Monsal Trail, Silver Hill, Hardwick Hill and Carr Lane
Drive to Buxton then A6 to start of Monsal Trail It starts at the Topley Pike
junction in Wye Dale, 3 miles (4.8 km) east of Buxton, and runs to Coombs
Viaduct, 1 mile (1.6 km) south-east of Bakewell. It follows the valley of the
River Wye. The trail passes through Blackwell Mill, Chee Dale, Millers
Dale, Cressbrook, Monsal Dale, Great Longstone, Hassop and Bakewell.
The Monsal Trail is a traffic-free route and a 15 minute walk from the
Wyedale car park on bridleway. Trail passes through some of the Peak
District's most spectacular limestone dales. The trail runs along the former
Midland Railway line for 8.5 miles between Blackwell Mill, in Chee Dale
and Coombs Road, at Bakewell.Take B6049 to Ravenstor. Continue along
the bottom road to Millers Dale and return, back to the Monsal Trail and
head east to Monsal Head, south to Ashford in the Water and return to
Monsal Trail, continue east to Bakewell where Monsal Trail ends at
Coombes Road but can continue along a track to Haddon Hall boundary
then an acute right turn on to Park Road and back to the A6. Return the
same way back to the car and drive A6 to Matlock, A615 to Alfreton and on
to Sutton in Ashfield before Mansfield and cycle 1.5km UKD 226. Silver Hill
Miner Statue. 197 metres
Left off B6023, Start at Stanton Hill on B6208 Stoneyford Road, becomes
B6014 Fackley Road from River Meden then cycle north west. Continue on
through Fackley heading north west on Silverhill Lane to Stanley and
Stanley Lane to Hardwick Croft for Hardwick Hill (page 51). Head north
following parallel to the M1 west of it to Stainsby then east to Ault Hucknall
along Hodmire Lane then north through Glapwell at ‘T’ junction further east
on to Glapwell Lane, left at next ‘T’ junction on to Losk Lane into Palterton
and climb Carr Lane (page 49). Return to Mansfield via Stony Houghton
A617 and later a right turn for Sutton in Ashfield and the car. Drive south on
A60 for Nottingham to reach junction of A6514 and A60 north-east of
Nottingham Centre or park on A60 before the junction, say at 2 miles away
on the edge of Nottingham at Redhill. From the junction take a left on to
A6211 Carlton road, over the roundabout in Woodthorne then fourth turning
to the right off this road called Arno Vale Road on to Somersby Road, and to
top at B684 Plains Road 0.8km. Nottingham UKD 227 125 metres Take
right turns back to roundabout, left then right on to A60 Mansfield and back
to the car. Return on A52 Derby, A52 Ashbourne, A523 Leek, A523 Bosley,
Congleton, Holmes Chapel
The Monsal Trail is a traffic free route for walkers, cyclists, horse riders and wheelchair users through some of the Peak District's most spectacular limestone dales.
The trail runs along the former Midland Railway line for 8.5 miles between Blackwell Mill, in Chee Dale and Coombs Road, at Bakewell.
Most of the route was opened to the public in 1981 but four former railway tunnels had to remain closed due to safety reasons, with public footpaths taking people around them. From 25 May 2011 the four railway tunnels - Headstone Tunnel, Cressbrook Tunnel, Litton Tunnel, Chee Tor Tunnel – will also open for trail users. Each tunnel is about 400 metres long and will be lit during normal daylight hours.
Two shorter tunnels - Chee Tor No.2 and Rusher Cutting – already formed part of the Monsal Trail.
The public can now experience the full length of the former railway route at their own pace and see breathtaking views at places like Water-cum-Jolly Dale that have remained hidden since the railway closed in 1968.
Other former railway lines now open to the public as traffic-free trails can be found at the High Peak Trail and Tissington Trail, with bike hire centres also servicing these routes.
The Monsal Trail tunnels offer one of the most spectacular leisure routes in Britain for cycling, walking and horse riding.
It is the first time the public have been able to go through the tunnels since the former Midland Railway Line closed in 1968.
Following work by the Peak District National Park Authority – using £2.25 million funding from the Department of Transport – the tunnels have been repaired, resurfaced and lit to form an extension to the existing Monsal Trail.
Interpretation explaining the former history of the route has also been installed.
Four of the longer tunnels are lit during daylight hours, dawn to dusk, to make them safe to use. They are operated by a light sensor, so in winter when the hours of daylight are less, the lights in the tunnels will switch off earlier in the day - around 4.30pm. If you are using the trail in the afternoon you are advised to take a torch or have bike lights in case you get caught out. If the lights go off because of a power failure there is a two hour emergency back up in place.