Before I go
in to the detail of this walk, there is something I need to share with you
first.
This walk
was a lot longer than many of my other walks, the total distance being 25km, or
in old money, 15 miles.
This walk
was designed around the fact that the weather had the potential to be very
warm, which it was, so steep ascents were reduced by careful route planning and
also where possible, using knowledge of the area, trying to maintain as much
shade as possible.
Accompanying
me on this walk was Andy F from Stoke, who also joined me on my previous walk Axe Edge Moor, the
Cat and Fiddle pub and a Stag Do…..
Andy H from
Leicester was going to join us, but unfortunately something cropped up and
Barney, whose Stag do was in the Cat and Fiddle after a good day’s walk on Axe
Edge moor, mentioned earlier, had a superb wedding day and is no longer a free
man……
But I’m sure
he will be out with us again soon.
The route,
starting from Monyash, was to include Arbor Low Stone Circle, a walk to
Youlgreave via Bradford Dale and return to Monyash via Lathkill Dale.
As I always
do, I weather watch carefully on the week leading up to any walk, so that I get
a good idea what the weather will be like for the walk, so I can ensure I pack
the right kit for the day and also to advise anyone walking with me what to
expect.
This walk
was no different, apart from the fact that we were to prepare for hot weather,
lots of sun and a total change of what would be in our packs.
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| Monyash |
It is rare
for me to find any walk challenging, but this one really did prove challenging,
and not for physical reasons. It was what to carry in my pack, or more challenging, what not to carry, while reducing
the weight as much as reasonably possible.
So, not only
was I observing daytime temperatures leading up to and forecast for the day, but also night time temperatures. Why?
Well, I
always work on the basis what if I was to become benighted?
I usually
carry waterproofs, fleece and a change of layers suitable for that time of
year. However, it was going to be very hot, any chance of rainfall was
extremely remote and night time temperatures were in the mid-teens, even out in
the open countryside.
Now, that’s
all well and good, but if you’re unwell or injured, what can normally be warm,
could very easily be cold!
Hence the
challenge, what do I pack?
The only
items I didn’t carry were a mid-layer and my waterproofs, which can make a
reasonable thermal layer as well as keeping you dry in the rain,. I still had
my storm shelter, first aid kit and my trekking poles.
I’m not used
to this hot weather packing, because I tended not to walk far in hot summer
conditions. However, I’ve been accused of going through a midlife crisis, I
have an incessant need to get out and walk. Oh, and camp…..
Well. I’ve
recently bought a new tent, which I’m itching to use, but my diary has firm
alternative ideas!
Well, I
could do worse for a midlife crisis….
I’ve
digressed enough for now. When meeting up with people, I aim to ensure there is
no confusion where to meet; I always opt for a suitable landmark unless those
walking with me know the area extremely well, when we will meet at an agreed
location. From there, we then move on to a suitable parking spot from there.
 |
| "....The Bulls Head in Monyash was the initial meeting point...." |
Pubs are
ideal for that, providing reasonable access and short term parking.
The Bulls
Head in Monyash was the initial meeting point, before moving on to a layby to
the east on Church Street, near the point of exit from Lathkill Dale.
While
waiting for Andy to join me, I drove to where I planned to start and finish the
walk, to check out the parking, which was very quiet and surprisingly so. I
would have expected a few cars there, considering the weather.
I then took
the opportunity and wandered around Monyash, only ever having driven through the
village in the past.
A nicely
typical White Peak village tidy with a village green and memorials on the
green, a pub, church and of course farms around and about.
Next door to
the Bulls Head was the “The Old Smithy”, a tea room which served food and
drink. Boy, that bacon did smell nice…..
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| The Old Smithy, Monyash |
 |
| Welcoming sign for walkers; “Muddy Boots Welcome” |
Andy from
Stoke finally arrived, we discuss parking and set off immediately to the
planned layby.
We get
suited and booted then head back in to Monyash.
Now it might
seem strange, meet in Monyash, drive a few hundred metres away, park up and
then walk back in to Monyash, but out of respect for pub landlords, I’m not
keen on taking up a parking space for would be patrons.
 |
| "..... Now it might seem strange, meet in Monyash, drive a few hundred metres away, park up and then walk back in to Monyash......" |
We
approached the village green and cross roads, where we would turn left and head
south down Rake Street where we would head south east and pick up part of the
Limestone Way at Manor House Farm.
 |
| Manor House Farm, Rake Street, Monyash |
 |
| The Limestone Way |
Walking
along the Limestone Way, chatting away as you do, we got carried away and
missed our turn for Arbor Low. We carried straight on to One Ash Grange Farm,
which I had walked through back in December 2011, along with Bradford Dale and
Lathkill Dale, and wrote about that walk in Lathkill Dale and
Bradford Dale 28th December 2011.
