Lathkill Dale from our Peak District Cottages

Bolehill Peak District Cottages are conveniently situated for Lathkill Dale which is one of the best Derbyshire Dales and a must to visit during your Peak District holiday. The embankment to the Dale can be seen less than a mile away from the front of our property and it is only a short walk across the fields, to Over Haddon, and then drop down into the Dale to see the this spectacular dale.

Part of Lathkill Dale is a National Nature Reserve containing areas designated as SSSI (Sites of Special Scientific Interest). There are rare flowers and ferns, historical remains and features as well as breathtaking scenery and fabulous walks which can be accessed by either a short drive or on footpaths direct from our Peak District cottages.

The Lathkill has crystal clear water and is said to be one of the purest rivers in the country. Its true source lies deep underground beneath the picturesque villages of Monyash and Flagg which contain pretty little cottages constructed of Peak District stone.

A grassy vale south of Monyash leads to a rocky gorge which contains Lathkill Head Cave where the river makes its first over ground appearance, often as a gentle trickle but following heavy rain it will gush forth and head downstream as a raging torrent.

After over a mile of dramatic scenery with rocky crags, scree slopes and slitherbanks of limestone in this typical White Peak landscape, the river Lathkill reaches Carter’s Mill where abandoned millstones can still be found from an old corn mill that at one time operated there. A lovely grassy track leads up out of Lathkill Dale from here which can form part of a walk leading straight from your holiday accommodation in the Peak District at Bolehill Cottages.

From Carter’s Mill the Dale becomes wooded with a fabulous riverside path leading through the remains of ancient lead mines which are now archaeological features of fascination and beauty which add character and charm to any walk. No holiday in Derbyshire would be complete without visiting and learning something of the lead mining era which shaped Derbyshire’s history, resulting in the construction of many Peak District and Derbyshire cottages. In fact, some Peak District holiday cottages are probably old miners’ cottages dating back to the 18^th and 19^th centuries.

Emerging from woodland, the path reaches yet another old mill building by the side of a beautiful lodge and a ford in the river beside a clapper bridge. From here a narrow lane leads up the hillside to the village of Over Haddon which nestles on the edge of Lathkill Dale and contains yet more Peak District cottages of charm and character. There is a lovely walk from your Peak District cottage at Bolehill Farm across fields of rich pasture to Over Haddon from where you can easily access Lathkill Dale.

Downstream from Over Haddon the River Lathkill has been shaped and formed long ago by mans intervention to form a paradise of wide deep pools through a succession of eleven weirs. The Blue Waters as they are known locally contain fish, duck and water fowl as well as water-loving plants and wild flowers. When preparing for your stay at a cottage in the Peak District, be sure to pack reference books for birds and wild flowers so that you can enjoy a nature ramble as part of your holiday in Derbyshire.

Following the river downstream you will arrive at what appears to be a long wall over the River Lathkill. This is in fact a medieval bridge constructed hundreds of years ago, long before the road here was turnpiked. A cluster of Derbyshire cottages could then be found close to this crossing of the river in the little hamlet of Conksbury which has sadly since disappeared, its Peak District cottages long since demolished.

After a further half a mile or so, the river passes beneath Coalpit Bridge which is one of the prettiest packhorse bridges in the county. Take home happy memories of your holiday in Derbyshire with a photograph taken on the low parapets which were designed so that panniers or saddlebags on little pack ponies did not catch as they trotted by.

The last stretch of River Lathkill flows beside a series of meadows before reaching Alport which is an Estate village belonging to the Duke of Rutland from nearby Haddon Hall. Packed with picture postcard cottages which feature in numerous publications about the Peak District, Alport is popular with visitors, especially those staying in holiday accommodation and Peak District cottages as it oozes such charm and character. Here our River joins forces with the River Bradford in a marriage of gurgles and miniature rapids which can be seen beyond a little arched bridge.

A fairly regular bus service from Alport operates to Bakewell a few miles away which is described as the Capital of the Peak District as it is the only town in the National Park. There are places of interest as well as shops, pubs, restaurants and tearooms in this lovely market town as well as character houses and a wide range of cottages in Bakewell.

Compliment your Peak District holiday whilst staying at Bolehill Cottages with a walk into Lathkill Dale. Ask at reception for leaflets and maps which will help to guide you as part of your holiday in Derbyshire and short break stay or holiday week in one of our Peak District cottages.