Easy/Moderate
2h 45m
~6 miles
Dale Trail
Dog-friendly
The Monsal Trail is one of the most popular trails in the Peak District National Park. The abandoned train route once belonged to the Midland Railway line, from Manchester to London between 1863 and 1968. This included Bakewell Station, Hassop Station, Great Longstone Station, and Millers Dale Station within the Peak District, which now only uses the Hope Valley line between Manchester and Sheffield. It’s full of historical artefacts such as the East Buxton lime kiln which burned the limestone from nearby quarries into quicklime next to the railway stations to be transported for thriving industries like steel, chemicals and agriculture until 1944. At the heart of the trail, used recreationally since 1981, is Monsal Dale where a train crossing the headstone viaduct looked like the magical Hogwarts Express in the Harry Potter films. Hiring a bike to cycle is the most sensible way to complete the full 8.5 mile journey from Blackwell to Bakewell (one-way), but for walkers you’ll get the best experience from Monsal Head alongside the full beauty of the dale.
Highlights
Why go on this trail?
Most top recommended Monsal Dale walks take you off the Monsal Trail too early (before the tunnels) and actually miss a lot of the dale by directing you to other places like Litton or Ashford-in-the-water, with worse views along the way. This route is the best for exploring Monsal Dale because it covers the whole area from top to bottom while staying within its parameters and ensuring every part is different than the last. You’ll start and end in Monsal Head, which offers one of the most picturesque views in the Peak District with a hotel, cafe, sweet shop, ice-cream van and pub all in one spot. You get to experience the most famous parts of the Monsal Trail such as 2 of the 6 tunnels and scenic headstone viaduct on a circular walk instead of doing the full trail’s 8.5 mile linear route (a whopping 17 miles when going back the same way). We cover both ends of the dale, including the beautiful Monsal Dale weir and picnic area where you can take dip in the River Wye. And on the north side, stunning hillside views await you with more intimate ground level footpaths across a waterfall bridge, Cressbrook Mill, and Upperdale. This trail is up to 3 hours for adventurers who want the full experience of what Monsal Dale has to offer.
Preparation
Gear: Wear outdoor gear or comfortable clothing. Waterproof shoes with grip are essential during wet periods.
Dogs: This trail is dog-friendly for dogs you can lift over 2-step stiles. Keep them on a short lead for the Monsal Trail as the path is usually busy and full of bikes manoeuvring around walkers. Once you reach step 3 going off the trail they can roam freely along a quiet the quiet hilltops until you reach Cressbrook Mill in step 4. Well behaved dogs can roam freely again on the public footpath from step 5. Watch out for cows and reattach lead if present when you reach Monsal Dale grasslands near the weir in Step 5.
Terrain
Elevation: The trail starts at a high elevation with a ~300 metre gain and descension. Balanced mix of flat, incline and decline. One steep but short-lived decline.
Terrain: Rock paths, dirt paths, roads.
Stiles: Yes
Local Amenities
You can spot Monsal Dale between Bakewell and Tideswell to the northwest so there are plenty of amenities within a 10 minute drive. Local amenities on the route include:
Toilets:
- Monsal Head Car Park (Long Stay) Public Toilet
Places to eat:
- Hobbs cafe
- Stables Bar
- Monsal’s Enchanted Emporium (sweets and treats)
- Ice-cream van
Pubs:
- Stables Bar
- The Packhorse Inn (Butts Road, Little Longstone)
Getting there
Getting there by car (recommended): Use your GPS or Google Maps to Monsal Head, Castlegate Lane, Derbyshire Dales, DE45 1NJ. There are two car parks each side of the hotel that are Pay & Display but if you arrive early there may be free roadside parking along Butts Road.
Getting there by train: Take the Northern Rail Sheffield to Manchester Piccadilly train and get off at Hope. Walk to the end of Station Road and go to the bus stop on your right. Catch the 173 bus to Bakewell and get off at Ashford Lane near the hotel (approx. 1h 30 mins).
Getting there by bus: Bakewell square is the main access point where you may need to switch buses to get between villages. Take the 173 Andrews bus from Bakewell Square to Castleton or the 257a bus towards Sheffield centre and ask to get off near Monsal Head Hotel (approx. 25 mins).
Monsal Dale walk route
Step 1 - Monsal Head to Monsal Trail
Monsal Head overlooks Monsal Dale and the headstone viaduct with 150 car spaces for parking and a bus stop. Start at the short stay car park around the front of Monsal Head Hotel and make your way to the gap in the stone wall with signposting to Monsal Dale and Upperdale.
