The Route - Kilometre 164 to 180

Kilometre 164 (Mile 102) Buxton

The road descends into Buxton. After going under the railway bridge a roundabout is reached. Turn right here signposted to Town Centre Parking, go under the nice railway viaduct and turn left immediately afterwards into the signposted car park.

This car park has public conveniences and costs 30p for up to 1 hour, 50p for up to 2 hours, £1 for up to 4 hours, and £2 over 4 hours. This is not the closest car park to the town centre, but it is the easiest one to find and the easiest one from which to leave Buxton. The Tourist Information in the centre of the town is a flat 300 metre walk away.

Buxton has several interesting indoor attractions which makes it worthy of at least a two hour visit. See the detailed section on Buxton.

Leaving the Buxton car park, turn right at the roundabout, signposted A6 towards Matlock and Derby, and go under the railway viaduct. After the viaduct go slightly right at the roundabout, again signposted A6 Matlock and Derby.

The River Wye flows alongside the road at this point. It is enclosed in a conduit and resembles a canal.

600 metres later another roundabout, by Safeways, is reached. Again, follow the signs for the A6 towards Matlock and Derby.

Soon the River Wye reverts to a natural valley, rather than the concrete in Buxton, with the railway line beyond it but still very close to the road.

1.8 kilometres (1.1 miles) after Safeways and as the road enters a gorge section, on the left is The Devonshire Arms. It does food and there are car parks on both sides of this public house. 300 metres later the Peak National Park is entered. The park boundary is indicated by a small round brown sign, and not the more usual millstone.

The gorge starts to widen 1.5 kilometres (1 mile) later. Both left and right sides of the valley now slope at about 45 degrees, rather than being the vertical rock cliffs. The road is still following the right bank of the river and the railway is repeatedly crossing over the top of the road. There is the Wye Dale car park 700 metres later on the right. This is a good place to stop for a little walk onto the top of the hills.

As the top of the hill is reached, 1 kilometre (0.6 miles) after the Wye Dale car park, there is a car park on the left which is well worth pulling into.

Looking over the edge from the car park to the left of the white cottages the effects of quarrying can be seen along a valley called Great Rocks Dale. The gorge disappearing to the right of the cottages is the start of Chee Dale. The white cottages are Blackwell Mill Cottages. Built for railway works there was a small Halt here (Blackwell Halt). The weir was used by the Blackwell Mill which has almost totally disappeared.

1.4 kilometres (0.9 miles) turn left towards Millers Dale and Tideswell on the B6049 which is exceptionally well signposted.

This road gently winds its way down for 2.2 kilometres (1.4 miles) to meet the River Wye.

Immediately after crossing the River Wye turn left signposted to a car park. Follow this road going under two railway bridges and then turn left immediately after into the car park.

Kilometre 174 (Mile 108) Miller's Dale

There are public conveniences and a café here and parking is only 30p.

Miller's Dale is one of the finest stretches of the River Wye and the dismantled railway line, now called the Monsal Trail, makes it easy to view the River Wye from up on high.

If you look towards the old station building, from the car park, there is a very small sign that Litton Mills left, Chee Dale Right. These are points on the Monsal Trail. In 1980, 12 years after the railway had been closed, the old track bed was taken over by the Peak National Park and opened as a walking route.

There is a circular walk of about 1 mile which starts from here and is described on interpretative boards.

Near to the railway bridges which went over the road are some disused lime kilns.

In case you are wondering why there was a two platform, 4 line railway station apparently in the middle of nowhere, it's a long story. But briefly, it was part of the Midland Railway's main line from London (St. Pancras), via Derby, to Manchester (Central). It was here that a branch line (it was always called the branch) to Buxton started. Thus, it was a busy intersection. This was also one of the few stations in England to have a post office on the platform.

Exit the car park and turn right to go down hill, go underneath two bridges and turn left at the Give Way signposted to Tideswell on the B6049.

Kilometre 177 (Mile 110) Tideswell

Tideswell's church which nestles in the centre of the village is often referred to as the 'Cathedral of the Peak' and is regarded as the finest building of its type in the country. It was built between 1320 and 1370 from the wealth generated from the lead mining and wool industries of the area.

Tideswell is renowned for its well dressings ceremony which occurs on the nearest Saturday to Saint John the Baptists Day (June 24th). This is also the start of its Wakes Week. See the comprehensive list of well dressings which includes other villages and towns within the Peak District National Park and many outside the Peak National Park.

It was awarded a charter for a market and fair in 1251 and today, Tideswell has got quite a few places to eat and drink and a few gift shops as well, selling items such as Blue John. We would recommend the Tideswell Dale Rock Shop which has been supplying fine mineral specimens to museums, educational establishments and private collectors since the 1970s.

900 metres (0.5 miles) from the Cathedral, by the Anchor public house, stagger right and left across the A623, following the signs towards Great Hucklow, Bradwell, B6049, and The Castleton Caverns.

The long hill directly in front is Abney Moor.

1.7 kilometres later (1.0 miles), on a bend, turn right to follow the sign to Great Hucklow and Gliding club.

Great Hucklow is entered 700 metres (½ mile) later.