Monday 9th September 2024 – Matlock to Youlgrave via Bonsall and Winster following mostly the Limestone Way (10 miles/5 hours)
We leave the hotel and travel from Harrow via underground to St Pancras and East Midlands Railway to Derby, then take a local train to Matlock.
We set off at around 11.30am on the walk, and arrived at Youlgrave after a long hike albeit with a few navigation errors, so it’s possible to arrive at Matlock on the first day, rather than staying a night, which would be the more comfortable option.
Finding the way out of Matlock station is easy enough, coming out of the station and going over the footbridge in the direction leading out of the town.
Although getting to Bonsall village for lunch was fairly easy, albeit uphill most of the way and not having yet got used to the weight and positioning of our rucksacks, there were times when we lost the trail, including a field which had been sown and that we were supposed to cross but thought not to and skirted round the edge.
We found Bonsall easily enough and noticed that St James’ church up another steep hill was serving lunches (Jimmy’s cafe), we didn’t see any other shops/pubs open at midday, so we made the best of the cheap soup and pudding on offer, plus wifi and eco-loo (without water).
Although we were instructed how to get back on track to our route, I missed following this and Katie’s advice, so we ended up taking a detour South from where the map shows (1) in an extra loop, it didn’t add much distance but added about an hour as the path was single file, covered in thorns and angled downhill!
After that mishap we were ok with the route and were proceeding quite rapidly over open countryside skirting Winster.
The route was well-signed and apart from the difficulties at the start, getting out of Bonsall (Phil’s error), the only other point to watch navigation is near the hermitage – you have to just look more closely for the Peak Wesley Way signs. We didn’t go to the hermitage at Cratcliffe Tor as we were concerned about the time.
Katie noticed a large reddish raptor-sized bird with dark tipped wings, which we got confirmed as a red kite. Here’s a recording of its birdsong:
We carried on up further hilly sections and the steep but short lane into Youlgrave (the village is spelled Youlgreave on some maps), confronted by locals sat on benches at the George Hotel opposite the church. We turn left down the main street, stop at the post office for bread rolls for breakfast, past the Bull’s Head, then the Farmyard Inn to reach our destination and bed for the night at the chapel going out of town.
Accomodation was well-planned in the corner of the church behind a screen for the kitchen area with a door leading through to the bathroom and sturdy camping beds (by Hi-Gear) placed in front of the screens in the church area.
There had been a funeral recently of a local bandsman and the chapel had been full, as the person visiting explained; one pew was stacked full of all the band music he’d collected and there were three brass bands that had attended.
The accommodation at the chapel was all perfectly adequate, so after a short rest and bit of movement to ease aching shoulders and backs, we wander back into town in search of a pub for our evening meal.
We were well-rewarded by the Bull’s Head, the Farmyard Inn being closed on Mondays and the George Hotel at the start of the village too far for tired legs.
Katie had fish and chips and me a pie, chips and gravy. She tried to tune a guitar in the pub, for me to practice with, but it didn’t really work, nonetheless I got to strum a bit in the room next to where everyone was sitting and eating.
The pub had a nice, easy-going atmosphere, no screens, people chatting to one another, there was a university or school meetup on a table of three opposite us and a couple of fairly large families; the bar area at the front had a darts board that was being used.
The first day had been tougher than expected, with back and shoulder aches.
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