Litton Mill in Water cum Jolly from the High Level Path

Recommended map: The Peak District White Peak Area 1:25000, Outdoor Leisure 24

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A spectacular and varied walk. It can be combined with route 8 to give an excellent day out. Park at the PAD long stay car park behind the Monsal Head Hotel at SK185714 or, if there's room park on the Little Longstone road. Walk in front of the Hotel to the top of Monsal Hill, go through the stile and turn right down steep steps. After 50m or so take a track on the left that leads to the Monsal Viaduct. Follow the disused railway track for 1.5 km to the closed tunnel entrance, then pass through the gate on the right and follow the track to a point above the lake at Water cum Jolly by a sign pointing right for the Monsal Trail. Here there are two options.

• Turn right, drop down and cross the river then turn left along the track below the steep rock face beside the lake. Follow the path beside the river for about 2km through the renovated Litton Mill to a surfaced road. After about 50m take a small path left leading over the river and up to the disused railway track. Turn right. 
• OR, and when the path under the steep rocks is flooded...
• The alternative is a small track on the opposite bank (true right bank) of the valley, starting behind the Monsal Trail sign. Warning. The track is not suitable for small children or anyone without a good sense of balance. Though walking is mainly easy and the path well defined there is often a steep drop-off to the right ending in a large crag. Follow this narrow path for 2km with increasingly splendid views, eventually gaining height to some mine workings before dropping down to the disused railway track.

Follow the disused railway track for 2.4km to the large viaduct over the A6. Before reaching it, it ispossible to divert to the Angler's Rest pub by a well marked track on the right. At a point where the viaduct starts, turn left up a narrow path by a display board and lime kilns then almost immediately right and walk horizontally through the woods for about 500m.

Those combining this walk with route 8 should cross the viaduct at this point and use that description.

Take the steep steps on the left leading out of the valley, on reaching meadows continue in the same general direction through a stile and a gate to reach a farm track. Turn left along this to Priestcliffe, a pleasant collection of farms and a seat. This where route 8 comes in from the right.

At the surfaced road turn left then almost immediately right down a path alongside Stopes Cottage. At the bottom, turn left for 30m then cross a stile on the right. Pass through another on the left and six more to a path down the dry High Dale (orchids and Cowslips in season). Where the path eventually meets a small road turn left up the hill, follow this through Brushfield Middle farm and continue to the highest part of the hill. Here, either continue on to rejoin the Monsal Viaduct or swing right down to another farm.  Pass through this, turn left between buildings then veer right through a rickety gate and down to a well used farm track. Turn right for 100m, cross the wall on the left at a sign post, turn right and follow the track as it curves down into Monsal Dale. At the bottom, walk left (upstream) to the footbridge just before the weir. Cross the bridge, turn left and follow pleasant paths up through the woods back to Monsal Head. Allow 5 hours walking time.

Particular interest: Monsal viaduct, Water cum Jolly, Litton Mill, Miller's Dale, Monsal Dale.