I caught the train and then two buses this morning to arrive at Monyash for ten o'clock. I had a few minutes to wait at Bakewell as usual en route; Bath Gardens, right next to the bus stop were looking especially good today - it's the week of the well dressings though and two of the decorated wells are located in the gardens.
I got off the last of the two buses at Monyash and immediately left the village, heading north, and then took the footpath that goes down Bagshaw Dale, a a short, shallow dale which leads to Lathkill Dale. The public toilets at the small car parking area alongside the road at the top of Lathkill Dale are now unfortunately closed - there are probably three other places in the Peak District that I could name where a similar thing has happened in recent years...a shortsighted policy by local councils I think...but of course they incur the cost and other people and organisations reap the rewards of having visitor-friendly sites and attractions in a national park.
The upper reaches of Lathkill Dale are grassy with only a shallow slope, then there's a steeper rocky section with a lot of shale and boulders with scree tumbling down the steep hillsides from the base of the crags perched high above, and the final stretch of the dale is a nice gentle shady walk alongside the river.
At the first junction of footpaths I took the one leading up to Ricklow Quarry; I've not been here before. By choosing this route I was able to walk along the high level path for awhile that goes very close at times to the northern rim of the dale - in several spots there are viewpoints where I could look right down into the valley bottom in both directions. I found a level boulder under the shade of some trees to sit and eat my sandwiches. I needed the shade!
It was a struggle to descend over a hundred uneven steps cut into the hillside to get back down: I enjoyed the challenge though but wouldn't have done it if conditions underfoot hadn't been as dry as they were today.
There's plenty of industrial archaeology to investigate and explore; Lathkill Dale hasn't always been as beautiful and peaceful as it is now.
Instead of walking up the steep lane to Over Haddon I climbed out of the dale heading in the opposite direction, to the south, and made my way across fields and then a well-maintained bridleway to come out onto the road near to two isolated cottages which have been built at the site of the abandoned mediaeval village of Conksbury.
The next stretch, across more fields, but quite often within sight and sound of the river was easygoing all the way to Alport.
I then took my usual route out towards Stanton in Peak, but at the halfway stage I decided to stay on the road all the way to the bottom of the hill and then climb up to the village through the woods. I'm glad I did; I got this interesting image of a Royal Mail delivery at a pretty cottage...and higher up on the path where the woodland starts to thin out there are some good views.
I arrived at the Flying Childers pub looking forward to a cold refreshing drink, only to find that it had closed a few minutes earlier at two o'clock. I found a seat and drank the last of my orange squash and then set off for the bus stop at Rowsley, via the hamlet of Congreave. I didn't have long to wait for the bus here, and then next one at Bakewell either.
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