A tale of two trails This year the Monsal Trail and the Tissington Trail both celebrate big birthdays, but the enjoyment of traffic-free trails does not stop there as Liam Benson discovers more.
Fabulous at forty
PHOTO: DAN WILDEY
With the numbers of visits doubling last summer as we all craved the outdoors once again following lockdown, the Monsal Trail remains as popular as ever. Now in its 40th year – and some ten years since its iconic tunnels opened to the public – this family favourite has a new bustling feel, over 60 years since trains last rattled along its lines.
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Winding through some of the Peak District’s most spectacular limestone dales, the old Midland Railway trail stretches 8.5 miles between Blackwell Mill, in Chee Dale, and Coombs Road, at Bakewell. With six tunnels, most around 400m long and fully lit during daylight hours, they make for a fantastic experience – especially for children! The renovated station buildings and café at Millers Dale offer a perfect halfway stop-off.
Nifty at fifty Not only a brilliant bike ride or perfect setting for a leisurely stroll, the Tissington Trail has a fascinating history. Once the railway line between Buxton and Ashbourne – and even a supplier of milk to London – there is real heritage below your feet. This year marks the 50th anniversary since the site opened as a dedicated route for walkers, cyclists and horse riders since the National Park purchased the site in 1971. There has never been a better time to take a gaze through history, discover the former station platforms, find the old signal box, or appreciate the cowslips and other wildflowers that frequently adorn the banks of the 13-mile trail.
Just as popular today! Queueing around the building at Parsley Hay Bike Hire Centre in 1981, above. Cycling along the Monsal Trail, left. www.peakdistrict.gov.uk
