How To Get To And From Our Walks

All of our walks are designed to be easily accessible to as many people as possible. As an environmentally-responsible business, we also encourage our customers to use public transport where possible to access our walks, and the start and finish points of each walk are located close to either a bus stop or a railway station (sometimes both). The start times of the walks are also timed to coincide with the arrival of a convenient bus or train service, with an allowance made for any possible delays.

However, we also recognise that it may not always be possible or convenient to use public transport, especially for those of limited mobility, so we also try to locate the start and finish points within reasonable walking distance of a public car park.

On this page, we hope to provide you with the most up-to-date information about all of the means by which you can access our walks. In addition to local car parks close to each walk, you can also find information about which buses and trains you can use to access each walk. Not only does this include which services to use, but also information about where to get on and off, and how far you need to walk after getting off.

When you book a walk, you will receive an information sheet that gives you detailed travel instructions, including public transport times and recommended driving routes. While these driving routes may vary from what your sat-nav or online route planner may tell you, these routes have been worked out using local knowledge and experience, taking into account factors that sat-nav and online app programmers may not have access to.

Please note that, while we try to keep this page as up-to-date as possible, there may be instances where we are not made aware of changes to services at the time they occur. For this reason, we recommend that you always check bus and train times with the relevant operator before travelling. Detailed up-to-date information on the times of all bus services operating within Derbyshire can be found here, while information on train services and fares can be found here.

Public Transport

The small hamlet of Alport is served by a single bus service, the Hulleys of Baslow 172 service between Bakewell and Matlock. This runs approximately every two hours in each direction, serving a stop in Alport around 100 yards from the start and end point of the walks.

If travelling from Bakewell for a 10:30am walk, take the 10:00am departure from Bakewell, which arrives at Alport at 10:12am. If travelling from Matlock for a 10:30am walk, take the 9:35am "Transpeak" bus from Matlock to Haddon Hall, then cross the road to the stop on the opposite side of the road. From there, take the 10:06am 172 bus to Alport, again arriving at Alport at 10:12am.

For a 1:30pm walk, take the 12:20pm 172 departure from Bakewell, which arrives in Alport at 12:32pm. From Matlock, take the 11:35am "Transpeak" to Bakewell, and then the 12:20pm 172 service to Alport. This will leave you with quite a bit of free time in Alport before the start of the walk, and there is not much in Alport to keep you occupied. If it's a fine day, there is a wooden bench by the telephone box, but if it is wet, there is nowhere sheltered to wait for the start of the walk. Therefore, if it is a wet day, it may be better to use a taxi to get to Alport at a time closer to the start time of the walk.

Car Parking In Alport

There is a small amount of off-road parking in a couple of lay-bys on either side of the road just up the hill from the start point of the walk. If these are full, it is also possible to park on the road too.

Public Transport

Ambergate is very well served by public transport, as it is on the route of the railway line from Derby to Matlock. It is also served by the "Transpeak" bus service from Derby to Buxton, and a number of other minor bus services.

No walks begin from Ambergate, but it does form the end point of the Cromford Canal walk. If you are doing this walk, we recommend that the best way to do it by public transport is to use either the train or the "Transpeak" or 6.1 bus services to get to the start of the walk at Cromford Wharf, as detailed here. At the end of the walk, you can then use the Transpeak" to return to Buxton, Bakewell, Matlock, Cromford, Belper, Duffield or Derby, or the train to return to Matlock, Cromford, Belper, Duffield or Derby. If you do use the "Transpeak" bus, please be aware that you may have up to an hour to wait, and the only stop with any shelter is the northbound (i.e. to Matlock) stop by St Anne's Church. Shelters are available at the railway station if required.

If you should find that you need to use the toilet while waiting for your bus or train, it is possible to use those at the petrol station on the A6.

Car Parking In Ambergate

The only car parking at Ambergate is the pay-and-display car park at the railway station. This is accessed via a steep winding ramp off the A610 road to Ripley. Please be aware that this ramp also includes a tight hairpin bend that may not be suitable for large vehicles such as large motorhomes.

Public Transport

The village of Ashford-in-the-Water is quite easy to access by public transport, as it is served by the hourly High Peak Buses "Transpeak" service running between Derby and Buxton. Besides Derby and Buxton, the buses also call at Belper, Cromford, Matlock Bath, Matlock and Bakewell. You can find the current timetable for the "Transpeak" services here, while more detailed information about the service, including fares, can be found here. When the bus arrives into Ashford-in-the-Water, you need to get off at the stop on Fennel Street, by the church, which is just one minute's walk from the start of the walk.

To access Ashford-in-the-Water from Manchester, take one of the regular train services from Manchester Piccadilly to Buxton, and change to the "Transpeak" outside Buxton Station. The current timetable for the Northern Rail services from Manchester to Buxton can be found here.

If travelling from Sheffield, Ashford-in-the-Water can be reached on weekdays and Saturdays by taking the Hulleys of Baslow 257a service from Sheffield Interchange direct to Ashford-in-the-Water. However, this arrives into the village a full hour before the start of the scheduled walk, so be prepared for a significant wait. Also, this service stops at the Ashford Arms public house at the far end of the village, so you will have a short walk of approximately five minutes from the stop to the start of the walk. Unfortunately, the 257a does not run on Sundays. For a Sunday walk, we recommend using the TM Travel 218 bus service from Sheffield to Bakewell, and changing there onto the "Transpeak" to Ashford-in-the-Water. The timetable for the 218 service can be found here.

