Start at: Monsal Head
Grid ref: SK185 715
Distance: 9 km
From the car park in front of the Monsal Head Hotel go to the top of the hill and go through the highest stile to gain a signposted footpath to “Monsal Dale”. Follow the footpath downhill to a footbridge, passing a weir on the way, and bear left alongside the river. Follow this riverside path to the end of the valley where a signpost to “White Lodge” provides the way ahead. Cross a stile and a road to emerge in the car park of White Lodge.
From here a stile and signposts for “Waymarked walks” lead to a rock with a further waymark sign – at which point you carry on straight ahead. After about 50 metres turn left, over a stile, and climb uphill along the valley towards Ashford and Sheldon, again with signposts to point the way. Continue uphill, through the trees to join a wall on your left as the angle of the slope steepens considerably. At the end of the trees a stile brings you back into open country and further signposts to direct you across the fields. After crossing the first field use the stile ahead and turn right with a wall on your right as a guide.
A gate provides the way on, followed by another stile next to a gate and a left turn to follow a track with walls on both sides. Aftre two more stiles you lose the walls on either side and cross a further series of stiles; five in all before gaining another walled track. The path now passes a small church before reaching the road at Sheldon.
Turn left on reaching Sheldon and just past the left hand bend turn left to follow the signposted “Footpath to Ashford” onwards to a small wood. Continue through the trees and turn right along the valley to another stile and a wall next to the river. The route now follows the riverside to a small lane, where you turn left then turn right on reaching the main road. After 200 metres following the main roadturn left to find the packhorse bridge leading into Ashford in the Water.
Turn right along the main street of Ashford to a signpost for “Monsal Dale” which leads you off left.Turn left after 100 metres turn left and climb uphill to Hill Cross and a T junction. Turn right here then immediately left to join a walled track with a footpath sign. Continue along this walled track to the end and a stile and a left turn. At the top of the field ahead go through another stile then turn right into another walled, but slightly wider, track which again ends in a stile. Turn right here and a short walk with a final pair of stiles leads you back to your start point.