White Peak – Long Dale, Gratton Dale and the High Peak Trail

Introduction

OK, so Dove Dale made it into the Royal Geographic Society’s 7 Natural Wonders of the UK, but give me these 2 very nearby dales and I couldn’t be happier. Maybe they don’t have a gushing and bubbling river, but for total tranquility and great ornithology they get me every time – and I come here every year (unless there’s a lockdown!).

At last some decent weather was forecast. The sun only shone intermittently, and it was very pleasantly warm.

I made an unusual decision to break my principle of being “Back in 5 hours”, as the walk I planned was a little over 10 miles, and I knew I’d be taking opportunities to sit quietly and wait for the birds to come to me!

The drive to Newhaven on the A515 between Buxton and Ashbourne takes an hour, and I ended up allowing my walk to take 4hours 45minutes including lunch.

For dog walkers, this is a decent walk. The livestock was generally fenced off from the paths, and there was a long disused railway section at the end.

OS Explorer Map OL24

There is a free car park where the former railway crosses the minor road at Friden, so no problem with parking.

Cromford and High Peak Railway

The Cromford and High Peak Railway (C&HPR) was a standard gauge line between the Cromford Canal wharf and Whaley Bridge. The railway, which was completed in 1831, was built to carry minerals and goods through the hilly rural terrain. The route was marked by a number of roped worked inclines, notably at Goyt Valley, and down into Whaley Bridge town. Due to falling traffic, the entire railway was closed by 1967.

The High Peak Trail now utilises the old track bed and the last part of the walk covers a 2.5 mile stretch of the Trail.

My walk started by going down to the road and heading north, soon taking a path off to the right into Long Dale.

Long Dale

The first section of the dale is flanked by the Bolderstone Plantation.

I’ve often sat and watched great spotted woodpeckers and redstarts busily hunting insects to feed young in the trees and the wall along here, but it’s a strangely late spring and today I settled for beautiful blackcaps and willow warblers in song.

At the end of the wooded section, the path turns left up the steep side of the dale. As I reach the gate at the top of the hill, I’m rewarded with close-up views of a splendid male wheatear on the wall.

The path stays at the top level for about a quarter of a mile, and this section is full of birds, particularly skylark and meadow pipit. There is much gorse here, though it looks a bit dead, making this plant I spotted appear all the more vibrant. My knowledge of plants is limited, so perhaps someone can tell me what it is!

The gorse attracted another small bird which, as a child, I considered to be very commonplace when exploring the country lanes to the west of Kingswinford, but I see it quite rarely these days. The rather pretty, linnet.

This is classic linnet habitat! The path now headed back down to the valley floor.

There is an unusual monument at this point….. and those cows look ominously frisky.

Very frisky! I was thankful for the wall and fence.

Gratton Dale

At the end of Long Dale, a left turn took me into the more shrubby habitat of Gratton Dale. Visiting warblers, and resident species such as song thrush, blackbird, robin and bullfinch are abundant here. It also harbours unusual insects such as this beetle!

It’s a wonderfully peaceful place, with just a few humans occasionally passing by.

Eventually I reached the village of Gratton.

Elton

At the phone box I turned right, and right again at Dale View Farm to take the cross country path to Elton. If you follow this route, don’t go this way, walk up the road. I had to negotiate three barbed wire fences blocking the right of way….. grrrr!

I extended my route by taking a peek on up the road into the sleepy village. The pub didn’t look open. The church was clearly still operating. Make of that what you will!

Cross Country

The next sections took me out on lanes, paths and fields, as I headed south-west towards Pikehall.

At the end of a pretty track, and now having extensive views of the area, I stopped for lunch.

Carrying on across the fields I was amused by these gates, placed there, it seems, in case the farmer decides to fence off the track!

I was pleased to find that the path had been maintained through the crop planting – well done farmer, this happens all too infrequently!

At the A5012 I turned right along this busy road, where, sadly, I passed the corpse of a recently deceased large deer on the roadside.

High Peak Trail

I took the first left turn and this quiet lane led me to the impressive stone embankment of the former railway.

I joined the track taking a quick look back along the embankment.

Turning back, and heading through the car park, the line passes through a lovely copse.

Moving on, there are wonderful views across the farmland and back to the stone embankment.

As I neared the end of the walk, I was taken aback by this sight….

And why, you may ask. Well sadly, I’d been watching the skylarks singing from great height, and dropping down into the middle of this field of lovely thick grass. Great place for a nest to be hidden. And about to be smashed to bits by the silage cutting. Oh well, perhaps they’ll try again.

Despite the sadness of the deer and the skylark incidents, I had a great day out, the dales being particularly wonderful!

And Finally….

Enjoy one of Australia’s best current bands – DMA’s with Lazy Love