Terrain and Accessibility: The Monsal Head walk mostly follows smooth paths and roads. Past High Dale, I eventually . Read more here. If the weather is fine, why not pick up some ice cream from their Monsal Head Ices truck which is just outside? So, you could take in the views at Monsal Head, then carry on down the hill towards the valley to see the spectacular views of the Monsal Dale below! 10. Although the hill has been here since time immemorial, this valley became industrialised in the Victorian era due to the Midlands Railway that was opened in 1863. This trail has a few different starting points, making it easier or longer. If you park at the top of the long stay car park behind the Monsal Head hotel, there is a small cordoned-off area on the hill with some benches provided which is perfect for a picnic. You can either choose to grab a drink and some snacks or a pub meal from their menu of dishes. Youll see a walking sign pointing to either side of the steps and from here, there are some amazing angles for photos. The campsite is well located on the B6465 (Ashford Lane) north west of Bakewell, Derbyshire almost on the edge of the spectacular Monsal Head, which is well worth a visit if only to look out over the beautiful Derbyshire landscape. Time for an ice-cream from the van or a pint in the Stable Bar. Monsal Head then became a popular attraction for tourists who would take coaches up here from Monsal Dale station to admire the views. A link to set a new password will be sent to your email address. Monsal Dale is a famous and unspoiled valley in Derbyshire. Have you got the bottle to help create a plastic free Peak District? Took about 40 minutes. view from pitches, facilities etc Maximum length 100 characters, Buxton, Derbyshire, England, DE45 1NL, United Kingdom, Navigate to this location using Apple Maps. Check the weather for your walk location and hills. 2. Type - Short Stay Pay & Display car park (2hrs maximum stay - 8am-6pm) Capacity - 19 spaces - 1 blue badge space. 1 2 hours. A Parking Management Company, born in Hollywood, CA, TOM MEREDITH The Stables Bar next to the Monsal Head Hotel is a characterful rustic pub for a drink and bite to eat after your walk. Note there is no footpath along this road so go carefully. Personally I would start by the cafe and take a left down the very steep steps and make the loop round and back up the steady incline. Find parking charges, opening hours, postcode and a parking map of Monsal Head - Short Stay Castlegate Lane as well as other car parks, street parking, pay and display, parking meters and private garages for rent in Derbyshire Dales The Monsal Head viewpoint came about with the introduction of the Midlands Railway in 1863 which connected London with Manchester. Regardless the Midlands Railway powered on until 1968 and the buildings here, like Hobbs Cafe Tearoom, served the railway workers until it closed. privacy policy Its not until you stand right underneath it that you can appreciate its sheer size. FIND YOUR WAY OUTSIDE is a trademark of AllTrails, LLC. John Ruskin who was one of Englands best cultural critics gave it a scathing review and condemned the railway; There was a rocky valley between Buxton and Bakewell, once upon a time, divine as the Vale of Tempe You Enterprised a Railroad through the valley you blasted its rocks away, heaped thousands of tons of shale into its lovely stream. Great little walk! website by w brand studio, newport beach, Valet 5. It is the first time the public have been able to go through the tunnels since the former Midland Railway Line closed in 1968. The Monsal Dale Viaduct is a fine example of Victorian engineering. Standing at the top of the road that heads down to Cressbrook (which is worth driving through if you have the time!) There are community toilets available at the start of the walk at Monsal Head car park (the block near the entrance). Lightweight transport vehicles (also known as 'e-scooters' are notpermitted on our trails network). The National Park has a varied landscape of rugged cliffs, sandy beaches, wooded estuaries and wild . Lots of seating outside and benches overlooking the gorgeous view of Monsal Head. Surprising experience. The scenery and route make this Monsal Head walk ideal for families. The Hobbs Cafe Monsal Head opening times is from 11am 4pm on Thursday to Sunday. There are also annual and weekly parking permits available. So, you may find the lighting is bad before it sets behind the hills. So, if you wanted to save some money, I would definitely say to park after 6 pm here! There is also a layby for FREE roadside parking on Castlegate Lane (B6465) a few hundred meters north of Monsal Head. Take a moment to appreciate the fantastic view. Most of the route was opened to the public . Nowadays, even though the railway is not here, Monsal Head Viewpoint is still an extremely popular tourist destination. For an EPIC view point dont miss Bamford Edge. Monsal Head Car Park, Castlegate Lane, DE45 1NL Tideswell Dale Car Park, Buxton, SK17 8QH Wye Dale Car Park, Buxton, SK17 9TE Bumper, parked at the short-stay car park at Monsal Head. Want