Monsal Dale and Wye Valley – A 10 km Circular Walk

In this blog post, I’d like to bring you along on a lovely (quite muddy!) walk in the Derbyshire countryside, at Monsal Dale. This particular circular route will show you the iconic view from Monsal Head, will take you along the meandering River Wye all the way through the magnificent woodland of Deep Dale. You’ll have the chance to stop at Ashford-in-the-Water, a picturesque village, before you return to your starting point. 

If you’d like to see our walk then make sure to watch our YouTube video linked below.

Introducing Monsal Dale and Trail

Monsal Dale is located in the White Peak limestone area of the Peak District National Park. The Valley is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and also as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC). 

The most iconic view of the dale is from Monsal Head viewpoint. What makes this scenery unique and well photographed is the Headstone Viaduct spanning the River Wye. The viaduct was built by Midland Railway in 1863. Today, it’s hard to imagine the view of Monsal Dale without the viaduct. However, at the time it was built, people thought it ruined the natural beauty of the valley. Since then the viaduct has been granted Grade II listed status and after being in use for at least 100 years, it’s now become part of the Monsal Trail. 

The Monsal Trail itself runs between Bakewell and Buxton. You can join onto the 8.5 mile (13.7 km) trail at many points and it has many great landmarks to look out for. The trail goes through four tunnels – each of them only lit during daytime, so make sure you have a torch if you come during the winter months. The star of the show – Monsal Head viewpoint – is located pretty much in the middle of the trail. 

Did you know? – There was actually another proposal for an additional viaduct, however it’s never been built. 

Fun Fact – We had our pre-wedding photoshoot here and we loved it so much. So, if you’re looking for a great place to have a photoshoot, I cannot recommend Monsal Dale enough.

How to get to Monsal Dale?

By Car: If you arrive by car, depending on the route you’d like to do, you have a few options for parking. (Please refer to the map where I marked a few popular parking spots). For reference, we parked at Monsal Head car park. Most of these car parks are pay & display ones. You can also park in Ashford-in-the-Water or at White Lodge Car Park, if you’re doing the same walk as we did.

If you don’t have your own car but would like to enjoy the freedom of a private vehicle, then you can always hire a car to get to Monsal Dale.

By Public Transport: If you’re from the area, you can take Bus 173 which provides services to destinations such as Bakewell, Castleton and Tideswell. Bus stops are located in the vicinity of Monsal Head Viewpoint.

However, if you’re arriving from further afield, I recommend travelling to either Manchester or Sheffield first, then take the train to Hope. From here, you can take Bus 173 and travel to Monsal Head Viewpoint. Make sure to plan your journey with Trainline which also provides information on bus fares.

By Bike: Monsal Trail itself isn’t just for walkers. It’s also a nearly 9-mile long traffic-free cycle route, so if you have a bike I highly recommend cycling along it. Please note that Monsal Trail is not the same route we did and you can’t cycle on that trail.

Useful to Know Before You Go

Length of the Route

The route we chose to do was about 10 km (6 miles) long. Depending on your speed and how long you are spending taking photos or stopping for a picnic, this route could take at least 4 hours. 

However, you can definitely do Monsal Trail itself, which is slightly longer – 13.7 km (8.5 miles) – or extend the walk we did further if you carry on towards Bakewell from Ashford-in-the-Water and then join back onto Monsal Trail. 

Facilities around Monsal Dale

Cafés and picnic spots: If you’d like to grab a coffee or a quick bite to eat, you can do that at Monsal Head Viewpoint café and bar. They serve some great scones plus there’s an ice cream van serving really good ice cream too. You can also stop at Ashford-in-the-Water and check out their pubs and tearoom if you’d like some refreshments there.

I also recommend packing your own lunch and if the weather is lovely stop for a picnic. The best place is probably the open space under the Headstone Viaduct and around the River Wye. This area is pretty popular, especially during the summer months, as it’s where loads of people dip their toes into the River Wye to cool down.

Toilet facilities: Although there are no public toilets along the trail, there are public toilets available at 3 points on the route we did. You can use the facilities at Monsal Head Viewpoint café, at the White Lodge Car Park or in Ashford-in-the-Water. 

Level of Difficulty

I think the route we did is relatively easy and you can complete it with a basic level of fitness. However, the terrain is made up of rocky tracks with tree roots jutting out of the ground here and there. The ground can get super muddy after rain so definitely wear suitable footwear. 

The walk is pretty sheltered for the most part, except the last section where you have to walk through some fields. However, it can still be a great activity even on a windy or rainy day.

What to Wear and Bring with you?

You are in the north of England so weather conditions can change quickly. I highly recommend wearing proper walking shoes and weather appropriate clothing. Make sure you check the weather forecast before you set off and have a few layers with you. 

Pack some snacks and have plenty of water with you. The area around the River Wye underneath the viaduct is a lovely and very popular picnic spot.

Monsal Dale Walking Route

The area around Monsal Dale is full of amazing walking routes. Of course you can do the actual Monsal Trail, or incorporate parts of it like we did. The main reason we decided against doing the official Monsal Trail is because we wanted to avoid people as much as possible. Since Monsal Trail is a relatively easy trail and can be shared with cyclists and even horse riders, it automatically attracts more people. 

Whichever trail you decide to take or end up on, you will be treated with some beautiful landscapes and views. However, if you’d like to do the exact route we did, I divided it into 4 main sections.

