Litton, Wardlow, Great Longstone, Rowland and Calver.

The day began with a pleasant walk across fields from Litton to Tansley Dale, a beautiful little valley which I hadn't visited before. I then walked along the bottom of Cressbrook Dale and then climbed up towards Wardlow; this being the most difficult climb of the walk.

More fields were traversed before reaching Longstone Moor. This expansive high moorland covered in heather seems somewhat out of place so far south in the White Peak.

I then walked down the road to Great Longstone, a village new to me. Both of the shops in the village were closed - maybe it was half day closing - but there was a lovely smell of roast beef wafting from one of the pubs; I wasn't tempted though, I had to make up for lost time spent lingering on the moor.

Rowland is another half a mile or so to the east across fields; there were pleasant views to the north of Longstone Edge before I descended through woodland to the Hassop to Calver road. By this time I had given up on my effort to reach Calver in time for the next bus, so when I reached the village I had fifty minutes to spare.

Since I was feeling very hungry and a little weak I popped into the Outdoors Café and enjoyed a pint a tea and a toasted currant teacake with jam.

I walked across the road to the bus stop. Three buses were due in a short period of time. The second one arrived first - five minutes late.

Pilsley, Hassop, Bubnell and Baslow

I got off the Bakewell bus about a mile south of Baslow and soon found the path going up the hill and over the fields to Pilsley, one of the pretty nineteenth century                 Chatsworth Estate villages.

I walked through the village and after a few hundred yards came to a footpath which led across meadows back to the Bakewell road, and then through a wooded valley to Hassop.

There's a very impressive hall in Hassop which I've noticed when passing on the bus, but today was the first time I'd actually visited the village, as it was the case with Pilsley...and Bubnell later on.

The next part of the route was walking along the ridge above Bank Wood; at times the views were quite restricted - which wasn't really a problem since there was a large quarry on the other side of the valley which isn't shown on my Ordnance Survey map.

I had intended continuing to Calver and then walking along the Derwent Valley Heritage Trail back to Baslow but the descent down into Calver looked quite steep, and I had a twinge in my right knee. The path across open fields down to Bubnell seemed the safer option.

I soon arrived at Bubnell, then crossed over the river to Baslow, where I didn't have too long to wait for the bus.