1 – Monsal Head to Stoney Middleton          ---        8.1 miles

 

1.      The walk starts from the small, short stay car park at Monsal Head.  From the top of the hill you will see a gap in the wall marked “Monsal Trail & Viaduct”.  Go through the gap, turn right and descend the stepped path.

2.      After 25 yards you will see a path on your left signed “Monsal Trail & Viaduct”.  Turn left and walk down this path, which leads you to the viaduct.  On reaching the bridge, turn right and walk straight ahead.  You have now joined the Monsal Trail.

3.      After walking the trail for one mile, you reach the closed off tunnel.  To your right is a gate – go through this and join a path.  When you reach a junction in the path, take the path to the right heading downhill to Cressbrook Mill.

4.      After about 200 yards, the path descends to some stone steps which bend round to the right, heading for a wooden bridge which crosses the river above a weir.  Once over the bridge, walk forward 10 yards and at a junction turn right and follow the wide track leading into the small village of Cressbrook.  The track now winds its way through old mill buildings.

5.      Once through the mill you reach a metalised road.  At this road turn left.  At the fork in the road, take the lower route on the right, signposted Litton.  You now start to ascend a steep hill for about half a mile.

6.      Where the road takes a hairpin to the left you continue straight ahead onto a track.  After a short distance, a path shoots off to the left but you carry on along the track on a level plain.  The track soon turns into a path (keep left – beware of the tracks to the right) and starts to head down hill into Cressbrook Dale.

7.      The path becomes quite steep as you head for a small footbridge at the base of the hill.  Cross over the stream and follow the path round to your left.  You have now entered an English Nature nature reserve – please respect the wishes of the owners displayed on the signboard.

8.      Continue along the path and where you meet a fork in the pathways, take the path to the right which starts to climb to the head of Cressbrook Dale.  At the top, after about half a mile, turn left and descend the path down to the bottom of the Dale at the junction with Tansley Dale.  Do not be temped to cross the stile, but continue along Cressbrook Dale with the wall on your left.

9.      The Dale bends first to the right and then to the left.  After about half a mile you pass “Peter’s Stone” on your right.  Just before the road junction go through a gate and walk in front of a small cottage.  At the road (the A623) turn right and head for a petrol station and a large open car park. 

10.  From the car park, cross over the road to the right of the Three Stags’ Heads pub and walk into Somerset House Farm.  You will see an arrow painted on a breezeblock wall marked FP.  This guides you through the farm, firstly turning left past the cow sheds and then bearing right following the footpath signs on the wall.

11.  The path takes you to the left of another breezeblock building.  Pass through a gate and carry straight on across the field with a wall on your left.  Straight ahead of you is Stanley House.  You cross three stiles on your way to the house, the third being next to Stanley House itself.  Cross over this stile to join a track.

12.  Turn right and walk along this track with the house on your right.  The track soon becomes walled on either side.  Where the track turns 90° left, carry straight on ahead, heading slightly downhill.

13.  At the bottom of this small hill, cross over a stile on your left and turn 45° right up to a gap in the wall.  You are now heading for the village of Foolow.  Once through the gap, turn slightly left and head for a squeezer stile in the wall opposite.  Continue ahead to another squeezer stile, which drops down onto a lane.

14.  Cross straight over this lane, climb over a stile and head across the field to yet another stile in the corner, using the radio mast ahead as your guide.  After crossing four more stiles and various small fields, you approach Foolow.

15.  When you reach a kissing gate, pass through and turn right along the field.  Head for a stile next to a gate in the left-hand corner of the field next to an old stone barn.  Cross over the stile, turn left and follow the path with the barn on your left.  There is a wall covered in moss on either side of you.  You are now entering the village of Foolow.

16.  This path takes you into the centre of the village by the green and duck pond.  Ahead of you is The Bull’s Head public house.  Pass the pub on your left and continue along the road, crossing over another road joining from the right.

17.  After 100 yards or so you reach a public footpath sign, just before a tree, on your right.  Cross over the stile and walk 45° left heading for a stile in the wall.  Cross over this and walk with the wall on your right, crossing four more stiles before dropping into Linden Dale.

