Slatepit Dale, Uppertown, Bentley Bridge, Lumsdale, and Matlock

I caught the Matlock bus and travelled to Slatepit Dale and headed over to the west, passing by Stanedge Golf Course before reaching Stone Edge Chimney, the oldest industrial chimney in Britain.

Just beyond the chimney there's a series of attractive ponds, associated with whatever industrial activity was taking place there during the past.

It was easy walking all the way today with one exception - when I reached these cows in the corner of a field just beyond Dryhurst Farm.

The stile that I needed to use was right in the corner behind where the cows were standing; there was no way to get around them and I didn't want to force my way through them...and the  idea of shooing them hoping that they'd move out of the way would only result in them heading straight for me since there's nowhere else for them to go. Fortunately there was a broken down section of dry stone wall just a few yards away which I was able to climb over, and then duck under a wire fence. It was dangerous and totally unsuitable for cows to be in this field - there should be guidelines for farmers about placing livestock in fields which public footpaths cross, especially where there's a stile right in the corner and there are high walls surrounding the fields.

If the wall hadn't been toppled, what would you have done? 

I passed through the hamlet of Uppertown and then walked through a wood and some tall bracken before reaching the road. It was then a pleasant walk across fields and alongside the perimeter fence at Matlock Golf Club.

The path took me to Bentley Bridge, just above Lumsdale. As usual I was not alone when visiting Lumsdale - there were a couple of artists with their easels and palettes, a photographer with an expensive camera and a box full of lenses and other equipment, and several couples or small family groups exploring the waterfalls, ruins, and caves.

When I reached the bus stop at Matlock I wasn't sure if the bus was due at just after a quarter to, or a quarter after the hour. It was 14:13...and the bus was due at 14:17. It was on time.

Bakewell, Rowsley, and Bentley Bridge

After getting off the bus at Bakewell I crossed the road and headed towards the shops. I popped into the small Spa supermarket and bought some chocolate covered raisins, and then went to the toilet - where I had a choice of five doors to enter; Male, Female, Disabled, Family or Traders.

I then left the town, walking over the old bridge over the River Wye, and along Coombs Road. I could have kept walking along the road but took a bit of a detour which meant I had to climb to reach a short section of the Monsal Trail along the old railway embankment: the views were far better though.

I rejoined the road at the end of the Trail, at the viaduct, and continued along Coombs Road; which soon petered out into merely a track. Just beyond the viaduct I noticed a planning application had been pinned to a gatepost explaining that permission had been sought to extend the Monsal Trail to Rowsley.

The track continued for about two miles until I reached Rowsley, going through farmland and alongside a pine plantation. I arrived at the A6 road but only followed it for a few yards until I picked up a path which led across fields to the village, seemingly having to walk right through the gardens of a couple of houses. I was definitely on the path because of the stiles and a conveniently placed bench, but when I arrived at the back street where it came out into the village there was no footpath sign; if I'd been walking in the opposite direction I would not have been quite so confident of it being a right of way.

I briefly called at the Post Office to get a carton of chilled milk which I enjoyed whilst finishing off the chocolate covered raisins; sitting on a bench in the centre of the village, near to the well.

I left the village by taking a path uphill and soon arrived at an interesting piece of topiary, which I had to pass through.

At the top of this path there was a country road which soon became a series of switchbacks through dense woodland; if it wasn't for the trees blocking the view I'm sure this would be a spectacular sight; it was certainly challenging walking this section.

The next section of the walk was fairly level, going across open moorland and fields interspersed with small copses and larger plantations.

There was then another stretch of road I needed to walk along, and then a path across more fields, skirting Matlock Golf Club, and arriving down at Bentley Bridge, about two miles north of Matlock on the Chesterfield Road, just in time for the bus.