Monk's Dale must be one of the slowest miles in all of the White Peak. But it's not just the rocky path that delays progress, for this valley is a botanist's paradise. Cowslips and early purple orchids cover the banks, violets bloom beneath the hawthorn bushes, while later in the year there are rock roses and sweet-smelling thyme. Yet the walk is not all tough going, for first you stroll beside the swift flowing River Wye before climbing to the pretty village of Wormhill, birthplace of James Brindley, the Father of the English Canal System.
LOCATION: Six miles east of Buxton
START: Miller's Dale pay & display Station car park, off B6049
Grid ref: SK154742 Postcode: SK178QH
DISTANCE: 4 miles
GRADE: Moderate
TIME: 2.5 hours
MAP: Outdoor Leisure - White Peak Landranger 119
NOTE: Monk's Dale is rough underfoot and slow going
REFRESHMENTS: Anglers Rest or pack a flask
EN ROUTE: Flowers, Glebe Farm
This walk was originally published by
The Manchester Evening News