From Chesterfield, it is very difficult to get to Ashford-in-the-Water for a 9:30am start without either very long waits for connections, or impossibly short connection times that do not allow for any late running. The earliest practical start time for a weekday or Saturday walk if you are travelling from Chesterfield is 10:15am. If you inform us that you are travelling from Chesterfield via public transport, we may be able to adjust the start time of the walk accordingly, but you do need to inform us before booking, and we cannot guarantee being able to make this change if other people have already booked onto the same walk. To get to Ashford-in-the-Water from Chesterfield on any day of the week, take the Hulleys of Baslow 170 bus from Chesterfield to Bakewell, and change there to the "Transpeak" to Ashford-in-the-Water. The timetable for the 170 bus service can be found here.

Car Parking In Ashford-in-the-Water

Ashford-in-the-Water only has one very small public car park. However, as this only has around 8 spaces, it is usually full and so not really an option. As none of our scheduled walks finish in the village, you would also need to use the bus to get back there in order to collect your car. As a result, it is much more practical to park in Bakewell, in either the Bakewell Bridge or Agricultural Centre car parks, and use the "Transpeak" to get to Ashford-in-the-Water for the start of your walk there.

Public Transport

Located on the main A6 Derby to Buxton and Manchester road, Bakewell is quite easy to access via public transport. There are two main bus services operating along the A6 through Bakewell, the Trent Barton 6.1 service from Derby to Bakewell, and the High Peak Buses "Transpeak" express service between Derby and Buxton. Both of these operate hourly during the day on weekdays, Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays. Along their route, they also call at Belper, Cromford, Matlock Bath and Matlock, with the 6.1 also calling at Wirksworth. The "Transpeak" timetable can be found here, while that for the 6.1 services can be found here.

It is also possible to access Bakewell by bus from Sheffield on the TM Travel 218 service. On Mondays to Saturdays, the 7:30am departure from Sheffield arrives into Bakewell at 8:33am. The 8:30am departure arrives at 9:37am, which is too late for a 9:30am start, but ideal for a 10:30am start. On Sundays and Bank Holidays, the 8:30am service runs to the same times as weekday services, but arrives into Bakewell a few minutes earlier at 9:31am. The timetable for the 218 service can be found here.

Bakewell is also accessible from Chesterfield via the Hulleys of Baslow 170 bus service. On weekdays and Saturdays, this departs Chesterfield at 8:00am and arrives in Bakewell at 8:45am, which is ideal for a 9:30am start to your walk. On Sundays and Bank Holidays, it departs from Chesterfield at 9:00am, arriving into Bakewell at 9:50am.

It is even possible to access Bakewell by public transport from Manchester by taking the train from Manchester Piccadilly Station to Buxton, and then taking the "Transpeak" from the stop outside Buxton Station to Bakewell. The current timetable for the Northern Rail services from Manchester to Buxton can be found here.

At the end of a walk terminating in Bakewell, you can use either the "Transpeak" or Trent Barton 6.1 services to return home to Matlock, Belper or Derby. These both depart hourly from the stop on Matlock Street.

If you need to return to Chesterfield or Sheffield from Bakewell at the end of your walk, then the Hulleys of Baslow 170 services run regularly between Bakewell and Chesterfield, while the TM Travel 218 service runs regularly between Bakewell and Sheffield. It is also possible to use the "Transpeak" to return to Manchester by changing to the train at Buxton.

The Derbyshire Wayfarer day rover ticket is valid on all of the buses listed above. More information on the validity of the Derbyshire Wayfarer ticket can be found here. If travelling from Manchester, it is possible to use the Greater Manchester Wayfarer day rover ticket on all bus and train services to and from Buxton and Manchester, including the "Transpeak" to or from Bakewell.

Car Parking In Bakewell

By far the most convenient car park in Bakewell for most of our walks beginning or ending there is at Bakewell Station. This is a 28-space pay-and-display car park operated by the Peak District National park, and is conveniently located right next to the Bakewell end of the Monsal Trail. Unfortunately this does mean that, on busy days, it can be a problem finding a space, so you may need to use the larger car park by Bakewell Bridge instead.

If you are travelling by car, the walk information sheet you will be sent along with your booking confirmation will contain advice on the best places to park and what public transport we recommend you use in order to collect your car at the end of your walk.

Public Transport

Situated just 8 miles north of Derby, Belper is very well served by public transport. In addition to the hourly train services between Matlock, Derby and Nottingham, the town is also served by a number of bus services from Derby, Ripley, Wirksworth, Matlock, Bakewell and Buxton.

From Derby, Trent Barton operate six buses every hour along the A6 as part of their "Sixes" network, with buses departing Derby every ten minutes. One of these is a circular service between Derby and Belper (the 6.4), two run between Derby and Ripley (the 6.2 and 6.3), the 6.0 is a Derby to Belper shuttle, while the 6.1 service runs between Derby and Bakewell via Wirksworth and Matlock. The sixth service in the "Sixes" network is the semi-fast 6.X, which runs from Derby to Belper along the A38. All of these buses can be used to return to Ripley, Derby, Wirksworth, Matlock or Bakewell at the end of your walk. Please note that Sunday and Bank Holiday services on the "Sixes" are limited, with a reduced frequency of service. All of the timetables for the various "Sixes" services can be found on the Trent Barton website.

