Cycling the Monsal Trail

It’s only taken us er….several decades to finally cycle the Monsal Trail but I’m glad we finally made the effort. This old disused railway line that used to form part of the Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midland Junction Railway runs from Bakewell to Chee Dale and is a great way to see some of the limestone dales.

The 8.5 trail is a safe, traffic-free option for families; is flat enough for wheel chair or mobility scooter users, and for more experienced cyclists provides several options to head off into the challenging White Peak hills. We hired a couple of bikes from Hassop Station, just a five minute drive from Catherine Cottage and headed west - a route that takes you over the spectacular Headstone Viaduct, below Monsal Head; through several impressively constructed and well-lit tunnels; past the old Mill buildings at Cressbrook and Litton and the former railway stations at Longstone and Miller’s Dale - the latter has been turned into a handy café.

At Miller’s Dale you can also take a (somewhat steep) detour into the characterful, ancient village of Tideswell, home of the church of St John the Baptist, dubbed the 'Cathedral of the Peak'; Peak Volumes, a great second hand book shop, and loads of options for lunch - we can definitely recommend High Nelly's Cafe! And the good news is, it’s downhill all the way back to the trail and to Hassop Station too!

You can find more information about the Monsal Trail here .