Bentley Bridge, Matlock Green, Riber, Cromford, Bonsall, Snitterton, Oaker (or Oker), Darley Bridge, and Darley Dale.

Unusually I spent a bit of time researching for today's walk because there are three locations I specifically wanted to visit; Lumsdale mills, Riber Castle and Arkwright's Mill at Cromford.

The walk didn't get off to a good start though: I got off the bus at Bentley Bridge and found the lane that leads off towards Lumsdale and I was soon in a deep wooded valley which I presumed to be Lumsdale. Maybe it was, or maybe it wasn't; but even with backtracking several times I couldn't find even one of the six ruined mills that I'd read about. They'll have to be visited on a later walk because I was soon at the bottom of the valley, in Matlock Green.

I followed the main road in an easterly direction for a few hundred yards and then took the steep path which goes up to Riber, going alongside a wall, then open grassy fields and finally an area overgrown with bracken. Although the visibility wasn't particularly good, I enjoyed some pleasant views of Matlock from a new  perspective.

My next objective, Riber Castle, isn't a castle at all; it's a nineteenth century folly. In the village there are at least another two crenellated buildings, both of which I spotted before seeing Riber Castle. Eventually I caught a couple of glimpses of the battlements but had to wait until I had left the village to enjoy the best view, as I was walking across the fields towards Cromford.

The path soon descends to the Cromford road, but whilst still quite high up there were some spectacular views of Matlock Bath and the cable cars...yet again, seen from a completely new direction.

The first place I arrived at in Cromford was Cromford Wharf. I popped into the café, but was rather disappointed with the limited choice on offer so crossed the road and had a pot of tea and a cherry scone at Arkwright's Mill...a very easy location to find; it's well signposted.

This photograph was taken from where I was eating my scone.

I lingered at the mill for a while, and then continued into the town centre where I ended up taking  photographs of the most colourful outdoor shop display I've ever seen...and a green padded bicycle with a card placed in front of it bearing a very strange and cryptic message.

The message on the yellow card reads; 'Show me the rejects. Like us on Facebook.' The card attached to the rear wheel has an equally strange message about taking photographs when wearing a specific tee-shirt - I think it all might be part of some online viral marketing campaign.

I then walked along a footpath which runs parallel to the Via Gellia, passing through woodland and across fields to reach the road which leads up to Bonsall.
Despite its Latin sounding name, Via Gellia isn't a Roman road at all; it was named by, and for, a Mr. Gell, the man who paid for the original road to be built.
Interestingly, the fabric known as Viyella was itself named for the Via Gellia, the location of the mill where it was first produced.

It's a long climb up to the top of the village of Bonsall, not too steep though. At the bottom of the hill I noticed another strange message - this time on a bus stop.

There are several paths leading up from just beyond the village centre, going in a northerly direction - I'm not sure exactly which one I took but I reached Salters Lane and then found the path leading me back downhill across fields to reach Snitterton. Along this section I briefly set foot inside the official boundaries of the Peak District...the distance covered is only the width of three fields though.

I then took the road leading to Oaker, or Oker, as it is also written. It seems that no-one can agree on the correct spelling: on every actual sign I came across, the name was spelled differently to how it is depicted on the Ordnance Survey Map. Coincidence? Conspiracy? An organised protest; or just a bit of fun?

By now it was starting to rain and I was glad it was an easy walk back to Darley Dale to catch the Sheffield bus.

Matlock, Matlock Bath, and High Tor.

I watched the weather forecast on TV this morning and decided I'd better stick to the eastern fringes of the Peak District; in fact, I didn't cross into the National Park at all. There's still a lot of beautiful countryside near to Matlock to be explored though.

I got off the bus and walked to the start of the Limestone Way, but only stayed along the route for a few dozen yards before taking the footpath that leads towards Matlock Bath. For about two miles I walked across wildflower meadows and woodland, with occasional views of High Tor and down into the valley.

Some of the later sections were along roads which skirt the higher parts of Matlock Bath. Along one of these roads, high up above the valley, is a rather nice decommissioned chapel, which looks more like a fairytale castle - I was particularly impressed with one of the oriel windows.

A few minutes later I passed beneath the cable cars which go up to the Heights of Abraham.

I had originally intended to visit the mill complex at Cromford today, but couldn't find either of the two paths which lead down to the village. One route seemed to lead straight along the driveway of a large private house and the other I'd identified was blocked by a field of cows and an electric fence - I assumed that this wasn't the correct way either, and so re-traced my steps until I found a damaged footpath sign lying half buried under builders' rubble in a ditch. Every possible direction was overgrown, and since everywhere was soaking wet anyhow after the recent rain, I didn't bother...I went down to Matlock Bath and had some fish and chips.

I walked south along the riverside walk for a few yards, crossed over the footbridge to the other bank, noticing how high and fast flowing the river was, and then climbed up through woodland to the clifftop path.

The views along here are really nice; to the right a scenic valley running parallel to the main valley of the River Derwent - I don't know its name, it's not marked on the map. Further along I caught sight of High Tor, which I would be climbing later. To my left there was woodland and a steep drop, but every now and then viewpoints had been created by clearing the trees and installing sturdy iron railings. The opposite bank of the River Derwent, where the attractions of Matlock Bath are situated, could be seen; right from The Pavilion in the south to the cable car system in the north.

The path gradually descended down to the main car park next to the railway station. The footpath to High Tor is well signposted; leading up through more woodland, with occasional clearings. The viewpoints here were equally as impressive, but they weren't fenced off - they aren't dangerous though; there are benches there and the locations would probably make ideal sites for a picnic.

If the weather had been more pleasant I might have lingered longer; it was cold and dark all day, with frequent drizzle, so I kept up a fairly quick pace down into Matlock, and after catching the bus, and then the train, arrived home in Doncaster in ample time to watch the football on TV.