Ashford in the Water, Derbyshire County Walk

By Derbyshire Life on June 29th 2011

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Linear distance: 6 miles Approx. Time: 3 Hours Total height climbed: Between 350 & 400ft Parking: SK 194698 Paths: Field paths, tracks and trail Stiles: 21 Refreshments: Ashford, Bakewell, Great and Little Longstone Toilets: Ashford car park

DIRECTIONS: From Bakewell follow the A6 north and westward towards Buxton. In about 1½ miles turn right onto the A6020 Chesterfield road. In a few metres turn left to drive through Ashford ignoring the turn to Monsal Head and passing the pub, the café and the church. Turn right up Fennal Street and in about 150 metres turn right into the car park.

DESCRIPTION: This is a pleasant little walk for a summer day that will give you time to add a diversion into Great and Little Longstone for refreshments. Ashford in the Water is a delightful village to wander around, visiting the ducks by the picturesque Sheep Wash Bridge where the lambs were held in a stonewalled pen on one side of the river whilst the ewes were pushed in the river on the opposite bank. By swimming across to their lambs they were well cleaned. The well dressings round Trinity Sunday are a delight to see.

ROUTE INSTRUCTIONS

1.Leave the car park in Ashford via the small pedestrian exit. Turn left to walk past the church and along to the main village road where you turn left. Pass the café and the inn and continue to the A6020.

2. (A) Cross the road to walk down a minor gated road with the cricket pitch on the left. At the A6 turn left and walk along the pavement for a few metres before going through a small gate on the left.

3. Keep straight on across the meadow land with the River Wye down on the left and following the way-marked posts. Soon you will climb three steps before crossing a small valley. (B)

4. Walk up to and through a gate to keep straight on, crossing two fields and stiles and a large field gap.

5. Follow a path between the houses, crossing a minor road. Go through a gate to walk up to the A6 via a stile. (C)

6. Turn left for nearly a quarter of a mile. At the entrance to the Riverside Business Park turn left. Cross the bridge and turn right. Follow the river on the right. Pass Lumford Cottages.

7. (D) At the packhorse bridge turn left up a wide partly surfaced track to pass the entrance to Holme Hall. The track passes the old workings where the stone was prepared for pottery making.

8. Continue up the stony shaded bridleway. Pass through a farm gate to leave the wooded area. Keep straight on up the hill ignoring a track off left and crossing a stile by a farm gate.

9. Continue along a walled track for about three-quarters of a mile, crossing a stile and gates to reach the Monsal Trail. (E)

10. Turn left and in nearly half a mile turn down to the right, off the trail to the road. (F)

11. Turn left and cross the two roads to go over a stile. Walk up the narrow path for a few metres to cross a stile on the right.

12. Keep straight on across the field to cross a stile then bear away slightly from the trees on the right to cross another stile. Cross the next small field to go through a gate

13. (G) Turn left along a path to the road in Great Longstone. Turn right then first left along Gresedale Road East. Follow this road to the top of a cul-de-sac then on up a path between the houses. Turn left onto Gresedale Road West.

14. At the T-junction turn right for about 200 metres then turn left by the footpath sign to go through the stile. (H)

15. Follow the trees on the right to cross a gated stile. Keep straight on in a mainly westerly direction crossing three fields and stiles, a track and a small copse. In the fourth field bear slightly right to aim for the houses of Little Longstone ahead.

16. When you reach the stile and gates leading to the road do not go through them but turn left.(I)

17. Follow the well-used path across two large fields via two gates before following a wall on the right uphill to cross a stile on the right.

18. Cross the Monsal Trail diagonally to walk down stone steps.

19. Keep straight on across four fields and stiles with field boundaries on the left for three of the fields.

20. Cross Longstone Lane and go through the squeeze stile. (J)

21. Keeping the field boundaries close on the left cross three undulating fields and two gates.

22. Cross a stile by a barn before going up the walled path to the road. Cross the road to go through a gated stile then on up the small field and through the stile. (K)

Ashford in the Water, Derbyshire County Walk

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