DERBYSHIRE DALES

The limestone dales of Derbyshire and the Peak District offer some of the most accessible, beautiful and spectacular scenery. Crystal clear water flows through the dales which are often flanked by precipitous cliffs and pinnacles or tors.
Dales such as Dovedale and Lathkill Dale are extremely popular and can get very busy but there are large number of lesser known ones which are sometimes less accessible but equally as beautiful.
Due to specific geology some of the dales run dry and the crystal clear water can disappear only to reappear further downstream.

On the Derbyshire Heritage website there is a fairly comprehensive list of Derbyshire Dale and their locations – https://derbyshireheritage.co.uk/misc/derbyshire-dales/

According to Natural England the Derbyshire Dales Nature Reserve is made up of five dales which they manage : Lathkill, Cressbrook, Hay, Long and Monk’s Dale. See their brochure as it gives a wealth of information.

There are few sources relating to Derbyshire Dales.
Lord Byron once wrote that Derbyshire contains attractions ”as noble as in Greece or Switzerland,” .

Interestingly an account of a visit by William Wordsworth to Dovedale from – Enlightenment! A blog by Buxton Museum and Art Gallery – All things Derbyshire in the eighteenth century –
The poet William Wordsworth (1770-1850), and his sister Dorothy (1771-1855), mention seeing Dovedale several times in their extensive writings. Though visiting the valley was never the specific purpose of one of their journeys, it was a picturesque location that they evidently sought-out as they travelled, that occasioned the siblings a great deal of pleasure. William Wordsworth first wrote about visiting Dovedale in 1788, when he was travelling back to Hawkshead in Cumbria for the summer, upon completing his first year at Cambridge University. On the 8th June, he recorded,
Saw nothing particularly striking till I came to Ashburn. Arrived there on Sunday Evening – and rode over to Dovedale. Dovedale is a very narrow valley somewhat better than a mile in length, broken into five or six distinct parts, so that the views it affords are necessarily upon a small scale. The first scene that strikes you upon descending into the valley, is the River Dove fringed with sedge, and stopped with a variety of small tufts of Grass hurrying between two hills, one of which about six years ago was cloathed with wood; the wood is again getting forwards; the other had a number of cattle grazing upon it. The scene was pleasing – the sun was just sinking behind the hill on the left – which was dark – while his beams cast a faint golden tinge upon the side of the other. The River in that part which was streamy had a glittering splendor which was pleasingly chastised, by the blue tint of intervening pieces of calm water; the fringe of sedge and the number of small islands, with which it is variegated. The view is terminated by a number of rocks scattered upon the side of one of the hills of a form perfectly spiral –

A unique out-of-print book entitled ‘The Derbyshire Dales’ from 1953 by Norman Price who says “it is possible in Derbyshire to escape further from the footprints of other men than anywhere else in England.” and describes his impressions of many of the ‘classic’ Derbyshire Dales.

A B C E F H J K L M N O P R S T W

DALE
Grid ref
LOCATION
A Abbey dale SK326820 Sheffield
Alport dale SK124923 High Peak
Ashwood dale SK071727 Buxton
B Back dale SK092704 Chelmorton
Bagshaw dale SK154667 Monyash
Beresford dale SK128587 Hartington
Biggin dale SK144581 Biggin
Blackwell dale SK132726 Taddington
Bonsall dale SK278573 Bonsall
Bradford Dale SK199634 Middleton by Youlgrave
Bradwell dale SK171804 Bradwell
Brierlow dale SK087700 Dove Holes
Bull Hay dale SK099700 Chelmorton
C Cales dale SK167684 Sheldon
Calling Low dale SK183655 Youlgrave
Cave dale SK148824 Castleton
Chee dale SK117728 Taddington
Coombs dale SK226748 Calver
Cow dale SK085721 Buxton
Cressbrook dale SK172739 Cressbrook
Cuckoostone dale SK310621 Matlock
Cunning dale SK078730 Buxton
D Dam dale SK117780 Peak Forest
Darley dale SK267626 Darley Dale
Deep dale SK097716 Chelmorton
Deep dale SK163696 Taddington
Demon`s dale SK169704 Taddington
Dove dale SK144526 Ilam
Doveholes dale SK087773 Dove Holes
Dowal dale SK075679 Earl Sterndale
E Eaton dale SK170555 Parwich
Eyam dale SK218760 Eyam
F Fern dale SK158657 Monyash
Flag dale SK117737 Tunstead
G Glutton dale SK085671 Earl Sterndale
Gratton dale SK205605 Elton
Great Rocks dale SK106732 Tunstead
Green dale SK158806 Bradwell
Green dale SK168798 Bradwell
H Hall dale SK136535 Milldale
Hall dale SK282638 Darley Dale
Hand dale SK144608 Hartington
Hartle dale SK162804 Bradwell
Hay dale SK179730 Cressbrook
High dale SK153717 Taddington
Horseshoe dale SK097704 Chelmorton
Hubber dale SK143693 Taddington
I Intake dale SK163796 Bradwell
J Jennings dale SK167801 Bradwell
K Kirk dale SK181686 Sheldon
L Lathkill dale SK186657 Youlgrave
Lin dale SK154511 Thorpe
Linen dale SK196765 Foolow
Litton dale SK158748 Litton
Long dale SK137616 Hartington
Long dale SK188606 Pikehall
M Middleton dale SK213759 Stoney Middleton
Mill dale SK142549 Milldale
Miller’s dale SK164731 Taddington
Monks dale SK135742 Taddington
Monsall dale SK173715 Ashford in the Water
N Nettler dale SK182696 Sheldon
O Over dale SK185807 Bradwell
P Perry dale SK104810 Sparrowpit
Peter dale SK126758 Wormhill
Pin dale SK158823 Castleton
R Ricklow dale SK163664 Monyash
S Sharplow dale SK147523 Ilam
Silly dale SK182766 Grinlow
Slatepit dale SK346680 Holymoorside
Stanlow dale SK169793 Bradwell
T Tansley dale SK170747 Litton
Tideswell dale SK153739 Tideswell
Twin Dales dale SK192661 Over Haddon
W Wensley dale SK264608 Wensley
Wolfescote dale SK135574 Alstonefield
Woo dale SK093731 Chelmorton