Now this is
where the map becomes a little unclear and a word of caution when walking
through farms, they are working places with livestock and/or machinery, all of
which could lead to a potential accident if you’re not careful.
 |
| The Limestone Way, heading south from Monyash |
While trying
to pick up our desired route, one kindly and very chatty farmers wife came over
to assist us, ensuring we carried on our way safely.
We actually
had quite a good chat and it would appear that quite a few walkers get caught
trying to pick up the route we wanted.
Those
walking the Limestone Way, fear not, for that route is clear, both to
physically walk and also on an OS map. If you do walk the Limestone Way, west
to east, as you walk past the pig sty's on your left, take a look at the arch on
your left before the barns, for in there is a Nativity Scene.
 |
| Approaching One Ash Grange Farm |
 |
| One Ash Grange Farm |
Back to the
walk and the overlooked path which we required, was just at the start of the
farm on our right, where a cattle grid is. For those interested, the grid ref
for the cattle grid is; SK 16830 65230.
Walking
through Lathkill Dale is a very pleasant walk, all the way through to the river
source and beyond near to Monyash, our start and finish point, with some very
interesting points of interest along the way.
Continue
along that track and you come to the top end of Cale Dale and Cales Farm. At
Cales Farm, we picked up the desired path. Not long after picking up the path,
we arrived at a point where two footpaths cross and joined the original path,
heading for Arbor Low.
 |
| Looking down Cale Dale towards Lathkill Dale |
We arrive at
the road that links the A515 to Youlgreave, turn right and walk towards Upper
Oldhams Farm, where Arbor low Stone Circle and Gib Hill are located.
As we
approached the start of the drive to Upper Oldhams Farm, we were greeted by a
drive past of vintage cars,
The walk up
the drive is quite brief, passing a small car park, for visitors to both
monuments and also an honesty box.
To visit the
monuments, which are owned by English Heritage, all that is requested is £1 per adult, children free (price correct as of July 2013),
which isn’t going to break the bank.
 |
| The drive to Upper Oldhamd Farm |
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| "....As we approached the start of the drive to Upper Oldhams Farm, we were greeted by a drive past of vintage cars...." |
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| Arbor Low Henge and Gib Hill Parking |
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| The honesty box, please place your money in |
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| Upper Oldhams Farm "....When visiting Arbor Low Henge and/or Gib Hill, you are walking through a working farm...." |
Arbor Low Henge is an
important prehistoric site in the East Midlands, Arbor Low is a Neolithic henge
is set high on open moorland.
It has an
earthen bank, ditch and a stone circle consisting of 50 white limestone slabs.
These are supposed to have been upright, but all the stones today are very much
on their sides
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| Arbor Low Henge |
 |
| Andy taking in the peace and quiet of Arbor Low Henge |
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| Peak Rambler, relaxing at Arbor Low Henge |
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| Gib Hill viewed from Arbor Low |
Nearby is Gib
Hill, a large burial mound, which has been built in two stages. Originally it
was an early Bronze Age barrow (burial mound) with a later Neolithic oval
barrow built on top.
Excavations have
found that Gib Hill has served both purposes. It is thought Gib Hill is older
than Arbor Low with regard to religious ceremonies.
The term Gib,
often refers to gibbet, where criminals were hung, However, there are no known
references to Gib Hill being used for that purpose.
.
Please
note: When visiting Arbor Low Henge and/or Gib Hill, you are walking through a
working farm and across fields which will have livestock on.
Therefore;
Dogs on leads are welcome, also with it being a working farm, please be aware
that livestock or machinery may be moving around the farm yard or fields during
your visit.
We then
headed back to the road, through the farm and down the drive, where we turned
right and headed east for Youlgreave.
I mentioned
at the start, this route was planned on the basis that it was going to be a hot
day and utilise a route with some shade, well, this lane provided a good cover
from the sun for pretty much most of the way to Bradford Dale.