Turn right at the signpost and go down the path.
The footpath bends down to the left towards another signpost. Follow the signpost down the steps on your left to the viaduct in Monsal Dale.
Step 2 - Monsal Trail
Within a few minutes you’ll reach the Monsal Trail. Turn right, following the signposts towards Wye Dale. Shortly after, you’ll go across the top of the viaduct, treating you to views of Monsal Dale grasslands and River Wye. Continue along the Monsal trail footpath.
Monsal Trail tunnels
You will get to Cressbrook tunnel with distant views of Cressbrook Mill on your right. A great place to take a short break on the bench.
The Monsal Trail tunnel looks dark from the outside but is well lit and just over 400 metres long. The cool temperature inside is bliss on a warm summer day. When you come out the other side, you get a brief moment of sunlight before entering Litton tunnel.
Step 3 - Monsal Trail to Cressbrook Mill
When you exit Litton tunnel, there is a sloped path to your right. This takes you up to a stile to step over. Continue going up as the views of the dale get more epic. If you turn around, you can get a good look at Litton Mill over in Miller’s Dale, which you can visit on a Tideswell Dale walk.
When you reach near the top there is a tree and little cave in the rocks on your right. Follow the level path to your left.
Follow the path around the hillside which bends to the right before descending. After a while you’ll notice that you arrive at the short outpath between the Cressbrook and Litton tunnels but at an elevated position on the hill.
Near the Cressbrook tunnel entrance, there is a wired fence that corners off on your left with a dirt slope. Go down the steepish slope and then turn right.
Walk along the hill with great views along the River Wye and limestone cliffs towards Upperdale.
When you get to a grass bank, you should hear the sound of a waterfall nearby. There is a sign ahead pointing to Monsal Trail and Cressbrook Dale. Take a left down to the waterfall.
During dry seasons when the water is shallow, you can access below the bridge and take a dip near the ‘waterfall’. Cross the bridge into Water-Cum-Jolly Dale. This area is a tranquil spot to relax on the bench and enjoy the limestone edges along the still green hued water.
Step 4 - Cressbrook Mill & Upperdale
When you’re ready to continue, follow the path to the right, which goes into a narrow footpath with Cressbrook Mill in front of you and a black fence on your right. Follow it around and go right out of the high stone wall entrance onto Bottomhill Road.
Walk along the road through Upperdale. There is a car park and often a light flow of cars during busier seasons so keep your dog on a lead.
When you get to the crossroads with the Chatsworth Escapes holiday cottages sign in front, turn right down the bridleway.
Note: If you want to cut the walk short and skip Monsal Dale weir on the other side of the dale, you can continue straight on and the road will take you back to the top of Monsal Head car park within 20 minutes.
Step 5 - Upperdale to Monsal Dale Weir
Once you’ve turned right at Chatsworth Escapes, head straight on across the bridge and follow the path bending up to the left and going under the Monsal Trail. After a short while, you may notice a brick hut on your left, which you walked past on Monsal Trail. This is another way back if you want to take the trail you came from in step 2 but we’re going to skip this and keep heading up the inclined path until you reach a big wooden gate.
The path flattens out when you go through the gate. Continue forward until the path reaches the next public bridleway. Turn left and descend towards the headstone viaduct.
Shortly after, the path bends to the right and then left. Instead of following the path around the second corner, go straight on the grass. This takes you out onto the hills of Monsal Dale where you can access a unique angle of the viaduct.
Keep going straight but stick to the elevated path on the right. There’s a faint path with a gap in the left corner of the field. Go through and then straight on into a tree covered area full of dirt. After 30 seconds you’ll come back out into grasslands, take a left and look for a path going down back in the direction you came from.
At the bottom, turn right and continue until you get to the Monsal Dale grasslands and then take the path right again, following the river to the weir.
Step 6 - Monsal Dale Weir to Monsal Head
After you’ve gone through the gates leading to Monsal Dale weir, the spectacular waterfall is accompanied by a perfect spot for picnics and a dip in the water. Many people stay here and relax for a while along the river bank.
When you’re ready to continue, go through the grass area towards the top left.
Cross the bridge and then follow the path back up towards Monsal Head. This path takes you to the car park where you started the walk.
Grab an ice-cream and admire sweeping views of everywhere you’ve just been, or have a well deserved drink at Stables bar besides the Monsal Head hotel.