The approximate route is shown by a blue line.
Use your mouse to drag the map to the area of interest and
zoom in/out using the controls on the left hand side of the map.
Please use my map to find the route on your own large scale
walking map such as the OS Explorer series at 1:25000.
If you have time if you do this walk please let me know how you get on.
That would be very helpful to me to keep my information accurate and up to date.
Please note that I provide this free service to you as a fellow walker on the
understanding that you walk
the route entirely at your own risk and that the information is not used for
any commercial purpose.
Map: OS Explorer OL24 The Peak District White Peak area at 1:25000
General Directions (see markers on the route map)
The route starts at the public car park next to the River Dove (map ref. SK146 509) near the Izaak Walton Hotel. From the car park entrance take the public footpath opposite to pass behind the hotel and cross the fields to a minor road at map ref. SK136 509. At the road turn right to follow the road with the river Manifold on the left continuing into Ilam village to the war memorial at the road junction in the village. Just past the war memorial follow the road round to the right and the follow the brown tourist signs to the start of the drive into Ilam Country Park. Turn left off the drive to follow the Manifold Trail to the church and continue along the Manifold Trail to pass Ilam Hall (youth hostel) and follow the river upstream for about 1.3km from Ilam Hall to a minor road called Lodge Lane at map ref. SK 128 517.
At the road turn left and walk along the road past a cottage on the left, for about 100m to a fork in the road. The right hand fork is the access road leading up to Castern Hall. Follow this access road up the hillside to Castern Hall and continue on a public footpath around the eastern and northern sides of the hall. From Castern Hall continue along the footpath first contouring round the hillside for a few hundred metres and then climbing up to a walled track called Stable Lane, running along the ridge. Cross this track and continue along the footpath opposite along the edge of a field, then dropping down a small valley and then turning northwest across the fields to a walled lane called Wall Ditch. Cross this lane and continue across the fields to Ashbourne Road . At this road turn left for about 50m then turn right off the road to cross a stile on the right next to a steel field gate. Continue across the fields for about 200m to a stile onto a lane on the edge of the village of Wetton at map ref. SK 111 553.
Continue along the lane heading northwest for about 150m to a road junction and turn right to follow the road called Buxton Road for about 200m to map ref. SK 111 555, at the junction with Ewe Dale Lane. At this junction there is a steel field gate with a stile on the right and a finger post marking a path. Go through this stile and follow the path across the fields for about 600m to join a walled green lane in Windledale Hollow at map ref. SK 117 555. Follow this green lane out to a minor road at Brook Lodge. At the road, called Lodge Lane, turn right and follow the walled lane for about 100m, then turn left off the lane through a wooden pedestrian gate to a field path. Continue along the field path for about 400m to cross Furlong Lane and continue across the lane on the field path for another 600m to a road in the village of Alstonefield at map ref. SK 130 555.
The path comes out in to Alstonefield along an access track that meets the road at a road junction. Cross the road at the junction and take the road straight ahead (sign post to Ashbourne). After about 30m the road forks. Ignore the left hand fork to Ashbourne and take the right hand for about 100m to a triangular village green on the left hand side of the road. Continue along the road around a right hand bend, then after another 200m there is a left hand bend . Just after this left hand bend the road passes the 12th centaury church of St. Peter on the left hand side of the road. Continue along the road past the church where the road is called Millway Lane. About 150m beyond the church turn right off the lane to follow a footpath down the hillside for about 700m to the hamlet of Milldale on the River Dove. (If you want a break from stone wall squeeze stiles you can just stay on the lane from Alstonefield church all the way to Milldale).
In Milldale the road heading south next to the River Dove makes a sharp right hand bend to head west. On this bend keep straight on along a minor access road. After a few metres this road leads to a stone arch bridge over the River Dove. Cross the river on this bridge and follow the footpath beside the River Dove for about 4km to a sharp right hand bend in the river where there are stepping stone across the river. This is a very popular picnic spot on the River Dove. Cross the river here. There is the choice of the stepping stones or a footbridge just downstream. Follow the path along the river bank for about 400m back to the car park on the left of the path at the end of the walk.