Another regular bus service through Belper is the hourly High Peak Buses "Transpeak" service between Derby and Buxton via Bakewell and Matlock. The "Transpeak" timetable can be found here.

Belper is also accessible from Ashbourne via the regular High Peak Buses 113 service, which can also be used to return to Ashbourne at the end of your walk. This service runs Mondays to Saturdays, with no Sunday or Bank Holiday service. The timetable for the 113 service can be found here.

The trains through Belper are operated by East Midlands Railway, and run hourly on weekdays and Saturdays between Matlock and Nottingham via Derby. On Sundays and Bank Holidays, the services are more limited, and usually run every two hours from late morning onwards. Journey time to and from Derby is approximately 12 minutes. The current timetable for the EMR train services can be found here.

The Derbyshire Wayfarer day rover ticket is valid on all buses to and from Belper at all times, and on all trains after 9:00am on weekdays (any time at weekends and Bank Holidays). More information on the validity of the Derbyshire Wayfarer ticket can be found here.

Car Parking In Belper

Belper has a number of convenient pay-and-display car parks in and around the town centre, plus a limited amount of free parking. The largest car park is the pay-and-display car park on Field Lane (197 spaces), which is located just off the main shopping area of King Street and adjacent to Belper Railway Station. Pay-and-display car parking is also located at Belper River Gardens (56 spaces), which is very convenient for our walks starting at The Triangle, and on Shortlands (33 spaces), which is adjacent to the start point of walks beginning from there. Due to the higher cost of parking, we do not recommend the use of the car parks on Green Lane or Bridge Street, as these are "short stay" car parks charged at a higher rate.

Belper does have one free car park at The Coppice (next to the Market Place, 200 spaces). However, this is used by many people around the area as a "commuter" car park, parking there all day and catching the train to Derby, and also by many of the shop staff in the town. As a result, it can be very difficult to find a parking space there.

We also do not recommend the use of the car parks at The Co-Operative on Strutt Street, Morrisons or B&M/Aldi, as these all have a strictly enforced maximum stay which is not long enough for you to complete your walk and would result in you receiving a significant penalty charge.

Public Transport

As a major tourist destination on the edge of the Peak District, Buxton is quite well served by public transport, allowing access to and from Derby, Belper, Matlock, Bakewell, Ashbourne, Sheffield, Chesterfield, Macclesfield and Manchester.

If travelling from Derby, Belper, Matlock or Bakewell, it is easy to get to Buxton on the High Peak Buses "Transpeak" service, which runs hourly every day in each direction between Derby and Buxton. This means that you can use it either to get to Buxton for a walk starting from there (or another location nearby by changing to another bus service in Buxton), or to get home from a walk finishing in the town. The "Transpeak" timetable can be found here.

Buxton is also accessible from Sheffield via the Stagecoach Yorkshire number 65 bus service, which follows an enjoyable scenic route across the Peak Distict National Park. The 9:35am departure from Sheffield arrives into Buxton at 11:05am, making it ideal for a walk starting from 11:30am onwards. To return to Sheffield from Buxton, depending on the time of day, you may be able to use the number 65 bus direct to Sheffield, but it is more likely that you will have to travel either on the train via Stockport or Hazel Grove, or on the 65 bus to Chesterfield, and then the X17 bus or the train from there to Sheffield.

From Chesterfield, we normally advise customers to travel to Sheffield, and then take the number 65 bus service from there. To return home to Chesterfield, we recommend that you also travel on the number 65 bus service where appropriate. Alternatively, you could take the "Transpeak" to Bakewell, and change there to the Hulleys of Baslow 170 service to Chesterfield.

Buxton is also easily accessible from Macclesfield via the High Peak Buses 58 service, which runs hourly in each direction over the spectacular Cat and Fiddle route. The timetable for the 58 bus service can be found here.

From Ashbourne, you can get to Buxton on the High Peak Buses 441 and 442 services, with either a 9:30am 441 or 10:05am 442 departure from Ashbourne arriving into Buxton in plenty of time for an 11:00am or 12:00pm start to your walk respectively. To return to Ashbourne at the end of the day, the 5:36pm 442 departure from Buxton arrives into Ashbourne at 6:50pm. The timetable for the 441 and 442 bus services can be found here.

From Manchester, we recommend that you use the regular train service operated by Northern Rail. These run hourly from Manchester Piccadilly, and take approximately an hour to reach Buxton. Return journeys also run hourly until late evening, and the current timetable can be found here.

The Derbyshire Wayfarer day rover ticket is valid on all of the buses listed above. More information on the validity of the Derbyshire Wayfarer ticket can be found here. If travelling from Manchester, it is possible to use the Greater Manchester Wayfarer day rover ticket on all bus and train services between Buxton and Manchester, and you can also use it on the "Transpeak" to or from Bakewell if needed.

Car Parking In Buxton

Although Buxton has a large number of car parks around the centre of town, many have strictly enforced time limits that make them unsuitable to use for anything other than a short walk around the town. If you want to park in Buxton, then we recommend that you use either the Market Place (52 spaces, 10 hours maximum), Market Street (86 spaces) or The Slopes (62 spaces, 10 hours maximum). However, if you are doing a Monsal Trail walk, then we usually recommend that you park in Bakewell and use the bus to travel between there and Buxton, as it is much easier to park in Bakewell than it is in Buxton.

Public Transport

Located on both the main A6 road between Derby and Buxton and the Derby to Matlock railway line, Cromford is very easy to get to via public transport.

