep sided limestone sides. NOTE - mobile phone signal now fades in and out for the rest of the walk. The land from Hay Dale, WP12, through to Monk's Dale WP13 is managed by Natural England and each Dale now has its own information board. Towards the end of Hay Dale and on passing Dale Head Farm the paths were flooded and the entire meadow after crossing the road at Dale Head was very boggy and wet underfoot to the point were wellington boots would have been a much better footwear choice. WARNING - we had to clamber over the sides of Peter Dale as it was too wet to walk on the central path, which had turned into a flowing stream in places. On reaching WP13 the water levels at the entrance to Monk's Dale were high, almost a small river at this point, and we decided to abandon the walk and took the Pennine Bridle Way to the SE up to Wormhill, across well signed footpaths from the back of the church to join the road leading back into Miller's Dale and the car park. NOTE - the conditions In these valleys would also affect walk ID 2589. Otherwise an enjoyable walk which based on our experience would be better walked in late May / June when the Dales would be in full flower and the water table lower!

10/17/2011 - Walkingworld Admin

For more information about this kind of situation, please see our article 'What About Cows & Bulls' at: http://www.walkingworld.com/home/index.asp?id=44&nid=491

10/16/2011 - Darren Fretwell

Warning! I completed this walk with my wife on 15th October 2011 and it nearly ended in disaster. At waymark 7 the path climbs uphill to cross a field of cows; the cows have calves and as a protective instinct they literally attacked us, with one cow in particular bucking and charging at us across the field. The only way to escape it was to run the length of the field and dive over wall. A very scary moment which resulted in bruises and cuts and an experience that will seriously mar my future walking experience.