1. Monsal Head to Deep Dale

We started our walk at Monsal Head, purely because at the start of the day it was very foggy and we wanted to be able to return to this point later in the day to have a chance to see the iconic view of Monsal Dale. (Even though we’ve seen it plenty of times before, we just cannot get enough of this view!)

At this first section of the trail you can go either left or right. We went left,  but I suggest you start to your right especially if you’d like a closer look at Headstone Viaduct. We chose to go left because a group of six walkers had just started the walk at the same time heading right and we wanted to avoid them. 

Once you’re at the Viaduct and have admired the view from the top, take the path leading down to the river. From here you’ll walk along the River Wye, until you reach an old weir. This waterfall is very picturesque, so I recommend stopping here and enjoying the way the water cascades into the river. This area during the summer months is full of people enjoying a picnic and a dip in the river, but on a rainy wintery day it’s rather empty. 

If you went to the left at the start like we did, you’ll be walking through a narrow wooded path and will end up at the waterfall. You have to cross the little bridge to be on the northern shore of the river. 

From here, you’ll see the path on your left leading you into the woods once again. Here you just follow the trail all the way to the A6 road. The path can get seriously muddy (Check out our YouTube video to see it). So make sure your footwear is up to the challenge if you do the trail on a rainy day!

2. Deep Dale to Ashford-in-the-Water

Once you reach the A6, you have to cross it and carry on along the trail to the south. You’re crossing a busy main road here, so make sure you do it with extra caution. The trail now enters Deep Dale Nature Reserve. You’ll walk away from the A6 at the start but will eventually walk parallel with it. 

There are plenty of signs spaced out at key points, so even without a map you won’t get lost. You just need to follow the signs towards ‘Ashford’. The trail will have a bit of an incline here, but don’t worry, by the time you run out of breath, it will level out!

You’ll once again enter into a wooded area. This was probably my favourite part of the route, since the magical colours of autumn were still a bit visible along this section. Most of the leaves – turned into a deep shade of brown  – were on the ground. The nearly leafless trees showed us just how high we were and also provided us with a stunning view of Monsal Dale where we had just come from. (The only annoying part was the fact that the trees couldn’t quite conceal the noise of the traffic along the A6). 

You’ll slowly make your way down but still following both the River Wye and the A6 towards Ashford-in-the-Water. Not too long before you reach the village, you’ll pass an abandoned mill which looked like it was being used by the local fishing club as storage. It’s still a great opportunity to take some cool photos.

From here, you’ll eventually reach a paved road, which you’ll have to walk along for about 200 m until you reach the A6 again and the village of Ashford-in-the-Water.

3. Exploring Ashford-in-the-Water

Once you arrive to Ashford-in-the-Water, make sure to spend a little time walking around the village. It was once the centre of the quarrying operation for Ashford Black Marble (which is a form of limestone). Now Ashford is a very quaint village sitting on the River Wye, with charming limestone cottages and three picturesque bridges. 

The most photographed bridge is hands down the medieval Sheepwash Bridge. As the name indicates, this bridge was used by farmers who washed their sheep in the river. The small wall on the side of the river bank is still there as a reminder of what this spot was once used for. Ashford is also known for its maidens’ garlands (or crowns) which were used as a funeral memento of virgins in the village. 

The village is an excellent place to stop for lunch or just for a brew. There are two pubs if you’re after something substantial, or you can just visit their traditional English tea room. 

Did you know? – The village still holds the annual Well-Dressing celebration around Trinity Sunday, where the locals decorate their wells from natural materials. These water sources are then blessed after a church service. 

4. Ashford-in-the-Water to Monsal Head

So, after you’ve had a little wonder around Ashford, make your way towards Vicarage Lane. Approximately 90 m to the north, you’ll see a public footpath sign to your left. This will lead you to an open field. You’ll have some great views of Ashford, so make sure you look back a few times whilst you’re crossing through this field. 

After you’ve crossed this first field, you’ll come out onto a dirt road. Here you need to carry on to your left and just follow the track along the fields filled with sheep and cows. You’ll be separated from the live stock for the most part. It’s pretty straight forward from here and as you get closer to Monsal Dale, signs will direct you. 

However, I’m not gonna lie, this section isn’t the most interesting section to walk on. You’ll be walking along a very exposed section of track, meaning if it has rained previously it will be incredibly muddy (as it was for us!). The mud can slow you down a bit, but just keep looking around you and try to enjoy your surroundings which will hopefully make up for your efforts! 

After feeling like you’ve walked through fields for an eternity, you’ll reach the section covered with trees. From here it will be only about another 15 minutes before you’ll reach Monsal Head Viewpoint. 

You can celebrate completing your walk by getting a nice brew and a scone from the café, or just an ice cream from the popular ice cream truck. 

Additional Things to Do in the Peak District

If you’d like to see more of the Peak District make sure to check out some of my other blog posts:

• Padley Gorge Walk – A magical walk in the Peak District which will make you feel like you’re walking through an enchanted forest.
• Three Shires Head Walk – A picturesque waterfall, located at the meeting point of three counties in the north of England: Cheshire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire.
• The Trinnacle Walk at Dovestone Reservoir – See some picturesque landscapes and do some cool things like climbing on top of a three-pronged grit-stone stack called the Trinnacle.
• Chatsworth House and Gardens – Explore Britain’s favourite country house and thousands of acres of surrounding parkland.

Have you ever been to Monsal Dale before? If so, how much of the area did you manage to explore? Let me know in the comments below.