Hoping the weather would be drier today, we drove through Bakewell and along the A6 and parked at the “White Lodge” picnic site car park at the end of Monsal Dale. Leaving the car park, we crossed the A6 then followed path which went up steeply through woodland until we arrived at the top of the valley side with views opening out into the Wye Valley below. Unfortunately it was now that it started to rain!
The path continued across a wall stile leading us through a farmyard and then along a track and fields to a pass a second farm. We followed the dirt track onwards having to pause a couple of times to let several trial bikes get past us and then for some four-wheel drive vehicles coming in the opposite direction. We continued along the track, passing rough ground in the field on the left with evidence of mine workings and a rake (a large rift in the ground connected with limestone geology) until we arrived at the hamlet of Priestcliffe.
We could have taken a footpath which led down and then up towards the village of Taddington, but instead followed the minor road through Priestcliffe to cross the A6 and then into Taddington. There was a small stone-built bus shelter and although it had stopped raining not long before, we sat in the bus shelter and had lunch.
After lunch, we continued through Taddington village and then down a muddy bridleway to rejoin the minor road again. Passing another farm, we passed through a gate and through a stile to reach Dimmin Dale which was a bit muddy and wet soon reaching open ground with a small limestone gorge with a small stream flowing along the bottom called Demon's Dell. We sat on a slab of limestone and finished off the remainder of our flasks before dropping down towards the A6 again. We investigated a small cave shown on the map which was formed in a bedding plane, with a small chamber and muddy, wet floor. We continued on downhill on the path and were soon back where we had parked the car at “White Lodge” car park after a walk of about 6 miles.
After lunch, we continued through Taddington village and then down a muddy bridleway to rejoin the minor road again. Passing another farm, we passed through a gate and through a stile to reach Dimmin Dale which was a bit muddy and wet soon reaching open ground with a small limestone gorge with a small stream flowing along the bottom called Demon's Dell. We sat on a slab of limestone and finished off the remainder of our flasks before dropping down towards the A6 again. We investigated a small cave shown on the map which was formed in a bedding plane, with a small chamber and muddy, wet floor. We continued on downhill on the path and were soon back where we had parked the car at “White Lodge” car park after a walk of about 6 miles.
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