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Getting to Monsal Dale

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Monsal Dale is in Deryshire peak district, a mile-and-a-half from the village of Bakewell. It is south of Sheffield and Manchester, and west of Chesterfield. Monsal Head (the top end of the valley) is located on the B6465, close to the villages of Little Longstone and Great Longstone.

For a map of the area, from www.streetmap.co.uk, click here.

BY CAR:

To approach Monsal Head from the south, turn off the A6 at the sign for Ashford in the Water and Monsal Head, to join the A6020. Take an almost immediate left (signposted to Monsal Head and Wardlow) to enter the village of Ashford, and then turn right at the Ashford Arms public house to join the narrow B6465. Follow the road uphill, slowing as parking signs become visible on the left, before making a sharp left hand turn (just before the Monsal Head Hotel) into the entrance turning for the Monsal pay-and-display car park).

To approach Monsal Head from the north, turn off the A623 between Chapel-on-la-Firth and Baslow, following signs for Wardlow and Monsal Head, and keep straight ahead on this winding road. Pass both the left hand turn for Little Longstone, and then the immediate right turn into the Monsal valley, before taking a sharp right (on the far side of the Monsal Head hotel) into the pay-and-display car park.

To reach Ilam by car from Monsal Head

To travel to Ilam from Monsal Head, turn right out of the main Monsal Head pay-and-display carpark (behind the Monsal Head Hotel) and drive back towards the village of Ashford in the Water. Take a left, signposted towards the A6, and then a right, to join the A6020. At the junction with the A6, turn left and travel towards Bakewell. In the centre of Bakewell, take a right turn at the War Memorial roundabout. Follow the road around to the left, and then — just as the road bends — take a narrow right turn, along the side of the Rutland Arms Hotel, to join the B5055. Follow this road through the village of Monyash and on towards a junction with the A515. Take a left turn, and travel in the direction of Ashbourne. At the turn off for the village of Tissington, take the opposite, right, turn, heading towards Thorpe and Dovedale. Arriving in the centre of the village of Ilam, take a right uphill turn at the Memorial Stone towards Alstonfield. The rough track access to both Ilam Tops Farm and Air Cottage (complete with cattle grid) is located on the right hand side near the brow of the hill.

Note: there is no public parking along this track, and visitors wishing to leave their cars at the only (private) parking area at Air Cottage, should contact the bed and breakfast farm in advance to seek permission to park. Alternatively, park in the village of Ilam and reach the area on foot.

To reach Eyam by car from Monsal Dale

To drive from Monsal Head to Eyam: rejoin the B6465 at Monsal Head, turning left (away from Ashford-in-the-Water), and heading north towards the A623. At the intersection with the A623, turn right, and then take a left turn onto the B6251, to arrive in the village of Eyam.

BY TRAIN:

The nearest mainline train stations for Monsal are at Sheffield, Nottingham, Derby and Manchester. The closest train stations are at Matlock, Chesterfield and Hope. For travel information, use the www.qjump.co.uk website, here. In each case, the journey to Monsal will need to be completed by bus.

BY BUS:

For timetable details on various different bus routes which service both Monsal and Ashford-in-the-Water, see the www.traveline.org.uk site, here. For telephone enquiries, call the traveline on 0870 608 2608.

 
 

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Page last updated:
22 June 2007