Probably the quickest, easiest and cheapest way to get to our walks starting in Cromford is by train. These are operated by East Midlands Railway, and run hourly in each direction between Matlock and Newark via Belper, Derby and Nottingham (every two hours on Sundays and Bank Holidays). Cromford Station is located around five minutes walk from Cromford Meadows and the Canal Wharf, where both of our Cromford-based walks begin from, and the adjacent Cromford Mill, where our village walk ends. The trains also call at Ambergate Station, making them ideal for a return home at the end of a walk along the Cromford Canal. The current timetable for the EMR train services can be found here.

Cromford is also served by a number of bus services. The two main ones are the Trent Barton "Sixes" 6.1 service between Derby and Bakewell, and the High Peak Buses "Transpeak" service between Derby and Buxton. Other bus services through Cromford provide access to and from other destinations including Ashbourne, Alfreton, Ripley and Crich.

The Trent Barton 6.1 service runs hourly between Derby, Belper, Wirksworth, Cromford, Matlock and Bakewell, calling in the village of Cromford at the Market Place. From there, it is a short walk of about 5-10 minutes to the start point of your walk. This bus can also be used to return home at the end of a village walk, but cannot be used to return home from the end of a walk along the Cromford Canal as it does not call at Ambergate. The timetable for the 6.1 service can be found here.

The High Peak Buses "Transpeak" is a semi-fast service along the A6, running hourly between Derby and Buxton. As a semi-fast service following a shorter route, it is much quicker than using the Trent Barton 6.1, but also more expensive. In Cromford, it calls at stops located either side of the traffic lights at Cromford Crossroads. From these stops, it is a short five-minute walk to the start point of your walk. As the "Transpeak" also calls at Ambergate, it can also be used for a return home at the end of a walk along the Cromford Canal. The "Transpeak" timetable can be found here.

Other buses through Cromford include the Stagecoach 140 and 141 services, which run between Matlock, Crich, Ripley and Alfreton, and the Hulleys of Baslow 110 and 111 services between Matlock, Wirksworth and Ashbourne. Timetables for all of these services can be found here.

The Derbyshire Wayfarer day rover ticket is valid on all trains after 9:00am on weekdays (any time at weekends and Bank Holidays), and at all times on all buses via Cromford. More information on the validity of the Derbyshire Wayfarer ticket can be found here. However, it may be cheaper to buy individual fares for each journey unless you are travelling a significant distance.

Car parking In Cromford

There are three pay-and-display car parks located very close to the start points of our Cromford-based walks. These can be found at Cromford Canal Wharf, Cromford Mill and Cromford Meadows. All three of these are just a couple of minutes walk at most from the start points of our walks, and provide plenty of spaces even on busy days, so you should have no trouble finding somewhere to park.

If you are doing one of our Cromford Canal walks, then we recommend that you park in the pay-and-display car park at Ambergate Station, and take the train or bus from there to Cromford. This saves you having to hang around at Ambergate for up to an hour waiting for the train or bus back to Cromford to collect your car from there.

Public Transport

As it is located on the "Hope Valley Line" between the two cities, the village of Edale is easily accessible by train from both Sheffield and Manchester. As both of these cities have good connections to the surrounding area, it can also be accessed from many other towns and cities including Derby, Nottingham, Buxton, Chesterfield and Matlock.

Trains to Edale run hourly at weekends, and every two hours on weekdays, and the station at Edale is located just a couple of minutes walk from the start and end point of our Edale walks. All of the services that call at Edale are operated by Northern Rail, and the current timetable can be found here.

The recommended service from Sheffield to Edale departs from Sheffield at 9:14am and arrives at Edale at 9:47am, giving you some time to explore the village before the start of your walk. At the end of the walk, weekday and Saturday trains depart from Edale for Sheffield at 4:31pm, 5:31pm and 6:32pm, with other services running into the late evening. On Sundays, some services back to Sheffield run 2 to 3 minutes earlier.

From Manchester, the recommended service to Edale departs from Manchester Piccadilly at 9:48am on weekdays, arriving into Edale at 10:31am. (If using this service to get to a walk scheduled to start at 10:30am, please let us know, so that we know in advance that you will be slightly late arriving for the walk.) On Saturdays, the train departs one minute later at 9:49am. On Sundays, we recommend that you take the 9:36am departure from Manchester Piccadilly, arriving into Edale at 10:16am.

Trains back to Manchester depart from Edale at 4:47pm, 5:47pm and 6:47pm on weekdays and Saturdays, or 1 minute earlier on Sundays. Again, other services run until late evening.

There is currently only one bus service that calls at Edale. This is the recently-introduced High Peak Buses number 62 bus, which links Buxton, Chapel-en-le-Frith, Edale, Hope and Castleton. This calls at Edale six times a day in each direction, and is ideal for accessing many of our walks in the area. The current timetable for this service can be found here.

As Edale is within the areas covered by both the Derbyshire Wayfarer and Greater Manchester Wayfarer day rover tickets, it is possible to use either of these to access walks beginning and ending there. Both may be used on any train services to and from the village at weekends and on Bank Holidays, and the Derbyshire Wayfarer may also be used on the 9:14am train from Sheffield to Edale on weekdays as well. As the Greater Manchester Wayfarer is not valid on weekday trains until 9:30am, it is not possible to use this on the 8:49am weekday train to Edale.