18.  Drop into the Dale and climb straight back out at the other side, following the path, which goes slightly to the left and passes through two walls.  The path then turns slightly right and crosses more fields (humps to your left!).  Eventually you reach a track joining from the right.  Cross straight over and continue straight ahead, crossing several more fields (some very small) as you approach to Eyam.

19.  At the end of the field, adjacent to Fairview Farm, the path goes between two hedges to reach a stile with a steep drop to a lane on the other side.  Cross straight over the lane, then field and road, to another bordered path.  At the end of this path you emerge onto a street with bungalows.  Head straight on down the street in front of you.

20.  At the junction turn right and walk along the main street of Eyam, passing the sheep roast, plague cottages and the church – all on your left – until you reach the square.  From the square take a lane (Lydgate), this runs to the right of the Eyam Tea Rooms.

21.  At the top of the lane you will see a footpath sign.  Pass through the gate and continue along the path which soon becomes open fields.  Pass to the right of the trees and humps, your general direction being straight ahead, and you soon start to descend “The Cliff” into the village of Stoney Middleton.

22.  At the bottom of the hill climb the stile to join the lane.  Turn right and follow the lane through the cottages, descending all the time through the village.  Where the lane swings right to join the main road you will see the Moon Inn public house.

This is Checkpoint 1.


 

2 – Stoney Middleton to Haywood Car Park    ---    3.1 miles

 

1.      To rejoin the walk, cross the road from the Moon Inn and retrace your steps up the lane for about 20 yards.  On your right is another lane heading for the church – take this lane and after about 20 yards it swings to the left.  Follow this with the church on your right.

2.      Immediately after the church, follow the lane round to the right.  Continue along the lane for about a 100 yards until you reach a footpath sign on your right, where the lane bears left.  Once clear of the trees the path splits – take the path to the left, heading uphill to a gap in the trees.

3.      At the top of the hill you walk, with a wall on your left, to a stile in a wall.  Climb over the stile and bear 45° left, heading for Knouchley Farm.  Walk through the farm with the farm buildings on your right and join the main lane heading down to the road.

4.      At the road, cross straight over to a stile opposite.  Climb over the stile and proceed straight ahead and downhill towards the river.  Approximately two thirds of the way down the hill you meet a stile on your left.  Cross over this and continue down to the river.

5.      At the river turn left and follow the path, keeping the river to your immediate right, until you reach the bridge.  You are now at Froggatt.

6.      Climb the stile onto the road, turn right and cross the bridge.  Once over the bridge turn left at the road junction and walk through the village of Froggatt, keeping on the low road (walking in a straight line).

7.      When you reach the Wesleyan Chapel on your right, where the road bends right, you continue straight ahead, along a lane opposite (Spooner Lane), which has quaint cottages on its right.  This lane becomes walled on either side and at the end of the lane you pass through a stile.  Carry straight on with a wall to your right.

8.      Where the wall ends, turn 45° right and head for a stile in the wall opposite.  Pass through this stile and continue through the field, with a wall now on your left, heading for another stile in a wall.  Pass through this stile and walk through another field, heading for a stile at the entrance to Froggatt Wood (National Trust property).

9.      Enter the wood and keep to the path at the bottom of the wood.  After about half a mile, on a well-used path, you reach the other side of the wood.  Here you cross over the stile and head down to a kissing gate to your left.  Pass through this, cross the dyke, and head 45° right across the field, following a well-defined path which leads to the right of a bridge.  At the bridge pass through the kissing gate to join the road.

10. Turn right and walk up the road for about 30 yards, where you turn right again onto a walled lane. The lane goes gently uphill, with a church and then houses to your left.  After about 200 yards the lane swings to the right heading for some buildings.  Follow the lane and, just short of the buildings, at a green metal footpath sign and wooden sign for “Grouse Inn”, turn left and follow the path into the wood (Haywood).

11. You now start to climb up through the wood, with a wall on your left, passing through a stile shortly after the start of your climb.  Continue onwards and upwards and, where the wall on your left comes to an end, you continue on and up.  On the way to the top of the hill, two paths cross – keep going upwards.  Once near the top the path bears right, follow this path round into Haywood car park.

