🌳King Sterndale 9 miles🌼Wye Dale🌸Woo Dale🌸Deep Dale🌳

This beautiful walk goes through stunning dales teaming with fauna and flora.

Our first part of the journey through the dales, goes into Woo Dale, and Wye Dale. As we walk through these beautiful dales, there are many wild flowers ancient woodland and wildlife.
Woo Dale and Wye Dale are both a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) known for their limestone landscapes. Woo Dale Limestone is quarried at Tunstead Quarry, the largest limestone quarry in the UK.

Leaving the tranquil Woo Dale and Wye Dale, our route heads over pastures to Cunning Dale.
Cunning Dale is a narrow, dry gorge and known for its quiet, deserted atmosphere, flower-lined paths, and diverse wildlife, including orchids and butterflies.
It attracts a variety of insects, like the shiny-backed mint leaf beetle and red and black froghoppers.
Other species include globeflower, orchids, and the Brown Argus butterfly.
Cunning Dale is also designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC).

Leaving this secluded dale, our route crosses the railway and goes into the Hamlet of King Sterndale, a tranquil beauty spot amid the hills.
In the centre of King Sterndale Village are a little cluster of cottages which make up this hamlet and a tiny village green with the remains of an ancient butter cross which was restored in 1937. (Buttercross or Butter Market Cross is a type of market cross associated with English market towns and dating from medieval times.)
It has a total population of around 30 people, and is reached by car only from one direction, the road is about 60ft wide and was built when the surrounding fields were enclosed around 1773.
By the side of the road there's the tiny Christ Church built in 1847, it has beautiful stained glass windows and examples of carved oak.
Centuries ago before the main roads were laid, this path was a safe route used by the priests of Chelmorton to visit their neighbouring parishes.
King Sterndale Hall, or The Cottage, as it is now known, was the home of the Pickford family who founded the famous firm of carriers. Here the horses rested and were changed on their journeys from London to the north.

Leaving this characterful village, our route heads away on the edge of woodland and joins a track into stunning Deep Dale.
From the depths of the valley bottom to the heights of the plateau, through deep and shaded sections to areas exposed to the full mid-day sun, the range of conditions here is reflected in the diversity of species you can expect to see.
Rock exposures and screes support yet more vegetation, while small areas of woodland cling on to the cliff edges, hazel is found on some of the slopes and scree edges.
Among the many plants, are the deep pink blooms of bloody crane's bill and the violet-blue of clustered bellflower on the steep upper slopes.
The screes are home to limestone fern, while Nottingham catchfly grows on the shallow soils above the rocky outcrops.
Among the many invertebrates found here is the cistus forester moth, the larvae of this nationally scarce species feed on rock rose, which grows on the thin soils of the daleside.
There's a cave which has provided evidence of habitation from at least 1,000 years ago, and it may well have been occupied in prehistoric times.
One of the largest caves in Deep Dale is some 100 yards long but contains a drop after about 20 feet.
It is known as Hobs Hurst House where it is thought that the mischievous elf or pixie known as Hob lived. He was one of the ‘little people’ often talked of in old stories and legends and supposedly put a spell on a neighbouring spring so that anyone who drank the waters on Good Friday and believed in its virtues were healed of any sickness.
Further up Deep Dale is a fork where Horseshoe Dale heads off in front with a path known as the Priest’s Way.

Our route through Deepdale ends at Topley Pike Quarry which is currently in the process of being transformed to its natural state and causing some path closures through Deep Dale. (I'll find out when I check out the route..)

We are nearing the end of our stunning walk, crossing the A6, and taking a stroll along the path by the River Wye, finishing with a gradual ascent back to our carpark.

An undulating walk through varied terrain some gentle ascents and descents, nothing too challenging

Catching up points and breaks along the way as always

Bring a picnic lunch snacks and plenty of water to keep you going

Small Cafe with refreshments near the start at the Cycle Hire, unfortunately no toilets

The nearest toilets are a 5 minute drive away at Miller's Dale carpark
I suggest stopping there on your way

Walking boots are essential, a walking pole is helpful for ascents and descents

As always check the weather and dress accordingly

Doggies are always welcome 🐕🐕‍🦺

Looking forward to sharing another exciting adventure with you..🏞👩‍🦯🐕🚶‍♂️🐕‍🦺🚶‍♀️🐄🐑🌳🌸🌼