Wolfscote Dale and Beresford Dale Walk

A 5.5 mile Peak District walk starting from Hartington.

Start: SK 12711 60249 – SK17 0BE
Map: Landranger 119, Explorer OL24
Difficulty: 4
Refreshments : Hartington

Beresford Dale is a narrow tree lined dale, hemmed in by limestone cliffs. On the right high above the dale stood Beresford Hall. A tower built close to the sight of the old hall is all that remains. The tower is visible along the path from Hartington. Pike Pool a little further on gets its name from the rocky tor that rises up out of the river like a pike. The river runs dark and deep, the depth maintained by weirs on this section you can understand why the river gets its name from the Gaelic word dubh, meaning black.

Wolfscote Dale is an attractive limestone dale, it is quieter than Dovedale but just as attractive. The caves in the limestone at the start of our walk in Wolfscote Dale could at one time been the home of one of the many wolves that are reputed to have lived in the dale. Legend has it that the last wolf that roamed the dale met his fate nearby. The dale twists and turns as the walk continues along the River Dove. We pass rocky tors with interesting names like Drabber Tor and Peasland Rocks before reaching Biggin Dale.

Biggin Dale is a narrow dry dale, stony underfoot, good walking shoes or boots ease the walk through the dale, which can be wet underfoot after heavy rain. The walk continues back to Hartington along a pleasant track along the lower slopes of Wolfscote Hill, this leads onto Reynards Lane, which towards the end of the walk offers excellent views over Hartington and the upper Dove valley.

Wolfscote Dale and Beresford Dale Photo Gallery

The footpath from Hartington leads over fields towards Beresford Dale. The valley here is quite wide, but it soon narrows when it enters the dale

Beresford Dale from Hartington

Morson Wood

The tower of Beresford Hall can be seen just above the dale, home of Charles Cotton friend of Izzak Walton the author of The Compleat Angler. Pike Pool gets it's name from the rocky tor which rises up out of the water like a pike!

Pike Pool, Beresford Dale

Walkers in Beresford Dale

Footbridge over the River Dove in Beresford Dale

Pasture between Beresford Dale and Wolfscote Dale

Wolfscote Dale from Beresford Dale

Wolfscote Dale is longer than Beresford Dale, with rocky tors and caves dotted along the valley

Caves, Wolfscote Dale

Perhaps this cave was home to one of the many wolves that lived in the the dale. Legend has it that the last wolf which roamed the dale was killed nearby

Cave, Wolfscote Dale

Surfaced path at the start of Wolfscote Dale

Surfaced Path, Wolfscote Dale

River Dove, Wolfscote Dale

Approaching Drabber Tor in Wolfscote Dale

Drabber Tor, Wolfscote Dale

Zooming in on Drabber Tor

River Dove in Wolfscote Dale below Drabber Tor

River Dove, Wolfscote Dale

Peaseland Rocks, Wolfscote Dale

Zooming in on Peaseland Rocks in Wolfscote Dale

Peaseland Rocks, Wolfscote Dale

The River Dove near Biggin Dale

A cave near Biggin Dale

Entrance to Biggin Dale

A track rises up from Biggin Dale along the lower slopes of Wolfscote Hill towards Hartington

Biggin Dale from Reynards Lane

Reynards Lane, Hartington

St Giles Church, Hartington

Footpath down into Hartington

Wolfscote Dale and Beresford Dale Walk Directions

The walk has an inauspicious start through a stile next to the toilets in Hartington. The path descends gently over rolling farmland through Morson Wood and into Beresford Dale. The path immediately crosses to the other side of the river and alongside Pike Pool. The path then crosses the river again back into Derbyshire over a water meadow and into Wolfscote Dale.

Eventually you reach Biggin Dale which leads off to the left, but our walk continues a little further to explore the nearby cave. Retrace your steps here back to Biggin Dale. Follow the dry Biggin Dale around Wolfscote Hill, where the path forks take the left hand path and then immediately left again up a slight rise and onto a quiet lane which leads back to Hartington.