This is Checkpoint 2.


 

3 – Haywood Car Park to Shillito Wood        ---       5.4 miles

 

1.      Proceed through the car park to the stile at the bottom end and cross over it.  The path now descends steeply to some stones over a small stream.  Cross over this and climb up some steps to a gate.  Go through the gate onto a road and turn right.

2.      After about 50 yards, cross over the road to a gate and obvious path.  Go through the gate and continue along the path, which leads you to Froggatt Edge.

3.      After a third of a mile, having walked through a small wood, you reach a kissing gate.  Pass through this and turn right along the well-worn path, with the Edge on your right and open moorland on your left.

4.      Follow this path for approximately two miles, during which time Froggatt Edge becomes Curbar Edge.  After two miles the path descends to a white gate.  Pass through the gate on the left and follow the obvious path on the right, down to the road.  You are now at Curbar Gap.

5.      Cross the road and rejoin the path, having passed through a gate, and continue ahead with a stone wall on your left.  After a short while the wall ends and you once again have open moorland to your left.

6.      After about two thirds of a mile, a small path goes left off the main path past a large stone (Eagle Stone) and heads down to a stone cross (Wellington Monument).  Take this path and, having reached the Wellington Monument, turn 90° left and follow the path for about one mile until you reach a green gate.  Pass through a gate to the right and onto the road.  Turn right and walk to the road junction. 

7.      At the junction, turn left and walk up the road for about 200 yards, until you reach another road signposted “Millthorpe, Barlow”, on your right.  Turn right and walk along this road for one mile, passing Ramsley Reservoir on your left. Ignore the turning off to the right, in front of the wood, and continue straight ahead, road rising slightly, for about 150 yards.  On your right you will see a car park (Shillito Wood).

This is Checkpoint 3.


 

4 – Shillito Wood to Brindwoodgate                ----                4.3 miles

 

1.      From the car park cross the road and go through a gate opposite.  Walk down the path for about 25 yards to meet a track.  Turn right and walk along the track for one mile, heading steadily downhill, with Hewitt’s Bank climbing high on your right.  Remain on this track and you eventually cross a stream via some stepping-stones.

2.      After about 100 yards you reach a gate leading onto Car Road, a bridle track.  Here you turn right onto the track and walk downhill for about 300 yards, passing farm buildings on your right.  Just after crossing a stream, immediately before the track rises steeply, you see a signposted footpath on your left.  Take this path, which follows the stream through the edge of Smeekley Wood.

3.      After a quarter of a mile another path goes across you – continue straight ahead, heading through to Bank Wood.  About 200 yards further on you meet another path from the side – again continue straight on.

4.      When you come out of the wood there is a gate ahead of you.  Go over the stile to the left of the gate and continue for a further 150 yards crossing a wooden footbridge on the way. Go through a broken gate to join a road.  Turn right and walk along this road for about a quarter of a mile, crossing over two roads, one to Baslow and one to Unthank, and take the second path on the left, immediately before a track (the entrance to the path is concealed by foliage – take care not to miss it!).

5.      Go up the steps, through the squeezer stile and walk up the field with a hedge on your left.  After a short while the path turns 90° right next to an electricity pylon and goes across the field to a gap in the middle of the hedge.  Go through and head for the top right-hand corner of the next field. Cross over the little bridge into the next field, turn 45° left, and head across the field to a gap in the wall.  Pass through and go straight on, crossing the field ahead diagonally to a stile.

6.      When you cross over the stile carry on along the field edge with a hedge on your right.  At the next field go straight ahead, heading for a stile and gate opposite.  Cross over the stile, over a deep ditch, go through the gate opposite and carry straight on across the field.  Cross over the next stile and continue straight ahead.  The village you can see in front of you is Cartledge – your target.  Cross over the next stile and aim for the stile opposite in front of which is a newly dug drainage ditch.  Cross over this stile and go straight ahead.

