Monsal Trail (old and new)

DATE 01.11.2014 | DISTANCE 16.6KM | HIGHEST POINT 343M

Posted by Matt | Filed under peak district

 

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Back to the Monsal Trail! I cant make my mind up about this trail. It used to be quite a quiet walk but since the tunnels have been opened it is now very popular. its nice to see cafe's at some of the old stations and its always good to see somewhere that is accessible to all ages although i do think back to my first time on the trail and how PEACEFUL it was. IT FELT LIKE A FORGOTTEN WORLD OF RAIL. it was certainly more of an adventure.

today i decided to cover some of the old detours because it really adds more variety to the walk. the tunnels are great but i don't think you need to go through all of them.

 

AS USUAL I STARTED FROM BAKEWELL WITH THE INTENTION OF RETURNING VIA BUS SOMEWHERE ALONG THE A6. THE WEATHER WAS PERFECT TODAY. THE TRAIL IS VERY PROTECTED FROM ANY WIND AND IT WAS SLIGHTLY OVERCAST WHICH HELPED AGAINST OVERHEATING.

WE MADE OUR WAY THOUGH THE HEADSTONE TUNNEL AND I POPPED UP TO MONSAL HEAD WHILST NATALIE WAITED FOR ME ON THE VIADUCT. AS I MADE MY WAY BACK DOWN TO THE VIADUCT SOMEONE TAPPED ME ON THE SHOULDER! IT WAS MY FRIEND IAN WHO I MET ON THE EVEREST BASE CAMP TREK 4 YEARS AGO! IAN LIVES IN MANCHESTER AND I LIVE IN CAMBRIDGESHIRE SO IT WAS PRETTY AMAZING TO BUMP INTO EACH OTHER ALONG A DISMANTLED RAILWAY LINE.

OUR FIRST OF THE OLD DETOURS WAS THE ONE DOWN INTO MILLER'S DALE. IT FLOODS DOWN THERE REGULARLY SO THE PATH WAS RATHER BOGGY TODAY. IT'S A GORGEOUS ROUTE THOUGH AND WELL WORTH COMING OFF THE MONSAL TRAIL TO SEE. IT'S ALSO MUCH QUIETER AS NOT IDEAL FOR BIKES TO GET TO.

JUST BEYOND LITTON MILL WE REJOINED THE MONSAL TRAIL AND EXPLORED SOME OF THE LIME KILNS AS WE CONTINUED ACROSS THE OLD RAIL LINE. OUR NEXT DETOUR TOOK US DOWN INTO CHEE DALE. ANOTHER QUIET SPOT THAT'S NOT REALLY ACCESSIBLE FOR BIKES. SOMETIMES NOT ACCESSIBLE ON FOOT EITHER, DEPENDING ON THE HEIGHT OF THE RIVER. NOW DOWN IN HERE IS REAL ADVENTURE! IT FEELS LIKE A ROUTE IN THE AMAZON WITH ITS SHEER LIMESTONE CLIFFS, LUSH GREENERY AND NARROW PATHWAY. THE STEPING STONES ARE ALSO AN IMPRESSIVE FEATURE ALONG THE ROUTE. I JUST WISH THIS DETOUR WAS LONGER. I LOVED IT!

AFTER ABOUT AN HOUR OF HOPPING ALONG CHEE DALE WE MADE OUR WAY BACK UP ON TO THE TRAIL FOR OUR FINAL SECTION.

TIME WAS RUNNING OUT TO REACH THE BUS STOP SO WE PUSHED ON AND CUT LEFT OVER A STILE AND ACROSS FIELDS TO THE BUS STOP JUST OUTSIDE OF BLACKWELL. THE COWS SEEMED TO BE VERY HAPPY TO SEE IS. ONE IN PARTICULAR WAS HOPING AROUND CHARGED TOWARDS US. THANKFULLY IT STOPPED SHORT. I WAS CONVINCED IT WASN'T GOING TO CHARGE US AS IT LOOKED HAPPY. NATALIE WAS DEFINITELY THINING THE WORST.

We made it to the bus stop just in time.

 

The station at bakewell

plenty of people out today. it's become very popular here since the tunnels opened. good or bad?

GREAT LONGSTONE STATION

HEADSTONE TUNNEL

INSIDE HEADSTONE TUNNEL. 497 METRES LONG

HEADSTONE VIADUCT.

NOT JUST NATALIE IN THIS PHOTO BUT ALSO MY EVEREST TREK FRIEND IAN. TO MY SURPRISE I MET HIM MOMENTS LATER!

MONSAL DALE FROM MONSAL HEAD

INSTEAD OF CARRYING ON THROUGH THE NEXT TUNNEL WE TOOK THE PATH TO THE RIGHT JUST BEFORE THE TUNNEL ENTRANCE. THIS PATH IS PART OF ONE OF THE OLD DETOURS FROM BACK BEFORE THE TUNNELS WERE OPENED. CRESSBROOK MILL

 

MILLER'S DALE. OFTEN FLOODED AND RATHER SQUELCHY TODAY. THIS IS ONE OF THOSE GREAT PATHS YOU MISS IF YOU STICK TO THE MONSAL TRAIL. IT'S QUIETER TOO!

MILLER'S DALE

LITTON MILL. NOW NICE HOMES

 

BACK ON MONSAL TRAIL

CLIMBERS ON RAVENSTOR

LIME KILNS

THE TWO VIADUCTS AT MILLERS DALE STATION

AN OLD PHOTO OF MILLERS DALE STATION AND IT'S TWO VIADUCTS

 

The lime kilns. i don't understand the purpose of it's shape

abseiling over the river wye

instead of crossing the bridge we chose to drop down to the river and make our way through chee dale

following the river through chee dale

very wet and very slippery

in the chee dale gorge. impressive!

 

a truly wild location. i just wish it was longer

a popular spot for climbers

it's me on the stepping stones. thankfully the water wasn't too high today. my feet stayed reasonably dry

 

through the last tunnel. about 15 minutes later we cut left up a small dale to fields near blackwell. we got to the bus stop on the a6 just in time and returned to bakewell