Monsal Trail walk

Gentle Peak District walk along a disused railway line via viaducts, tunnels, and escarpements

IMG_20240317_133832 Headstone Viaduct seen from Monsal Head
IMG_20240317_133832

Headstone Viaduct seen from Monsal Head

17-Mar-24 • Andrew Murphy on Flickr

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IMG_20240317_112525 Wye Valley
IMG_20240317_112525

Wye Valley

02-Dec-23 • Andrew Murphy on Flickr

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IMG_20240317_115246
IMG_20240317_115246

15-Jan-24 • Andrew Murphy on Flickr

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IMG_20240317_105731 Headstone Tunnel
IMG_20240317_105731

Headstone Tunnel

17-Mar-24 • Andrew Murphy on Flickr

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IMG_20240317_105734 Path over Headstone Viaduct
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Path over Headstone Viaduct

17-Mar-24 • Andrew Murphy on Flickr

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IMG_20240317_111525 Wye Valley from the Monsal Trail
IMG_20240317_111525

Wye Valley from the Monsal Trail

17-Mar-24 • Andrew Murphy on Flickr

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IMG_20240317_111532 Monsal Trail
IMG_20240317_111532

Monsal Trail

17-Mar-24 • Andrew Murphy on Flickr

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Length 9 miles (14.5 km)
Toughness 1 / 10. Good surface. Very gently up or downhill
Features

This wheelchair friendly paved walk/cycle trail in the Peak District National Park follows a closed railway line. It contours high up along the side of a river valley (views!), crossing over viaducts and through tunnels (all lit, torch not needed) and cuttings.

The trail is 9 miles long, starting 3 miles east of Buxton, and follows the Wye valley from Topley Pike Junction via the Chee Tor No. 1 (361m) and No. 2 tunnels (83m), Miller's Dale station and viaducts, Liton tunnel (472m) , Cressbrook tunnel (431m), Monsal Dale station (just the platform remains), Headstone viaduct, Headstone tunnel (487m, under Monsal Head), Longstone station, Hassop station, Bakewell station, and ends at the closed Coombs Road viaduct.

The trail is surfaced, has a very gentle gradient, and is suitable for wheelchairs and prams. Millers Dale, Hassop, and Bakewell stations have wheelchair access.

Highlights include crossing 2 viaducts, Millers Dale and Headstone. Millers Dale actually has 2 viaducts, 1 you cross, and 1 adjacent to it that remains closed. At Headstone viaduct, do follow the side path to Monsal Head a little way to get a good view of the viaduct - viaducts are more impressive when viewed from afar!

The tunnels are all lit, it sometimes 'rains' inside them, but not enough to need a raincoat.

While the viaducts and tunnels remain, sadly, much of the industrial heritage has been lost - signals, track, signs, and station buildings.

The trail is on Google Maps Streetview, and a Monsal Trail Parkrun takes place every Saturday at 9am, starting from Hassop station.

There are plans to extend the trail:

  • west to Buxton, though not via the original railway trackbed (which is still in use for a quarry)
  • south for 12km to Matlock. The work to re-open the tunnel south of the Coombe Viaduct will take some time. The route further south will open first, part of it will be alongside the original trackbed now used as a heritage railway.

There are 2 other 'rail trails' in the Peak District (pdf), 13 mile Tissington Trail from Parsley Hay to Ashbourne, and the High Peak Trail.

Cyclists

The path is very popular with cyclists - being traffic free, it is family friendly, so either walk it at a less popular time (i.e. not on a sunny day in school holidays), or explore some of the side paths off it - see options.

Options

From west to east

Chee Dale Gorge : Near the start there is a windy path down to the river at the bottom of Chee Dale gorge.

Millers Dale : After Millers Dale station: "I struck off down a side path. I ended up on the quiet road on the north side of the river in Miller’s Dale. This is gloriously scenic and almost no one else was walking or cycling here. Past Litton Mill you have to climb up onto the hillside on a wonderful path that slants up the valley side with mouthwatering views. A steep descent through Cressbrook brings you back to the river, and as you near the Monsal Viaduct, footbridges enable you to cross the river and climb up to it: or you can stay on the road as it climbs to Monsal Head." This sounds like the minor road (marked on the OS map) on the north side of the river.