7.      When you reach a small gate, where several footpaths merge, cross over a small bridge over a stream and follow the footpath sign for Cartledge.  This goes left and uphill to a stile in the corner of the field.  Cross over this stile onto a lane and walk along this lane until you meet the road.

8.      At the road turn left and walk for about 25 yards before turning right (doubling back on yourself) to head down Cartledge Lane, signposted “Public bridleway and footpath to Brindwoodgate for Barlow”.

9.      Where the road turns into a track, carry straight on with Cartledge Hall Farm to your right.  The track moves steadily downhill and bends round to the left – stay with it. 

10. After about half a mile the track bears sharply right where it meets a gate.  At the bottom of this track, after about a further mile, you reach a gate.  Go through the gap at the side of this gate onto a wider track and carry on downwards.  The track bends round to the right to join a metalised road where you turn left – you are now at Brindwoodgate.

 This is Checkpoint 4.


 

5 – Brindwoodgate to Apperknowle       ---              4.9 miles

 

1.      From Brindwoodgate walk along the road which swings 90° left and heads uphill.  At the brow of the hill, approximately 200 yards on, turn right immediately after a red post box onto a lane.  Walk along the lane for about 75 yards.

2.      Just before the lane turns left, you bear right, through a gate and into the wood.  This path heads steadily downhill through the edge of the wood.  Where two paths meet, one heading down to the river, you continue straight ahead keeping the river and then fishing ponds to your right.

3.      On reaching a gate, pass through and keep heading straight on.  After a short while you go gently uphill to a gap in a wall.  Pass through this and the path descends to a track.  When you reach the track, turn right and then left along the signed footpath, keeping the river and fishing ponds on your right.

4.      After about 30 yards you cross a small bridge and bear right.  When you reach the fence, the river taking a sharp turn, cross over the stile and continue on the fenced path, crossing stiles as you go until you pass some buildings on your right, one of which is a green corrugated building.

5.      On reaching the road, turn left to join a bridle path, at the entrance to which is a sign saying “Private Monkwood.  Keep to the marked bridle and foot path.  By order of the Hadden Estate”.  After about 200 yards the bridle path starts to climb uphill and bends round to the left with Monkwood farm clearly seen on the right.

6.      At the top of the hill, with the farm on your right, continue along the bridle path, keeping a wooden fence on your right, and enter Monkwood.  Where the bridle path bends left stay with it and, at the top of the hill, turn right along a path which leads you to the base of a bridge.  This bridge crosses the A61, Dronfield Bypass.

7.      Cross over the bridge and at the other side you are forced to turn right, heading into a wood.  Once in the wood, walk straight ahead uphill along a path.  At the top of the hill the paths swings round to the right with a golf course on your left.

8.      When you see a stile on your right with a yellow arrow marker pointing to it, cross over and head across the field with a hedgerow on your right.  You are now following the Dronfield 2000 Rotary Walk.  Cross over a stile and head for the farm.

9.      You will now see another stile.  Cross over this and walk down the track opposite to a stile.  Cross over the stile and follow the path, with trees and hedges to your left, to yet another stile beside a gate about 70 yards away.  Cross over this stile and continue along the path, with the hedgerow still on your left.

10. At the end of this field cross another stile to a track.  Go straight across to another stile and cross this.  You now have Ouzle Bank cottage on your left.

11. Walk across the top of the field to a stile on the right of a gate.  Climb over the stile and continue straight ahead with a fence on your right.  Cross another stile, the fence still on your right turning into a hedgerow after about 30 yards.

12. At the end of this field, the path swings gently left to a stile.  Pass through this stile and turn left.  After about 20 yards turn 90° right and walk slightly downhill across the field.  Having crossed this field, bear right to join a track with the hedgerow on your left.  You are now heading downhill to the village of Unstone.

13. Halfway down the hill, the track bears left – stay with it, heading for Manor Farm.  Once you reach the farm, take the track to the right, keeping the barn and silos on your left and the farmhouse on your right (the gate may be locked – if so, climb over it!).   The track descends downhill to join a road immediately under a railway bridge.

