Tideswell Dale, Water-cum-Jolly and Cressbrook Dale

The walk starts from the Tideswell Dale car park. A surfaced path runs down the dale to the lane by the Wye, which leads to Litton Mill. Beyond the mill a concession path follows the river through Water-cum-Jolly Dale, under limestone crags, to the mill pond and footbridge at Cressbrook Mill. The route climbs the lane to Ravensdale Cottages, takes the path up wooded Cressbrook Dale, and turns up the side valley of Tansley Dale to the village of Litton. It returns by the road down Litton Dale and the path down to the car park.

It is 9.3 km with 181 m of ascent; allow about 3 hours. The grade is Easy by time, with one long climb from the river to Litton.

The riverside path through Water-cum-Jolly floods after heavy rain; a higher path avoids it. Limestone paths are slippery when wet, and Cressbrook Dale, part of the Derbyshire Dales National Nature Reserve, has old lead-mine workings to keep clear of. Livestock graze the dales. Litton Mill, founded in 1782, was notorious for its treatment of pauper apprentices.

The National Park car park charges and has toilets. There is no station nearby.

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.