Winster, Wensley, Snitterton Hall, Bonsall Moor, Matlock, Derbyshire.Durham.
[16.2 km] Tue 25 Jun 2013

SK 23776 59832
Lat/Long: +53.135117, -01.646073

This is my first walk in the Matlock area so I wasn’t sure of the parking situation. South of Winster I found a long lay-bye on the B5056 which turned out to be very busy. I started my walk heading north and after a few moments came to a point of interest, a Lead Ore House, the best preserved in the Peak District. Its purpose was to store lead ore, called galena, which was very valuable. Ore could be deposited at any time through a chute, like a night safe at a bank.

Before returning to Winster I turned right along a grassy Limestone Way to the east. It was a pleasant walk between low walls. I wanted to check out the area called Luntor Rocks on the map, but couldn’t find much of interest. A path to the north west descended to Winster were it took an interesting route between buildings which I would never have found from the other direction. In the village I came to the wonderful Winster Market House which dates back to around 1700.

Winster Market House interior

Its purpose was for buying and selling goods during the prosperous era of the lead mining industry in the area. I headed east along the B5057 and at the School found a public car park. I soon left the road through a stile to the left and headed down the valley through fields until I came to a footbridge over the small river. The valley bottom was dense trees and bushes though Clough Wood. Over a small footbridge to the right I headed steeply up thorough Cambridge Wood and into open fields. At the top of the hill I came to the familiar profile of a water supply reservoir. The unusual thing was the grass around it was neatly mown. The path went across the access track and as I glanced left the mystery was solved. A man was there tending some foliage and the whole of the SE face of the reservoir could be seen as having been converted to a domestic house. The man wasn’t the owner but knew him.

 I descended to the B5057 in Wensley, turned left and headed for the right branch turn towards Snitterton. I soon left it then went through a gate tied up with string and headed up the small hill of Crossgreen to the summit trig post.

There was a path continuing along the summit ridge but I didn’t follow it as no path was shown on the map. I descended to the north and followed a public footpath through fields to Oker then up the road to Snitterton Hall. The hall is mostly hidden behind a huge surrounding wall. However, when I got to the main entrance the main gate was open and another gate nearby gave views of the garden and hall though its railings. I poked the camera though to take a photo of the beautiful building and magnificently manicured garden.

I passed the farm next to the hall and up the track where the footpath sign pointed. I kept to the track but that was a mistake as the footpath soon turned off to the right and I missed the turn. It turned out not to be a problem as the track took me to Leawood Cottage where a path crossed fields and through Jughole Wood and on to the road. I soon rejoined my planned route and headed up the rough track of Moorlands Lane. I turned right to follow the path called the Limestone Way. It crossed several fields to Blackelow Lane were I headed up the walled track to Bonsall Moor. My next objective was the trig post on Blakelow Hill. At the end of the track there wasn’t a gate so I had to carefully step over a wire fence to get to the field and the summit. Then I turned south and into the area of abandoned mine workings called Beans and Bacon Mine. The whole area as a jumble of humps and bumps of the old lead mine workings. It is a English Heritage site of importance and has a national monument number of 29967. I joined the public footpath to Bonsallmoor Lane then across fields to Bonsall Lane and down to the busy B5055 and the car.

Winster, Wensley, Snitterton Hall, Bonsall Moor, Matlock, Derbyshire.