ROYAL
OAK TO HOLBECK.
q On leaving the car park, turn right
and walk approximately 75 metres, then turn right onto
q When you reach a metal gate, keep to
the left, again following the quarry bunds. Soon afterwards you start to swing
to the left and head steadily uphill. At the top of the rise turn right (don’t
go straight ahead) and, 20 metres on, turn right again, now heading downhill on
a gravel path followed by steps. At the bottom of the steps you will see a seat
on your right, here turn left and walk along the top of the field, with a fence
to your left.
q At the end of the field continue
straight on along the top of the next field. At the end of this field, cross
over a stile and continue straight on along the top of the next field. At the
end of this field you enter a wooded area and, almost immediately, leave it
again to take a path on your right, heading diagonally across a field.
q At the end of the field, cross over
the stile and head diagonally across the next field to a stile next to a gate.
Cross over this stile and turn right down the farm track. At the end of the
track turn left along the main road and, approximately 100 metres on, turn left
again, signposted “Creswell Crags”.
q Follow the road round and,
immediately after the traffic lights, turn right through a gate, as signposted.
DO NOT GO STRAIGHT ON along the side of the pond, but bear right to cross over
the stream, then right again as waymarked. The path rises gently to a stile,
cross over this and continue uphill.
q At the next waymarker post, take the
left fork, continuing uphill. At the top of the hill, bear slightly left,
heading for a stile in the corner of the field. Cross over the stile and
continue straight on, walking with a wall and trees to your left. Follow the
well defined path to a stile in the left hand corner of the field. Cross over
the stile and continue straight on along the edge of the next field on a well
defined and signposted path. Cross over the next stile and continue straight
on.
q Cross over the next stile and
continue straight on, you now have hedgerow to your right. Continue straight
on, crossing over 2 more stiles to reach a gravel drive. Walk along this drive
for approximately 15 metres to the road. You are now at Holbeck and your first
checkpoint is across the road to your left.
HOLBECK
TO WHALEY COMMON.
q From the checkpoint, turn left and
walk along the road, following the road as it curves left, passing Brown’s
B&B on your right, then curves slightly right, passing some houses to your
right. At the end of the houses, follow the road as it bends sharply right and,
just past a road junction to the left, take the track on the right.
q Stay on the track to its end, approximately
one mile, where it emerges at the busy A616 road. Turn left and walk along the
path, away from the road, at the side of the hedgerow. Where the road bends
left, across the road to your right you will see a footpath sign.
q Cross over the road, TAKING EXTREME
CAUTION, and follow the left hand footpath sign going diagonally across a
field. Where the path meets the corner of the next field, bear left and walk
along the top of the field with hedgerow to your right. Follow the edge of the
field, which bends to the right, to a stile in a fence. Cross over the stile
and continue straight ahead, with hedgerow still on you right, to the road.
q At the road, turn right, and follow
the road for approximately one mile, heading for Whaley Common. On the way you
cross a railway line, the Robin Hood line, CROSS WITH EXTREME CAUTION. You also
pass a couple of houses on your left.
q Approximately 100 metres before the
houses at Whaley Common, you will see a bridleway sign on your right. Here is
your second checkpoint.
WHALEY
COMMON TO ELMTON.
q From the checkpoint follow the
bridleway. You are now on the
q Walk along the edge of the field , with hedgerow to your right. At the end of the
field, pass through a gap at the end of the fence and continue straight ahead,
along the edge of the next field, still with hedgerow to your right.
q At the end of this field pass through
a gap in the hedge, turn left along the lane for approximately 15 metres, then
right along another lane leading to Elmton.
q The lane turns into a path and takes
you along the edge of another field, still with hedgerow to your right. At the
end of the field, pass through a gap to the right of a gate and turn left,
walking along a grass verge, slightly uphill, with houses to your right.
q At the top of the rise you will see
your third checkpoint.
ELMTON
TO ROYAL OAK.
q On leaving the checkpoint follow the
road into the
q The track runs for approximately one
mile towards Clowne. Follow the track which, after approximately ½ mile, drops
down to the right into a dip. Here you come to a fork in the path, take the
right hand fork and continue along the path for a further ½ mile, at which
point you arrive at the edge of the
q Turn right and follow the road,
passing
q At the bottom of the hill, where a
metal barrier ends, on the opposite side of the road you will see a footpath
sign crossing the wall. Cross over the road TAKING EXTREME CAUTION and cross
over the stile onto the footpath. Follow the well defined path going diagonally
up the field. At the top of the field bear right, following a farmer’s track,
through a gap in the wall and continue ahead keeping a wall to your left.
q At the end of the field, turn left
through a gap between the wall and hedge and, after approximately 15 metres,
you will see a stile on your right. Cross over the stile and bear slightly
left, heading for the corner of a small copse. At the corner of the copse, bear
right and continue ahead, walking with the copse to your right.
q At the end of the field, cross over
the stile, across the road and over another stile into the next field. Go
through the gap in the wall in the middle of the field and continue straight
ahead to another stile. Cross over the stile, across the road, and turn left
into Bakestone Moor.
q The road bends right as you reach the
first houses. Continue along the pavement, past
WELL
DONE!