September 23, 2020
MONYASH, LATHKILLDALE NATURE RESERVE, LATHKILL HEAD CAVE, CALES DALE, RIVER LATHKILL, TUFA DAM WATERFALL, MANDALE ENGINE HOUSE RUINS, OVER HADDON, CONKSBURY BRIDGE, ALPORT, RIVER BRADFORD, THE BULL'S HEAD AT YOULGREAVE, LIMESTONE WAY, MOOR LANE CAR PARK, LOW MOOR WOOD, ONE ASH GRANGE, THE BULL'S HEAD AT MONYASH
Distance: 12miles.
Difficulty: Moderate.
Weather: Dull start, becoming wet then sunny.
Walkers: Andy Blease, Alan Hart, Howard Jones, Jock Rooney, Julian Ross, Dean Taylor, Keith Welsh, Dave Willetts.
Alternative walkers: Colin Davison and Laurie Fairman.
Apologies: Mickey Barrett (yachting in Turkey), Peter Beal (self-isolating), Alastair Cairns, Tom Cunliffe, George Dearsley (living in Turkey), Mark Gibby (self-isolating), Hughie Hardiman, John Jones (Coast-to-Coast walk), Chris Owen (self-isolating after French holiday), George Whaites (medical appointment)
Leader: Rooney. Diarist: Hart.
Starting point: Outside Bull's Head, Monyash, Derbyshire.
Starting time: 10am. Finishing time: 3.35pm.
Despite dire forecasts of heavy persistent rain, eight wanderers assembled for one of our most attractive walks in Derbyshire's White Peak District. We were rewarded for our optimism by predominantly dry weather. Some light drizzle got progressively worse for an hour but the threatened downpour of biblical proportions never materialised.
Consequently we were able to enjoy the views along the riverbank as we followed the Lathkill on its journey towards Youlgreave, then followed the Bradford into the village and out again.
Because of the latest Covid19 restrictions we were obliged to split into two groups of four with your diarist leading the Hayfield massive while Jock took charge of the Bramhall Three. By an amazing coincidence and without any forward planning both groups arrived at the first watering hole at ten-minute intervals.
JJ, heading east on his Coast-to-Coast marathon, had covered more than 70 miles to reach Orton by Tuesday. Meanwhile the alternative walkers walked round Monks Dale, Millers Dale and Chee Dale where they saw three dippers.
With the Bull's Head on our left we walked up Church Street until we reached public toilets on our right (10mins). Just beyond them was a kissing gate through which we entered Lathkilldale Nature Reserve via a wooden gate. This was Cales Dale and the Lathkill Head Cave from which springs later emerge above ground to form the River Lathkill. This is believed to be the only English river where rainbow trout breed naturally.
Because of earlier rain the limestone rocks on the trail were in a slippery state but we managed to negotiate them without incident. After the river appeared we ignored one wooden bridge which crossed it. At another stone bridge (70mins) we stopped for pies and Jock led us across the bridge to see the surviving artefacts at the ruins of Mandale Mine.
Lead-mining in Derbyshire may have started in the late Bronze Age and there is written evidence of such activity during the Roman occupation. In medieval times one-thirteenth of all ore mined (called a “lot”) was allotted to the Crown and a tenth (“tithe”) to the Church.
The Peak District was a free mining area where diggers had access everywhere except churchyards, gardens, orchards and highways. Mineral courts were set up to resolve disputes and mining laws were formalised in 1852.
In the Middle Ages open-cast mining descended from the surface to a maximum of 40 feet. By the beginning of the 18th Century shafts and workings had gone down to 700 feet. By the end of that century the deepest mines were in excess of 900 feet. They became unviable by the start of the 20th Century.
Continuing we passed a sinkhole on our left containing tufa (74mins)
(Tufa is a variety of limestone formed when carbonate minerals precipitate out of ambient temperature water, in case you were wondering)
We then left the Nature Reserve by a wooden gate (83mins), turned right past a derelict building at Over Haddon and then left passing Lathkill Cottage on our left to continue walking along the left bank of the river.
When we reached a road bridge (100mins), Conksbury Bridge, we turned right and swung left with the road marked as a Quiet Lane before turning left at a wooden public footpath sign (102mins). This path took us through fields with gates and stiles until we reached a main road at Alport (120mins)
Crossing this we followed a wooden public footpath sign along the left bank of the River Bradford, passing towering cliffs on our left and a flock of black sheep on our right.
At a hump-backed stone bridge we turned right (128mins) and headed uphill into Youlgreave, passing All Saints Parish Church on our right. This brought us to The George, which should have opened according to its listed hours at noon. But on our arrival at 12.26pm it was closed (133mins)
Observing the Wednesday Wanderers' sacred motto – firm of purpose but flexible in design – we turned left and arrived at The Bull's Head (134mins) for pints of Marstons' Pedigree or pale ale. We were joined unexpectedly ten minutes later by the other quartet, who showed scant respect for Britain's new anti-mingling laws.
On leaving we turned left and then left again at Holywell Lane passing Youlgrave Wesleyan Reform Chapel on our left. (Interestingly the village is variously called Youlgrave and Youlgreave on maps, road signs and buildings)
The path led to a bridge across the Bradford River which we used and turned right (142mins) with the river now on our right. After a lunch break (154mins) we crossed a bridge on our right over the Bradford to reach a road (162mins). We turned right then left to follow a wooden public footpath sign for The Limestone Way (166mins)
When we reached a road we turned left (168mins) and at a wooden public footpath sign we went right (169mins). After passing through a wooden gate marked with a yellow arrow (176mins) we reached a lane (179mins) and turned left. This took us past Moor Lane car park on our left before heading right into a field by a wooden public footpath sign. The path brought us to Low Moor Wood (194mins) and through two more small woods until we reached a steep descent into a valley (214mins)
At the bottom we headed left uphill following a signpost for One Ash Grange.
The farmyard looked unchanged for a century or more with ancient buildings and water troughs. We turned right towards Monyash (223mins)
At the next signpost, instead of going straight ahead towards Monyash, Dave and I turned right following a sign for Lathkill (229mins). Crossing two fields we then turned left through a gate and followed the well-trodden path downhill (239mins)
A gate on our right led to the path into Lathkilldale we had taken at the start of our journey. We turned left and reached the road by the side of the public toilets and turned left (250mins). Turning left again we reached The Bull's Head at Monyash on our right (259mins)
Next week's walk will start at 9.40am from spare land opposite The Wheatsheaf pub in Old Glossop. It is intended to reach The Pear Tree at Padfield for a livener around 12.30pm and return for a final drink in Old Glossop at about 2.20pm.
Happy wandering !
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