14. Cross over the road and turn right heading downhill.  As you reach some houses about 30 yards before the garage, turn left and walk down the track, soon bearing right onto a footpath with the Peak Paper building on the left.  This path runs right of the gate and fencing and has corrugated fencing on its right.

15. You soon reach a small footbridge – cross over this and head uphill through a wood.  After a few yards the path becomes stepped.  At the top of these steps, where several paths meet, go straight ahead to a kissing gate.  Once through this, bear right for a few yards then turn left up a path which passes by the side of six cottages (going uphill) on your left.  Going up this path there are open fields on your left and a copse on your right.

16. At the top of the hill is a kissing gate.  Go through this and go straight ahead, keeping in the middle of humps and hollows.  At this stage the path turns into a wide track.

17. When you reach a gate with a kissing gate on the right, pass through and continue straight ahead along the track, keeping the hedge to your left.  This track becomes flanked by a hedge on your left and a fence on your right and leads down to a metal gate with a stile on its left.  Cross over the stile and walk straight ahead, keeping the hollybush-style hedge on your left.

18. When the hedgerow swings left, you bear slightly right, heading for farm buildings and a stile to the right of a metal gate.  Cross over the stile and bear right to a kissing gate five yards away.  Go through this and onto a metalised road.  You have now reached Apperknowle.

19. Turn left onto the road and walk uphill.  The road swings to the left and 30 yards after the bend you turn right onto another road, doubling back on yourself.  Where the road reaches some houses, turn left and walk uphill, with the houses on your right.

20. When you reach the road junction at the top of the hill, turn right and walk along the pavement across the top of Apperknowle village.  After a third of a mile you reach the Yellow Lion Public House on your left.

This is Checkpoint 5.


 

6 – Apperknowle to Eckington               ---               3.8 miles

 

1.          On leaving the Yellow Lion turn left and walk along the road until you meet a track on the left, opposite the cricket field signposted “Blackamoor Inn”.  Turn left onto this track which has hedges on both sides.

2.          After about 200 yards the track turns left and narrows.  Continue along the track, passing a small private airstrip on your left.  When you reach a road you are virtually opposite the car park of the Blackamoor Inn.

3.          At the road turn right and walk on the grass verge.  Just before the road bends to the right, on the opposite side of the road, is a walled bridge, to the left of which is a stile.  Cross the road and climb over the stile, then turn sharp right and downhill to a small stream.

4.          Cross over the stream via two stepping stones and follow the path round to the left to a stile.  Cross over the stile and carry straight on ahead with the hedgerow marking the stream on your left.  The path starts to head downhill and to your right is the Snowden Farm Riding School.

5.          When you reach another stile, cross over and continue downhill, hugging the bank of the stream.  When you reach another stile, cross over and continue straight on to a small footbridge over the stream.  Crossing this bridge takes you to a narrow path with cottages on your left a hedgerow on your right.

6.          At the end of this small path you come to a gate – go through and head straight on down what appears to be a driveway.  Continue along until you reach a metalised road.  Turn right and head downhill.  After about 100 yards you will see a public footpath sign on your left – take this path.  DO NOT GO THROUGH THE GATE AS THIS LEADS TO A PRIVATE FISHERY – TAKE THE FOOTPATH TO THE RIGHT OF THE GATE.

7.          About 50 yards down the path is a stile on your right – cross over this and bear 45° left, heading for a stile in the middle of a fence halfway up a field.  Go through this and continue slightly left to a stile in the corner of the next field.  Cross over this into the next field and walk diagonally right downhill to an open gate.  Go through the gate and head diagonally left to a stile about a third of the way up the field.  Cross over this (slightly awkward) then bear right, crossing the field, heading uphill through the middle of some gorse.

8.          In the top corner of the field is a stile, cross over this and turn left onto a lane for a few yards.  On your right is a small bridge which leads to a stile – cross over this and bear slightly left, heading towards some telegraph poles.

9.          Once across the field, cross over another stile and bear 45° right heading for a squeezer stile in the hedge on the opposite side of the track.  Pass through this and bear slightly left, heading uphill following the line of the telegraph poles to reach a stile in a hedge.  Cross over this and bear slightly left, across a field to a stile next to a gate.  You have now reached the village of Marsh Lane.

