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42 walks in Derbyshire including Bakewell, Matlock and Stoney Middleton by Paul Besley
Derbyshire's White Peak is a restorative place where visitors can take their time and enjoy gentle rolling hills and peaceful dales. In the first of two volumes to the White Peak, this guide showcases the eastern section by providing 35 day walks and 7 longer walks and trails around the main market towns of Bakewell and Matlock. Other starting points include the quaint limestone villages of Stoney Middleton, Tissington and Youlgreave and the walks travel over rolling green pastures and heathered moorland, through ancient woodland and limestone escarpments.

While Chatsworth Estate is perhaps the most famous site in this area, the land is covered with centuries of human activity from Neolithic henges, medieval ridge and furrow systems, traditional limekilns and austere Victorian mills. Art both new and ancient can be found across these hills; the Companion Stones on White Edge are part of a recent Sites of Meaning project, while fascinating cup and ring stones date back to the Bronze Age.

Alongside comprehensive route description interspersed with a wealth of insights into features passed on the way, this guide features OS mapping for the 35 day walks and 1:50,000 mapping for the 7 longer walks and trails. There is plenty to discover on these walks and this guide provides everything needed to explore the magical landscape of the White Peak.

This guidebook describes 35 circular walking routes in the Dark Peak - the wilder northern area of the Peak District distinguished by its dark gritstone. The walks range between 4 and 13.5 miles in length (6.5km to 22km), varying in terms of difficulty: some involve steep ascents and descents, uneven ground and pathless terrain, and demand a good level of navigational competence. The book also outlines 5 longer routes (3 linear; 2 circular) of 15.5 to 28 miles (25-45km) for those wishing to explore the area further, including a classic 'skyline' circuit of the Kinder Scout plateau. Detailed route description and 1:50,000 OS mapping are provided for each route, along with information on nearby points of interest and facilities.

Icons of the Dark Peak - such as Kinder Scout, Stanage Edge, the Roaches and Mam Tor - are included, however, the focus is on exploring the lesser-known corners of the region. The routes take in striking gritstone edges, distinctive rock formations, open moorland, steep-sided valleys and hidden waterfalls.
The Dark Peak features a wild landscape of sweeping moorland and big skies. Easily accessible from Sheffield, it boasts a wealth of natural, geological, historical and cultural interest - and some great walking.

Paul Besley has spent a lifetime walking through the dales and villages of the White Peak and has written a Cicerone guidebook to the Dark Peak. His interest in human interaction with landscape and his love of the ancient has provided him with thousands of hours of enjoyment. Paul is a regular contributor to magazines, which has taken him across Britain and the world. He is a team member of Mountain Rescue, and a dog handler in Mountain Rescue Search Dogs England with his Border Collie. He lives in Sheffield with his wife Alison Counsell and their dogs Olly, Monty, and search dog Scout