more ideas for family walks?Best Family Walks in the Peak DistrictPram Friendly Peak District walksToddler walks in the Peak DistrictAlso, come and join our friendly Peak District Kids Facebook Group for any questions or to share photos of your walks. Read more here. Peak District Walks is a FREE online resource. Parking, Online Distance 5.5 km Duration 2:43 h Ascent 194 m Descent 196 m A walk along Monsal Dale from Monsal Head car park. From Monsal Head car park, down to Monsal Weir on the River Wye then loop back under the viaduct back to the top. The 173 bus runs between Castleton and Bakewell and stops at Monsal Head. Today, its a popular spot for visitors to grab lunch or coffee with a birds-eye view of the Monsal Dale valley. Other things to see and do near Monsal Head. ALLTRAILS and the AllTrails Mountain Design are registered trademarks of AllTrails, LLC in the United States as well as certain other jurisdictions. Read more here. More information on the Peak District, including transport options, where to stay, best Peak District pubs + other useful resources. Follow along the river little more, so then cross back over and climb back up to Monsal Head view point. South Park Group, Los Angeles, TOM MEREDITH But, in order to build the Monsal Dale station, the Midlands Railway needed to construct the Monsal Headstone Viaduct for the line. More information about our Privacy Policy. Please see my disclosure policy for details. I love writing about the weird, wonderful, bookish, magical, and historical on my blog. Please also take all litter home with you, dont bring BBQs and park your car in designated parking areas. The trail either leads left towards Ashford and Monsal Dale or right towards Upperdale and Monsal Viaduct! Awesome short trail to see Monsal Head and the Weir. Follow this path down to the right. This short Monsal Head walk follows the below map in a clockwise direction starting from the pay and display car park behind the Monsal Head Hotel. Filter. If youre heading out on the Monsal Trail walk, there will be signs that will direct you to the stairs leading up to Monsal Head! Do check out our top tips for hiking with young kids, as well as our essential items to take on a family hike in the Peak District. Check prices here for theone month or yearly option with OS Online App. Check out the 7 YHAs in the Peak Districtand find the best walks direct from your accommodation. Green Bridge Investments, Los Angeles, JACK RAVAN You will hear the water gushing over Monsal Weir before you see it. Postcode is: DE45 1NL.WALK HIGHLIGHTS: Amazing views of Headstone Viaduct across Monsal Dale, an impressive weir, and you walk right underneath the viaduct too. Turn left and walk towards the wall where you join the footpath, theres a signpost for Monsal Dale and Ashford, pointing left. From the viewpoint, follow the footpath to the left (signposted Ashford Monsal Dale), which leads downhill. Your personal data will be used to support your experience throughout this website, to manage access to your account, and for other purposes described in our privacy policy. Click here to join the Peak District Kids Facebook Group. There are two car parks at Monsal Head, the main one which has 150 spaces then a small short stay one with 19 spaces for up to 1 hour (the price is the same for up to an hour at both car parks). Each tunnel is about 400 metres long and will be lit during normal daylight hours. 5. Monsal head is genuinely one of the most stunning beauty spots in the Peak District. Monsal Trail: Monsal head carpark - See 1,803 traveller reviews, 1,154 candid photos, and great deals for Bakewell, UK, at Tripadvisor. So, you can visit all times of the year whenever you like! Monsal Dale from Monsal Head Car Park Difficulty easy. There is a pay and display long stay car park located behind the pub with plenty of parking. It's located in the White Peak area of the national park in the county of Derbyshire. From this viewpoint, you get breathtaking views of Monsal Dale, the Monsal Head Viaduct, and the River Wye below. Click here for the full list of Peak District Kids printable downloads. (Less of a strenuous climb). It was popular with Victorian visitors who would visit for the views. Third Eye Traveller is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Monsal Weir + viaduct 1.5-mile route. Please keep the Peak District beautiful and respect everyone who uses the park. There is a pay and display long stay car park located behind the pub with plenty of parking. Take ALL your rubbish home to dispose of and remember close gates (as you found them). Monsal Head car park Monsal Dale The Viaduct Headstone Tunnel Monsal Trail Ashford-in-the-Water Pennyunk Lane 1 From the car park pass the toilets on your right to walk between the Monsal Head Hotel and the Stable Bar. Monsal Head is a historic viewpoint and lookout in the Peak District National Park which sees thousands of tourists visit each year. Please follow us and use the #peakdistrictkids hashtag so we can share with our wider community. But a really nice place. The start of the trail GPS coordinates 