10.     Having crossed the stile next to the gate, bear left to a squeezer stile, then go straight on to a stile in the fence opposite.  Cross over this and head for another stile beside a garage.  Cross over this stile and walk down the road.  At the road cross over and turn left and after about 50 yards turn right into a farm drive.  Pass through the farm heading for a wooden gate.  Pass through the gate onto a track with hedges on both sides.

11.     At the top of a small rise, the track becomes hedged on the left and fenced on the right.  At the end of the fence you reach a stile to the right of a gate.  Cross over this and cross the field with a hedge to your right.  When you reach a metal gate, go through.

12.     Now you start slowly descending, keeping the hedge to your right.  When you reach a gap in the hedge, go through continuing downhill, the hedge now on your left.  The path turns into a track called “Back Lane”.

13.     After about half a mile at the end of this lane you reach a housing estate.  Turn left along another track, with the housing estate on your right and open country on your left.  The track swings round to the right, skirting round the estate to meet a road opposite an old school building.  Turn left and walk down the road (Stead Street) to a road junction.  Cross over the road to the car park of the Co-Op supermarket.

   This is Checkpoint 6.


 

7 – Eckington to Spinkhill                    ---                  2.0 miles

 

1.      Leave the Co-Op car park via some steps to the left of the store, which take you down to a lane.  At the lane, turn right and head for the road (High Street) between two shops.  Having reached the road go straight ahead for about 30 yards, then follow the road round to the left where it becomes Station Road.

2.      Carry on down Station Road, heading for the main Sheffield to Newark road (A616).  Go straight across and pass through a gap in the fence opposite.  PLEASE BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN CROSSING THE ROAD.

3.      Once through the fence pass through and turn right and then left to join the footpath to the right of Renishaw golf course.  Follow this path and, where it bears right and becomes a track, you walk straight ahead on a less obvious path, crossing the golf course.  You pass the 12th tee on your left and a banked green on your right, heading for a small clump of trees which you walk straight through.

4.      At the end of the golf course, just before a bridge crossing a river, turn right and walk with the river to your left and golf course to your right.  After about a quarter of a mile bear left and cross a wooden bridge over the river, then bear right heading for a stile next to a gate.

5.      Cross over two stiles and head for a railway bridge ahead of you.  Cross over the bridge and pass through a kissing gate.  Bear right and walk up the path with a fence on your right.  At the top of the hill go straight on, with the fence still to your right, heading for a stile to the right of Birley Farm.

6.      Once over the stile, bear right along a track to the bottom of a field.  Here turn left onto a bridle path which is signposted and takes you over a bridge which the spans the dry bed of the old Chesterfield Canal.  Once over the bridge, go straight on and slightly uphill for about half a mile, heading for Spinkhill.

7.      As you near Mount St. Mary’s College a hedgerow shoots off to your right at the edge of the playing field.  Here you turn right, skirting the playing field and walking with the hedge to your right.

8.      At the far end of the playing field, turn left and walk slightly uphill along the line of some trees, with the field still to your left.  At the top of the field bear right and go through a gap in the hedge onto the road – you are now in Spinkhill.

9.      Turn left onto the road and follow it through the village.  The road bends to the left and then slightly to the right before reaching a crossroads – left to Killamarsh, right to Renishaw and Barlborough, straight on to Park Hall.  Go straight across, heading up a lane towards the farm.

10. After about half a mile, where a lane goes off to the right towards Park Hall, keep to the left fork, going straight on towards the farm.

Here you will find Checkpoint 7. 


 

8 – Spinkhill to Harthill                              ---             3.7 miles

 

1.      Go through the farm and immediately after the farm turn left following the edge of a field.  Cross over a stile and bear slightly right, heading for the corner of the next field.  Here you cross over another stile and walk straight ahead, on a well defined path through the next field.

2.      When you reach the next stile, turn left and walk for a short distance to the corner of the field.  Here you turn right, keeping the fence to your left, and follow the edge of the field, soon bearing right and then left.  Cross over the next stile and walk towards the motorway footbridge, skirting the right hand edge of the next two fields with a fence on your right.