Car parking In Edale

Parking in Edale is quite limited and very popular. This means that it can be difficult to find a parking space unless you are prepared to arrive early. Edale has one main pay-and-display car park by the entrance to the village (138 spaces, £6.80 for up to 10 hours), plus a smaller 20-space pay-and-display car park at Edale Station (£4.00 all day). Due to the narrow roads though the village, parking in the village itself is not possible. If you are planning on driving to your walk, we recommend that you plan to arrive in Edale no later than 10:00am, especially at weekends or on Bank Holidays.

While it is possible to drive into Edale from the west, this is not really recommended as it involves a steep and winding descent into the valley, and the road into the village from the west is so narrow that it can be very difficult for modern vehicles to pass each other. It is therefore much better to approach the village from the east, via the nearby village of Hope, as the roads along this route are much better.

Once in Hope, look for the church (on the left if approaching from the east, or on the right if approaching from the west). Directly opposite the church, you will see the road leading to Edale. Although some care is needed when driving on this road, it is still much better than using the road into Edale from the west, and so this is why we recommend you use this one even if the road in from the west seems much better on the map or sat-nav.

Public Transport

Unfortunately, there is no public transport serving Errwood Hall.

Car Parking At Errwood Hall

There is a reasonably large free car park at Errwood Hall, which is accessed via the road through the Upper Goyt Valley. The walk information sheet you will be sent along with your booking confirmation will include detailed route directions on how to get there, but the basics of the route are quite simple.

In order to get to Errwood Hall, it is necessary to use the A5004 Long Hill between Buxton and Whaley Bridge. At more or less the summit of this road, the road down into the Goyt Valley heads off down the hill to the west. This road is narrow, and descends steeply in places with a number of blind bends. Eventually, the road reaches and crosses the dam wall of Errwood Reservoir. At the far end of the dam wall, it reaches a T-junction where you turn left among the side of the reservoir. After a few hundred yards, you will reach the Errwood Hall car park ust before the "No Entry" sign at the point where the road becomes one-way.

Leaving Errwood Hall at the end of the walk, you can either retrace your route back up to the A5004 Long Hill, or head up the road up Goyt's Clough to Derbyshire Bridge and the A537 Cat and Fiddle road between Buxton and Macclesfield. This is a much easier climb, as it is nowhere near as steep as heading back to Long Hill, and so it is the route we usually recommend where possible.

Public Transport

Unfortunately, the walk start and finish point at the Upper Derwent Visitor Centre at Fairholmes is not well served by public transport. In fact, the only public transport that does serve it is the 257 bus from Sheffield to Bakewell, and only on summer Sundays. At all other times, the closest public transport is the weekdays and Saturdays 257 service, which calls at the Heatherdene bus stop 3 miles from the Visitor Centre. To get to the Visitor Centre by bus from Sheffield, take the 8:25am 257 service from Sheffield Interchange, which calls at the Visitor Centre at 9:04am. From Manchester, take the train to Bamford, and then take the 9:15am 257 bus from Bamford Station to the Visitor Centre.

For the return journey, services for Sheffield depart from the Visitor Centre at 1:29pm, 3:29pm, 5:29pm and 7:29pm. Return services to Bamford Station depart at 1:04pm, 3:04pm and 5:04pm.

The timetable for the 257 bus service can be found here.

Car Parking At Fairholmes Visitor Centre

The Visitor Centre has its own pay-and-display car park. This is accessed via the long access road from the A57 Snake Pass, which leaves the A57 by the western end of Ashopton Viaduct. If you are driving to the walk, the walk information sheet will contain full details on how to get there by car.

Public Transport

As one of the stations on the "Hope Valley Line", Grindleford is served by the same services as Edale, and the start point of the walk is just by the station entrance. The 10:14am departure from Sheffield calls at Grindleford at 10:29am, just in time for the start of the walk from there. Alternatively, the 9:14am departure calls at Grindleford at 9:29am. From Manchester, the 8:48am departure from Manchester Piccadilly arrives into Grindleford at 9:50am. If you do use the train and find yourself with quite a bit of time before the start of the walk, we recommend the very popular Station Cafe just opposite the Station entrance - please note that this is a cash-only business and they do not accept card payments.

Car Parking In Grindleford

There is limited car parking in Grindleford, with a small number of spaces at the Station, plus more on the approach road from the main road (both pay by mobile only, no cash machines). There is also some limited roadside parking on the road past the station.

Public Transport

The village of Hartington is served by the 442 bus service between Buxton and Ashbourne. This runs Mondays to Saturdays, with no Sunday service. The village is also covered by several demand-responsive "dial-a-bus" services. From Buxton, the 8:48am 442 departure from the Market Place arrives into Hartington at 9:26am. Unfortunately, the first bus from Ashbourne does not arrive until 10:35am, which is too late for a scheduled walk, but if you make a private booking it would be possible to adjuct the start time accordingly. Alternatively, you may be able to use one of the demand-responsive services that cover Ashbourne and Hartington, such as the "Moorlands Connect" service.

The full timetable for the 442 service can be found here.

Car Parking In Hartington

Hartington has a small pay-and-display car park on Parson's Close, off Mill Lane just past the Farm Shop. There is also some limited parking in the middleof the village, but this is very popular and it can be difficult to get a space.

