Lonbak one

Slow Way not verified yet. Verify Lonbak here.

I walked this one from Bakewell to Longnor. Most of this route is good - it is fairly direct and the scenery is excellent.

I am still tempted to submit an alternative version, mostly because the GPX file is so poorly plotted that it underestimates the distance, but also because the route out of Bakewell is not pleasant and could easily be improved. It also takes some rather perverse small decisions, for example taking the long way round a junction in Monyash where there is a pub and a cafe on the direct line. I would also be tempted to use more of upper Lathkill Dale to avoid rough ground and unnecessary ascent and descent.

Note that this is a walk for fairly fit experienced walkers - there are a lot of multi-step stone stiles, and quite a lot of it is rough and stony underfoot and there are a number of significant ups and downs, some of them steep.

Walkers with surplus energy may consider the short detour to the top of High Wheeldon, a fine viewpoint for upper Dovedale and its surrounding hills.

A more detailed breakdown of the route follows:

Leaving Bakewell, the route uses the main road south past a petrol station, then turns into a housing estate to find a steep path up the hill, which has a number of steps. Once out of Bakewell the path is easy to follow and crosses grazing land. Quiet roads take you part of the way to Over Haddon - the last part uses a shortcut field path accessed by a stone stile. There is a choice of routes through Over Haddon - I think the GPX line suggests the upper one, which misses the pub entrance. A twisty and fairly steep road takes you most of the way down to the Lathkill, but just before the bridge a clear path/track goes straight on west where the road turns south.

Further up Lathkill Dale the path gets narrower and rougher, passing below loose scree slopes. Eventually we take a left turn over a footbridge onto a narrow path that has a few rocky sections and a little exposure. This leads to the Limestone Way path, which climbs through a gap in the cliffs using steps in the rock. Careful navigation sees you through a group of farm buildings into open grazing fields (more stone stiles). Eventually a rather charming old lane takes the Limestone Way directly into Monyash, but for reasons I don't understand our route takes a fork right into another field path with more stone stiles, which reaches the road through the churchyard. We turn left along the road past the pub, then turn right. The next path leaves a corner of a small car park and could easily be missed - it goes round a few cottages before taking a diagonal line across fields (more stone stiles). A lane is reached, and a left turn takes us onto another which goes almost straight to the main road from Ashbourne to Buxton.

Beyond the road it us easiest to enter the open field opposite on the first footpath - the second footpath marked on the map does not exist on the ground. A rough path crosses moorland and goes under a little bridge at the Tissington Trail, emerging onto a quiet road, which goes up quite a long hill, leading to a fine viewpoint. The aforementioned High Wheeldon is prominent in the foreground. The road turns right to a junction, where we leave it on a rough path which follows a wall down to another road. We leave this to follow Green Lane most of the way into Longnor, and the sting in the tail is another steep uphill section up a slanting farm road.

I have walked most of this route (most not recently) and it is an excellent walk. However Butt's Road provides a better route into Bakewell.

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