I’m not a
fan of walking along a road, but on this occasion, it was more than welcome. While
walking along the road, past the drive to Cales Farm, I looked over to my left,
in a northerly direction, and spotted what looked like the Kinder Plateau,
along with a peak just to the east.
 |
| The road to Youlgreave from Arbor Low, provided a lot of shade from the sun |
A bit of
detective work, my initial thoughts were that peak was Win Hill. However, after
getting a bearing on the peak, it turned out to be Mam Tor and the plateaus,
most likely around Brown Knoll.
Continuing
along the road, we reached a right turn just before the picnic area, where we
continued along the road, keeping the shade, heading towards Youlgreave with
the aim of picking up Bradford Dale.
Following
the road down, we came to a right-hand bend, where the Limestone Way meets the
road and took the path through the wooded area. From there, we would have to
take a short open road walk to the start of Bradford Dale, where we would be
back in the shade.
We descend
in to Bradford Dale, which looking at the steepness of the descent; you start
to fear there will be a steep ascent out. Fear not, this route is planned with
no steep ascents.
We reach a
bridge crossing the River Bradford, then turn left, to head for Youlgreave.
This part of the walk is quite mixed as far as shade is concerned, but all in
all, not too bad for keeping out of the sun.
 |
| It was hot in the shade! |
 |
| The descent in to Bradford Dale |
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| Approaching the River Bradford, Bradford Dale |
The path
also is solid, making for good walking, with lovely views along and across the
River Bradford, all the way through to Youlgreave.
As we leave
the cover of trees, we cross the river and walk through an open field alongside
the River Bradford where people were enjoying the sunny weather, bathing in the
river at various points, one of which is a dedicated bating area.
We walked
past the bathing spot and crossed the road, where we stopped for our lunch
break, sitting on a bench just by the roadside, watching the world go by, well,
for about half an hour before we moved on.
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| Bathing in and around the River Bradford |
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| The end of Bradford Dale and close to where the Rivers Bradford and Lathkill meet |
Lunch over,
we followed the river to where the River Bradford and River Lathkill meet, then
head northwards, following the River Lathkill upstream to Alport.
This section
is virtually level, though it was quite exposed to the sun, but nonetheless, a
very pleasant walk through to the village of Alport.
The Peak
District in my opinion is blessed with some very ornate medieval stone bridges,
some with a tale to tell, like Cutthroat Bridge near Bleaklow, which as the
name suggests, has a gruesome tale, which I covered in Derwent Moor and those funny shaped stones!”. Soon after walking upstream we reach a small bridge which
takes another path from Youlgreave over the River Lathkill.
An
interesting moment soon after passing the bridge, where an outcrop of limestone
rock juts out to the path edge, we were greeted by some cattle coming the other
way. Nothing special about that, other than an elderly gentleman sitting on the
bench, minding his business with his dog, which made the cattle a little
apprehensive, being confronted by us and a well behaved dog.
 |
| "....passing the bridge, where an outcrop of limestone rock juts out to the path edge...." |
 |
| "....we were greeted by some cattle coming the other way...." |
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| The River Lathkill flowing through Alport |
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| The path to Conksbury from Alport, just across the road from the bridge over the River Lathkill |
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| "....Andy and I stopped there for a brief while, taking in the view and watching the trout swimming in the very clear river water...." |
After a moment’s
confusion, we allowed the cattle to walk to our left, giving them a wider berth
from the dog, which was being very well behaved and practically ignoring the
cattle.
We continued
walking upstream eventually reaching Alport, where a medieval stone bridge takes
the main road through the village over the River Lathkill.
We crossed
the road, where Andy and I stopped there for a brief while, taking in the view
and watching the trout swimming in the very clear river water.
We then
continued to follow the river upstream, heading for Conksbury Bridge, but here,
we were blessed with a bit more shade from the sun.
Eventually,
we reached Conksbury Bridge, where we would pick up the path through Lathkill
Dale.
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| Conksbury Bridge |
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| The gateway in to Lathkill Dale from Conksbury Bridge |
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| Bathing in the sun in Lathkill Dale |
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| One of the many weirs along the River Lathkill. Note the crystal clear water! |
We came
across yet more people sun bathing close to the river.
As you
follow the river upstream you pass probably close on twelve weirs, which were
used to regulate the water for the various mining operations around Lathkill
Dale.
An
interesting feature of the River
Lathkill, during periods of drought or very little rain, the river appears to
disappear, then reappear further along, in good flow.
 |
| A very dry river bed.... |
This would
most likely be due to the many underground natural caves along with the once
thriving mining industry, particularly lead.
