Peak Pilgrimage Day 3

Today was our longest walk on the pilgrimage at 21km with 400m of ascent. We also moved into an area we are more familiar with. Just on the outskirts of Monyash we took the path down Lathkill Dale. Over the next 5 km the dale changed from dry and grassy, to damp, narrow and oppressive and eventually to deep with a significant river.

Small falls along the river

Along the way various streams emerged from the valley walls and floor to strengthen the flow. In the valley near Over Haddon there used to be mills powered by the water. It was a fair ascent up to Over Haddon village and its welcoming pub. Along the way we passed the church on a small level piece of land. Once on higher ground, and fortified, it was a short walk to the exceptionally busy town of Bakewell. This is a handy place for provisions for the last quarter of the journey, should they be required. The church is on the far side of town, up a rather steep road.

Once again, sunlight highlights detail in a church

From Bakewell we were on a route we knew well, across the ridge to Chatsworth. We were relieved to see the village of Edensor as we descended from Calton pastures knowing that we had only a few kilometres to walk into Baslow. The guidebook suggests that one might like to detour into Chatsworth House and its gardens. We've been a few times over the years but I'm not convinced that a stately home visit sits well in a pilgrimage, in whatever way you wish to experience a few days of peaceful walking.

Although Baslow is a substantial village with 3 hotels I found very few spaces when I booked. Ultimately we were not impressed with where we stayed, especially in view of its price. On the bonus side, there are two little shops that supply chocolate bars and bananas into the evening.