Public Transport

By far the easiest way to access our walks starting at Miller's Dale Station is to take the Stagecoach Yorkshire number 65 bus from Buxton Market Place or Railway Station. Please note that, given the distance the bus has to come from Sheffield to Buxton, the number 65 is somewhat notorious for running late, with delays of 20 minutes or more at times. If you are waiting for the bus in Buxton and it appears to be running late, please call the emergency contact number given in your walk information to let your guide know. The current timetable for the number 65 bus can be found here.

For a 12:30pm start from Miller's Dale Station, such as for the Miller's Dale to Bakewell walk, we recommend that you take the 11:14am Stagecoach Yorkshire number 65 bus from Buxton Market Place. This will call at Miller's Dale (Wormhill Road) at 11:29am. Miller's Dale Station is then a short walk up a reasonably steep hill from the bus stop.

For a 10:30am start from Miller's Dale, such as for our Miller's Dale to Chelmorton circular walk, the only way to get there from Buxton is via the 9:14am number 65 departure from Buxton, arriving at Miller's Dale (Wormhill Road) at 9:29am. Given that this would then leave you waiting at Miller's Dale for just over an hour, we do not recommend this unless you have other plans to explore the Miller's Dale area while you are waiting, or to have a drink or pre-walk breakfast at the cafe in the old station building. On Sundays and Bank Holidays, the first number 65 does not depart from Buxton until 11:05am, meaning that it is not possible to reach Miller's Dale in time for the 10:30am start of a scheduled walk.

If traveling from further afield, you can get to Buxton by any of the means described above, and then change to the 65 bus for onwards travel to Miller's Dale. If travelling from the Derby, Belper, Matlock or Bakewell areas, we recommend that you use the High Peak Buses "Transpeak" service to Buxton. The 8:30am departure from Derby arrives into Buxton at 10:42am, in plenty of time to connect with the 11:14am number 65 bus. If travelling from Manchester, we recommend that you take the train from Manchester Piccadilly to Buxton. You can then take the number 65 bus from outside the station to the stop at Miller's Dale (Wormhill Road).

For walks finishing at Miller's Dale, you can then use the Stagecoach Chesterfield number 65 service to return to Buxton. On Weekdays and Saturdays, these call at Miller's Dale at 2:52pm, 5:08pm and 7:15pm (3:05pm, 5:10pm and 7:10pm Saturdays). On Sundays and Bank Holidays, the buses run at 2:57pm, 4:59pm and 6:52pm. Journey time into Buxton is approximately 15 minutes. For onwards travel from Buxton, you can then take the "Transpeak" southwards to Bakewell, Matlock, Belper and Derby, or one of the regular trains from Buxton to Manchester.

You can also use the number 65 buses to return to Sheffield. On weekdays and Saturdays, the Stagecoach Yorkshire number 65 bus to Sheffield departs from Miller's Dale at 4:26pm and 5:53pm. Alternatively, you can return to Sheffield by travelling back into Buxton, and then taking the "Transpeak" down to Bakewell, where you can change onto the number 218 bus as detailed here. On Sundays and Bank Holidays, the afternoon buses depart from Miller's Dale at 3:39pm and 5:42pm, arriving into Sheffield at 4:56pm and 6:57pm.

To return to Chesterfield, your best option is to take the number 65 bus into Buxton as detailed above, and then take the "Transpeak" to Bakewell. There, you should change to the Hulleys of Baslow 170 service for onwards travel to Chesterfield. Alternatively, you could take the number 65 bus to Sheffield, and then change to the train there to return to Chesterfield.

The Derbyshire Wayfarer day rover ticket is valid on all of the buses listed above. More information on the validity of the Derbyshire Wayfarer ticket can be found here. If travelling from Manchester, it is possible to use the Greater Manchester Wayfarer day rover ticket on all bus and train services to and from Buxton and Manchester, including the buses out to Miller's Dale.

Car Parking At Miller's Dale

Pay-and-display car parking is available at Miller's Dale Station (80 spaces). However, this can be very popular, especially at weekends, so there may be times when it can be difficult to get a space.

To reach Miller's Dale, follow the main A6 road to between Buxton and Taddington, and then turn off the A6 following the signs for the B6049 to Tideswell and Miller's Dale. This will then make the steep and winding descent down Blackwell Dale into Miller's Dale. Having crossed the bridge over the River Wye, turn left following the sign for Wormhill and the Monsal Trail. After passing under two low bridges on the steep hill up the side of the Dale, you will then see the entrance to Miller's Dale Station on the left.

While it is possible to use the bus to return to Miller's Dale to collect your car at the end of a walk, this can be difficult and time-consuming due to the low frequency of buses. For this reason, for Monsal Trail walks from Miller's Dale to Bakewell, we always recommend that you park in Bakewell and use the "Transpeak" and 65 bus services to get to the start point of your walk.

Public Transport

Rowsley is served by two hourly bus services running along the A6, the Trent Barton 6.1 and the High Peak Buses "Transpeak". These allow direct access from Derby, Belper, Matlock, Bakewell, Buxton, Cromford and Wirksworth. By changing services at Derby, Matlock, Bakewell or Buxton, it is also possible to access Rowsley from a much wider area including Chesterfield, Sheffield, Nottingham and Manchester. Rowsley is also served by the less frequent Stagecoach Yorkshire 160 bus service from Matlock to Chatsworth. Timetables for all of these bus services can be found here.

Car Parking In Rowsley

Car parking in Rowsley is very limited. The only public car park is on the site of the old Railway Station on Old Station Close. This is a free car park with 29 spaces, but can fill up quickly at weekends. Therefore, it may be better to park in either Matlock or Bakewell and use the bus to get to and from Rowsley at the start and finish of your walk.

