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Rural Ramble 5: Ashford-in-the-Water to Bakewell via Magpie Mine and Lathkill Dale
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| Distance: 11 miles |
Duration: 4 to 5 hours
(Including lunch) |
Price: £20.00 per person |
Ashford-in-the-Water |
Although the pretty village of Ashford-in-the-Water is only a mile or so from the town of Bakewell, this walk takes a very roundabout route from one to the other. Ordinarily, this walk starts in the centre of Ashford-in-the-Water, but to more easily comply with the current coronavirus regulations, it has been extended to begin in Bakewell. From Ashford-in-the-Water, it makes a short but fairly challenging climb up out of the Wye Valley to the hilltop village of Sheldon and the preserved ruins of Magpie Mine. It then crosses the fields to the village of Over Haddon, which has an unexpected connection to the British Secret Service and fictional agent James Bond. There, it drops down to the River Lathkill, which it follows through part of the tranquil Lathkill Dale before climbing once more to the area known as Haddon Fields. Following a well-used bridleway, it then drops down to the entrance to Haddon Hall, where you can either leave the walk to visit one of the best preserved medieval houses in the country, or continue onwards for the final two miles to the finish of the walk back in the centre of Bakewell.
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As Bakewell is located on the main road between Matlock and Buxton, this is an ideal walk for anyone located in either town. This location also allows access from other towns along the A6 corridor such as Belper and Stockport, plus the cities of Derby and Manchester. By using the cross-country routes across the Peak District, it is also easily accessed from Chesterfield and Sheffield.
While it does include three short but fairly steep climbs, this is still a relatively easy walk suitable for both adults and older children alike.
Due to the current coronavirus regulations, we can only accept bookings from up to five individuals who must be from a single household, and we have regrettably been forced to temporarily increase the price of the walk as a result. However, once the regulations are relaxed further, we hope to be able to cater for larger groups from multiple households and, at that point, the price will be reduced back to its normal amount.
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| Distance: |
11 miles. |
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| Duration (approx): |
4 to 5 hours (including breaks). |
| Start point: |
Rutland Square,
Bakewell,
Derbyshire. |
| Start time: |
9:30am (Weekdays and Saturdays).
10:30am (Sundays and Bank Holidays). |
| End point: |
Rutland Square,
Bakewell,
Derbyshire. |
| Dates available: |
July 22nd.
August 10th.
September 9th, 28th.
October 12th, 28th.
November onwards, dates TBC.
Private bookings via a Personal Walking Guide are available now for any date from April 20th to November 23rd 2020 - see here for details. |
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When is this walk available?
This walk is available as a scheduled walk each month between the beginning of March and the end of November. It may also be booked privately between March and November on a date of your choice via a Personal Walking Guide.
This walk can be booked privately via a Personal Walking Guide on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, most Saturdays, some Sundays and most Bank Holidays. If you make a private booking for this walk, you can also request a different start time if desired. While we cannot guarantee this time, we will make every effort to accommodate your request.
Please note that, for bookings in late November and early March especially, there is the possibility that the walk may take place in snow conditions. If we believe the conditions to be hazardous, we will attempt to notify you at least 24 hours in advance to give you the option of cancelling or rescheduling your booking.
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Prices.
The following prices apply for this walk:
| Ticket |
Price |
Deposit
(Included in overall price) |
Private Upgrade Cost |
Adult or Child aged 16 and over
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£20.00 per person
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£5.00 per person
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Not currently available
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Discounted family tickets also available, giving cheaper prices for groups including children aged 15 and under. Please e-mail us for details.
For more information on how to book places on this walk, and on private group bookings via a Personal Walking Guide, please see here. If you have any questions about the cost of this walk, please contact us via email at enquiries@derbysheritagewalks.com.
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Travel to and from the walk.
In normal times, Ashford-in-the-Water is easily accessible by public transport, and that is how we would recommend that you get to the walk. However, in order to minimise the use of public transport at a time when spaces are severely limited and needed by key workers, we have decided to modify the walk in order to make it more easily accessible by private car.
To do this, we have decided to lengthen the walk by approximately two miles, so that it become a true circular walk both beginning and ending in Bakewell. That way, you can drive to Bakewell and park in one of the public car parks there, and then make the short walk to the start point of the walk in Rutland Square. This eliminates any need to use public transport, freeing the limited number of spaces available for those who really need them the most.
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Is there anything special I need to bring?
Given the length of this walk, a good pair of walking boots is essential. The weather can be quite variable and there is little shelter along the route, so it is important to also have a good set of waterproof clothing. As the walk takes place in all weathers, and the section around Magpie Mine is very exposed, you may need warm clothing too. It is also recommended that you bring plenty of water with you, as there are no real opportunities to purchase it along the route of the walk.