Monsal Head: After the viaduct, before the Headstone tunnel, follow the path up to Monsal Head (pub, tea room) a little way for a view of the viaduct, or all the way to the top for a pint.

Monsal Head - Bakewell : "I slanted south on a pleasant field path to Ashford, which is a nice enough village ... (on) the Transpeak bus (route). The Riverside path from Ashford to Bakewell was quite pretty." - this is a longer diversion away from the path

Travel

The nearest stations are Buxton and Matlock. The "Transpeak" bus runs between them, and passing near the start and finish of the walk.

Topley Pike Junction

This is the 'west' or Buxton, end of the walk. There is a layby on the A6 a short walk away (SK17 9TG, by the turn off to a quarry), or the "Wyedale" pay car park (SK17 9TE, £4.50) about 1km away, with a link path.

The bus stop by the Wyedale car park is on the #65/66 Buxton - Wyedale - Sheffield route, not the Transpeak route to the end of the walk.

However, about 10 mins walk away, is the 'Blackwell in the Peak' bus stop (by the A6/Blackwell turn off, see the OS map), which is on the Transpeak bus route to Bakewell (for Coombs Viaduct). There is a pretty link path. Follow the linked path on the OS map down to the line. Where the path splits, the upper path leads to a nice viewpoint over the Chee Dale valley.

Bakewell / Coombs Road Viaduct

This is the 'east' or Bakewell end of the walk.

Park by the side of the road at DE45 1AR.

The viaduct is about 500m south of Bakewell. You could park on the outskirts of Bakewell, or the pay car park in the town centre at DE45 1AS, and walk uphill to the trail. There is a small car park by the trail itself with level access at DE45 1GE.

The closest bus stop which is on the Transpeak route, is in Bakewell town centre, about 15 mins walk away from the start. There are closer stops further south along the A6, but no footpaths to the trail from them.

Transpeak bus

Use this bus to return to your car, or to travel to the start or finish from Buxton or Matlock stations. If you have the Google Maps app on your phone, navigate with the 'public transport' selected

Mon-Sun, hourly, takes 20 mins. Traveline - Bus Times

Route : Manchester (3/day) - Buxton station - "Bakewell in the Peak" (A6 Bakewell turnoff, for Topley Pike) - Bakewell (for Coombs Road Viaduct - stand A westbound to Buxton and the other end of the trail, stand E southbound to Matlock) - Matlock - Derby (bus station stand 21, train station is 500m away).

Note Transpeak TP2 and TP3 are the same bus, it changes it name enroute. [Mar 2024] The bus fare is £2 (any distance).

Eat

From west to east

  • The Refreshment Rooms (cafe) by Millers Dale station, SK17 8SN
  • The Angler's Rest, SK17, 8SN, a riverside pub not far from Millers Dale station on the B6049
  • Monsal Head Hotel (pub) by the Headstone tunnel, DE45 1NL, just off the route, but worth it for the view
  • Hassop station cafe
  • Many places in Bakewell
History

This section of the "Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midlands Junction Railway" was built in 1863 - in the era of competing railway companies, as mainline route for the Midlands railway to Manchester. Even when it was built, the route had too many compromises. It had to avoid the land of influential land owners, in terrain that was already difficult, so the Bakewell station is above the town not in the town. During its construction, the landowners, seeing the value of rail line, relented, but by then it was too late to change the route. So, they influenced the location of stations instead (i.e. nearer to them, further from the towns). It was closed in 1968.

The route is safeguarded should it ever be reopened, but the cost of restoring the tunnels and viaducts would be prohibitive.

Version Partial walk check Mar-24
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By Car

Start SK17 9TG Map Directions

Finish Coombs Roads, Bakewell, DE45 1AR Map Directions

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Help

National Rail: 03457 48 49 50 • Traveline (bus times): 0871 200 22 33 (12p/min) • TFL (London) : 0343 222 1234

Version

Mar-24 Andrew

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