Lathkill Dale Valley Loop (Part 1): Fields, Valleys and Waterfalls
All trips at this location:
- Lathkill Dale Valley Loop (Part 1): Fields, Valleys and Waterfalls
- Lathkill Dale Valley Loop (Part 2): Ruins, Mines and Over Haddon
Despite the title of this trip, there is no single route called the Lathkill Dale Valley Loop. There are countless paths that weave through the valley, so if you search for routes, you’ll find numerous possibilities of varying lengths. Some are loops, others are there-and-back again. Some start at Over Haddon, or Monyash.
My goal was to take a route that was a loop, in the 5 to 10 mile range, and avoided roads as much as possible. I was also keen to see the cave, waterfall, ruins and mines. This route does all that, and was based upon these instructions, with the minor addition of a spur to visit the Lathkill Head Cave.
It’s possible to trim 2 miles off the route length if you omit the north-east section that passes up through Over Haddon, and instead just cross the river by Lathkill Lodge.
Car park §
We arrived at 9:30am at a quiet gravel car park south of Lathkill Dale. We were the second car to arrive, shortly followed by an empty van (besides the driver) that looked like it might be collecting a group.
From the car park §
From the car park, we set out west along the quiet road which soon joins the busier Back Lane / Long Rake (the road appears to change name at the junction). Fortunately you merely need to cross this road, then you’re on The Limestone Way - a 46 mile footpath which passes through the Peak District.
The path cuts diagonally through fields, following a fairly straight line to Lathkill Dale (aside from a small wiggle around a farm).
After passing through the first couple of fields, you’re now quite far from any roads. It’s very peaceful, with gentle rolling hills all around, patches of woodland, and some of the wildlife starting to make an appearance.
In the third field along, we enjoyed the sight of a dozen or so swifts zipping around. They were very hard to photograph since they moved so fast, diving from the blue sky, then swooping low across the grass.
Low Moor Wood §
The trail passed through Low Moor Wood, which was purchased by the Peak District National Park Authority in 2001 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Peak District National Park.
Low Moor Farm §
After the wood, the trail curves around the side of Low Moor Farm.
Heading downwards §
After the farm, the path continues though fields, but begins a gradual descent. This offers up sweeping views, and the valley is well visible for the first time.
Down into the valley §
After the last field you reach the top of the valley. At this point the trail switches to steep steps, which lead all the way down to the bottom. It’s quite narrow and a little windy, so it’s worth keeping an eye out for people going the other direction.
After reaching the end of the steps, the trail follows the bottom of a side valley before crossing over a wooden bridge into the main valley. At this point there are some grand views looking up.
To the cave §
At this point we deviated slightly from the instructions for this route, and took a spur off the the west to reach the cave. This only adds ~0.8 miles to the journey, and is across flat terrain, so seemed worthwhile.
Lathkill Head Cave was a fun little detour. The water level was very low, so it was possible to get inside despite it being the source of the River Lathkill. I’ve read that it can get higher depending upon the weather, so your experience may vary. Fractured layers of rock hang over the entrance, and it’s unclear how stable they are. Evidently many pieces have fallen off over the years since there are piles of rubble beneath, so I didn’t hang around too long. For experienced cavers it looks possible to go inside, though for a casual walker you definitely should not head in. The cave entrance has piles of loosely stack rocks, and you can see the darkness within.
To the waterfall §
We turned around, and headed through the valley towards Tufa Dam Waterfall. The journey is easy going, since it’s a well worn trail that follows the edge of the river.
Perhaps due to the low water levels (as we had witnessed at the cave) Tufa Dam Waterfall was rather underwhelming. It consisted of four gentle little waterfalls buried in vegetation. While we sat watching it, some other walkers asked me if this really was the waterfall. I suspect most photos online show it when more water is flowing.
Regardless, it made for a good rest point, since there was a log to sit on.
Next part §
All trips at this location:
- Lathkill Dale Valley Loop (Part 1): Fields, Valleys and Waterfalls
- Lathkill Dale Valley Loop (Part 2): Ruins, Mines and Over Haddon