3.      Cross over the motorway and over a stile, and walk straight on for a short distance to a track which crosses your path.  Turn left and follow the well-defined track.  After a short while you pass over a cattle grid and the path becomes surrounded by trees.  Continuing straight ahead for a further half mile you will see a collection of old vehicles.  Continuing straight ahead until you meet the road next to a house.

4.      Cross over the road and turn left, then right at the footpath sign which takes you up the motorway service road.  The road firstly swings to the left and then to the right and after a further 200 yards you will meet a footpath sign on your right.  Here turn right and follow the footpath with hedgerow on your right. 

5.      The path starts to descend until you meet a gate on your right.  Go through and turn immediately left.  Continue with hedgerow on your left for about 30 yards and then turn left on to a well-marked path.  You will now have the wood on your right and the edge of the plantation on your left.  You will soon see Harthill ponds appearing on your right.

6.      Where you meet a footpath junction, turn right and cross over the metal bridge.  On the far side of the bridge, turn left and follow the path round the reservoir, which now on your left hand side, until you reach the car park, passing through a metal gate and wooden gate on the way.  Rotherham Sailing Club is on your left and some bungalows are on your right.  Pass through the car park until you reach the driveway and a bridge on your left.  Turn right along the driveway, through some houses, to the road.

7.      At the road turn left and walk along the pavement – you are now on Carver Close.  At the road junction turn left and walk downhill, along Pryor Mede, to another road junction.  At this junction turn right onto Woodall Road.  Cross over the road and enter the small car park to the left of the doctors’ surgery.  This is Checkpoint 8.


 

9 – Harthill to Whitwell                        ---                   4.5 miles

 

1.      After leaving the car park turn left and walk in front of the Blue Bell public house.  Walk up the path, between the houses to the main road.  Cross over the road and turn left, walking along the pavement for about 30 yards until you reach a footpath sign on your right.  Here turn right and climb the steps (1950 written on them) up the hill to a metalised road.

2.      Go straight across the road, up a short lane between the houses, to a stile to the right of a gate.  Cross over the stile and walk along the path, with the hedge on your left, to another stile.  Cross over this stile and continue along the path, the hedge now on your right to another stile.  Cross over this stile and continue along the path, the hedge now back on your left, to the bottom of the field.

3.      You are now heading for a stile which is about 10 yards to the right of the field corner.  Cross over this stile and follow the path, slightly uphill, towards a small wood.  Cross over the stile and enter the wood.  After about 50 yards cross another stile and emerge once again into open fields with a hedge to your left.

4.      Follow the path and where you reach another wood bear right (signposted in the grass “Packman Lane”).  Walk along the edge of the field, with the wood on your left, to a stile which drops onto a road.  Turn left and walk along the road for about 30 yards until you reach a signpost and stile on your right.  Cross over the stile and head diagonally left and downhill across the field to another stile.  Cross over this and continue diagonally across the next field to another stile.  Cross over this stile and after a short distance cross over another stile, which drops down onto Packman Lane.

5.      Turn right and follow the lane for two miles, passing through Loscar Farm, Bondhay Cottages on your right and then Bondhay Golf & Country Club on your left.

6.      After two miles, just over one mile past the golf club and about 200 yards past a farm lane on the right, you turn left through the hedge at a footpath signpost.  You now follow the path which bears to the right after about 70 yards, across open fields to a gap which leads onto the main Worksop to Chesterfield road (A619).

7.      Go straight across the road and walk down a grassed lane for about 50 yards until you reach a stile and signpost on your left.  Cross over the stile and walk diagonally to your right to another stile which leads onto the road which is your approach to Whitwell.

8.      Cross over the stile and turn left, heading for the church.  Opposite the church turn right onto Scotland Street and follow the road down.  The road swings round to the left.  Stay on this road until you reach the Butchers Arms public house.  At the junction turn right and follow the road uphill.  Once over the brow of the hill you will see the Royal Oak public house on your left.

This is the finish of the Louise Smalley Challenge Walk – well done, you’ve made it!