The Peak
District has a very rich mining and industrial heritage, much of which dates
back to Roman times and even further back.
The River
Lathkill is renowned for its crystal clear water, which even today, is still
crystal clear and probably one of the clearest waters of any river in the Peak
District.
Continuing
our walk upstream, we come across one of the many points where the river
disappears, then not much further upstream, we see the river in good flow….
Further
upstream, we came across a mine shaft, one of many, but this one you could
safely enter, via steep metal steps and look down on to the flow of an
underground river opposite Twin Dale, just off Lathkill Dale.
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| The mine shaft entrance |
 |
| Steep metal steps down to the viewing area |
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| Not a very clear photo, at the bottom of the shaft is a fast flowing underground river. |
 |
| Looking down the shaft |
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| Lathkill's underworld.... |
Here was
once housed the Dakeyne
Pump, which was used to draw water from the lead mines close by, allowing
the miners to extract the lead ore from underground.
A Dakeyne
Pump is basically a high pressure hydraulic pump, used to pump water away
from mine shafts, allowing the miners to extract the ore they were after, from
the seams underground
We continued
upstream, walking past a bridge which crosses the River Lathkill, leading up to
Cale Dale. At the top of Cale Dale, is One Ash Grange Farm, which we walked
through and had a good chat with the farmer’s wife.
 |
| Looking up Cale Dale |
However, we
didn’t walk up Cale Dale, which if you study the map carefully, you will see
that it is quite a steep ascent out of the dale, and this walk was planned
without any steep ascents in view of the weather being hot and dry.
So we
continued upstream, where our next stop was the true source of the River
Lathkill, Lathkill Head Cave
(SK170658).
 |
| Entrance to Lathkill Head Cave |
 |
| Lathkill Head Cave |
 |
| Where's the water? |
As you
do, we entered the cave to see if we could see any water, but alas, it was bone
dry!
Oh
well, we leave the cave and then continue up Lathkill Dale, homeward bound,
heading for the Church Street, which runs between Monyash and Bakewell, where
we had parked our cars in a layby.
 |
| Heading up Lathkill Dale towards Monyash |
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| Almost at Church Street, where we had parked our cars |
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| The gate at the Monyash end of Lathkill Dale, the end of a superb walk through some superb country and a fabulous day. |
Once we
had removed our boots, we then drove the short distance back in to Monyash and
had a post walk drink (non-alcoholic
because we both had a good drive to our homes).
Though
the walk was longer than my usual walks, it was an extremely pleasant walk, we
had a great day and I would like to take this opportunity to thank you to Andy
from Stoke for being a great walking companion for the day.
 |
| Map showing the route we took |
Hydration Packs
Bladder
packs, or whatever you wish to call them, for me, I find them a very useful piece
of my kit, making quick and easy access to water, or whatever fluids you keep
in them, easy and quick to access.
What I
want to briefly share with you, are my findings using my Osprey 3 litre
hydration pack towards the end of the walk on such a hot day, where
temperatures in the shade were averaging 25ºC and out in the sun, very likely
to top 35ºC or even higher.
I
returned to my car with half a litre of water left in my hydration pack, though
I expected it to be emptier. No, I haven’t deprived myself of water, for I had
ensured before starting the walk, I was well hydrated and managed to keep the hydration
level comfortably good.
What I
did experience was, for the last half hour of the walk, was a low lever
hydration pack feeling, where I seemed to be sucking more air than water.
Upon
inspection when I returned home, I found the last half litre had become aerated,
fully of bubbles, giving me the impression that the pack was almost empty.
This was
not a problem, for I always carry an extra 500ml in a bottle as reserve, so
once the hydration pack becomes empty, I can make my way back or cut my route
short if necessary so not to be out without any fluids.
Incidentally,
I mentioned at the start I plan to cover myself should I become benighted. I
had a 700ml flask with hot water in, for
emergencies, along with sachets of hot chocolate and cup-a-soups.
For
more details on what I carry in my pack, see “What’s
in my pack?” for more information.
Remember,
it can be just as easy to be a victim to the weather on a hot day as you can on
a cold winters day. Actually, any day, any weather, you could fall vicitim…..
Finally, happy rambling and thank
you for reading,
Peak
Rambler
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References
Arbor Low
Henge; English Heritage
English
Heritage
Wikipedia; Dakeyne hydraulic disc engine
dakeynediscengine.com
“the engine in the mine”
