Yorkshire Walks

I spent the bank holiday week with three friends in a holiday cottage on the edge of Ashbourne in Derbyshire where the footpaths have been open since the beginning of June. The weather was very hot with clear blue skies, much more like the Mediterranean than grey damp Derbyshire.

On Sunday 26 August 2001 we drove from our cottage to the village of Youlgrave and parked at the western end of the village at around half passed ten. We made our way down the lane in the centre of the village past the youth hostel into Bradford Dale and noted a good tea shop near the river for a stop on our return.

Duck family near Youlgrave

River Bradford near Youlgrave

We crossed the river on the footbridge and headed up stream past a series of trout ponds. The path is part of the Limestone Way, a long distance path through the White Peak country. We followed the Limestone Way for 3 miles, first along the valley for three quarters of a mile and then up the valley side and over the fields for another two miles to Cales Dale, a side valley off Lathkill Dale.

After a steep descent into Cales Dale we followed the valley bottom into Lathkill Dale where there is a footbridge over the river. We sat on the rocks for about half an hour watching the steady stream of walkers and their dogs negotiating the footbridge and its stiles. We walked down Lathkill Dale through the woods between the limestone cliffs for about three and a half miles to Alport and had an ice cream from the van in a layby by the river. Here we turned up Bradford Dale for about half a mile to complete our circuit back to Youlgrave and a well earned stop at the cafe we noted on the way out. The whole route was about 8 miles and took us about five hours including stops on this very hot day.

Lathkill Dale

Lathkill Dale

Walking through the woods in Lathkill Dale

River Bradford near Alport