A Walk From Monyash Along Lathkill Dale

As usual, Keith and Pete joined us for a meal in the Miners Standard after they had their fill of digging for the day and spent the night at our place.

We were up in the morning and arranged to meet Keith and Pete in The Old Smithy Cafe at Monyash as usual before they resumed their digging while Karen joined me in a walk from Monyash, down part of Cales Dale into Lathkill Dale then back to Monyash.
While we were waiting in the café for the other two, who had stopped off at the Orpheus CC cottage on the way to collect some gear, the rain was coming down quite heavily. Luckily by the time we had finished it had stopped.

We said our “good-byes” to Keith and Pete then set off up the main road and then via a stile into the churchyard. This brought us to fields and via some more stiles to Fern Dale with much evidence of ground disturbance form old mine workings.

Continuing onwards through more fields and a walled track, we passed some fields below where Water Icicle Close Cavern is found and could see no sign of the others in the distance. Continuing on through a farmyard and past some well-preserved old stone-built pig stys, plus a small natural grotto in the limestone with and arched entrance containing a large crib scene ready for Christmas!

We followed the route onwards which brought us to the side of Cales Dale with what looked like a short mined adit and slippery limestone steps leading to a pathway along the dale side. Soon we were in the Dale bottom and at the resurgence of Cales Dale Cave which was issuing quite a bit of water, unsurprisingly with the recent rain.

Continuing onwards to the drop leading to a footbridge in Lathkill Dale, we had a short stop to have a hot drink (from flasks) then continued on along Lathkill Dale. Again there was quite a lot of water flowing in the stream-bed, with a number of springs flowing on the Dale side and on reaching the major resurgence of Lathkill Head Cave, again there was quite a lot of water.
Following onwards along Lathkill Dale, we passed an area with quite a lot of fungi growing in the grass. Soon we were back at the road leading out of Monyash. We followed this for the short distance back to the Cafe for more delights.
Again, I was wearing my Paramo Cascada trousers, TrekMates merino wool shirt and my Paramo Velez.