We also recommend that you do not wear shorts or other clothing that leaves your lower legs exposed. This is because there is one section of the walk in particular, through Lathkill Dale, where at certain times of the year it is necessary to push through heavy vegetation that overhangs the narrow riverside path. As this vegetation can include nettles and brambles, having bare legs is not recommended.
While the coronavirus crisis is still ongoing, we also ask that you bring your own facemask or similar face covering, plus your own hand sanitiser. While we endevour to maintain proper social distancing at all times on the walks, there are some occasions where it is necessary to use narrow paths. As it would be impossible in most cases to maintain proper social distancing if we were to encounter someone coming the other way along the path, the recommended advice in such a situation is to use a mask or other face covering while passing the other person. There is also the need to touch gates and stiles to pass from field to field or from fields onto roads. In these situations it is advised to use hand sanitiser before and immediately after touching the gate or stile. As we are not able to supply them for you, due to the high costs currently involved in obtaining supplies, it is your responsibility to provide your own, and failure to do so may result in cancellation of the walk.
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Are there any disabled access issues?
Unfortunately, this walk is not suitable for wheelchairs due to the terrain involved and the presence of locked gates and stiles.
Those with other mobility issues may also find this walk difficult due to the presence of stiles and the steepness of some of the gradients. If you are able to cope with these, then the rest of the route should not prove too difficult. If you have any questions or concerns about accessibility, please contact us prior to booking.
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Is this walk suitable for dogs?
Yes, this walk is suitable for dogs. However, we do ask that you keep your dog under close control at all times as the route of the walk passes through fields where there may be livestock present. If you wish to bring your dog with you, please notify us beforehand.
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Booking
Scheduled Walks
Ordinarily, we use PayPal buttons to handle booking and payment for all of our walks. However, due to the current situation, we have suspended that system, and so now if you wish to book a walk, you need to e-mail us with the details of the walk and date that you wish to book. We will then send you a PayPal invoice, which you can pay either using a PayPal account or, if you don't have access to one of those, you can pay using any debit or credit card. Other payment options are available on request - Please e-mail us for details if required.
The cost of this walk is £20.00 per person, including a £5.00 per person non-refundable deposit.
We also have discounted family tickets available for this walk - please e-mail us for details. All family tickets include a 25% non-refundable deposit.
Private Bookings
Private upgrades of scheduled walks are not currently available.
Personal Walking Guides
While Private upgrades of scheduled walks are not currently available, you can make a private booking for this walk on dates other than those on which it is normally scheduled by booking a Personal Walking Guide. This allows you to do the walk when you want to, not when we have it scheduled. We have Personal Walking Gudes available most days, except for those listed as either "unavailable" or "unavailable for private bookings" on the calendar here. Please see the table below for the days of the week on which we are able to offer Personal Walking Guide bookings for this walk.
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Personal Walking Guide Availability - Ashford to Bakewell via Lathkill Dale
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| Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
Saturday |
Sunday |
Bank Holidays |
| Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Some* |
Some* |
Most* |
Most* |
Most* |
| * = Please contact us for details of availability |
The cost of a Personal Walking Guide for this walk is £100.00 per group. Please note that we cannot take a Personal Walking Guide booking for this walk on the same date as we are also running it as a scheduled walk. Please e-mail us for more information if you would like to make a Personal Walking Guide booking for this walk.
Bookings can be made at any time up to 48 hours before the intended date of your walk (72 hours for Personal Walking Guides), but the earlier you book, the more chance you have of getting the date you would like. We regret that we cannot accept bookings made less than 48 hours prior to the planned start time of the walk.
Please ensure before booking that you have read and agree to our terms and conditions.
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Latest booking news
- Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, places on each walk are limited to a maximum of five people, who MUST all be from the same household.
- Bookings are open for all dates listed, and close at 9:30am two days prior to the date of the walk.
- We are now accepting Personal Walking Guide bookings for this walk. Personal Walking Guide bookings may be made for Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, some Thursdays, some Fridays, most Saturdays and some Sundays from March 1st to November 23rd 2020.
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How to book
Important: Before booking, please make sure that the date you wish to book is not listed as already being fully booked in the "Latest booking news" section above.
To book this walk, please e-mail us, using the walk name and date as the message subject. In the body of your e-mail, please include the following information:
- Name of walk.
- Date required.
- Number of places required.
- Contact name and postal address.
- Preferred e-mail address for contact.
- Telephone number (mobile preferred) that can be used as an emergency contact in the event of issues on the day of the walk.
Once we have received your e-mail, we will e-mail you back within 24 to 48 hours with confirmation of if we can accommodate your booking, and the relevant payment details.
By booking a walk with us, you are confirming that all persons in your group reside in the same household, and agreeing to take full legal responsibility in the event that a request from the police or other relevant authorities for identification and residence information should prove otherwise. You are also agreeing that all persons in your group, or their legal guardians, accept full personal responsibility for following all other applicable coronavirus-related regulations and guidelines in force at the time of the walk.
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