Walk From Alstonefield Along Wolfescote Dale

Today started very mild and sunny as I drove through Hartington across into Staffordshire and parked at Alstonefield. I headed through a stile across the road into fields with their drystone wall boundaries. The route followed across the fields via styles until the top of Narrowdale was reached. From here the route was no longer obvious but I could see a couple of open gates and a small gate in the distance with a small sign on it. It was the correct direction so I stepped over a wire fence running along the wall and after walking between the fence and wall for a few metres I passed through a gap in the wall into the adjacent field.
Following down the Dale, I passed an old Lister engine which had obviously not run for many years as parts were missing and the engine completely sized with rust. Soon I arrive at a path junction and followed the right-hand path leading to Wolfescote Dale and the river Dove. Ahead I could see the small opening of Frank i'th Rocks Cave with a path leading up to it across a grassy slope. I followed this path and sat outside in the sun next to the cave entrance in just a shirt as it was that warm today unlike yesterday. Here I had my lunch and then continued on along the riverside path.
Near the junction there was a heron fishing in the river and several Mallard ducks. I followed the river until I reached the road to Milldale at a hump-backed bridge and a house. Across the road was a style which lead to the ascending road away from Milldale and I followed this until I reached a steeper continuation uphill to the top of Shining Cliff. This lead to a path parallel with the road leading to Milldale but quite a lot higher with views both along Wolfescote Dale where I had come from and along Dovedale in the front. The path continued along the top if the Dale until after crossing a style it lead in zig-zags down to the Viators Bridge at Milldale. The hamlet was quiet with few tourists unlike the weekends - unfortunately the small snack shop was closed so I just finished my coffee sat on the wall near the old sheep-wash. Once I had finished, I followed the road up from Milldale for the mile or so uphill to return to Alstonefield.