Alstonefield, Wolfscote Dale, Gipsy Bank

1 hr 59 mins

4.66 miles (7.51 Km)

Behind toilet block in Alstonefield village

SK130556

Out of car park turn left on road and after 20 mtrs, take stile & gate on right.
After 20 mtrs take stile on left and head diagonally rightwards passing right hand end of farm buildings.
Cross farm track, over stile and head diagonally rightwards to gate.
Through gate and cross narrow field to stile.
Turn right onto farm track and follow this as it bends left and just before it bends right again take path on left through a gate.
Keeping wall on your left, go through metal gate then a further 4 gates and over some rougher ground to a 5th gate.
Trend slightly left to stile.
Cross broken wall on your left just before water trough and take stile into square field before the copse.
Head to right end of copse and another gate.
Through gate then head diagonally leftwards to another gate.
Right onto farm track (signposted Beresford Dale) and follow this as it bends left and eventually reaches a metal gate and stile.
Over stile then head diagonally leftwards downhill aiming for the deep narrow valley.
Keep right of the wall which appears to have no purpose!
Through metal gate and follow the deep narrow valley downhill.
Through stile left of metal gate at bottom of valley and continue straight on keeping wall on your left.
On reaching the 2 metal gates side by side (ignoring the 3rd one higher up), take the right gate.
Follow the wide track/path beyond.
Continue through 3 metal gates and when you reach the metal and wood gates side by side, turn right through a wooden gate (signposted Hartington) and follow path to bridge.
Cross Frank-i-the-Rocks bridge, then turn right and head downstream.
After some distance, take the next bridge (Gipsy Bank bridge) and follow the steep steps then path to a stile and gate (don’t miss the fantastic views as you slog uphill).
Continue to another gate then head diagonally left through several gates aiming about 100 mtrs left of the farm buildings.
Pass the farm buildings on your right, passing through more wooden gates to reach the farm track.
Follow the farm track to the road (avoid track off right as the track you’re on bears left).
At road turn right back into Alstonefield and follow road round rightwards to the car park.