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
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.
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