Tideswell to Castleton
DAY 3
SK150756 Head 1 west along the Summer Cross road and descend to the dale bottom between Monks and Peter dales. (In early summer, you may wish to detour through Monks Dale – the early purple orchids are stunning but in winter it’s rather too boggy to be pleasant!)
SK130752 Turn 2 right onto a footpath through Peter Dale. This alternates between rough narrow gorge and wider grassy pasture.
SK122764 Head right 3 then left across a country lane, and into Hay Dale. This is a much more typical wider grassy limestone dale but it’s unusual for having small patches of thin woodland in the valley bottom towards its far end. In summer it is a haven for butterflies and more early purple orchids.
SK118772 Briefly 4 join a track carrying the Pennine Bridleway (PBW) and follow this as it veers right and uphill on a steep stony track.
SK127778 Turn left 5 along a country lane and out to a junction with a busy road. Cross this and head briefly left along it, escaping quickly to take a footpath right through an awkward gate onto a green lane. This rises gently between fields, then descends to a tarmac lane near houses.
6
SK127794 Head right and up the lane to Cop Farm. Take a bridleway (not a nearby footpath!) rightwards through a gate into fields, bending left and
uphill to a narrow, steep and occasionally rocky green lane.
SK130800 Where 7 this opens out into access land and rough but enclosed moorland pasture, it’s worth a brief detour right and uphill (perhaps as far as the trigpoint which comes into view) to gain a better viewpoint over the
distant Kinder plateau, Mam Tor and the Great Ridge. Then descend gently over rough pasture to the far-left wall corner.
SK132805 Turn left 8 in the next field, bear right of a small pond, then parallel the wall line to your left, heading roughly north-east to a junction of tracks.
SK135813 Cross 9 over the stony track and into fields. This heads roughly north-east to cut a corner off a large field, then descend to a junction of paths in a slight dip. Fork right on the bridleway (not the footpath ahead) to descend an increasingly steep-sided valley (this is Cave Dale).
SK142819 10 At a second grassy track
junction, it’s worth a brief detour left on a permissive access track for a good view over the dale, then return to the path through the dale. Descend increasingly stony rough ground, heading below Peverill Castle.
11 SK150827 Turn left on Pindale Road and descend rightwards past the Market Place into Back Street. Descend to meet the main road
through Castleton on a sharp bend. Turn right, and follow this road past shops and Weaving Avenue. Fork right onto a footpath track signed to Hope. Continue ahead where this narrows to a path, then briefly parallel the Peakshole Water stream through fields.
SK160829 Just 12 after a stand of woodland, the river bears sharp left. Continue ahead, up a short rise and away from the river, crossing a series of stiles and short fields. Bear left at a waymarker, follow the fenceline then cross the cement works railway line with care. Follow a gravel path out to a road.
SK171832 Exit left 13 onto Pindale Road, and out to Hope village. Turn right and up the footway of the main Hope Valley road. Turn left into Station Road to access the train station.