Tideswell, Monk’s Dale and Cressbrook
The beautiful Monk’s Dale Nature Reserve
Our first camping trip this year was at Tideswell, a beautiful small village and civil parish in the Peak District of Derbyshire. Tideswell is now best known for its 14th-century parish church, the Church of St John the Baptist, known as the "Cathedral of the Peak", which contains three 15th-century misericords. The church also has beautiful stained glass with vivid colours, some of them from 1875. The village it’s also popular for the local food and food festivals.
We camped at Village View farm, a remote location near the village and we had as companion lovely sheep.
The hiking route to Monk’s Dale started from Tideswell near the church. It walk was easy and enjoyed the views until we reached to Monk’s Dale. Monk's Dale is a short steep-sided dry gorge, named after the monks of Lenton Priory. The valley is dry over the summer but has a winterbourne stream which runs into the River Wye at Miller's Dale.
I have never seen such a beautiful green colour in a deep valley.
The route is rocky is quite difficult mostly when it’s wet so it’s best if you have walking boots.
We stopped for a cup of tea and lunch near the Miller’s Dale Mill. It was so peaceful to sit on the bench and enjoy the food while we were listening the river and the birds.
There is also a lovely pub next to the mill where you can have your lunch and a drink.
The rest of the route was easy, accessible for everyone. There are spectacular views along Millers Dale along the river with steep rocks, ideal for climbing.
This is also a nice route for cycling with the family or just to enjoy a nice walk on a Sunday afternoon.
