Self-Catering Holiday Cottages in the Peak District National Park, England, UK

Walking

Hartington is about a mile and a half away by road but only just over a mile away by the excellent well surfaced and extremely scenic bridleway starting yards from the end of our drive. We often walk over these bridleways to visit Hartington, there is no need to put on hiking boots, and often the return trip takes place in the dark.

A short local walk

This is a circuit from Biggin down Biggin Dale, returning via Wolfscote Dale, Beresford Dale and Hartington. It is fairly gentle and the surfaces underfoot are mostly good. Distance about 8km / 5 miles, time around 2 hours - 2½ hours.

From Cotterill Farm walk out along the entrance track to the road and turn left. Follow this down the the junction and turn left here down Biggin Dale.

Proceed down the dale. Biggin Dale is a large, imposing valley which would probably be better known were it not for its proximity to Wolfscote Dale and Dovedale. It is also a Nature Reserve and in spring is full of wild flowers. The banner picture at the top of this and all the other pages of this web-site was taken from the Open Access Land above Biggin Dale and just to the right of the centre of the picture can be seen the 'Buttresses' that tower above the meeting point between Biggin Dale and the River Dove.

After 2 km of rather rough walking you reach the junction with the River Dove in Wolfscote Dale, and the paved path along that valley.

Turn right and after stopping to admire Drabber Tor opposite, follow the path upstream. Wolfscote Dale is very imposing and there may also be dippers and herons on the river. There are some good caves for children of all ages to explore as you come to the end of the Dale.

After a while you reach Beresford Dale, marked by the cliffs of the 'Celestial Twins', and the valley narrows until eventually it becomes a gorge. You cross the river by a footbridge, then re-cross before the valley starts to widen out and the path climbs away from the river.

At this point you may be able to catch a glimpse of Charles Cotton's fishing lodge, a tower-like structure on the opposite bank, almost hidden by trees. This is where the  literary classic and the Fisherman's bible 'The Compleat Angler' was conceived.

The path ambles across the fields to return you to the centre of Hartington. From Hartington Market Place, take the small road signposted to Heathcote, which leads past the Youth Hostel. Go past the turning called 'Leisure Lane' and take the next bridleway on the right, which leads you easily back to your starting point at the head of Biggin Dale.