53.24064, -1.72500. Click here for more details on the Monsal Trail walking route. Rivers can of course be hideously dangerous, so please do be careful and of course dont go in if it seems too deep or too fast; it can change a lot in different seasons. From Monsal Head I walked down the slope the the Wye River and found the footbridge there There was no one else around and it made this lovely walk even better. If you purchase through these, Peak District Walks earn from the qualifying links. Left click to hear in your web browser, or right click and choose 'Save Link As' to save to your computer or MP3 player. We stayed at Park House Campsite in 2012 having read generally good reviews. I did find that in summer there was lots of stinging nettles, weeds, and foliage which blocked some of the views. Go though the gate and continue walking down the path through the trees where you can get a glimpse of Monsal Viaduct and the Monsal Trail. Join our Peak District walks Facebook page, follow us on Instagram andTwitter for inspiration. Ask us any questions in the comments or via our social media. We have a route guide to get to the waterfall from Edale. 0-1 - 1.50. During peak hours 8am 6pm Up to 1 hour 1.50. Wherever you stand, youll get some fabulous panoramas over Monsal Dale. When you reach the small road turn right and walk down the road. Most of the route was opened to the public in 1981 but four former railway tunnels had to remain closed due to safety reasons, with public footpaths taking people around them. *Peak District Walks participates in the Amazon Services Associates Programme, as well as other affiliateprogrammes. You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings. There are many entrance points to the Monsal Trail along the route between Bakewell and Blackwell Mill at Chee Dale see our map. Be prepared this is a long, challenging and intrepid trek. You now follow the path under the viaduct and continue on the path next to the river. We stayed at Park House Campsite in 2012 having read generally good reviews. Option to extend walk Instead of right, turn left after youve crossed the bridge and walk alongside the river for about 1 km then returning the same route. From Monsal Head car park, down to Monsal Weir on the River Wye then loop back under the viaduct back to the top. Third Eye Traveller participates in various affiliate marketing programs. The car park machine was cash only, although it does mention another machine that takes card payments. LADOT operates over 38,000 parking meters across the city for your convenience and developing digital tools to make parking more convenient for you. The sunsets behind this viewpoint and so the sun will be directly in your camera in the afternoon. Jane Austen stayed in the Rutland Arms in Bakewell and she visited Chatsworth House nearby which inspired her to write Pemberley in Pride and Prejudice! If you park up at the bottom in the short stay car park in front of the Monsal Head Hotel, this is where you will find the facilities and (in my opinion) the best views from Monsal Head. If youre hiking in all weathers the Active OS maps are pretty good to have. Once across youll see a some buildings, walk past these then immediately after the building, turn right and head down the footpath alongside them. Continue walking down the trail for around 500m and dont turn off. This short and circular Monsal Head walk takes you past all these highlights! Legacy Partners, JACK RAVAN 'Peak District Kids' is the go-to website for parents both visiting and living in the Peak District, run by Bakewell-based mum-of-two, Jenny Lynn. Lovely views. The walk then takes you past a the beautiful Monsal trail waterfall on the river Wye and back up along a woodland trail. Ended up tagging on a 15k walk down monsall trail to the end and back! Even if this place is busy, you can still get amazing photos from the lower viewpoint which will be in front of Hobbs Caf Tearoom and over the B-road. Thank you so much. Heres a lovely short walk from Monsal Head with stunning views down to the valley of Monsal Dale and Monsal Trail over the viaduct. Id recommend shopping in The Old Original Bakewell Pudding Shop but you may have to queue! Where is the best place to stay for the Monsal head walk? If the lights go off because of a power failure there is a two hour emergency back up in place. We had a brilliant time and will be back! Your personal data will be used to support your experience throughout this website, to manage access to your account, and for other purposes described in our privacy policy. Top tips - Read our useful guides onhiking tips here. Ashford in the Water, Derbyshire DE45 1NL, UK. There are benches on the lower viewpoint and from here you can see the Monsal Viaduct, the River Wye, and the Monsal Dale Valley. Its also a good opportunity to show young kids the map features and get them started with map reading. People with dogs however need to be more mindful of the signs saying to keep dogs on the lead. These stables are steeped in history and have been here for over 200 years, way before the railway was built when it used