Public Transport

Although accessible by public transport, Taddington is only served by one regular bus service, the hourly High Peak Buses "Transpeak" service between Derby and Buxton. The current "Transpeak" timetable can be found here.

For an 11:00am start from Taddington, we recommend the 8:30am departure from Derby (including Sundays and Bank Holidays), or the 10:18am departure from Buxton, which arrive into Taddington at 10:17am and 10:43am respectively.

Taddington can also be accessed from Chesterfield and Sheffield by changing buses at Bakewell or Buxton, or from Manchester by taking the train to Buxton and changing to the bus there.

At the end of a walk finishing in Taddington, you can then use the "Transpeak" to return home, with northbound departures to Buxton running hourly until 5:17pm, and southbound departures towards Derby until 5:43pm.

The "Transpeak" bus can also be used to access walks beginning or ending at the old Waterloo Inn on the A6 just outside Taddington.

The Derbyshire Wayfarer day rover ticket is valid on all of the buses listed above. More information on the validity of the Derbyshire Wayfarer ticket can be found here. If travelling from Manchester, it is possible to use the Greater Manchester Wayfarer day rover ticket on all bus and train services to and from Buxton and Taddington.

Car Parking In Taddington

Taddington has no public car parking at all. The only way to park within the village is to park on the road through the village, which is not recommended due to its narrowness and the need to allow access through the village for the buses and other vehicles. The closest public car park is the pay-and-display car park on the A6 at White Lodge, a couple of miles south of the village at the bottom end of Taddington Dale. If you park here, you can then take the "Transpeak" from the stop outside the car park into Taddington, and then back to the car park at the end of your walk. Other car parking is available in Buxton and Bakewell, from where you can also use the "Transpeak" to get to and from Taddington for your walk.

Public Transport

Tideswell is served by the Stagecoach Yorkshire 65 bus service from Sheffield to Buxton, and also by the Hulleys of Baslow 173 bus from Bakewell to Castleton. All scheduled walks from Tideswell start at 10:00am, and can be accessed from Buxton via the 9:14am number 65 bus from the Market Place (9:07am Sundays), arriving into Tideswell at 9:40am (9:39am Saturdays, 9:34am Sundays).

None of the other buses arrive into Tideswell in time for a 10:00am start. However, for a private booking, it is possible to change the start time of a weekday or Saturday walk to 10:30am, and this then allows access from Bakewell via the 9:50am 173 bus from Rutland Square (no Sunday service), while an 10:45am start also allows access from Sheffield via the 9:35am 65 bus from Sheffield Interchange.

By changing buses at Buxton or Bakewell, it is also possible to access Tideswell from places such as Derby and Manchester. See the entries above for Bakewell and Buxton for more details on services to those locations that can connect with the services to Tideswell.

At the end of the walk, the same buses allow return to Buxton, Bakewell and Sheffield. The Hulleys of Baslow 173 service to Bakewell departs from Tideswell at 3:15pm and 5:15pm (no Sunday service), while the Stagecoach Yorkshire 65 service departs for Buxton at 2:42pm, 4:57pm and 7:04pm, (2:54pm, 4:59pm and 6:59pm Saturdays, or 2:45pm, 4:47pm and 6:41pm Sundays) and to Sheffield at 4:42pm, with an additional departure to Chesterfield as the number 66 bus at 6:07pm.

Current timestables for the number 65 and number 173 bus services can be found here and here.

Car Parking In Tideswell

There is very little off=road parking in Tideswell, and the nearest official car park is the pay-and-display car park in Tideswell Dale, some distance away. It is possible to find some roadside parking around the village, but this can often be some distance from the start and finish point of the walks. Tideswell Dale car park is served by the number 65 bus, so it is possible to park there and take the bus into the village, and then back out again at the end of the walk.

Public Transport

White Lodge Car Park is located on the A6 Bakewell to Buxton road just south of the village of Taddington, and is served by the hourly High Peak Buses "Transpeak" service a few minutes before or after it calls at Taddington. Most northbound services from Derby to Buxton call at White Lodge at 12 minutes past the hour, while most southbound services from Buxton to Derby call there at 13 minutes to the hour. The only exceptions to this are the 6:09pm and 7:39pm services to Buxton, and the 4:25pm and 6:30pm services to Derby.

The southbound stop is directly opposite the car park, and so all that is needed is to walk a short distance back up the road and then cross the road to a path up into the car park. As the road is often busy with high-speed traffic, some care is needed here. The northbound stop is approximately 150 yards past the path into the car park, so it is necessary to walk back down the road after getting off the bus. Although there is a narrow pavement here, it sometimes gets quite overgrown if the surrounding vegetation has not been properly managed, so some care may be needed.

Car Parking At White Lodge

White Lodge is a pay-and-display car park operated by the Peak District National Park Authority, with 45 spaces and payment by card or mobile only. There is a basic toilet block there, plus a small picnic area with benches.

Public Transport

By far the easiest way to access our walks starting at Wyedale Car Park is to take the bus from Buxton Market Place or Railway Station. For an 11:30am start from Wyedale Car Park, we recommend that you take the 11:14am Stagecoach Yorkshire number 65 bus from Buxton Market Place. This will call at Topley Pike, close to Wyedale Car Park, at 11:22am. From the stop at Topley Pike, it is then a short walk of a couple of minutes along the road to Wyedale Car Park.

