Hartington, Beresford and Wolfscote Dales

1. From the centre of Hartington walk past the Charles Cotton Hotel on your right. Just before the Toilets on your left, turn right down a footpath at the end of a wall in front of  a row of stone houses. Walk along a narrow path between buildings, then between a fence and a wall, Pass through a gate and continue along the path over a style. Follow the line of the wall and cross a wall style. Continue to cross the next five fields and styles until you reach the road.

2. Turn right onto the B5054 and continue uphill for 500 metres. Just past the cottage on your left, turn left at the public footpath sign and descend the field keeping a wall and fence on your left. Cross a style and footbridge, walk up the field ahead and cross another style. Bear right up the field , keeping the buildings on your left, following the right hand footpath sign. Pass above the farm and cross a waymarked fence and wall style. Continue ahead to cross another wall style by a water trough. Bear slightly left passing a tennis court with a fence on your left. Cross a style and walk straight ahead up a shallow field valley, keeping trees on your left and the steep bank on your right. Cross a squeeze style and bear slightly right to walk up the next field, crossing a style and continuing ahead to cross another style. Turn left onto road.

3. Continue up the road and go straight on at the crossroads following the sign to Wetton and Alstonefield. In about 450 metres turn left through a gated style at the ‘Footpath’ sign by a gate. Continue ahead keeping the fence and wood close on your right. Go through a small gate. Follow the fence for a short way then at its corner keep straight on to a waymarked post and cross a footbridge. Follow the hawthorn trees on your left then bear right to cross a fence style. Bear right up the next field. Cross a fence style and walk downhill to cross another fence style and a stream. Continue ahead up the shallow field valley and near the top turn left across a marshy area. Cross a fence style. Walk up the field with a wall on your left for a short way. At the field corner bear slightly left away from the wall. Pass a barn a little way off on your left. Keep straight on, crossing the field in the direction of the road signs at the top of the hill on the horizon. Cross the stream and walk up the steep field towards the gate and cross a waymarked style just short of the gate, Turn right onto the road.

4. Continue up the road and turn left and follow the road for 1½ miles into Alstonefield until you reach the George Public House in the centre of Alstonefield (great place to have lunch, beer optional)

5. On leaving the George continue straight on and follow the Lode Mill and Ashboune road out of the village. Continue on past the first public footpath sign and turn left at the second public footpath and Youth Hostel sign to ‘Coldeaton Bridge via Gypsy Bank’. Walk along a walled track passing barns. Follow the track, which has a sharp right and left hand bend, down to the top of Gypsy Bank. Cross the style and bear right down the steep hillside towards Coldeaton Bridge. Turn left and proceed along the river

6. Follow the river Dove for 2½ miles. Alongside this stretch of the route, which takes you through Wolfscote Dale and Beresford Dale, you will cross six styles and two bridges (ignoring the first two bridges) and see the magnificent cliffs at the entrance to Biggin Dale and Drabber Pool in Wolfscote Dale; also the tall limestone pillar in the Pike Pool by the second bridge in Beresford Dale. (you are now 20 minutes from the end of the walk).

In a short distance after crossing the Dove over the second bridge, start to climb up away from the river. Go through a gated style and keep straight on up the field path to follow the line of an old wall. Descend the field and pass through a style by a gate. Bear right to walk up the field, go through a broken wall and bear right again uphill to pass waymarked posts. Cross two gated styles on either side of a rough track. Follow the waymarked and clearly defined path to Hartington. Pass through the small metal gate and down the steps by the toilet. Turn right and return to the Centre of Hartington for some much needed liquid refreshment. Hartington has two excellent pubs, the Devonshire Arms and the Charles Cotton Hotel, both with an good selection of real ales.