A Derbyshire Dales Trails Tale

Heard of the Tissington Trail?  So had I, but I'd never ridden it.  It regularly features in Cycle magazine, with smiling cyclists enjoying a traffic free ride in bucolic Dales countryside.  A little research, and I discovered there were several trails in the same area.  Could they make for an interesting tour?

 

So last October, myself and Roger, a cycling friend who's also a veteran of the Tri-Vets rides, were all set to do this trip,  until Roger came off his bike a few days before, and was told not to ride for a while.  Bad luck but luckily no lasting injuries. 

We re-booked again for late April, to be assured  of good weather.  The weather bit didn't go so well - Derbyshire is even colder than London at the moment,  6-8 degrees, so we took our winter gear and caught the train to Derby from St Pancras, which is more difficult than it sounds.   There are loads of signs to St Pancras International,  but none to boring old St Pancras for UK departures.  Eventually I found someone who knew where it was, tucked away round the back upstairs, as if we're a bit embarrassed about it.

From Derby we were going to cycle to Ashbourne and Tissington, and pick up the trail, which passed near our youth hostel at Hartington.

As we pulled into Derby it was just spitting with rain, and it stayed that way most of the afternoon.  After a brief pub lunch, we set off to Ashbourne.  Gently rolling countryside and the occasional group of goldfinches kept us company on the very quiet lanes.  Signs on the bins told us we were in the Derbyshire Dales, and soon it became hilly, bur we were nearly at lovely, touristy Ashbourne, where we recuperated in an excellent tea shop.

 

To my surprise,  the Tissington Trail started at Ashbourne,  and also to my surprise,  it started with a 20 metre stretch of flooded path, leading up to a tunnel. We braved it and got through with only damp feet.

The tunnel was exciting too.   After this, the track climbed steadily at a constant 2% gradient, for ever.  (The Peak District publicity says it's "almost flat", but it didn't feel like this into the north wind.)  It was well surfaced but not tarmac.  We were distracted by the open countryside views, and entertained by the extremely steep roads that occasionally crossed the trail.  Eventually we reached Middleton Top Cutting, but it wasn't the top by a long way.  Perhaps the middle? 

 

We continued to climb, passing plenty of cafes (mostly closed), picnic areas and old stations.   Tissington must have passed without notice,  as we realised nine miles later, at the actual top.  By now it was just a couple of miles to Hartington, punctuated by a rather scary climb on a narrow footpath up a damp rock face from the trail to the road bridge.

Hartington Hall hostel is a lovely, grand old house with several outbuildings including a working farm.  And a technical problem in the kitchen preventing the serving of food.  We went to the pub instead, before retiring to our room in the Coach House.   A good day; only 32 miles from Derby but 700 metres of climbing.

Hartington Hall 

Day 2 >