Lathkill Dale from Over Haddon

The walk drops from Over Haddon, about 2.5km south-west of Bakewell, down into Lathkill Dale, a National Nature Reserve where the River Lathkill runs clear over limestone through a valley that was worked for lead for centuries, the ruins of its engine houses a Scheduled Monument. The route follows the river through open meadows and past two historic crossings, Coalpit Bridge and Conksbury Bridge, with a Victorian weir along the way.

Wildlife is the dale’s other draw. Dippers work the river, Wikipedia records, and orchids are among the dale’s wildflowers; Natural England signs along the river ask visitors not to go in for a paddle. Woodland sections can turn muddy after rain, and a couple of short stretches are steeper than the walk’s overall easy character suggests, but nothing here needs more than ordinary fitness and reasonable footwear.

Peak District Kids gives the loop as 5km with 130m of ascent, a two-hour walk without children, which makes it an introduction to White Peak dale walking: short enough for a morning and varied enough to hold interest. It suits families, first-time visitors to the area, and anyone who wants a limestone dale without committing to a full day’s walking. The drop into the dale and the climb back out are the only sustained gradient on the route, so anyone after a summit should look to Chrome Hill in the upper Dove.