Please note that, given the distance the bus has to come from Sheffield to Buxton, the number 65 is somewhat notorious for running late, with delays of 20 minutes or more at times. If you are waiting for the bus in Buxton and it appears to be running late, please call the emergency contact number given in your walk information to let your guide know.

If traveling from further afield, you can get to Buxton by any of the means described above, and then change to the 65 bus for onwards travel to Wyedale. If travelling from the Derby, Belper, Matlock or Bakewell areas, we recommend that you use the High Peak Buses "Transpeak" service to Buxton. The 8:30am departure from Derby arrives into Buxton at 10:42am, in plenty of time to connect with the 11:14am number 65 bus.

If travelling from Manchester, then we recommend that you take the train from Manchester Piccadilly to Buxton. You can then take the number 65 bus from outside the station at 11:10am, which will get you to Wyedale Car park at 11:22am.

The Derbyshire Wayfarer day rover ticket is valid on all of the buses listed above. More information on the validity of the Derbyshire Wayfarer ticket can be found here. If travelling from Manchester, it is possible to use the Greater Manchester Wayfarer day rover ticket on all bus and train services to and from Buxton and Manchester, including the buses out to Wyedale.

Car Parking At Wyedale Car Park

Pay-and-display car parking is available at Wyedale Car Park (28 spaces). However, the car park is very popular, especially with local fishermen on the River Wye, and so it can be very difficult to find a space there at weekends and Bank Holidays. For this reason, we usually recommend that you park elsewhere and use the bus to get to walks beginning from Wyedale Car Park.

Wyedale Car Park is easy to find, as it is on the A6 just opposite the entrance to Topley Pike Quarry. If coming from Buxton, simply follow the signs for the A6 to Bakewell and Derby. You will pass under a series of bridges as the road winds through the valley closely following the River Wye. Shortly after passing under the last of these bridges, the road will begin to climb steeply up out of the valley to the hills above. At the base of this hill, the road bends to the left and you will see the entrance to Topley Pike Quarry on the right, with the entrance to Wyedale Car Park opposite it on the left. If approaching from Bakewell, follow the A6 towards Buxton and descend the long steep hill down into the valley. As you get to the bottom of the hill, the road bends to the right, with the entrance to Topley Pike Quarry on the left. The car park entrance is on the right, somewhat obscured by the bend. If approaching from either direction, the car park entrance is marked by a brown tourist sign, so keep an eye out for that.

While it is possible to use the bus to return to Wyedale to collect your car at the end of a walk, this can be difficult and time-consuming due to the low frequency of buses. For this reason, for Monsal Trail walks from either Wyedale or Miller's Dale to Bakewell, we always recommend that you park in Bakewell and use the "Transpeak" and 65 bus services to get to the start point of your walk.

The Derbyshire Wayfarer day rover ticket allows virtually unlimited travel around Derbyshire. It is valid on the majority of bus services operating within the county of Derbyshire, and can be used on these services at any time of day or night. It is also valid on train services within the county for journeys beginning after 9:00am on weekdays, or at any time of day on weekends and Bank Holidays. It can also be used on a number of bus and train services to and from destinations located outside the county.

The ticket is valid on bus services operated within Derbyshire by the following companies: Arriva Midlands, Ashbourne CT 'Derbyshire Connect', D&G, First, G & J Holmes, High Peak, Hulleys of Baslow, Kinchbus, Little's Travel, Midland Classic, Notts & Derby, Stagecoach, TM Travel, Trent Barton, Warringtons.

In addition to services entirely within the county of Derbyshire, the ticket can also be used on services between Derbyshire and the following locations: Sheffield (city centre), Macclesfield (town centre), Leek (town centre), Burton-on-Trent (town centre) and Uttoxeter (town centre). The ticket can't be used on local buses within Sheffield, Macclesfield, Leek, Burton-on-Trent or Uttoxeter, but does allow travel to or from any of these locations on direct services to or from any location in Derbyshire.

The ticket is also valid within Staffordshire on Services 441 and 442, within Nottinghamshire on Service 15 (Ilkeston - Sawley), between Derbyshire and East Midlands Airport on Services SKY (Skylink and Skylink Nottingham), and between Glossop and Holmfirth on Service 351.

It may also be used between any stations on the following train routes after 9:00am on weekdays, and at any time on weekends and Bank Holidays:

• Buxton - Chapel-en-le-Frith - New Mills Newtown
• Sheffield - Hathersage - Hope - Edale - Chinley - New Mills Central (The Hope Valley Line)
• Sheffield - Chesterfield - Alfreton - Langley Mill - Ilkeston
• Sheffield - Chesterfield - Derby
• Derby - Belper - Ambergate - Cromford - Matlock (The Derwent Valley Line)
• Derby - Long Eaton
• Derby - Tutbury and Hatton - Uttoxeter
• Derby - Willington - Burton-on-Trent
• Shirebrook - Whitwell (The Robin Hood Line)

The ticket can be used on the above lines on trains operated by Cross Country Trains, East Midlands Railway, Northern Trains and TransPennine Express.

Please note that the ticket is not valid to or from East Midlands Parkway.

A map showing the area within which the Derbyshire Wayfarer ticket is valid is available from Derbyshire County Council here.

The latest information on the price of a Derbyshire Wayfarer, where to purchase it in advance or on the day of travel, and the discounts at visitor attractions you can get by using a Derbyshire Wayfarer can be found here.