to be a coaching inn. For app subscribers you can now download all the POI to import into your favourite sat nav device, You can then use this ID: S24643S to find the site quickly without having to enter any coordinates or address, App users can also use the following apps to navigate to this location with just one click, Third party apps must be installed and additional payment may be required, To enable GPS navigation, you need to have the relevant app installed on your device, Guide prices are indicative only and based on two people without electricity where electric is available as a separate charge, always check current pricing, Not all facilities listed may be available at all times, searchforsites accepts no responsibilty for the accuracy of the data shown, Views from the back/top end of the car park, parked up! The Hobbs Caf tearoom is also a building that has a history since the Victorian era where it used to provide refreshments for the Midlands Railway workers. After youve soaked up the views, go through the small gate via the outdoor seating area and youll come out by the Monsal Head pub (great for after your walk). And viaduct. Pretty steep at the end, we chose the path on the left to start was a nice steady decline. Iconic Monsal Head is where the impressive Headstone Viaduct, which forms part of the Monsal Trail, straddles the verdant Monsal Dale and the River Wye meanders aimlessly through. In winter it can get rather foggy so be sure to keep eyes on the route. What is there to see and do on the Monsal Trail? Well, beyond the obvious draw of amazing views there are quite a few amenities around here! Visit ourhiking recommendations page, (footwear, clothes + kit). Walk down the stairs in either direction to meet the Monsal trail below. Joseph G. Business Owner. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. Daytime only parking suitable for motorhomes. If you walk through Headstone tunnel you can walk to Hassop and Bakewell along the Monsal trail. There is also Hobbs Cafe and an ice cream truck. Pembrokeshire Coast National Park (Parc Cenedlaethol Arfordir Penfro) in Wales was established in 1952. Surprising experience. Nearby you can also explore the Thornbridge outdoor centre, Cressbrook dale and Peters stone. Or check out all our Peak District walking routes here, Peak District Walks is a FREE online resource. Monsal Dale is located in the White Peak limestone area of the Peak District National Park. For this walk you need theOS Explorer Active Map OL 24(WhitePeak). Filter. Or visit the Peak District Kids shop. Many people will be travelling from the likes of Bakewell but you can also follow the roads from Tideswell and Millers Dale by the River Wye. An Overnight Parking District (OPD) is an area that has posted regulations limiting parking by vehicles without permits between 2:00 AM and 6:00 AM in order to reduce the impact of criminal and public nuisance activities associated with non-resident vehicles parked late at night. Thank you so much. Follow the Monsal Head postcode DE45 1NJ or click the Google Pin here! 9. So, what is there to do at Monsal Head viewpoint? Monsal Head car park. You can also head over to the spa town of Buxton with its gorgeous crescent, Pavilion Gardens, and Solomons Temple. Talk to Us CarPark, Inc. 6541 Hollywood Blvd #203, Los Angeles, CA 90028 (323) 462-6060 park@carpark.com . Monsal Head - Long Stay Castlegate Lane Derbyshire Dales DE45 1NJ +44 1629 761333 http://www.derbyshiredales.gov.uk/community-a-living/parking/car-park-charges - Advertisement - Prices Mon-Sun - All day 1 Hour 1.50 2 Hours 2.50 3 Hours 3.80 4 Hours 5.00 24 Hours 6.00 (ends at 08:00) Overnight 1.00 (In after 18:00 Out by 08:00) Opening Times This is at no extra cost to you. Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 52 min to complete. Cross the bridge and follow the path up to the small road. Sort by: Distance Price Relevance. Saying that, whichever place you decide to park, the area is quite small and the walking distances here are extremely short. Take the footpath on the right that leads through the woodland and down towards the River Wye. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); I'm a UK-based solo female travel blogger. 3. I loved the cherry Bakewell flavour! +44 1629 761 100. The Monsal Trail is in the centre of the Peak District National Park, starting just north of Bakewell, 10 miles north of Matlock and 8 miles west of Chesterfield in Derbyshire. Monsal Head - Short Stay 19 spaces. Continue straight on to reach the Monsal Head car park, with picnic benches, a pub and a tea room for refreshments if needed. Services, Event So tranquil- even in the rain. Straight across A6 and go west following River Wye to . Now 2 hours. From the Monsal Head car park, head to the view point in between The Stables Bar and Longstone Bar (which is part of Monsal Head Hotel). Cross the river here and then follow the trail round to the left (back towards the viaduct). Find parking charges, opening hours and a parking map of all Castlegate Lane car parks, street parking, pay and display, parking meters and private garages