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The Industries of Monsal and Miller's Dales
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| Distance: 11 miles |
Duration: 6 to 7 hours |
Price: From £60.00 per group |
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This walk follows the River Wye through Monsal and Miller's Dales, looking at the stories of the various different industries that once lined the valleys.
Beginning at White Lodge car park on the A6, the route of the walk enters the south end of Monsal Dale and follows the river to the imposing Headstone Viaduct, which used to carry the Derby to Manchester railway line across the valley. Once considered by many to be a blot on the landscape, the viaduct is now the Dale's most famous and photographed landmark. The walk then joins the Monsal Trail to visit the site of Monsal Dale Station and the siding which used to serve the lead mine on the hillside above. Beyond Monsal Dale Station, the walk drops back down to the valley bottom to pass the imposing Cressbrook Mill, originally built by Richard Arkwright in 1779 as part of his expanding cotton-spinning empire. Crossing the river via the footbridge at Cressbrook Mill, the walk then enters the beautiful, if intriguingly named, Water-cum-Jolly Dale.
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This leads into Miller's Dale, where the walk passes another former cotton mill, the notorious Litton Mill. There, the walk rejoins the Monsal Trail to visit the remains of the large lime works that once flanked Miller's Dale Station, where passengers from Buxton would join trains to London. After looking at the imposing remains of the lime kilns, the walk then drops back down to the river once more to follow it through the beautiful Chee Dale, now a tranquil nature reserve. Reaching the former railway worker's cottages at Blackwell Mill, the walk climbs the hillside for the last time to the village of Blackwell, allowing a view of the UK's largest working limestone quarry. From there, it is just a short stroll along country lanes to the end point of the walk at The Waterloo Hotel public house.
Please note that some of the riverside paths may be closed as a result of becoming unusable due to severe weather, as they are subject to flooding from the river. It may therefore be necessary to vary the route of the walk to bypass any such closures by using the Monsal Trail instead.
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| Distance: |
11 miles. |
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| Duration (approx): |
6 - 7 hours (including lunch). |
| Start point: |
White Lodge car park,
(On the A6 between Ashford-in-the-Water and Taddington.)
OS grid reference: SK170706. |
| Start time: |
9:30am* (Monday - Saturday).
10:30am* (Sundays & Bank Holidays). |
| End point: |
The Waterloo Hotel public house,
Taddington,
Derbyshire.
(On the A6 just north of Taddington.)
OS grid reference: SK131714.
(Map of location) |
| Dates available: |
Available March to October on a day of your choosing as a private group booking via a Personal Walking Guide (subject to availability). |
| (* = As your guide will be arriving by the "Transpeak" bus service, the actual start time may be slightly delayed if the bus is running late.)
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When is this walk available?
This walk is available from March to October on a date of your choosing via a Personal Walking Guide.
All bookings are subject to the availability of a suitable guide - Please see our online calendar or e-mail us for availability of your chosen date.
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Prices.
The following prices apply for this walk:
| Ticket |
Price |
Deposit
(Included in overall price) |
Personal Walking Guide
(Group of up to 5)
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£60.00 per group |
£15.00 per group |
Personal Walking Guide
(Group of 6 to 10)
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£100.00 per group |
£25.00 per group |
Personal Walking Guide
(Group of 11 or more)
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£150.00 per group |
£37.50 per group |
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Travel to and from the walk.
This walk is easily accessible by public transport from Derby, Nottingham, Chesterfield, Sheffield and Manchester. It is also accessible by car with pay-and-display parking available at the start point, and hourly bus services from the finish point back to the car park. Alternatively, it is also possible to walk from the finish point back to your car, although this will add an extra couple of miles to the total distance.
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Is there anything special I need to bring?
Yes - a torch. If it is not possible to use the riverside path through Water-cum-Jolly Dale, the alternative route is along the Monsal Trail through Cressbrook and Litton Tunnels. If the path through Chee Dale is not usable, that section of the Monsal Trail also includes a couple of tunnels. Although these tunnels all have electric lighting installed, this can sometimes fail and leave you literally in the dark. It is therefore a good idea to make sure you pack a torch and spare batteries, just in case.
Due to the conditions on this walk, proper walking boots are essential. Good-quality waterproofs are also recommended - both jacket and trousers or overtrousers. In cold weather, please make sure you have a warm hat and gloves, plus an additional warm layer just in case. In hot or sunny weather, then please bring a sun hat and suncream.
We also recommend that you bring plenty of water to drink, plus something to eat, as there are few facilities along the route of the walk where you can purchase food and drink apart from at Miller's Dale Station, where you can also refill reusable water bottles.
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Are there any disabled access issues?
Unfortunately, there are a few issues regarding disabled access on this walk, as much of it uses footpaths that are not suitable for wheelchairs, mobility scooters or those of limited mobility. As a result, this walk is not suitable for wheelchairs, mobility scooters and those with limited mobility. If you are interested in the industrial history of the Wye Valley and would like a disabled-friendly walk, then we recommend our Miller's Dale to Bakewell walk along the Monsal Trail, as the first half of that walk passes many of the industrial sites covered by this walk and is fully disabled-accessible.
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Is this walk suitable for dogs?
No, this walk is not suitable for dogs. Unfortunately, due to the fact that the route passes through nature reserves where they may be a problem for some of the protected wildlife, and at the request of the owners of those nature reserves, dogs are not permitted on this walk.
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Booking
If you wish to make a Personal Walking Guide booking for this walk, please see our Personal Walking Guide booking page here.
Bookings for walks can be made at any time up to 72 hours before the intended date of your walk.
Please ensure before booking that the date you require is not listed below and on our online calendar as unavailable or fully booked, and that you have read and agree to our terms and conditions.
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Personal Walking Guide Availability - The Industries of Monsal and Miller's Dales
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| Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
Saturday |
Sunday |
Bank Holidays |
| Yes |
Some* |
Yes |
Some* |
Yes |
Most* |
Some* |
Most* |
| * = Please contact us for details of availability |
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Book a place on this walk
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Latest booking news
- We are currently accepting bookings for this walk via a Personal Walking Guide for Mondays, some Tuesdays, Wednesdays, some Thursdays, Fridays, most Saturdays and some Sundays from March 1st to October 23rd 2025.
- We are also accepting other advance enquiries for March to October 2025.
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